My car is silent and dark on the street, and the way this neighborhood is set up, I have a perfect view of her front windows. At the moment, I can see her sitting on the couch while sipping a cup of tea. But something’s wrong because Olly doesn’t appear to be reading a book or watching TV. Instead, she’s just staring blankly ahead of her, her gaze lost. What’s going on?
I slam my fist on the steering wheel. I shouldn’t be doing this because everything I’ve done so far is already off the deep end. A better man wouldn’t be casing her house. Hell, he wouldn’t have stalked her like a creeper, and sneaked into her home while she was sleeping.
Fuck. Nothing I have done is legal, and I need to come clean too. Olly deserves to know the truth, even if that means going to jail, and yet I cringe at the thought. I’ve been to prison and goddamn, I don’t want to go back. I came to Millbrook to leave that behind, and this was supposed to be a second chance at life. Yet I’ve fucked up already and it’s just a complete mess.
It’s my fault. This is who I am as a person. Fucked up in the head and totally fucked in life too. I don’t know how to be anything other than a criminal, and my only hope is that somehow, Olly will understand. That she’ll still love me despite what I’ve done. But why would she? There are thousands of men out there who can offer her a better deal. Billions of men who will worship at her feet without criminal records.
Goddamn it. I slam the steering wheel and open the door because sitting here isn’t doing me any good. The only way to know what happened between Olly and me is to ask her directly. Fuck, for all I know, we’re still dating! Before I can change my mind, I stalk to Olly’s door and press the doorbell. The noise is discordant and I wince reflexively.
But to my surprise, she answers within seconds.
“Jason?” she says, quickly wiping at her glimmering cheeks. “What are you doing here?”
“What happened?” I growl immediately. “Did someone hurt you? What’s wrong sweetheart? Why haven’t you been talking to me?”
Olly bites her lip, trembling a bit, before collapsing into my arms in the foyer as the door closes.
“Jason,” she whispers. “Everything is wrong.”
Now that can’t be true. Settling my woman onto the couch, I kneel before the beautiful girl, her hands cradled in mine. “Tell me what’s going on, sweetheart. Don’t leave anything out. I’m here for you.”
She looks away with tears in her eyes, still biting her lip. “You’ll hate me if I tell you,” Olly says in a low voice. “You’ll never forgive me.”
I shake my head and squeeze her hands, my eyes intent. “I could never hate you, honey. Please, talk to me.”
She looks down as the tears begin to fall again.
“I must be going crazy because it’s the only explanation,” she mumbles. “I’ve been seeing my therapist daily because I don’t understand what’s happening. I’m losing my mind!”
I squeeze her hands again.
“But how? Why? What’s happening, sweetheart?”
An anguished cry escapes her throat even as she tears her hands away from my grasp.
“I’m pregnant!” Olly rasps before burying her face in her palms. “I don’t even know how it’s possible. Please, don’t be mad, Jason. I swear, I’m not cheating on you, and in fact, I haven’t had sex with anyone in over a year. I didn’t believe it, but I’ve taken a ton of tests, and even went to the doctor a few days ago, but it’s true. I’m having a baby, but I don’t know how! Am I going crazy?” she says in an anguished cry. “How can this be happening? I must be losing my mind!”
My heart lurches even as I sit in silence for a moment. The world trembles in the balance before my eyes, and I know I have to say something. Yet my girlfriend continues with her anguished rant.
“I didn’t cheat, Jason. I swear I didn’t. I’m in love with you, and I haven’t been seeing other men on the side. You must believe me.”
I squeeze her hand tighter, my chest so tight that it’s hard to breathe. “I believe you, Olivia,” I say in a low, raspy tone. “I know that you haven’t cheated on me.”
Olly looks up to meet my eyes. “You do?”
I nod, dread lurking in my veins.
“Yes, I know because I’ve been following you.”
She blinks, confused.
“What do you mean, following me?”
I take a deep breath because this is not how I wanted the truth to come out, yet now, it’s the only thing to do. “Ever since I met you, I’ve been watching you. I know it sounds creepy because it is. But I followed you to school and to your job. I knew who you were long before we officially met.”