Page 99 of Messy Strokes (Wrecked Roommates)

Shit.

My blood is an icy sludge in my veins as I register Marty’s voice, the porch lights casting eerie shadows along my nightmare’s face.

He’s here. On my front porch. Milo’s front porch. Milo, who will be home any second.

I have to get Marty out of here.

Steeling my shoulders and attempting to fake a far from genuine confidence, I yank the front door open and seethe, “What the hell are you doing at Milo’s door?”

“I could ask you the same question. You weren’t returning my texts.”

“So, you stalked me?”

“Let’s call it a happy coincidence.” He grins. “Now, why haven’t you been returning my texts?”

My gaze flicks over his shoulder to his car parked in the driveway where Milo’s belongs. Like a ticking time bomb, I can feel the seconds slipping away, bringing me closer and closer to a damn explosion.“Because we ended things, remember?” I spit, resting my shoulder against the doorjamb as if I have all the time in the world when it’s quite the opposite.

“That was before I found out about a certain someone you failed to mention to me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lie.

He leans closer to me, his stale breath making my nose wrinkle in disgust, but I refuse to back away.

“And I think you’re full of shit,” he answers.

“What do you want from me, Marty?”

“I want to know if she’s mine.”

My gaze flicks up to meet his. “No.”

“You sure, babe?”

“Positive.”

“How positive?”

“One hundred percent,” I reply. “Had the paternity test done and everything.”

“Oh?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Can I see it?”

I jerk back a few inches. “Why?”

“Because I think you’re lying.”

“I’m not lying,” I spit. “But you’ll have to forgive me for not carrying paternity test results tucked away in my pajamas for safekeeping.”

His gaze slides down Milo’s oversized T-shirt. It barely reaches my upper thighs, making me feel itchy and exposed.

Folding my arms, I bunch the worn cotton into my fists as he suggests, “Why don’t you go get it. I can wait.”

“I’m not going to play this game with you. You need to leave.”

“I just wanna meet my baby, Em.”

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