As I got older, I noticed the subtle shift in people’s expressions when they heard my last name. Their smiles tightened, and their tone changed. In Great Falls, the Carson name was well known—and not for a single good reason.
It stood for lies and deceit. For winning at any cost. That was my dad’s entire game plan when it came to acase: lie, cheat, manipulate your way to the top. He bribed them. Threatened them. Did whatever it took to win.
His morals were the complete opposite of everything I stood for.
“I don’t plan on worrying about that anytime soon,” I said, hoping he’d accept the half-assed answer.
The grunt he gave in response told me he was satisfied—for now.
The rest of dinner passed without incident. My mom was too hurt to try and spark conversation, and my dad finished his meal in record time, disappearing into his study without so much as excusing himself.
“Thank you for coming, honey,” my mom said as she walked me out to my truck. “I know how hard it is for you to come here and talk to your father.”
“I do it for you, Mom. Call me if you need me,” I said, climbing into the driver’s seat and finally letting the tension drain from my body. The hardest part of my day was finally over.
As I pulled onto the road, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I shifted in my seat and fished it out. Molly was calling.
“Hello?” I answered, not sure why she’d be calling me on a random Sunday.
“Liam?”
“Yes.”
“I’m pregnant.”
Chapter 7 – Molly
I wasn’t sure when it really hit me that I was pregnant. Maybe it was after the fifth or sixth positive test. Or maybe it was when I laid all eight of them out in front of Ellie and Cassie and watched their faces change.
Up until then, I could convince myself my eyes were playing tricks on me, that I was overthinking it. But my eyes tricking Ellie and Cassie too? Not possible.
“Who’s the father?” Ellie asked.
Just like I’d promised Liam the night everything happened, I hadn’t told anyone, not even my best friends. I didn’t want to betray the promise I’d made to him. But there was no hiding it anymore. The choice we’d made that night had consequences, and those consequences were about to become very public.
“Liam,” I said, my hands still shaking.
“Liam Carson?” Cassie asked. “As in Jace’s best friend, Liam Carson?”
As if there were any confusion about which Liam I meant.
“We used protection. I don’t know how this happened,” I said, dragging my hands down my face.Maybe I’d wake up soon and this would all be some insane dream. Maybe I'd just eaten too much chocolate before bed again.
Nausea hit me without warning, sending me barreling down the hallway toward the bathroom. I barely made it to the toilet before my body flushed hot, sweat breaking out along my skin. It was as if the universe were saying,No, Molly. This isn’t a dream. This is real.
After a few minutes of pulling myself back together, I sauntered back into the living room. The concern on Ellie and Cassie’s faces hadn’t faded a bit.
“What can we do to help?” Cassie asked, sliding closer to me on the couch.
“Please don’t tell my brothers. Not yet,” I begged. “I need to tell Liam first—to figure out what the hell we’re going to do—before I say anything to them.”
Liam had made me promise not to tell anyone about that night. He didn’t want my brothers finding out. But eventually, there would be no hiding it.
“I think you need to call Liam,” Ellie said gently.
“I’m scared of what he’ll say,” I admitted, staring down at my hands. “What if he doesn’t want a family? What if he gets mad?”
Cassie squeezed my knee. “If I know Liam, he would never do that to you, Molly. He’s a good guy. He’ll do the right thing.”
