was about to get worse.
His blood turned to ice, and it took more than a bit of effort to make his lungs work. In that moment, his world narrowed to the trembling woman in front of him, a woman who pulled every fucking string he owned. A woman he wanted to quit so bad, he could taste it. If only because the very thought of her made him come apart. Made him remember. Made him feel so low, he knew he’d never find his way back if he fell under her spell again. He wasn’t good for her, and she sure as hell wasn’t good for him.
“Just spit it out, Em.” His mouth felt like sawdust even as he pushed the words out.
“I’m pregnant.”
“Congratulations.” He paused, hating the pain that flashed in her eyes. “But I don’t exactly give a flying fuck. Anything else?” His gut churned and his skin felt too tight. He wanted to hit something.
“Yes,” she whispered, slowly nodding as she took a step back. “There’s one more thing.”
“Just say it and go.” His voice was harsh and cutting, his mood ugly.
She turned and reached for the doorknob but paused before yanking the door open. She looked to the side and seemed to be considering her next words. When she spoke them they didn’t penetrate his brain until she gave a half shrug and disappeared into the brilliant midmorning sun.
And when they did, her words lingered. They buried themselves under his skin and wormed their way into his body, feeding a fire of anger that didn’t need much to stoke.
“I’m thirteen weeks. If you still suck at math, I’ll help you out. The baby is yours.”
Chapter Two
A few years back, when Emily’s friend Monique announced her pregnancy, Emily was jealous and envious and all those dark green emotions a person could have. As her friend’s baby bump grew, as her skin glowed and her smile lit up the whole of Crystal Lake, Emily remembered thinking, that should be me. I should be pregnant and happy. I should be walking on air looking like a goddess with the birds singing and the wild animals of the forest paying homage at my feet like I was starring in a Disney movie.
Monique had shone as if the sun lived inside her, and less than a week after the birth of her son, she’d been walking the sidewalks, pushing an expensive pram, wearing her pre-pregnancy clothes, and looking fabulous.
That green monster inside Emily had expanded. It ate at her for days until she finally got over herself and the sad life she’d fallen into. At the time, she’d been convinced that Rick would one day wake up, and once he did, well, they’d pick up where they left off. And it would be Emily glowing and happy and heavy with child.
Oh, how naïve she’d been. How blind and stupid.
Bilbo nudged her knee, and she swiped at the side of her mouth as she pushed back from the toilet. She’d been vomiting for nearly half an hour, and there was nothing left. Well, nothing except the nausea.
She tugged at a piece of hair that was stuck to her face and made no effort to stop the tears that slid down her face. She watched them fall and splash onto the floor, When Bilbo nudged her once again, she buried her face in his fur and clung to him until there were no more tears.
“I can’t do this,” she whispered as she finally got to her feet. A haunted face stared back at her from the mirror. It was gaunt and thin and pale and just so incredibly sad.
I can’t do this.
Bilbo barked and cocked his head, his big dark eyes settled on her with an intensity that was almost human. Sometimes at night, when the shadows were long and covered her whole, he looked at her a certain way, and she actually thought he was human. How crazy was that?
He barked again, and she jumped.
“Okay, I know I need to shower and get to the doctor’s.”
An hour later, she at least looked better, more like herself. She was still too thin, but thanks to a smoky eyeshadow pallet and all the other stuff in her makeup bag, her eyes popped, her cheeks glowed, and her lips shone with a soft pink gloss. Her hair was left long. In fact, it had gotten curlier in the last few weeks, and she’d pulled on a pair of jeans that she’d tucked into brown suede