Page 100 of Broken Daddy

Oh, God. They didn’t let Erik out, did they? Or Brutus—did I leave something on the counter that could make him sick? Or maybe Nate just came here to tell me he regrets hiring me…

Before my train of thought can spiral even more out of control, Nathan’s face softens, throwing me off. He’s taking in his surroundings and suddenly I’m self-conscious of the little apartment.

His eyes land on a record player and a stack of old ’80s and ’90s rock. He grins. “Ahh. The culprit.”

“What do you mean?” I protest, following him into the living room as he flips through a few records.

“Thisis why I had to listen to Def Leppard, Whitesnake, and The Cranberries every morning.”

Instinctively, I bump into him playfully, arms crossed. “It’sgoodmusic. You just don’t have good taste.”

He shrugs. “I guess I’m not really a music guy.”

That’s true, I can’t think of one time in the last three months I heard him listening to a radio or playing music from his phone.

His shoulders loosen and he turns to face me. “Gen, I need to tell you something. Russell called me earlier today.”

Confused, I tilt my head to the side. “Okay. Is he alright?”

“You never texted him back.”

“Oh, damn. I totally forgot. I didn’t have any groceries here and I ran out—”

It hits me just where this conversation might be going. If Russ couldn’t reach me, he probably got worried and reached out to Nathan. But Russ already knows about what happened to Erik, so the only thing he and Nate could’ve talked about that would warrant showing up at my door…

“I told him.”

My body goes hot like it’s on fire, then cold as ice.

“Told him what, exactly?”

His gaze drops. I cover my stomach with my hand.

“Please,pleasesay you didn’t tell him I’m pregnant, Nathan.” I’m almost begging, but the embarrassment is overridden by horror. “Oh my gosh. What am I going to do?” I turn and pace, feeling hot and then cold all over again.

“Gen, calm down.”

“I can’t calm down. Did you tell him—does he know it’s—”

Yours.

“He’s not upset. Not like you think, he just…he doesn’t understand why we didn’t tell him earlier.”

“Oh,” I scoff. “Is that it?”

Nate and Russ are best friends, but there’s no way in hell Russ would be okay with this.

“I explained how—” he clears his throat with an awkward cough “—how we ran into each other and didn’t recognize…”

My face heats with embarrassment. Great, now my brother knows all about our hot hookup in the alley. That’s not at all humiliating.

The pacing begins again as I try to think my way out of this. Ijusttold Russ I’m moving to Germany, which must be why he was worried. But now…he’s never going to talk to me again. Should I show up at his apartment? At the gallery? Or would surprising him like that, cornering him, only make him angrier?

“He must think I’m out of my mind.” It comes out on a moan. I cover my face with my hands. Nate is reaching out but doesn’t touch me. It’s like he’s trying to calm a wild animal.

“He doesn’t think you’re out of your mind, Gen. He’s actually excited about Germany, I think you just…caught him off guard by telling him in a text.”

There’s judgment in his voice and I shoot him a glare. He rolls his eyes.

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