Kelsi whispers that her woman is a great problem-solver.
I signal my brother—ready to bulldoze the giant—and River—looking sleepy, which is his “I’m about to kill a motherfucker” expression—that I’ll be right outside. They aren’t happy, but it’s not as if they think Goliath has the balls—as mighty as they may be—to hurt me in their vicinity.
I follow the grizzly out to the front parking lot, where he swings around and scares the shit out of me with his raging eyes. “This is bullshit.”
“Huh?” I ask, wondering how he can look so terrifying yet kissable. Why does this man make me so horny?
“Rumor has it that you’re carrying my kid.”
“Who told you that?” I ask, wondering how my news got out so quickly.
Hesitating, he only says, “People.”
“Well, okay.”
“So, are you?”
His snarly expression makes me want to lie, but I refuse to show weakness. “Yes.”
“And were you going to tell me?”
“Yeah, when I was farther along. A lot of pregnancies end naturally early on. Why make a big deal over something that might not happen?”
Goliath narrows his eyes. “Sure.”
“What?”
“I don’t think you were ever gonna tell me.”
“And you wouldn’t have noticed when I was super fat in six months?”
“I don’t know,” he says, backing away as if my logic struck a blow. “You could have just said it was another guy’s.”
“Why are you so angry?”
“How come you didn’t tell me?” he demands, back in his roaring bear mode. “How come I gotta hear it from a sweet butt?”
“Why are you acting as if you’ve been done wrong?”
“Why did you come out there that day? Was it just to get knocked up?”
“Yes and no,” I admit with a shrug. “In my head, you were going to go crazy for me. In the beginning, we’d mostly have a fling because you have commitment issues. Then at some point during our fuck sessions, I’d get pregnant, and you’d realize how no one could ever satisfy you like I do. Then we’d live happily ever after, you, me, and our kid.”
Sighing, I back up. “Except it turned out that you weren’t crazy about me, and I got knocked up right away. I blame the rendering plant,” I say and then add, “For the pregnancy, not the part where you didn’t like me.” When I see him frowning so mean, I decide to get angry. “And if you’re so worried about knocking up a random chick, then maybe you need to wear a fucking condom. You’re the one with all the sex experience. That’s on you.”
“Bullshit.”
“Nomp.”
“Don’t make fun of me.”
“You started it. Saying I’m a fake bitch who used you to make a kid. Like I couldn’t just buy sperm off the fucking internet if all I wanted was some guy’s spunk. You’re the brat, not me. I’m a fucking saint.”
“Are you done?”
“Bitching at you?” I ask and then shrug. “Depends. Do you intend to give me more shit?”
“You should have told me.”
“I planned to let you know later when it was too late for you to ask for an abortion.”
“I don’t care what you do.”
“Then why are you freaking out?”
Goliath leans down, his face now only inches from mine. “I don’t like people talking shit about me behind my back. The last time that happened, I ended up in prison.”
“We’ve gone over this. I wouldn’t have you arrested, Goliath. I’d just have my brother kill you. Since I didn’t do that when you hurt my feelings, why the fuck would I do it now?”
“I don’t know,” he says, and I suspect there’s a part of him that doesn’t even know why he’s so pissed. “You don’t want me in the kid’s life.”
“I can’t imagine you’d want to be in the kid’s life.”
“See?” he says, pointing his big finger angrily at me. “That right there is why I think you planned this whole thing.”
“You’re such a butthurt baby,” I mutter, stepping back. “The world doesn’t revolve around you. It revolves around me. And I went to your trailer because I liked you. I had all these romantic notions in my fat head about how you liked me. Then I got a wake-up call and left you alone. I didn’t try to get revenge or make you feel bad. I asked my brother not to fuck with you, even though it’s his job to hurt anyone who hurts me. Like I said, I’m a fucking saint.”
“You’re sneaky. That’s what you are.”
“Whatever.”
“You’re so full of shit,” he says, erasing the space between us. “You know I can’t force you