Then reality strikes again.
“The baby—is the baby okay?” Tears well in my eyes as I look to my mom for answers.
“Don’t worry. The baby is perfect and healthy. We are all just so worried for you, Mackenzie. The doctor said your blood pressure is high and you were dehydrated when you got here.” My mom chokes on her own sob and I don’t know what to say.
“Honey, you’re going to be fine. They got your head stitched up without having to shave it and gave you fluids while you rested. The concussion is mild, so your mom and I will help you the next few days. As for the blood pressure, well, I think I can guess why it was elevated.” My dad glares toward Trey, and while it was a direct hit, Trey acts like it didn’t faze him, but I saw the flinch.
A commotion in the hallway interrupts the stare down between them, as I see Jordan fly in the door. He’s out of breath and his eyes are filled with concern as he sees me.
“Mack, baby, what happened?”
A scoff sounds behind him causes Jordan to turn around and I can see his jaw grinding as he sees Trey.
“You.What are you doing here?”
“It didn’t take long for you to move in, did it Mills? Baby? I’m not surprised.”
They both take a step toward each other and I can see this turning into a brawl if it isn’t stopped. Before I can say anything, my dad gets between them and ends it before it begins.
“Okay, you two. Now is not the time. We need to stay calm for Mackenzie, so if you’re going to cause problems, you can leave.”
That snaps Jordan out of his alpha mode and he hurries over to me, looking me up and down as he does his own assessment. I reach out and hold his hand, his breathing slows and I can see his shoulders relax with relief as we touch.
“J, I’m okay. I fainted when I was shopping with Reagan and hit my head. I have a concussion and a few stitches. I’ll be just fine.”
“The baby?” His eyes fill with concern as he mentions my child and I fall for this man just a little more. This baby isn’t his, and he already loves them. The man behind him, whose baby this is, doesn’t even react at the mention of his child.
“The baby is perfect. I promise.” He lets out a deep breath and pulls my hand to his lips kissing the inside of my palm, something that always melts my heart into a puddle.
A throat clearing takes me out of my Jordan haze, as I realize we are having a moment in front of an audience. My cheeks blush and Jordan grins as he winks at me. Reagan looks over the moon and I see even my dad has a smirk on his face. The only person who doesn’t is the man in the back. I’m sure seeing this display of affection reaffirms his idea that Jordan and I were cheating. This isn’t the time or place to get into that conversation, but I do need to talk to him.
“Hey, y’all. Would you mind stepping into the hallway for just a minute? I need to speak to Trey, alone.”
I knew this would go over like a lead balloon with the other men in the room, but my mom and Reagan drag them out without a word spoken between anyone. I don’t miss the tension crackling between Trey and Jordan as the latter leaves the room, with one more wink my way before shutting the door.
Silence stretches for far too long that it feels awkward to break it, but someone has to. Clearly Trey is still brooding after these months we’ve been apart, so it’s going to all be on me.
“Trey, we need to talk through some things.”
“You think?” His sarcasm is unwelcome and I glare at him as he hesitantly walks and takes the seat Reagan occupied at my side.
“You don’t get to do this to me right now. I reached out to you countless times over the last few months and you never responded. You left me on read and ignored every phone call.”
“I know.” He hangs his head down, covering his face with his hands. My heart pangs with sympathy even though he doesn’t deserve it. I don’t miss the man sitting in front of me, but I miss the boy I fell for.
“Why?”
Looking up at me, I see a face mixed with regret and lingering anger. “Why? We broke up after eight years, Kenzie! I didn’t want to talk to you. You left the country and didn’t tell me. I was furious. I still am, if I’m being honest.”
“You told me I was dead weight, Trey. That you cheated on me, more than once and called me pathetic. In front of my father.” He looks embarrassed by that.
“It was the heat of the moment. I didn’t cheat on you, not really.” I give him the stink-eye and he backtracks. “Okay, Kayla and I have kissed, but I swear on my favorite hockey stick that’s it.”
I have no words for that little revelation, so I just nod my head. “Okay, Trey. What’s done is done, but right now, we have to put aside our feelings and focus on the baby.”
He looks down at my small baby bump and gives me a questioning look. “Are you sure this baby is mine? You don’t look very pregnant. It could very well belong to Mills or whoever you were with over in England.”
I laugh, a deep and dark laugh that sounds nothing like me as rage takes over logic. “You’ve got to be kidding me! First off, I’ve never been with anyone but you. EVER! Second, I have a retroverted uterus, so I don’t show as much as other women. I’m due April 7th which means this baby was conceived in July. It’s yours—but I really wish it wasn’t.”
