Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82163 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82163 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“Listen, you two,” Caroline warns, her voice tight. “I want no dramatics when my daughter talks, do you get me?” Her voice is stern.
“Dramatics?” Matthew defends. “We aren’t dramatic.” I roll my lips to keep from laughing out loud.
“Yeah, right,” Max blurts out. “At least I’m not dramatic.”
“Did you not go Donkey Kong on Dylan?” Matthew points at him.
“Didn’t you go Donkey Kong on everyone?” Max points at him.
“This is what I’m talking about,” Caroline declares and glares at Justin. “You couldn’t shut your mouth, could you?”
“I didn’t say anything. I just said she’s coming to town to tell us something,” Justin tries to plead his case.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Max finally looks at me, confused, and I’m about to answer him when the front door swings open again.
We all look over and see Xavier running in, panting as if he ran here from Dallas. “Oh good, we didn’t miss anything.” He is followed by Chase, who just walks in with his hair blowing like he’s on the catwalk.
“This better be good,” Dylan grumbles, walking in after Chase, followed by Michael, of course.
“Hey,” Max says to Michael, walking to him and hugging him. “Did you bring the kids?”
“I’m here for three hours,” he huffs. “I didn’t even want to come, but this guy”—he points at Xavier—“was like it’s a life and death phone call.
“It wasn’t that dramatic,” Xavier says finally. “I just needed to get a plane fast.”
“What’s going on?” Abigail says. “How is everyone here?” She looks at me, and I avoid looking at her.
“I sort of told Xavier,” I lean in and whisper in her ear.
“Why don’t we do this in the living room?” Caroline suggests. “But if any of you make a scene”—she points at Max, Matthew, and then Dylan, who gasps and points at himself—“you will be thrown out.”
“By who?” Dylan puts his hands on his hips.
“Chase,” she replies, and Chase puffs his chest out more.
“It will be my honor.” Chase walks to her and puts his hand around her shoulders. “Anything for you, Auntie Caroline.”
“Wow, can you suck up even more?” Dylan accuses. “She’s my mother.”
“She’s my aunt and my sisters mother-in-law,” Michael says, and we all laugh; this might not be so bad after all.
They walk into the family room, and I wait back for Xavier. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I thought you could use some backup,” he says. “I also told Vivienne.” I just stare at him. “It was a big secret, and I had to explain why I was flying to New York for three hours.” He puts his hands on his hips. “She wasn’t even that surprised.”
“What is taking you two so long?” Justin questions when he comes to get us. “We are waiting for you two.”
I nod at him and walk into the room, seeing Abigail sitting on the couch next to her mother. She moves over so I can sit next to her, and she smiles at me. “I don’t even know what to say or how to start, so I’ll just lead with…” Abigail says. The room is so quiet you can hear a pin drop, but the only thing I hear is the beating of my heart as it echoes in my ears. “I know who the baby’s father is.”
I look around the room at the guys’ faces, seeing if they are putting it together, and the only one I know for sure is Chase, who just chuckles. “I’m the baby’s father.” The words come out of my mouth without me even knowing they left.
“What?” Michael is the first one to say something.
“What the actual fuck?” Dylan swears, looking at me and then at Abigail. Who slips her hand in mine to show him we are united.
“I’m sorry,” Justin says, shaking his head, “I don’t think I heard what you actually said.”
“He said he’s the baby’s father,” Michael says the words slowly, not reading the room.
“Shut up.” Max hits his shoulder.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Matthew hollers, jumping up. “This is the second woman you’ve knocked up. Why aren’t you using condoms?”
“We used protection,” Abigail declares, “but obviously, it isn’t always one hundred percent.” She looks at Michael. “You should know something about that.”
“Wow, what did I do?” he asks. “Why are you picking on me?”
“I just wonder how all you smart men didn’t put two and two together when she said how far along she was.” Chase sits looking at everyone with a cocky look on his face. “Didn’t you do the math?”
“Who the hell opened their calendar and went back?” Michael shoots out at him.
“I think everyone needs to shut the fuck up,” Justin says, his voice tight. I look over at him as he sits back on the couch, and I wonder if he wants to jump up and punch me in the face. I don’t even know how I would feel if the roles were reversed. “You left her alone, pregnant, by herself.” The words gut me to my soul.