Page 128 of Illicit Heir

"Lauren Byrne! Is this where you've been hiding out?" Maeve, a girl from my town who's nineteen, maybe twenty, and whose father works for the O'Learys, cries out.

I beg, "Please don't tell anyone I'm here!"

Her face falls. "Okay. But everyone's wondering where ya went. The entire town is wondering if you're dead or alive. And your mum claims that Caleb got ya pregnant?" She glances at my belly.

My inside's quiver. I put my hand over my mouth. "Oh God. My mum actually told him that?"

She slowly nods. "Yea. He has his army of clansmen looking for ya."

I grab her arm, pleading, "Please, Maeve. Whatever ya do, do not tell him. Please. I'll give ya money. Well, I don't have a lot, but whatever ya want, I'll try to make happen. Just don't tell him!"

She puts her hands in the air. "Calm down, Lauren. I'm not going to tell him. I don't hold any loyalty toward Caleb."

My head jerks back. Besides my cousins, who privately admit they don't like Caleb any more than I do, I've never heard anybody say anything bad about him. No one would dare. I ask, "Ya don't?"

"No, he's a dickhead," she says.

I breathe a sigh of relief.

"But he's going to keep looking for ya. You're carrying his baby," she points out.

My gut dives again. "It's not his baby. My mum shouldn't have told him anything. It's a lie!"

Surprise fills her face. "It's not?"

"No. God, no," I repeat.

"Then whose is it?" she questions.

I swallow hard, my entire body quivering.

She steps closer and looks behind her. She lowers her voice. "Lauren, why would your mum tell him it's his if it's not?"

"Because she wants him to take care of me. She wants me to marry him, but that would be horrendous. Ya know how he is."

Sympathy fills her expression. She nods. "Yea. That would be a nightmare. But who's the baby's father?"

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

She adds, "I've never heard of ya with anyone besides Caleb recently."

I stay quiet.

She claims, "I won't say anything. Just like I won't tell Caleb."

"I can't tell ya. But please don't tell him. Don't tell anyone that you've seen me here."

She looks upset that I won't answer her question.

I ask, "Why are ya here anyway?"

Her face falls. "Well, I was online, and I met a guy. I thought he was amazing, so I came to meet him, and guess what?"

"What?"

She smirks. "I got catfished."

"Ya got catfished? Like, he wasn't who he said he was?" I inquire.

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