Page 88 of Beyond Friendship

I try to get up, but my balance fails me and I grasp at the side of my desk to keep from tumbling onto the ground.

Nick’s hand catches me on my shoulder. “Hey, easy, buddy. It’s going to be okay.”

I jerk away, shooting him a glare. “Pff... Fucking bullshit, golden boy. You have no idea what it’s like to be me. Your life might be a fairy tale, but mine isn’t and never will be.”

“Fox,” Cole warns with a sharp look. “We know you’re hurting, but there’s no need to take it out on us.”

I return the scowl. “I’m speaking the truth, as my mom told me to do.”

“Brian, you have me,” Amanda says.

I turn my head as her soft hand touches my arm, and when I meet those beautiful brown eyes filled with worry, the Pandora’s Box of demons that I kept hidden bursts open. Still looking into her eyes, I open my mouth and let the venomous words flow out. “No, I don’t,” I say coldly. “Our story ends here. The one that never should have started in the first place.”

Her eyes glisten with tears as she shakes her head in denial.

Nick steps between us and grips my upper arm tightly. “Brian, enough. Stop.”

I jerk my arm away and point a finger at him. “Oh, butt out. I’m just telling your sister what’s what.”

Cole chimes in with a low rumble, “Brian, cut it out. You’re drunk and talking shit.”

My jaw clenches tight before I snap back at him. “I’m not talking shit, Bulldozer, just stating the goddamn ugly truth.”

My eyes slide to the male version of the Brown eyes. “Your sister wants babies,” I slur. “But I do not.”

Nick lets go of me and walks to his upset sister, who’s wiping tears from her cheeks while standing a few feet away from me. I focus my attention back on my goddess, ignoring the misery in her eyes.

“I had time to think and I’ve got my final answer on the kids topic. Which is hell no. You’ll need to find yourself another sperm donor because you will not get a baby from me, Amanda.”

“That’s enough, Brian,” Cole says as his hand lands on my shoulder. Ignoring him and the fact Amanda’s lips quiver, I press on. “I don’t want to adopt and I certainly don’t want kids of my own because my swimmers will create babies with messed-up hearts. We should count ourselves lucky we didn’t have an accident, otherwise you could be pregnant now, carrying a misfit child of mine that we’d have to abort.”

Her palm smacks my cheek, the sudden sting bringing a brief respite to the oppressive sadness inside.

I let out a dark chuckle. “A typical girl’s punch.”

Before I can process what happens next, a force like a brick slams into my face and sends me sprawling. Ouch.

“How can you fucking say that?” Nick roars while Amanda’s cry pierces the air.

“No—Nick!” she pleads.

Through my blurred vision, I see him lunge forward, but Cole steps in, holding him back. “Nick. He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”

I look at Amanda and lock eyes with her. “Oh, I meant every word,” I say, knowing this will be the final nail in the coffin. “We’re over. Thanks for the fucks, sweetheart, but this man needs more than one boring Brownie for the rest of his life.”

Nick launches himself at me, but with Cole’s large frame in between, he doesn’t stand a chance. “You fucking asshole,” Nick shouts. “You said you wouldn’t hurt her. You—”

“Nick, take Amanda and the girls home now. I’ll take care of him.”

Nick reluctantly takes Amanda away, tears streaming down her face as she whispers my name. With a heavy heart, I drop my head back onto the cold floor and close my eyes.

Time passes and all I can listen to is my uneven breathing.

“Here, take this.”

I peek through my lashes and grab the cloth in front of me. A hiss leaves my lips when I press it against my cheek and eye.

“Come on.”

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