Page 118 of The Tangle of Awful

“How did she end up at the lodge?” Callum asks.

Both he and Willa are watching me with wide, shocked stares.

“She got pregnant. Bitched me out because I didn’t use a condom.”

“So you locked her up for bitching you out?” Pops frowns at me. “I don’t follow.”

“No,” Dad bites out. “She threatened to terminate it.”

I wince at his cold words and nod. “I panicked. It was my baby. I didn’t even want a fucking baby, but I certainly didn’t want it to die. I begged her not to, but she wouldn’t listen.”

My eyes find Aubrey and I try to let her see how much I hate how this all turned out. I wish I could rewind back to that kiss. To tell Neena to fuck off. To take a chance with Aubrey and not assume the worst.

“I was freaking out,” I admit. “I managed to get her into my car and took her to the lodge so we could discuss it more. I thought if I could calm her down for a bit, I could change her mind.”

Everyone stares at me like they’re seeing me for the first time. I did what I had to do. I couldn’t let her kill my baby.

“I thought I loved her.” My voice is hoarse. “She’d fucked with my head for such a long time by that point. I thought I could get her to see we could raise the baby together.” I scoff bitterly. “But she wouldn’t let up. I knew I’d be keeping her under until she gave birth.”

Pops paces the living room. “Why didn’t you come to me? I could have dealt with this a lot sooner.”

“I freaked out, Pops. Dad had his campaign. She was pregnant with my baby. I didn’t even tell Dempsey until a few weeks ago because I needed someone to help me check on her.”

“Did my brother know about this?” Pops asks, scowling.

“No,” I grumble. “I rented out the rooms above, below, and beside the room I had her in. I told him I wanted them to take girls there for privacy since Dad was knee-deep in his campaign. He agreed that it was a good idea to keep my promiscuity hidden under the guise of visiting the lodge. Theo even hired me. I sometimes would work on his website and shit.”

“Did you sleep with my mom the whole time?” Aubrey asks, voice a whisper.

I shake my head violently. “Not the whole time. She always tried to manipulate me when I’d bring her supplies and food. I was a teenager with a working dick, thinking he was in love with his stepmom. I’d almost released her a few times. She wasn’t some prisoner. I fucking spoiled her. I was the prisoner, forced to check on her several times a day.” I drop down into an armchair, exhaustion taking over me. “And then Aubrey came back. It’s like Neena’s fog over me had been lifted. I wanted to punish Aubrey for what she’d done but…”

“You learned Aubrey was innocent and you’d been played,” Dad supplies. “Fuck.”

“Once Aubrey came back, I never saw Neena like that again. I talked to Neena about Aubrey’s return and even tried to be intimate with her, but something was different. It felt cheap and dirty.” I groan, imploring with my eyes for my dad to understand. “You have to believe me, Dad. I didn’t rape her. I was just keeping her until she gave me my baby. Then, I was going to come to you and Pops. Tell you everything. I had to make sure my baby survived.”

Dad storms over to me and for a moment I think he’s going to throw me around again. He yanks me up by my shoulders onto my feet, then crushes me to his chest in a bear hug.

“I’m going to deal with Neena,” he vows. “She’s going to walk away from our lives, giving up the rights to your son. I swear to God, Spencer, that woman will leave this state and never come back.”

I cling to my dad, needing him more than I ever have. “It’s a boy?”

Dad releases me and pulls back to grin. “He looks just like you, Spence. He’s beautiful.”

“A boy,” I mutter, a grin tugging at my lips. “What’s his name?”

Dad rests his forehead against mine. “Just waiting on you to pick one, Son.”

I have a baby.

A baby boy.

After months and months of psychological torture, I managed to make it to the finish line. My baby lived and he’s waiting to be named. By me.

“When can I see him?” I ask huskily. “I want to hold him.”

“Soon,” Dad vows. “He’ll come home soon. I’ll make sure of it. This shit is over, Spencer. It’s over.”

Finally.

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