Page 17 of His Best Man's Baby

Why the hell did he have to be so understanding? “I said it’s nothing.” She glanced at her phone, but she hadn’t heard from Zerita since last they texted. Even if she wanted to talk to someone other than her best friend, the last person it would be was Daniel. If anything she should tell Jax first.

She shoved her chair back and dropped her head onto her folded arms. The mere thought of telling him sent her mind spinning, and her stomach tied itself in knots. Daniel touched her head and stroked her hair. He didn’t ask again, but just the act of doing so loosened her lips.

“I’m pregnant,” she muttered.

He leaned closer so she felt his breath on her arm. “What was that? I think you said…” He gasped. “Octavia, did you say you’re—”

“Pregnant,” she repeated in misery. Now that he knew, she sat up and looked into his eyes. Shock reflected back at her, and something else too. Betrayal? He had no right to feel that way. “It was an accident. I mean, I never meant…”

“Who is he?” Daniel demanded. “Do I know him?”

Do you ever. “It doesn’t matter.”

Daniel banged his fist on the table, and several people turned their way. He hitched his shoulders and calmed down, but the frown never left his face. “So he’s some deadbeat who thought he could use your body and not deal with the consequences? Give me a name, Tae, and I’ll make him regret the day he was born!”

On some level, she loved his protectiveness of her, but she wasn’t some stupid woman who would cover for a dumbass loser who didn’t deserve it. Besides that, Daniel knew her better. “I don’t need you to stick up for me, Daniel. I can take care of it.”

His eyes widened. “You’re not getting an abortion!”

“Seriously? Tell the world, why don’t you.”

He pushed fingers through his hair, disordering it, a testament to his frustration. Unlike Jax, who looked hot as hell with tussled hair, a circumstance that happened because he didn’t pay attention to messing it up, Daniel liked his in perfect order. “Sorry. Listen, I can help you.”

“Help me what?” She put a hand on her hip. “Did you forget you have a wife, Daniel? What are you going to help me do exactly?”

“Figure this thing out.”

She stood and gathered her bag. “I don’t need your help, but thanks. I shouldn’t even have come over to this side of town. Just like I ran into you, I could have run into anyone.” She clamped her teeth together so fast her jaw hurt, but the blunder had already slipped out. Daniel’s expression shifted from curiosity to shock and then to anger. She swung away from him and started to walk away, but he caught her arm and turned her back to face him.

“Tell me the truth,” he demanded, clutching her arms.

She winced. “You’re hurting me, Daniel.” He refused to let go no matter how she struggled.

“Tell me, Octavia!” He drew her closer to his chest, and she managed to bring her hands up before her breasts flattened against him. “Is it Jax’s baby?”

She swallowed. Refusing to answer would keep her there all day. Besides, he had already figured it out because of her mistake. She should have let him believe it was some loser, but she wasn’t in the habit of lying and playing games with people, especially not Daniel.

“Yes. Happy now?”

“Not by a long shot! I can’t believe you would sleep with my best friend.”

When he put it like that, he made her sound like a slut, and she refused to apologize. She wiggled from his hold. “Who I choose to sleep with is none of your business. Please do me the favor of not saying anything to Jax.”

Disbelief echoed in his voice. “You’re not going to tell him?”

“I will in my time, not yours. Promise, Daniel.”

He stared at her for a few minutes.

“Daniel.”

“You have my word.”

She nodded and spun to walk away. All the while her legs quivered and her stomach heaved. When she reached her car, she unlocked it, slung the door wide, and tossed the unwanted cheesecake to the passenger seat. Somehow, it felt like things had gone from bad to worse in a matter of hours.

* * * *

Tae bent to heft a huge basket of laundry and then froze. She bit her lip wondering. If she remembered correctly from her sisters’ pregnancies, it was not a good idea to lift anything too heavy. She hadn’t yet decided whether she would keep the baby, but to be on the safe side, she dragged the basket instead. Was that also too much strain?

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