Darren nodded as he shoved his hands into his front pockets.“Did you want to see me?”
“Yes.”She was barely holding it together, and it was all she could do not to blurt hysterically, “I’m pregnant,” in his face.She was shaking so bad on the inside, she wondered if anyone could see on the outside.
“What do you need?”He crossed his arms over his massive chest, straining the integrity of his thermal shirt.His expression was concerned and intent as he watched her.
“Can we…” she looked around him to see Race, Dagger, and Cutter watching them.
Darren’s eyes lit with understanding.“Come on.We’ll move over here.”He took her by the elbow and steered her several feet away.
She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead.God, this was awkward as hell.When she opened them again, she went for it.There was no other way to say what she had to say other than just putting it out there.“I’m pregnant,” she told him quietly.Her heart lurched as his body grew rock solid, his head dropping forward, his eyes closing.Thinking he was going to be mad, she hurried to add, “You asked me to let you know if I ended up pregnant, so that’s what I’m here doing.I don’t expect anything from you, and I don’t want to cause any problems with you and Kylie.I just,” she started wringing her hands.What the hell?She wasn’t a hand-wringer.“I just wanted to let you know.I promised I would.”
He nodded twice, looking at his feet.“Are you keeping it?”His voice was hoarse, like it had hurt to ask the question.
“Yes.I’m keeping it.”His shoulders sagged, and his head came up.She held her hand up between them.“And again, I don’t expect anything from you.I’ve got this.”She wasn’t exactly sure how she had this yet, but she’d get there.
“Good.”
“Good?”Good, she was telling him about it, or good, she was fine to do this on her own?She rubbed her stomach, not feeling so well.The nausea she felt early this morning was coming back with a vengeance.She really needed to wrap this up and get out of there before she embarrassed herself further by throwing up all over Darren’s boots.
“Yes.Good.I’m glad you’re keeping it.”
She was relieved he was in favor of her keeping the baby.Given the way he’d taken such care with her while guests of the Phantom Furies, it shouldn’t have surprised her.Until he said the words, she didn’t realize how much it would have hurt to hear him reject their child.She absently rubbed at her stomach, hoping the nausea she was experiencing would settle down now that she didn’t have to worry about him reacting negatively toward her pregnancy.
“Are you all right?”Darren asked.“You don’t look so good.”
“Um.Yes.I,” she shook her head.“I’ve been having morning sickness, and all this time I thought I was coming down with the stomach bug everyone seems to be catching.I should’ve known better.”
The sound of a man and a woman laughing, and coming closer, drew her attention to the hallway.Her back shot straight, and her breathing caught in her chest.Jed was coming into the bar area, shirtless and fastening up his jeans.A pretty blonde woman wearing what looked like Jed’s shirt was smiling and hanging on his arm.
“Damn, Tori.I think you drained me dry.”
A direct hit to Sadie’s heart.She thought she’d been slowly falling in love with the asshole, but given how badly her chest was hurting, she feared she had already fallen.She steeled herself and fisted her hands at her sides, waiting for him to notice her.
“That didn’t take long,” she murmured to herself at the same time Darren growled.She checked to confirm his ire was focused on Jed and not her.
Jed stiffened the moment he registered her presence, his mouth dipping into a deep frown.“What the fuck are you doing here?”he snapped.
“None of your fucking business.”Facing Darren again, she said, “I’m sorry, I can’t do this right now.”She spun on her heel and hurried to the door.She felt bad for running out on Darren after dropping the world's biggest bomb in his lap, but she couldn’t be around Jed right now.She felt a fine sheen of perspiration pop out on her brow and knew she wasn’t going to make it out of there without embarrassing herself after all.She just prayed she could make it outside first.
Once outside, she spotted a trash can several feet from the door and ran in that direction, barely making it before the urge to throw up hit her.She scrambled to grab all her hair in one hand to hold it out of her way.The thought of getting barf in her hair made her retch again.Oh God.The smell of beer, old food, and—was that piss?—was overwhelming.She didn’t know which was worse, the violent retching or the ungodly smell.Her eyes slammed shut when she saw a few used condoms amongst the trash.Oh my God!What was wrong with these people?
When she thought she might actually be finished, she reached into her pocket for her glove to wipe her mouth.She tossed it into the trash, deciding she’d buy new gloves the next time she went to the store.No way would she bring it home to wash.The freaking smell on the drive home would kill her.She stood up and leaned her back against the wall with her eyes closed, letting the cold air hit her face.She took a few long, slow breaths in and out and thought it safe enough to get in her car.
“Are you okay, Sadie?”
She squealed and jolted at the sound of Cutter’s voice.When did he come outside?How embarrassing that she hadn’t heard the door open or close over the sound of her vomiting.She wiped under her eyes to remove the wetness caused by tearing up through her ordeal.
“Yeah.I’m good.”For now.She prayed she made it home before she got sick again.Unfortunately, she needed to swing by Cathy’s house to pick up Oliver on the way.
“Here.”He handed her an unopened bottle of water.The man was a godsend.
“Thank you.”She accepted the bottle after he twisted the top loose.Taking a mouthful, she did a swish and spit in the trash, then took a long drink to ease her sore throat.“Doesn’t anybody empty the trash around here?”
“Yeah.That would be mine or Miles’s job.Sorry, we didn’t do it earlier.”He rubbed the back of his neck, a light flush appearing on his cheeks.
She snorted.“No need to apologize.How were you supposed to know some woman was going to come along and throw up in it?”
"It happens more than you would think."His lopsided grin was sweet.His longish hair lay in layers below his ears, and his chestnut colored eyes sparkled with laughter.“I was going to follow you home, but since you’re still here and don’t look that great, I’ll ride with you instead.Is that okay with you?”Cutter stood with his hands in his pockets.
