“Oh, please. You convinced me to have a tubal ligation because you didn’t want more children, then slept with my best friend while our child was in chemo. You had two more children with her and abandoned ours. And fourteen years later, you have this revelation.”
“You haven’t dated anyone seriously since our divorce because you still love me.”
“That’s not—” The nausea surged again, and I pressed my hand to my mouth.
“Are you sick?” Concern creased his face.
I swallowed hard. “You need to leave.”
“What about us?”
“I’ve had bigger and much better dick since you.”
“Liar.” His hand cupped my cheek. “I know you, Dee. We were married for nine years.”
“Kevin—”
He kissed me.
My hands came up instantly, shoving hard against his chest, but his grip tightened on my arms. I twisted my face away, breaking contact.
The door swung open. “Mom, do you have…”
Tia stopped dead in the doorway. Her eyes went wide, her mouth slackened, and her expression crumpled before smoothing into nothing.
For a fraction of a second, nobody moved. Nobody breathed.
“Baby, I know what this looks like, but—” I began, finally shoving Kevin back hard enough that he stumbled.
But she was gone, the door clicking shut behind her.
I rounded on Kevin, fury replacing the nausea that had plagued me all day. “Get. Out.”
He had the decency to look ashamed. “I shouldn’t have—”
“No, you shouldn’t have.” I moved to the door, yanking it open. “Go back to your family. And don’t ever put your hands on me again.”
“Dee, I’m sorry.”
“Out.”
He left without another word.
I stood there, hand pressed to my churning stomach, trying to decide which crisis to handle first. The nausea threatened to overwhelm me, but the look on Tia’s face had been heart-wrenching.
I had to find her. Hurrying upstairs, I found her in my bathroom, standing motionless with a bottle in her hand.
“Baby—”
She turned slowly, her face completely blank. “Why do you have prenatal vitamins?”
There was no point in lying to her. “Because I’m pregnant.”
Nothing. No reaction. She just stared at me with empty eyes.
“Tia? Sweetheart, did you hear me?”
“I heard you.” Her voice was flat and emotionless. “Do you have pain meds?”
