Page 91 of Stepson

"What the fuck is this, Bentley?"

Her eyes fill with regret and it’s like a sucker punch to the gut. Was she going to tell me about this? When? When it was too late and she had a huge belly?

"I can explain," she begins but I shake my head, halting her words.

"I… I need… I need to fucking think."

I toss the pregnancy stick on the floor at her feet before I turn and head for the stairs. This is all too much and my mind is about to explode. If I don't get my space from this, I might say or do something I'll regret later.

"Gabe!" Bentley cries out as she runs up behind me and grabs my arm.

"Fucking don't, Bentley!" I tear my arm from her grasp and descend down the stairs at lightning speed.

The fresh morning air slams into my lungs as I step outside and storm toward the Jeep. Maggie’s outside watering her flower garden as I pass her by without a word.

"You're up early, Mr. Gabe…"

But her words trail off as I ignore her, jump in the Jeep, and tear out of the driveway like a bat out of hell. There is only one place I can think of going to and there is a bottle of Jack with my name all over it.

Chapter forty-seven

Bentley

"Gabe!!" I scream as I fumble down the stairs, nearly tripping and landing on my ass.

My feet hit the gravel driveway before I take off running, but the Jeep disappears in a cloud of dust. Tears blur my vision, and it takes everything I have not to break down, but I won't do that. He might feel hurt, betrayed, and scared right now but he isn't the only one feeling those emotions.

"Ms. Bentley?"

I jump and spin around to find Maggie standing there with a watering can in her hands and worry etched across her face.

"Is everything okay, child?"

My bottom lip trembles before the sobs burst out of me. Why is it when someone asks if you’re okay, does your barrier breakdown? No, I’m not okay! But I’m sure as hell trying to pretend like I am.

I point after Gabe. "He left," I sob out.

She walks over to me after setting the Watering can down, wrapping an arm around me.

"Ssh, sweetheart. It's okay. Do you want to tell me what happened? I might be able to help?"

After I sniff my tears away and catch my breath, I turn to her and let it out.

"I took a pregnancy test yesterday and it was positive. I shoved it in my purse waiting for the right time to discuss it with him, but he found it this morning and before I could explain, he stormed off."

Her lips turn into a scowl as she rubs her hands up and down my arms. "It's going to be okay, Bentley. Let's get you inside for a nice hot cup of tea and calm down a bit. That boy loves you, he'll be back."

Without another word, I let her guide me inside her home. I don't want to be alone right now and a hot cup of tea does sound really nice.

Her home is exactly what you thought it would be like from the outside. It’s cute, small, and full of her life. Her kitchen is just inside the side door she leads me through and it’s warm and welcoming. The smells of home cooking and flowers permeate through the air, calming my soul instantly, but I can’t stop thinking about the way Gabe looks when I grab him.

There is so much anger in his gaze that I haven’t ever seen directed at me before, and it terrifies me. A part of me wonders if this is all my fault, but then again, neither of us were careful at all. It was only a matter of time before I got knocked up, so he can’t put the full blame on me. I won’t take it.

“Do you think he’ll come back to me?” I whisper.

Maggie whips around and looks at me with pity. “Oh, honey, I know he’ll come back. I’ve known that boy since he was… well, a boy, and I know he’ll come back. He’s never been the type to give up on something or someone when he loves them. He just needs some time to think.”

I groan, knowing where he might be. The thought of him taking a job with that horrible woman sends shivers down my spine in the worst possible way. Then dark thoughts enter my mind before I feel like throwing up. If he sleeps with that woman out of resentment or payback, he can stay away. I don’t need that in my life.

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