“Holy shit! You’re pregnant!” she shouts.
Tag coughs and spews his drink all over the place, and then Wren’s glass drops from his hand to shatter against the patio.
“Damn it,” I growl while walking away.
Everyone - and I mean everyone - is staring at me as I try to make a hasty exit. Billy rushes to be at my side, and he wraps his jacket around my shoulders as we head to the house.
“What the fuck?” he whispers.
“Everyone, please get back to the party. It’s not like it’s something ridiculous to see a pretty, pregnant
girl,” Melanie says to defuse the eyeing crowd.
The music starts playing again, and I keep my head down as Billy holds me tightly to his body.
“Damn it, why didn’t you tell me?” he growls.
“Because I didn’t want Tag to know.”
His breath leaves his lungs for a minute, and his face goes pale. I’m praying we can get out of here before Tag comes to question me about it.
“It’s his?” he asks in a higher octave.
"Not it, Billy. I'm having a boy. And yes. He's Tag's."
***
Tag
I don’t know if my heart is still working or not. How the fuck did I miss the fact she's pregnant? No wonder Carmen or Crystal - whatever her name is - thought Ash had a pudgy belly. She’s fucking pregnant!
“You breathing?” Wren asks, his own face a little pale.
I shake my head as I watch Ash rush into the house with Billy at her side.
“Do you think it’s yours?” he asks, more reservation in his tone.
“I know it is.”
***
Tag
I’m sick as I head up the stairs to find Ash. How could she keep this from me?
I don’t know what would be worse - to find out it’s mine or to find out it’s not.
Taking a deep breath, I knock on her door that opens almost immediately with Billy blocking my path.
“You know I have to talk to her,” I murmur with a shaky breath.
His lips tighten, and he moves aside to reveal the sobbing girl on the bed. He turns to say something to her, but then he walks out to leave me with her instead.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Ash? I could have been there. I could have been helping you through this, giving you money.”
She looks up, tears still pouring from her eyes, and then she shakes her head.
“Tag... it’s not yours.”