So I cried myself to sleep for the third night in a row.
Chapter 9 – Liam
I stared down at my phone. Molly was calling—again.
Somehow, I’d managed to steer clear of her for two weeks. When she’d sent the text of the ultrasound pictures, I almost passed out.
I hadn’t been talking to Jace as much as usual either. He didn’t suspect anything yet, but I could only play at being busy with work for so long before he’d catch on.
I didn’t want to think about how he’d react when he figured out what was happening. He’d probably kill me and bury me six feet in the ground. I deserved it. I knew I was being a big-ass coward, but I was downright terrified at the thought of becoming a dad.
Fatherhood wasn’t in the cards for me. I always used protection. I was careful—methodical, even. I had systems in place to make sure this never happened, and yet somehow it still did.
Just like the three calls before this one, I didn’t answer.
You’re a piece of shit, I thought.Maybe even worse than your own dad.
Even my own conscience was turning on me.
A loud bang on my front door pulled me from my sulking session.
I peeked out the window. Depending on who was knocking, my life could be on the line within the next few minutes.
It was Cassie. I wasn’t sure if I was safe or not. Probably not, but I answered the door anyway.
“Come i—”
She stormed through the doorway before I could finish, slamming it back into the wall.
“What the fuck is your problem, Carson?”
“What do you mean?”
“What do I mean? Are you seriously asking me that right now?”
Cassie was a hungry lion, and I was seconds from being devoured if she didn’t get the answers she wanted out of me.
“I actually vouched for you, Liam. I told Molly you’d do the right thing and that everything would be okay. Boy, was I wrong. I get the initial shock of it all, but it’s almost been a month. You need to get a grip on reality, and stop acting like a piece of shit.”
Her words stung, but none of them were untrue.
“Jace is starting to wonder why you’ve been so busy lately. The other day, when you told him you were working a double shift, he went down to the station to see you. Imagine his surprise when youweren’t there. He’s going to catch on, and I won’t lie to him forever to save your sorry ass.”
“I can’t do this, Cassie. I can’t be a father.”
“Why not?”
“I just… can’t,” I said, refusing to unload all the crap about my dad and the trauma he left behind.
“Do you know how hard it was growing up with a dad who walked out on me? How many times I wondered if I wasn’t good enough… if I’d done something to make him leave? That’s a lot for a kid to carry their whole life, Liam. And that’s exactly what your son is going to feel, since you’ve decided to be a piece of shit before he’s even taken his first breath.”
“Son?”
“That’s why Molly keeps calling you… to tell you she knows the gender. Congrats, jackass. You’re having a boy.”
I sank down into the couch, my knees suddenly weak. The more I learned about the baby, the more reality circled in on me.
Cassie stood over me, arms crossed. “Two days. That’s how long you’ve got to get your shit together before I tell Jace everything. Sure, he’s gonna be pissed that you knocked up his sister, but that’s nothing compared to the rage he’s gonna feel once he finds out youabandoned herafter knocking her up. He’ll murder you, and I’ll help him bury your body.” I fully believed her threats.
