“You scared the hell out of me, Rhett.” She frowns hard. “What’s wrong?”
“I…needed to see…you…”
My words are raspy and soft as I stalk over to her. She whimpers when I pull her to me, hugging her tight and kissing her hair. I love her smell. It’s one that soothes my soul every damn time. Her hands thread together behind my neck as mine settle on her plump ass.
God, I love everything about her.
“Let me finish this for you,” I murmur as I lift her and set her on the countertop.
She laughs when I kiss her neck and then kiss her belly. Once I’ve finished her sandwich, I cut it and add a few pickles to her plate. I bring it over to her and then proceed to feed her the sandwich while staring deeply into her pretty eyes.
This is what I want.
Her. The baby. Our easy routine.
Nothing feels forced. It’s real. I fucking love it.
Once she’s eaten, I carry her to the living room and sit down. She straddles my waist and then tentatively kisses my lips. She tastes like salty grilled cheese and pickles. I want to devour her.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’ve been shitty and I’m sorry.”
“When will it be just us?” she asks, eyebrows furling together. “I don’t want to share you, Rhett. Not with her.”
I spear my hands into her hair and pull her to me, kissing her deeply. Maybe she can feel just how much I care about her in this kiss. I’ve never felt remotely close to Angela how I feel toward Abby.
Abby has half my soul.
A creaking sound and then two alarmed cats bolting has me freezing. Abby pulls away from my kiss and turns toward the sound. We both stiffen.
Angela, still pretty like before, but filled with fire and disgust, glowers at us, arms crossed over her chest. It’s the calm before the storm. The deafening silence before the bomb is detonated. There’s stark relief in knowing my dual lives are about to be destroyed.
“You fucking whore!” Angela screams, jabbing a finger at her sister. “You disgusting piece of trash!”
I grip Abby by the hips and set her down on the sofa beside me. I’ll need to get Angela the hell out of here. I can’t do that with Abby in my lap.
Angela’s gaze falls to Abby’s huge belly, and her eyes nearly bug out of her head. When she snaps her eyes my way, there must be truth in them.
The baby is mine.
“Angela,” I start, voice tight. “We can discuss this outside.”
“We?” she hisses. “This involves that pregnant slut, too!”
Abby, to her credit, bites her tongue and cradles her belly protectively, choosing not to defend herself to her sister.However, it only makes me want to protect her all the more. I rise to my feet and hold a hand up toward Angela.
“Stop with the names, dammit,” I growl. “She wasn’t alone in this.”
“No shit,” Angela says, seething. “How long have you been fucking my sister behind my back? Her entire pregnancy? Before that? Were the two of you fucking all the way back to the beginning?” She stabs another finger at Abby. “This is what she does, Rhett. She whores herself around to anyone and everyone, using them for all she can. With Beau, it was for his money. With you, it was revenge for always being second to me.”
“Oh, fuck off,” Abby snaps at her. “Fuck all the way off, Angie.”
Angela, in her anger, storms over to the stroller I recently put together, and heaves it at the television. The screen splinters and the candles on the table below careen into the floor.
“Stop it right now,” I bellow, making sure to keep myself between the two sisters. “You need to leave, Angela. Now.”
Angela’s face is bright red and twisted into one of fury. Not a tear in sight. Abby cries quietly behind me. I’m afraid her distress might be bad for Buck. My anxiety skyrockets. This is all my fucking fault. I should have manned up and ended this months ago.
I’m pretty sure I see Riko peek his head in, but then he’s gone.
