Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85274 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85274 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
The moment we’re through the door, Sienna throws her arms around me, ecstatic to see me. “What are you doing here?” she asks, backing up and looking at me with tears in her eyes. Since she’s several months pregnant, she’s sporting the most adorable bump under her pretty floral sundress.
I’m about to respond, when her eyes, just like her husband’s, go to my bump. “Oh shit,” she breathes. “Are you...are you pregnant?”
The emotion in her eyes is my undoing, and before I can think about what I’m doing, I blurt out, “Yes, I’m pregnant...with Lincoln’s baby.” Sienna and Micah gasp, but I don’t stop talking, needing to get it all out before they freak out on me. “I’m so sorry. I know I fucked up, but I swear I didn’t mean for this to happen, and I’m not expecting anything from him. That’s why I wasn’t going to come home. I didn’t want him to feel responsible. It’s not his fault that—”
“Like fuck he’s not responsible,” Micah barks.
It takes me a second to catch up, and I realize he’s pissed because he’s assuming Lincoln knew he was sleeping with me. Jesus, I need to explain. This is all such a mess.
But before I can, Micah is storming out of the penthouse, the door slamming open so hard that it damn near falls off the hinges.
“Where is he go—?” And then it hits me. Lincoln! Fuck.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
LINCOLN
“With Rosa having to leave unexpectedly, I’m going to have to look into—”
Bang. Bang. Bang. “Lincoln, open the fucking door!”
“Let me call you back,” I say, hanging up without waiting for Lisa to respond—my only concern, my brother.
“Everything okay?” I ask, swinging the door open. I barely get my question out before my brother cocks his fist back and then clocks me straight in the jaw, forcing me to stumble backward.
“What the hell!” I bark, torn between confusion and anger. Micah’s been my best friend my entire life, and while we have disagreements, neither of us has ever put our hands on the other.
“You fucked her? What were you thinking?” He stalks toward me and grabs me by my collar, slamming me up against the wall. This time, when he goes to punch me, I’m ready and duck just before his fist connects with my face.
“Stop!” I yell, having no idea what he’s going on about. “What are you talking about? Fucked who?”
“Micah, stop!” a feminine voice yells. “Please, don’t do this.” I glance around my brother and find Ellie standing there with a pained expression etched into her features. “Please, let me explain.”
“Explain what?” I ask, confused as hell by what’s going on. I didn’t even know she was back in town. The last I heard she was staying in California for at least the summer.
“You fucked her,” Micah spits, “and now she’s pregnant.”
“Who?” I ask again.
“Her!” he barks, pointing his finger at Ellie.
I bark out a humorless laugh, because this must be some kind of joke, only the look on Micah’s face tells me he’s being dead serious.
“Bro,” I say slowly, shaking my head. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ve never touched Ellie.” I glance at her briefly. “Tell him. Tell him I’ve never touched you.”
I’ve known her since she was fourteen and, yeah, we’ve always had a good relationship, and I care about her, but it’s never been like that. Hell, she’s fourteen years younger than me.
“Lincoln,” she sighs, tears filling her green eyes. “I...”
The regret in her features confuses me. “Ellie, what’s going on?”
“Lincoln, stop playing stupid,” Micah says. “She might not want to hold you accountable, but you were raised better than that. She’s pregnant, and you’re the father, and whether you like it or not, you’re going to man the fuck up.”
“What?” I look at Ellie again. “I don’t understand.” I step over to Ellie, who’s got her arms wrapped around herself and is sobbing softly.
“I’m so sorry,” she cries. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“What?” I ask carefully. “Come and sit down.” I take her hand in mine and bring her over to the couch. If what Micah is saying is true and she’s pregnant—not by me—it can’t be good for her to be this stressed out.
“I’m so sorry,” she says again, covering her face with her hands.
“For what?” I ask gently. “Ellie...” I tip her chin up so she’s forced to look at me. “What happened? You know whatever it is, I’ve got your back.” When she was younger, I was someone she confided in—school, her sister, asshole guys who didn’t deserve her time, her mom—I was even the one who got her out of a shitty situation with her bio dad. But after that day—when she was held captive and almost killed—she started to shut everyone out. I tried to be there for her, but when she moved, and we no longer lived on the same floor in the same hotel, we didn’t really keep in touch.