A Hurt So Sweet Volume Four - Isabella Starling Page 0,21

have a baby.

Even with my body changing so much, it's hard to believe I'm so far along.

Shame threatens to swallow me up. I feel awful for not being more dedicated to the baby. Like Alli is—she lives and breathes for this kid, and he's not even hers.

The thing that's bothering me about it... something I haven't been able to admit to anyone, not even myself, is...

I legitimately have no idea who the father is.

It could be any of them.

Cruel, handsome Julian.

Artistic, tortured Caspian.

Twisted, smart Easton.

Poor, dead Lai.

Or my bully, Dexter.

While Dex does have a higher chance of being the father than the others, I can't be certain until they do a paternity test. But at the same time, not knowing would keep me—and the baby—safer.

"I'm back!" I turn to face the front door where Alli just walked in. I don't reply, feeling too annoyed, but she just has to approach me. "Why were you such a bitch to me in front of Dr. Meyer?"

I laugh out loud. "You can't be serious."

"I'm very serious." She crosses her arms. "You made me look like a fool. I'm the one who's been doing the research. You haven't even picked a name!"

"You're forgetting something very important," I remind her with a saccharine smile. "None of that matters, because at the end of the day, I'm the one who gets to have the baby."

Her bottom lip twitches. "You're such a sad little girl, Pandora. Just crying and feeling sorry for yourself all the damn time. Nobody cares about that baby more than I do. Least of all you."

"What happened to you?" I scrutinize her with my gaze. "You've changed so much since I met you, Alli."

She ignores me and pulls out a stack of papers from a drawer. "It's time we talked about these papers again."

"Not the will?" I groan. "I told you, there's no reason for me to sign that."

What I'm not telling her is that even if something happened to me, I wouldn't want her near the baby. Not with her controlling, crazy attitude she's had lately.

"You have to think about the baby now," she goes on as if I haven't spoken at all. "You can't be so selfish, Pandora. You can't just think about yourself."

I thin out my lips as she spreads the papers on the table before me and starts pointing out places for me to sign.

"Here, here and here."

"I'm not signing that." I sit back with my arms crossed and she glares at me. "You can't make me."

"Don't underestimate me, P." Her voice is icy and when our eyes meet, a chill goes down my spine.

How could I ever trust this girl? I don't even know her.

"I can get you to do whatever I want. After all... what are you going to do? Who are you going to call? You've got no one left. Just me. So you'd better do as I say."

Defiantly, I raise my chin and meet her gaze to say, "Or else what?"

Her expression changes. Her lips twitch before she smiles sweetly. "I'll call your father."

"Why?" I demand.

"To tell him you're insane," she chirps. "That I've witnessed some troubling behavior since I've been with you. That you couldn't possibly take care of this baby by yourself. That you need professional help, and it's best if he has you committed. And that the baby is better off with him than with you. You'll just fuck him up."

My mouth hangs open at the amount of vitriol she's spewing. "You're fucking delusional, Alli. How can you say that? I thought you cared about the baby."

"More than you do," she scoffs. "That's for certain. I only have his best interests at heart, and I'm sorry, P, but you clearly aren't thinking straight, because you're not the best thing for this baby. I am."

"How can you say that? You're nothing to it. We're not even related!"

Her mouth opens in a snarl but she covers it up quickly, leaning over the table to stare me in the eyes. "You're so fucking dumb, Pandora."

"Excuse me?"

"You're clueless. Stupid. A fucking idiot. The truth's been staring you in the face and you refuse to see it. Can't you see?"

"See what?" I mutter.

"Everything," she whispers.

I knit my brows together and stare back at her. What the hell is she talking about?

"Dexter Booth didn't kill Lai," she says with a sweet smile. "I did."

My heart jumps in my chest and I stare at her in disbelief. "W-What?"

She laughs out loud, as if this is all a game to