Page 89 of Nanny for the Doctor

Johnny straightens, moving toward Mae, but she holds up a hand to stop him.

“Don’t. Don’t you dare come at me with some protective bullshit. This is my life! I should have been the one to tell him, but instead, your fucking pigheadedness stole that from me. You just couldn’t let me make my own mistakes. Did you ever think that maybe I was trying to see if this would work out before I dropped the bomb?”

“I—”

“No. It’s my turn to give the lecture. I didn’t want him to stay only because he felt like he had to. I wanted Reed to choose me because hewantedto. I needed to see if the changes Reed said he’d make for Henry actually happened. And he’s probably scared out of his mind from all this yelling, by the way.”

Mae sighs, her eyes dropping to the floor, and I’m too stunned by her words to speak.

“I didn’t plan to get pregnant. But you know what, I guess I have one thing to thank you for. All this shit has made me realize what I’ve been doing. I wanted to make sure I was bringing the baby into the best situation. That’s why I waited. I don’t even know who he or she is yet, but I’m already trying to think about what’s best for them. And now? Now you’ve sabotaged that because you’re too fucking controlling to let me live my own life. So yeah, Johnny, go screw yourself.”

Before any of us can think or react, Mae snags the keys from Stevie’s grip and dashes outside. I can hear the rain coming down in sheets, and I immediately sprint after her.

“Mae, wait! Please talk to me!”

Johnny's infuriating face pops up in front of me, and he holds me back with a hand. “We’re not done.”

The last thing I see is Mae getting in the car and tearing off onto the dangerously slick road.No, no, no. Please, not again.

Chapter31

Mae

Navigating the familiar streets back home is made especially difficult as the rain pours down and my sobbing adds another layer of crappy visibility.

I can’t believe what Johnny did.

I was close. I was so damn close to telling Reed, and now everything is a fucking disaster.

Lights reflect off the wet roads, and the red and white blurs as still more tears fill my eyes. I just wanted to do this on my terms, but no.

“Who does this shit? You don’t just tear off to your sister’s boyfriend’s house, all cocked and ready. Argh!”

Johnny couldn’t think rationally for even two seconds. I’m so sick of his overprotective nonsense and trying to take control of my life.

He’s not Dad, and he needs to stop treating me like I’m not capable of making a decision for myself.

“And they were full-on fighting!”

Images of Reed and Johnny shoving each other, my brother actually taking a swing at him, spin through my mind. Everything whirls like a washer in the spin cycle.

“What were they going to do? Just punch each other until one of them was knocked out? Yeah, because that would have solved anything.”

Sobs rack through me as I ramble to myself. I’m justsodone with all the drama.

Reed was supposed to start making changes on his own and prove he could do it without the pressure of being a new dad on top of that.

No one wants their partner to stay with them just because they’re pregnant. I didn’t get to see if he actually cared about me before the baby bombshell was dropped.

The rain pours harder, and my wipers can barely keep up with it.

“Oh, just go away, rain.”

At this rate, all I want to do is curl up in a ball when I get home and sulk while watching a cheesy movie. My brother will be lucky if I ever speak to him again.

“And I’m probably going to have to do this on my own now. Thanks a lot, bro!”

Johnny just doesn’t see me as a person who can make their own choices, and Reed leapt so fast to anger it’s astonishing.

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