Page 51 of Accidental Baby For My Brother’s Best Friend

“Yeah. Yeah, this is what I want. You don’t like me; I don’t like you. We couldn’t possibly get along just for the sake of a baby.”

“That’s how it is,” Locke says mysteriously, and he looks dead serious still, that muscle in his jaw twitching. He runs a hand through his hair, nostrils flaring, and that’s the only sign that he’s feeling any emotion other than…nothing.

“That’s how it is,” I repeat hollowly, fighting tears that threaten at the backs of my eyes.

“That’s what you want,” he says, repeating my words, and I want to change them. I want to take it all back and tell him that I’m terrified, that I need his help, that Iwant…

But I can’t tell him what I want. Not after last night, after he fucked me in a parking garage and then went home with someone else just because he’s panicking about my pregnancy.

“That’s what I want.” My voice sounds shaky.

Locke stares at me a moment longer, searching my face with those big brown eyes, and then he slides the chair back from the table with a screech and storms toward the elevators.

I take in a deep breath through my nostrils to keep from bursting into tears.

That’s how it is.

* * *

Despite the way my heart aches, my lack of nausea makes me feel like Wonder Woman and I’m able to pack all my things without the help of Axel or Samuel. Axel and I have been texting and calling, but I haven’t actually seen him since his fight with Locke. It’s obvious that he’s avoiding the drummer, and I certainly can’t blame him. Jackson is late, as usual, and Locke is nowhere to be found, so Samuel and I are loading up the tour bus while we wait for the rest of the Spades.

I begin to feel dizzy as I roll my luggage to the tour bus, and Samuel scolds me for putting it in the back myself without waiting for him to help. I grumble but let him put the luggage in. I guess maybe the lack of sleep last night and overdoing it this morning by packing has my vertigo coming back. This baby really wants to put me through the ringer with all the food aversions and cravings and sickness.

I put my hand on my belly. It’s way too early to feel any movement, but I feel protective, nonetheless, and I’m considering what Locke said to me and feeling worse and worse as I sit down on the bench in the parking lot.

Samuel finishes loading up and turns around to look at me. His eyes go wide and frightened.

“Gemma?”

I look down at my white shorts and they’re stained with red. Suddenly, all the horrible things I’d read start running through my mind and I feel dizzier than ever, my stomach churning. Right now, I’m not thinking of Locke or how hurt I am, all I’m thinking about is my baby and I’m afraid. I’m afraid and there’s only one person I trust to be with me when I’m sick and afraid.

“Samuel,” I whisper. “I want my brother. Please call Jackson.”

My vision starts to black out around the edges and the last thing I remember is Samuel sprinting to keep me from falling on to the pavement.

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