the best thing that ever happened to her but always piggybacked that with a strict “Don’t throw your life away like I did” speech.
This is going to kill her.
Nausea sweeps through me, and I brace my forearms on the counter resting my forehead on them and breathing through the tightness in my throat. A warm hand immediately comes to my comfort, rubbing up and down my spine in soothing strokes.
Killian.
God, I’m going to miss him.
“Baby, are you okay?” My mom comes to my side and pushes my hair away to place her hand on the back of my neck.
I nod, but the lump in my throat grows bigger.
“She sick?” Blake whispers the question to Killian, who must reply in a non-verbal of some kind.
“Let me grab you some medicine for your stomach.” My mom shifts away.
“No.” The single word grates from my throat. I push up and meet Killian’s eyes. At first, his expression seems shocked, as if he knows what I’m about to do, but then his face morphs to understanding and finally approval.
“Kiddo, listen to your mom.” Blake moves around the counter and presses his palm to my forehead. “Take something and get some rest.”
“I can’t take anything.”
Killian shifts to stand at my back, and the supportive move catches Blake’s attention as well as my mom’s. They stare between us.
“Why not?” My mom’s eyes narrow as she studies me.
I sigh and resign to the inevitable. “Because I’m pregnant.”
My mom gasps and rocks back on her heels as if the news was a punch to the gut. “No.” Her eyes glisten, and her trembling fingers press against her quivering lips.
The fury rolling off Blake is so intense I’m afraid to look at him. “Explain.”
“Pretty sure you understand the mechanics—”
“This isn’t a fucking joke, Axelle! Who the hell did it?”
I meet his eyes and wish I hadn’t. It’s not fury I’m seeing in his green glare; it’s unadulterated disappointment. “I’d rather not say until—”
“You’d rather not say?” He scowls at Killian. “You know, don’t you? Who the fuck got my girl pregnant?”
My mom places a palm on Blake’s chest. “Blake, calm down—”
He swings his glare to her, and his face softens when he sees a single tear trace down her cheek. “Fuckin’ hell.” He turns toward me. “How could you do this? You fucking know better!”
“It was a mistake.”
“You’re damn right it was a mistake.” He seems to be getting angrier and pushes in front of my mom to stand less than a foot from me. “Who did it?”
“I don’t want to say.”
“Why not!”
Because I’m embarrassed. Humiliated.
“You’ve made this man a father and you can’t even tell me his name?”
“I didn’t make him a father, Blake. He was there too.”
“Shit, Axelle, does he even have a job? Can he afford to take care of you and this baby? Have you thought about any of this?”
“No,” I whisper.
“How are you guys going to do this on your own? You’re twenty-fucking-years-old! You can pretty much screw getting an education.” He rips his hands through his cropped hair. “God, Axelle…” His voice breaks. “I wanted so much better for you.”
My mom sobs behind him, her shoulders shaking and tears streaming down her face. Her tears only make him madder.
“Who did this to you!” He roars in my face.
I shy away from his anger just as Killian’s hands settle firmly on my shoulders.
“I did.”
The entire room goes still. Static blares in my ears.
Blake’s head swivels in slow motion to stare blankly at Killian. “What did you say?”
Killian moves from my back to my side and pulls my hand into his. “It’s mine. The baby, I mean.”
What the fuck is he doing?
I stare up at him and gape.
“I’m sorry. We didn’t mean for this to happen, but it did.” He squeezes my hand firmly. “I’m going to take care of them.”
“Killian, no—”
“Blake, I’ve loved Axelle from the day I met her. I want to marry her and start a family. This is sooner than I expected, but it doesn’t change what I want.”
“You got my daughter pregnant,” Blake growls through clenched teeth and takes a step forward.
“She’s pregnant, yes, and I’m in love with her.”
I jump to my feet. “No, Killian’s not—”
“You son of a bitch!” Blake’s fist whizzes by me and cracks Killian in the jaw.
His hand is ripped from mine as he falls to the ground.
“No!”
Blake follows him down and straddles him. His arms fly, but he’s not punching him as much as he’s slapping Killian’s face. He doesn’t even put up a