“Of course you are! You’re too protective over me. I’m twenty-six, not a baby! I can take care of myself. While I appreciate you are looking out for me, I don’t need you to be strict and bossy. Just leave me the fuck alone.”
Steve was staring at her like he had never seen her before. Kristie knew she barely stood up to him, but nothing like this. She often just ignored him and carried on. This time, she wasn’t able to do that. Not when Steve was criticising her choice to help someone she loved.
“You think this is going to turn out well, Kristie?” Steve demanded. “You think you’re just going to give birth and then you’re going to be able to walk away so easily?”
“You think I can’t?”
“You’re an emotional woman. I know you. You will be crushed to be just an incubator.”
Kristie scowled.
“I’m not an incubator!”
“What else would you call this?”
“I’m a surrogate. That’s it. I’m sorry I didn’t say it in the beginning and got your hopes up about having a baby in the family, but considering your reaction now, can you blame me for not saying anything?”
They glared at each other. Steve looked like he wanted to say something more, but he didn’t. Instead, he approached her and tossed her cell phone onto the desk. Then he stormed out of the room, slamming the door hard behind him.
Kristie’s legs were shaking. She sagged onto the chair, bile building up in her throat. That had gone just about as well as she expected with her brother, and it had left her shaking.
God, this really was a mess.