“Can I sit?”
“Of course.”
She sits and then pats the seat beside her for Landon. When he doesn’t move, she simply sighs and turns her attention back to me. “You look like the lumberjack version of Hugh Hefner in that robe.”
I give her a half smile. My gaze darts to Landon, who has decided to sit on the massage chair he loves so much. Only he’s leaning forward, his elbows on his spread knees, staring at his tented fingers in front of him. “I have been looking into DNA tests,” I offer because I’m sure they aren’t here to make small talk. “We can get it done fairly simply, before the kid is even born. Once I’m ruled out, you guys can move forward together and figure it out.”
Something in that plan has Landon’s head finally whip up. He doesn’t speak, though, he just glares.
Angie nods. “Okay, good. We were coming here to ask about a test. I’m glad you’re on board.”
“Yeah. I seriously doubt it’s mine, but we should be sure.”
“Exactly. If the thing comes out ginger, but we’ve told people it’s Landon’s, well… that would be an issue.” Angie laughs. “Plus, you need time to decide what to do if it is yours. Landon says he’ll keep it if it’s his. Would you keep it if it’s yours?”
She’s looking at me with genuine curiosity on her face. And maybe a little hope. But I’m staring back with absolute confusion. “What do you mean, would I keep it? You’re the one having it. And yeah, if it is mine, I would take responsibility. Help raise it and pay for it and everything, no question.”
“Right…” Angie bites her bottom lip and glances at Landon.
“It wouldn’t be help raise it,” Landon finally speaks. “It would be raise it, full stop. If the kid is yours, you’d have to want to be a full-time dad because Angie doesn’t want to have a child. Either the dad—whichever of us that is—takes full custody or she’s going to give it up for adoption.”
“What? Are you serious?” I blurt it out, not meaning it as judgmental as it sounds. I’m just so stunned I’m tactless.
Angie’s back stiffens, and her hands move to her small bump. It’s so small that if you didn’t know better, you might just think she’s bloated. Is it supposed to be that small? I have no freaking clue.
“I have never wanted kids,” Angie tells me, her tone rightfully defensive. “That’s always been my choice. I wanted to give you both the right to choose as well. I also don’t have an issue with adoption. We could both be a part of choosing the family. I would prefer an open adoption because I’d like to keep an eye on the kid, see it grow from afar. I’m not a monster for knowing I am not the right person for motherhood.”
“I don’t think you’re a monster. I just thought maybe… if it was Landon’s… I mean, you two could get back together…”
“We don’t love each other anymore, not in that way, and a baby won’t change that,” Landon explains, his eyes cast downward again. “Anyway, if it’s mine, I’m keeping it. You do you.”
He stands up and tries to leave. I grab his arm. “You’re going to raise a baby on your own?’
His eyes lock with mine, and they’re so blue they’re icy, and I almost shiver. “I’m sure I’d have some help from my parents and my siblings. Guess I can give up on the idea that I’d have a supportive boyfriend. That dream died fast.”
He brushes past me, and I stand motionless and listen to the sounds of him putting on his shoes and leaving. When my front door closes harder than it has to, Angie stands up. “I guess I should go too. I’ll text you about the test. I think I’ve found a place not too far from your practice rink. I just have to make an appointment. Also… I don’t have insurance.”
“I’ll pay for all of that,” I say without hesitation. I glance behind me toward the front door. “He’ll come around.”
Angie smiles, but it’s sad. “If you mean with me, no, he won’t. And I don’t want him to.”
I look at her. She’s still smiling, but it’s not sad anymore so much as… resigned. “I knew when I left him it was the right thing for both of us. This baby doesn’t change that. Landon and I were having trouble before his cancer. It never got dealt with, we just kind of stuck it on a shelf, so when he was healthy, it was still there. And if a near-death experience doesn’t make the problem go away, a child won’t either. Plus, I’m dead serious, Grady. I do not want to be a mother.”
“Okay.” Something in the back of my mind still thinks that Landon and Angie should be together. Not because of the child, but they have such a long history. “Again, I’m not judging you for that. And if the kid is mine, I will take it. I will be fucking thrilled, once the panic and shock wear off, because I’ve always wanted kids.”
She smiles, and it’s lighter. “Gosh, when it comes to accidentally getting knocked up in a threesome, I lucked out. Couldn’t have asked for better guys.”
I crack a shaky smile at that. She starts to the door, and I follow her into the hallway and watch her put on her shoes. “You’re going to need better footwear while you’re here. Also… how long are you here? Are you staying until the baby is born or going back to… Where were you?”
“I was living with my sister in Pasadena,” Angie explains. “I hadn’t locked down full-time work yet. I had some decent freelance gigs, but I can continue them from anywhere. And Landon has offered to let me stay at that stupid cottage until the baby comes, so I probably will. Although this place is way nicer.”
“You can stay here. It’s only a one-bedroom, but I can buy a sofa bed and stay on that and give you the bedroom,” I offer. It’s not something I even considered, but I’d do it if she wants.
“Or you could move in with Landon again, and I can stay here alone. No sofa bed required.”
My head is shaking before she even finishes the thought. She frowns. “He hates me.”
“Well, you completely bailed on him the second you saw this.” She puts a hand on her stomach again.
