20
Denise -A Party Crasher and a Knight in Shining Armor
Connor’s proposal to Alex is lovely, and the party afterward is fun. It would probably be more fun, though, if I weren’t pregnant and exhausted. And if Andrew and Ryder weren’t trying to kill each other with death glares while I sit between them.
Not that I mind Ryder trying to scare away Andrew, necessarily. It’s just going to make it that much harder when I tell him we can’t be together after all. I only hope I’m strong enough to withstand his rejection. In my heart I want him to want me anyway, but that’s just a dream. What man, especially one with Ryder’s history of partying, would want a woman who is having another man’s baby? I know he says he’s changing, but it’s one thing to be a little more responsible, it’s another thing entirely to take on being the father of a baby that isn’t his.
“You going to be OK if I leave you for a minute?” Ryder leans over and whispers into my ear. “I want to go talk to Alex and Connor.”
I just nod my head. This is perfect. It will give me the chance to get Andrew to drive me home without Ryder trying to butt in. I want to get this conversation with him over and done with. We’ll eventually need to come up with a plan for him being able to spend time with the baby, but for now I just want to tell him that the baby exists. And that even though that is the case, we will not be getting back together.
Alex has been looking over at me and Andrew occasionally while she’s been accepting congratulations from everyone. I’m sure she’s wondering what the hell he’s doing here. I still can’t believe he thought it was a good idea to crash this party to talk to me, after I told him not to come. Not something he thought through, I’m guessing.
I don’t feel bad about ducking out early. I can already see from the way Connor is eyeing Alex that they won’t last here for much longer, anyway. The desire is plain on both their faces. I’m sure they’ll be out of here shortly to go home and celebrate privately.
I stand up and wave at her, pointing to the door to let her know I’m leaving. I’ll call her later and congratulate her. She waves back and nods to let me know she understands.
“Andrew, can you drive me home now?” I ask. “I need to talk to you about something private.”
“Of course I will,” he says. “I was wondering when you’d finally want to leave this place. I feel dirty just being in this dive bar.”
I roll my eyes while Andrew gets up from the table. I won’t miss dealing with this. Of course he’s going to have to be OK with the baby being around my friends, but I’m sure he will understand that I would never bring a baby around anything dangerous. Then again, I never thought Andrew disliked almost everything about me, so I’m not sure I really know him well enough to say that.
I walk to the door of the bar, trusting that Andrew is following right behind me. I don’t feel great about sneaking out on Ryder while he’s busy, but this is the only way he’ll give me the privacy I need for this conversation with Andrew. I’m so nervous about telling him that my stomach is all knotted up. I was on birth control, and this shouldn’t have happened, but we always knew there was still a chance that I could get pregnant. When we were together, we said we would deal with it if it came up. Now that we’re not together, I’m not sure how Andrew is going to feel about it.
Andrew parked near the building and I go to let myself in as soon as he presses the unlock button on his key fob. He frowns at me when I reach for the door handle before he does.
“I was going to open that for you,” he says, pouting a little, before walking around to the driver’s side of the vehicle.
“It’s fine,” I say once he’s in the car. “I can open my own door.” I don’t want to give him any encouragement. The last thing I need is for him to think that opening my door means we’re together again. With the way he’s been acting lately, I wouldn’t put it past him.
After a short drive in total silence, Andrew is pulling into my driveway. I’m out of the car and halfway up the steps before he’s even turned the car off. I’m not interested in putting this conversation off any longer. We need to get this sorted out soon, so he has to know about it.
I unlock my door and go inside, leaving it open for Andrew to follow behind me.
“Have a seat.” I say, pointing at the armchair as soon as he comes in. “We need to talk.”
“Yes, we do,” he says, sitting on the couch and patting the seat beside him for me to join him, but I sit in the armchair instead. I don’t want to be any closer to him than absolutely necessary. “I’ve been thinking and I think I can deal with your friends and their crazy lifestyles, if you agree to dress like a proper lady, and give up all this rock-and-roll style you like to wear.”
I burst out laughing. What the hell is he thinking?
“I didn’t ask you here for a relationship negotiation, Andrew. We broke up, and we are staying broken up. That’s not why you’re here.” I take a few deep breaths to calm myself. It wouldn’t do for me to laugh in the middle of what I have to say to him.
I pull a copy of the ultrasound photo from my purse and hold it out to him. “There is no way to soften the blow on this, so I’m just going to say it. I’m pregnant, Andrew.”
At first he doesn’t say anything at all. He is so quiet that I’m not sure if he even heard me, that’s how little reaction he has to what I said. Then suddenly he’s jumping up off the couch.
“What the fuck?” he shrieks. “How did this fucking happen? You said you were on birth control.”
“I’m guessing it happened in the usual way,” I snap, slamming the ultrasound down on the coffee table. “How do you expect me to answer that?”
He paces in front of my coffee table, hands pulling roughly through his hair.
“I can’t believe you would do this to me!” Andrew is raising his voice, yelling so loudly now that I’m sure the neighbours can hear him. He grabs the ultrasound picture and shakes it at me. “How do you even know this is my baby? People like you are always sleeping around. It could be anyone’s.” He grabs the picture in both hands and rips it into pieces before throwing it in my face.
“Excuse me?People like me?” Tears are pooling in my eyes, but I don’t think I’ve ever been this angry. They are absolutely tears of rage. “I never cheated on you, Andrew. How can you even say that to me?”
Andrew walks over to one of the gallery walls I have set up with some of my embroidered artwork and old photos. Standing with his hands on his hips, he faces the wall. Suddenly he reaches out and swipes nearly every frame off the wall, shattering the glass and breaking the wood.
“I can’t believe you would be stupid enough to let this happen!” He’s screaming now, his face red, veins sticking out in his neck. “What kind of dumb bitch can’t take birth control properly?”
He comes over to where I’m sitting in the armchair and grabs the lamp from the end table. He then swings it over his head and smashes it down on the floor beside me, sending shards of glass flying. I jump up, but I trip on the coffee table, stumbling into the couch.
“Stop!” I scream. Just as I right myself to a sitting position, and Andrew takes a step toward me, Ryder comes storming in through the front door.
“Alright asshole, I think that’s enough.”
