before she spins away from me, looking back out the window. A part of me desperately wants to go to her, to believe what she’s saying, and to pull her into my arms. She looks genuinely confused and upset, and the anger radiating off her is real, which boggles my fucking mind, because what she’s saying can’t be true.
“Can you please leave?” she pleads, her voice devoid of emotions. Like she’s closing in on herself. She wraps her arms around her middle.
I ignore her request. “Do you have any fucking idea what this is doing to me? Any clue at all? You know what Karen did. You’re no fucking better than her.” I laugh bitterly. “No, you’re worse. Because I fell for your trickery, hook, line, and fucking sinker.”
Her body jolts and her arms tighten around her stomach. “I said get out!” she screams, the sound so loud it pierces my ears. “Now!”
I grind my molars, wanting to insist she tell me what she has to gain from lying. But really, the reason behind her actions doesn’t matter. What matters is the gaping hole she punched through my heart.
I look at her reflection in the mirror to see her eyes are closed. Her shoulders rise and fall rapidly. My hands fist at my sides; anger, confusion, and betrayal waging a storm inside my head.
After several tense moments, I spin on my heel and head to the door. I’ve got the knob in my hand when I stop. Her back is still facing me and her voice is quiet, but her words ring loud in my ears.
“Eventually, you’re going to realize just how wrong you are about me, Enzo. How wrong you are to think I’d actually cheat on you, let alone lie and push another man’s child on you. When you do, you know where I’ll be.”
Without looking back, I open the door and slam it behind me. As I walk down the steps, I knuckle the achy feeling in my sternum.
I don’t know if I want to take my anger out on something or wallow in the grief of losing what I thought was special. Something Alaina obviously felt was worth giving up for some goddamn reason. I question every moment we spent together. Was it all a ploy of some sort? Did she fake her feelings, thinking she could trap me into marriage? Hell, I would have married her. I know down to my soul she was the one I was meant to be with. Or I thought so. Now she’s like all of the other women who used me to gain something.
I slam my car door and peel away from her house, anxious to get the fuck away from her.
I’m at the stop sign a couple of blocks away from my house when my phone rings. I swipe my finger to answer it without looking at the screen.
“What?” I bark.
“Whoa there, big brother,” Allison says over the line. “What’s got your panties in a twist?”
I debate lying to her, but decide against it. She’ll find out eventually anyway, especially when she realizes Alaina and I are no longer together.
“Alaina says she’s pregnant,” I answer bluntly. There’s no sense in sugarcoating it. “And she claims it’s mine.”
Silence greets me for a moment. “How is that possible?”
I laugh, the sound coming out as anything but humorous. “It’s not.”
I never told our mom I had a vasectomy, because to be honest, I’m scared of her reaction, but I have told Allison.
“Enzo,” she starts, and I can already hear the lecture coming. “Maybe you should get checked out. The doctors could have botched the procedure. Or maybe you healed just enough for it to happen.”
“They tested me, Allison. None of my swimmers were in my semen. The procedure was successful.”
“I just can’t imagine Alaina lying about something like this. She’s not the type.”
“I didn’t think so either, but apparently, we were both fooled.”
“How are you doing?” she inquires quietly.
“Like I want to run my fist through a wall repeatedly.” I lean my head against the head rest and close my eyes. “But also like someone cut out my heart and put it in a shredder.”
“Oh, Enzo, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s whatever. She’s just another woman. I’ll get over it.” The words taste bitter coming out of my mouth. Sure, I’ll get over it.
I think.
Eventually.
“You and I both know she wasn’t just some woman.”
“Is there a reason you called?” I ask tiredly, ignoring her comment.
“Not really. I just wanted to talk. I’m on