Her glare darkened. “I’m telling the truth.”
“Then prove it.”
Her lip curled. “I don’t have to do shit.”
“Yes, you do. You’re my wife.”
Her laugh was cold. “Only on paper.”
I exhaled, trying to rein in my frustration. “You’ve come too far to screw up now. I know the last few weeks have been rough, but alcohol isn’t the answer, Princess.”
Her nostrils flared. “Don’t fucking call me that.”
“I’m not playing this game.” Before she could react, I grabbed her wrist and yanked her arm forward. The guilt hit fast—until I saw the box.
Clearblue Pregnancy Test.
My pulse slammed into overdrive. “W—what is that?”
She ripped her arm free. “What does it look like, asshole?”
My gaze lifted to hers. “Have you taken it yet?”
She hesitated, then looked down at the box. “No. I was too scared.”
Our eyes locked. The air between us shifted, heavy with something unspoken.
“If you are,” I said carefully, “then what are you going to do about it?”
She flinched. “What am I going to do?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
Her expression hardened as she pushed me out of her way and walked past me out of the bathroom. “It’s not just me, Nick.” She motioned between us. “It’s us. What are we going to do about it?”
My throat felt tight. “We don’t want this.”
Her lips parted, like she was about to argue—but then her face crumpled. “What if we do?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
My chest clenched. “No, Mel. That wasn’t part of the deal.”
She scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. “Neither was this.” She gestured between us again. “Fucking like animals wasn’t part of the deal either, but you’re sure fine with that part of the deal changing.”
“C’mon, you told everyone, including my mom, that you didn’t want kids. We can’t have kids. The restaurant is my only baby—I don’t have time for a real one.”
She took a step closer, her voice shaking with fury. “Maybe you should’ve thought of that before you started fucking me daily.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “You told me you were on birth control. What? Was this part of your plan? You lie about that too?” My voice dropped. “Your stepdad said you were an excellent liar. Guess he was right.”
Her hand flew before I could stop it—crack.
My face snapped sideways, the sting burning into my cheek.
“Fuck you,” she spat before pushing past me and storming toward the door.
“Melanie, wait?—”
She didn’t stop. Didn’t hesitate. Just ran. My chest tightened, every muscle screaming for me to go after her, to pull her back.But I stayed frozen, watching as her golden hair disappeared into the distance. I wanted to call out and take it back, but I couldn’t. This had to be the way. Maybe if I hurt her enough, she’d finally let me go. Because if it were up to me, I never would. I’d hold on until there was nothing left of either of us.
