“You’re pregnant?” I know she said it, but I need her to tell me. To explain it all.
She puts down her water and wipes her eyes with the tissue I didn’t even see in her other hand. She peeks up at me, her hair falling into her eyes. “Yes Kace, I’m pregnant.”
“Who’s the father?” I ask, folding my arms as my heart squeezes in my chest.
The hurt in her face tells me all I need to know. Fuck. “You are. Why the fuck would I come here if it wasn’t yours?”
“Hey, don’t get pissed at me. You’ve been gone for months, I don’t
know who you’ve fucked since me,” I hiss.
She stands up, stepping close to me, leaning her head back to look up at me. “You’re the only person I’ve fucked.”
I search her angry brown eyes and slowly my gaze drops to her flat stomach. She’s pregnant with my kid. I can’t take my eyes away from her stomach as I speak. “How far along are you?”
“We were together almost three months ago, so that far along. I just found out, I have a doctor’s appointment next week,” she says.
“I’ll go with you,” I say, still fixated on her stomach.
“My doctor is in California,” she says.
I jerk my head up to look at her. Anger rushes through me as I search her eyes. “You aren’t going back to California,” I growl.
She laughs, shaking her head. “I came to tell you I’m pregnant. I’m leaving tomorrow. We’ll figure things out, we have months.”
Unable to deal with her, I do what I do best and leave. I don’t stop when Zane and Harper are calling after me. I don’t answer my phone while it buzzes in my pocket the entire way home. Once inside I roll a joint and look through the cabinet for a bottle of Jack Daniels. As I pour myself a glass, I light the joint, hoping it will relax me. After taking a long drag, I hold it in as long as possible before blowing out the smoke. I cough a bit, but quickly stop when I toss back some whiskey. I lean against the old counter, hanging my head.
I don’t get time to even think when a loud knock has me lifting my head. Zane walks in, leaning on the counter next to me. He lifts his eyebrow as he crosses his arms. “What the hell was that?”
I take another hit of the joint and pass it to him. “It was better than staying and fighting with her.”
He talks as he holds the smoke in. “What happened?”
I toss back more liquor and run my hand through my hair. “She said she’s going back to California tomorrow and we’ll figure shit out,” I say, glancing over at him.
“You guys need to sit down and talk it all through, alone. Invite her over, Harper will bring her. We’ll give you guys some time to talk. I mean shit, that was a fucking bomb I didn’t expect.” He grabs my shoulder, squeezing it. “How do you feel about it?”
I push off the counter and pace the kitchen with my hands behind my neck. “I have no fucking idea. She didn’t even say what she wanted to do. I guess she wants to keep it.”
“Is that what you want?” he quietly asks.
I stop pacing and lean my arm back onto the counter across from Zane. I blow out a breath as my stomach tightens. “I never thought I’d have a kid and I sure as fuck didn’t think I’d knock up someone on accident. But if you’re asking will I turn my back on them, fuck no. That’s my kid, my fucking flesh and blood. I will die before I let something happen to him.”
A huge smile spreads across his face as he steps toward me. He grabs me and we have a quick hug. “Congratulations, brother. I can’t believe you’re gonna be a father,” he says, shaking his head with a smile.
“Fuck, me either,” I sigh.
He pours us both a drink, handing me a glass. “The next generation of Souls,” he says, lifting his glass.
The words hit me like a fucking truck, putting so many things into prospective. “Call Harper, have her bring Ivy here. We need to talk.”
I go into the living room and sit down on the leather couch. A kid is going to change everything. I’m not sure how to handle everything I’m feeling right now. I’m pissed, excited, confused, and scared. I think scared is the one I’m feeling most. Maybe because we haven’t talked, and I don’t know what she’s thinking or maybe because I fear all the bad shit that can happen. I can’t protect them in California and in a matter of seconds, they both became my number one priority. She needs to know that she needs to understand before she tells me she’s taking off.
“Harper and Ivy are on their way. I told her I’ll meet her outside. You handle your business and if you need to talk, give me a shout,” Z says, lighting a smoke.
“Thanks, brother.”
“You should talk to her, Kace. Tell her everything,” he says, sitting down next to me.