“I—” I drag a hand down my face, heart pounding. “I need a minute.”
I want to run away. Instead, I stand and walk slowly out of the room. In the confines of my bedroom, the walls close in on me. I lower myself onto the bed, lightheaded. A baby. My baby. I’m going to be a father.
I close my eyes, hoping it’ll shut out the chaos. Instead, I’m met with an image of Owen. He whispers in my ear, saying the words that have stuck with me no matter how much I want to forget them. He talks about how suffocating fatherhood became for him. How distant he was growing from Santi and from Ines too. How he was drowning in his responsibilities and how he hated himself for feeling like that because they were his everything.
What if I have the same issues? What if I find myself suffocating in that same darkness?
You’re not him, my inner voice says.And your relationship with Riley is nothing like the one Owen had with Ines.
Fuck. I snap my eyes open.Riley. I left her all alone. Shame burns through me. Heart in my throat, I dart back out to the living room.
Riley is still on the couch, her shoulders tight, a pillow clutched to her stomach, as if it will protect her.
A glimmer of clarity hits me.
I have no right to fail her.
Moving closer, I keep my focus on her. “Hey.” I crouch in front of her and gently take her hand. “How do you feel?”
“Mostly okay,” she says, her words barely audible, her gaze averted. “I have morning sickness, and I’ve had a few dizzy spells, but that’s all.” Her lips tremble. “I haven’t told anyone.”
I nod, trying to pull myself together. “Thank you for telling me.” My throat tightens. “I’m with you. No matter what, I’m with you.”
Her eyes round, her lips parting. “Really?”
“Of course.” I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, but I know I can’t abandon her or my child. “You’re not alone in this. You’re having our baby.” I flash her a lopsided grin, even as I’m overwhelmed with fear, and sit beside her. “We’ll figure things out together. Okay?”
She nods slowly, the tiniest smile lifting her lips.
I drape an arm over her shoulders and pull her to me. Face hidden in the crook of my neck, she winds her hands around my torso and presses into me, her muscles relaxing.
The plan to distance myself from her goes up in smoke. Her confession has changed everything.
Because no matter what, I need to make things right for her.
That’s the only way.
27
you…lied
HAYDEN
“I need to call my manager.”
I set a mug of green tea on the coffee table then assess Riley, who’s still curled up on the couch.
We spent a long time holding each other in silence. It hit me then, as my mind raced, that it’s now my responsibility to take care of her, so I offered to bring her tea.
With her knees pressed to her chest, she eyes me warily. “Why?”
I sit beside her, though I leave several inches of space between us. “Once we officially announce the new album, the media will probably descend. I want to make sure you’re safe. If my management knows about our situation, they can help us.”
“Okay. Thank you. I have no desire to be in the public eye.” She sighs. “All that attention…it’s not for me.”
“Glenn will help us figure out how to handle that aspect,” I say. “And you’ll need to see a doctor.”
She dips her chin. “I scheduled an appointment with my OB-GYN. Thursday is the earliest they can see me.”
