Unless…
Stop thinking about Jordan, I tell myself firmly.
I pull into the first empty spot and put the car in park. Twisting in my seat, I look in both directions—and then I see him.
Jordan.
Yup, he followed me to school.
I’m annoyed but not afraid.
Obviously, this was done by design and, in true Jordan fashion, he chose a very public place where he knows I would feel more comfortable.
God dammit.
Why does he make it so hard to be mad at him?
That annoys me even more, and I slam my car door as I get out.
“Did you seriously follow me?” I demand as he approaches.
“I did,” he says, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts almost defiantly. “I didn’t want to make a scene at your house or get lawyers involved, so I chose this route. In a public place so you wouldn’t think I was being creepy.”
“Lawyers?” I stare at him in confusion. “Why on earth would you need a lawyer to talk to me?”
“To force you to tell me if that blond little boy at your house the other night is my kid.”
“What?” I stare at him in confusion. “Is this some kind of joke?”
He stares right back, the expression on his face completely serious.
“It’s a simple question, Victoria.”
“You think…” I’m momentarily so flabbergasted I can’t even formulate a sentence. He thinks Charlie is his? Why would he—of course. Charlie is very fair, just like both Jordan and me. Charlie is also tall for his age and looks older than he is. He could pass for four years old pretty easily, even though he’s only three.
Which is about the age our baby would be if he or she had lived.
“Dammit, Victoria, is he mine or not?” he asks, his voice hard and edgy.
For some reason, tears prick my eyelids.
He really thinks I’m capable of something like this? That I would have kept his kid from him? Even after everything that happened, how could he think that about me? That hurts almost as much as when he broke my heart.
“No,” I whisper, swiping at my eyes angrily. “Jesus, how could you think that?”
His eyes meet mine and we stare at each other wordlessly until a sigh escapes him.
“I’m sorry. But when I saw him…”
“He’s Ivy’s son. He’s three. She got pregnant around the time we…broke up.”
“Your sister Ivy had a baby?” He’s staring at me again. “She was…what? Sixteen?”
I nod. “Had him when she turned seventeen. The dad wanted nothing to do with her. He joined the military and disappeared, we haven’t heard from him since.”
“You didn’t sue for child support?”
I roll my eyes. “You know my dad. He said she’s better off without him in her life so she didn’t want to fight him.”
