Page 114 of Vegas with my Brother’s Best Friends

The three of them suddenly leave the bar and walk off, my heart sinking. Maybe they don’t want to see me.

Before I can do anything, someone walks in front of me, blocking the guys from sight. I lift my eyes and immediately recoil as Derek steps closer to me.

“What do you want?” I question him.

“I’ve been giving things a lot of thought lately,” Derek says. “And being at the wedding gave me some clarity about my life.”

He can’t actually be doing this right now. The last time we spoke, he was calling me a liar and shaming me! Now, he wants to act all pensive?

“I don’t want to talk to you, Derek,” I tell him firmly. “Do you even remember the awful things you said to me?”

Derek sighs. “I was surprised, Cassidy. I just found out that you were pregnant! How would you feel if I knocked someone up just months after we broke up?”

I grind my teeth, forcing myself to breathe slowly in and out of my nose. I don’t want to make a scene in the middle of the reception, but he has really gotten on my nerves during this trip.

He thinks that he’s such a freaking catch when all he has been is a cocky asshole.

“My business is my business. We’re not dating anymore,” I remind him in a cold voice.

“That could change,” he says, holding his arm out to keep me from stepping around him. “Look, I think once the dust settles, you’re going to end up being a single mom. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but that’s a tough road.”

My eyes widen in bewilderment. “Excuse me?”

“Even after everything that has happened between us, I do want the best for you,” Derek continues. “And I don’t think raising a baby alone is the best thing for you. I think it’s too much stress and responsibility on top of you trying to do your freelance work.”

Fury burns under my skin as I stare at him in shocked silence. He still thinks that I’m so incapable of standing on my own two feet.

Where does he get that notion from? Do I seem like I’m struggling all the time? Does he think I’m late paying my bills or I’m having trouble finding clients?

I can handle myself.

“I know you want to handle this alone, but you’ve never been a mom before, Cassidy,” Derek says. “Do you really think you’ll be able to be the best mom possible if you’re doing everything on your own?”

I frown as his words hit me like a punch to the stomach. I know my experience in motherhood isn’t much, but millions of other women have figured it out on their own. Why can’t I?

“It’s none of your business,” I tell him, my voice coming out quiet.

Derek sighs and crosses his arms. “I want to be involved. I will give our relationship another try and help you raise the baby, even though I’m not the father. I’ll do that for you, and you can focus on being a great mom.”

My ears threaten to ring as he presents his offer like a lifeline that I’ll need to take to keep from drowning. Like he’s doing me a favor.

I’d rather be a single mom for the rest of my life than ever date him again. I’ve handled enough without him to ever need him again.

“For the past few months, I’ve dealt with the worst morning sickness imaginable. I’ve been in pain every single day. My body is going through the most it has ever been through right now,” I tell him. “I’ve handled it all without you, and I’ll keep doing it without you.”

Derek’s jaw clenches. “Why are you so damn stubborn, Cassidy? I’m trying to help you, and you want to act like a superhero!”

“You’re not trying to help me,” I bite out. “You’re trying to stroke your own ego and show yourself off as my knight in shining armor. You want the praise. Not the responsibility. You’d make me do everything on my own even if we were together.”

“That’s a lie,” he grits out.

“It’s not,” I say, my fingers balling up into fists. He doesn’t get to steamroll me. “You don’t love me. You just love the thought of having someone on your arm.”

Derek scoffs at me and shakes his head. “You want to be all alone with a baby on your hip? Fine. Enjoy your misery.”

I glare at him as he storms off, my heart pounding. He’s nowhere near as special as he thinks he is. Hopefully, the future women he approaches quickly realize that and don’t give him the time of day before he ruins their lives too.

I huff and walk to the edge of the courtyard to get some air somewhere quieter and less crowded. I reach the beginning of a walking path before stopping, familiar voices hitting my ears.