embarrassment flickered across his face. “Fuck, don’t remind me. Why I thought that was a good idea—”
They’d actually pretended for a while, had the engagement party, made a few plans, until their always-shaky foundation had fallen apart for good.
Lani sighed. “I guess if we need to put each other on the spot to get our way, then the universe is really trying to tell us something, isn’t it?”
A brief silence shimmered between them, the gossamer threads of the past that bound them together slowly parting and falling away, leaving the faint echoes of their childhood friendship behind.
Moving closer to him, she said, “Rhys, I’m so sorry I did that to you, and Devon. I just didn’t know where else to turn.”
He settled his hands gently on her shoulders and squeezed. “I can’t imagine how scared you are right now,” he said quietly. “If there’s anything I can do—”
Besides sacrifice all of your newfound happiness for me? When will I stop asking you to do that?
She firmed her lips. Right fucking now.
“There’s really nothing you can do,” she said, proud of how steady her voice sounded. “This is my mess to deal with, so what I want is for you to walk out of here and go back to Devon.”
The relief in his eyes made her heart ache.
“What are you—”
“Me? I have a plan,” she said flippantly. “I’ll be fine. More than fine.” She shut up before he could detect the lie in her voice; after all, he knew her better than anyone.
Sure enough, skepticism twisted his lips. “What’s your plan, Lee-Lee?”
“None of your business.” She put her palms on his chest and pushed. “Now shoo.”
“Uh-uh.” Planting his feet, he pinned her with his gaze. “I’m not leaving till you tell me your plan.”
He wouldn’t either. Lani didn’t think she’d ever met a more stubborn person in her entire life. Racking her brain for something to tell him, it hit her, the one thing that would convince him beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was serious about handling this herself.
She lifted her chin. “I’m going to use Tyler’s money.”
He flat-out gasped. “What?”
She couldn’t blame him for that. How many times had she sworn never to touch a penny of the life insurance money her parents had insisted on giving her? Even when she and Rhys had been living paycheck to paycheck and subsisting on ramen noodles and cold cereal, she’d refused to even think about using it.
Her father had put it in a savings account for her, and for ten years it’d sat completely untouched. It wasn’t a fortune, but it was decent. She shivered. Blood money.
“Yep, I’m going to use it. Maybe go back to school. Do something to better my life. Take care of my baby.”
Concern written all over him, Rhys reached out and took her cold hands in his. “Tyler would’ve liked that,” he said gently. “He would’ve loved having a niece or nephew.”
All Lani could do was nod. It was true. His girlfriend had had a big family, and whenever she saw pictures, it seemed Tyler always had a child or two hanging from him.
“What a waste.”
At those anguished words, Rhys gave an almost imperceptible flinch, his fingers tightening involuntarily on hers. He straightened, as if bracing himself, his eyes full of a weary resignation that hit her like a fist to the gut.
He was waiting for her to fall apart. Again. Like she had each and every time she was confronted with a major life event, and God, if an accidental pregnancy wasn’t one doozy of a stressor.
As always, he had come to pick up the pieces, no matter his personal cost. Tyler had been the one who died, but Rhys was the one made to pay for it, to relive it, over and over and over.
No.
“I see strength in you.”
Geo’s words from the night before suddenly cut through the roaring in Lani’s ears, and she clung to them. She pulled them close and used them to make herself let go of Rhys’s hands.
“That’s my plan,” she said firmly. “Use Tyler’s money for something good—my baby.”
He stared at her, dumbfounded. “I’m so proud of you,” he said at last. “I know that decision didn’t come easily.”
“It does help to think I’d be using it for him or her—” she touched her abdomen “—and not for myself. I think Tyler would’ve wanted that.”
Rhys searched her face a moment longer, and then he nodded. “Okay. It’s a good plan.”
“You approve?”
“I do.” He paused. “You know I’ll