Page 38 of Dark Seduction

In the bathroom, I retrieve the pregnancy test from the drawer where I’d stashed it earlier. The two pink lines that had shocked me just moments ago are still there, a stark and undeniable confirmation of my situation.

I return to the living room, the pregnancy test clutched tightly in my hand. V and Burnt both stare at me, their expressions a mix of anticipation and dread. I hold out the test, my voice barely above a whisper. “This is what’s wrong.”

Burnt and V both lower their gaze to the pregnancy test, and it takes a moment for the reality to sink in. The room is filled with a heavy, charged silence as the weight of the situation settles over us.

Burnt is the first to break the silence, his voice quivering with excitement and uncertainty. “Is that what I think it is?” His eyes are wide, filled with a mixture of hope and trepidation.

I manage a nod, but that’s all I can do.

With a wide, infectious grin, Burnt drops to his knees beside me, his hand tenderly cradling my belly. He leans in close, his lips almost brushing against my stomach as he softly says, “Hello, little guy. I’m your daddy. We’re gonna have some grand adventures together, you and me.”

I watch the scene unfold, a warm surge of emotion washing over me as I witness Burnt’s immediate bond to become a father. Our journey together has taken an unexpected turn, but in this moment, as he talks to our future child, I can’t help but feel a glimmer of hope amid the uncertainty.

I watch Burnt with a mixture of emotions, overwhelmed by his enthusiasm , but when I steal a glance at V, his reaction is starkly different. He stares at the pregnancy test, his expression unreadable, and a heavy silence hangs in the air.

In the end, V shakes his head slowly, as if he’s trying to process the enormity of the situation. He meets my gaze, his eyes filled with a complex mixture of emotions. And then, with a heavy heart, he mutters, “I can’t do this.”

Without another word, V turns and walks towards the door, leaving Burnt and me staring at each other, our hearts crushed beneath the sound of his heavy boots walking away.

V

Pregnant.Mack is fucking pregnant.

I look at them both, searching for any trace of uncertainty in her eyes. Anything to suggest she wasn’t sure, that she was just joking around. But there’s nothing there, just a determined look on her face that tells me she’s dead serious.

The moment stretches on, the silence between us becoming unbearable. I can’t think straight, can’t process what this means. My mind races, trying to grasp just how much this will change everything. The thought of being a father, of raising a child, is both exhilarating and terrifying.

I can’t do this. Not after the last time. The second those words left Mack’s lips, the world tilts off its axis, my head spinning along with it. My body screams for me to run.

I feel like I’m suffocating in this small room, my thoughts spinning out of control. I can’t be a father again, I just can’t. The thought of it makes my heart ache with regret and fear. I can’t give this child what they need. I won’t be able to provide for them emotionally, mentally, or financially. I’m still trying to figure out this fucked-up world myself.

I turn abruptly, nearly knocking over a chair as I do so. “I can’t do this.” Before I even realize it, my feet take me to the door, and then outside.

The thought of her being pregnant echoes in my mind as I march towards my bike. I have to get away from here.

Burnt is behind me, almost close enough to touch me.

“Dude, what the fuck? You need to stop and go back in there. Mack needs us more than ever now.”

I spin, anger and fear coursing through my body like a churning hurricane. “If you want to go play happy family, you fucking do it. I won’t.”

I slide on my bike, popping the kickstand immediately and hitting the ignition switch. Burnt steps in front of my bike. His hands grabbing the handlebars of my bike.

“Don’t do this, V.”

“Move,” I hiss. I give my bike a little gas. It lurches forward. Burnt stands his ground.

I can tell he will not budge. He’s just as stubborn as I am. I rev the engine louder, my eyes never leaving his. “I don’t want to hurt you, Burnt.”

“You’re not going anywhere until you talk to her,” he says, his voice low and firm.

I rev my bike a third time, the sound of the engine drowning out my thoughts. Burnt doesn’t budge, his grip on the handlebars tightening. “Move,” I say again, my voice barely above a whisper. But Burnt’s not letting go. “I will not ask again.”

“You can’t just run away from this, V,” he says, his own voice low. “You’re not that person.”

“You don’t know what kind of person I am.” I grit my teeth, feeling the anger boil inside me. How dare he presume to know who I am? He knows nothing about me. No one does.

“I’m not running away,” I say, my voice a growl. “I’m doing what’s best for everyone. For Mack, for the baby.”

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