Page 48 of F Buddy

Her frown only grew more pronounced, as did her pain. “What are you talking about? She has everything to do with this.”

“No, Scarlett,” I growled through gritted teeth. “This has everything to do with you making a promise with me to get married in a year when you were pregnant with another guy’s baby. So why the fuck are you upset?”

Her eyes widened, and I almost felt proud of myself. At least she was showing some emotion that I’d expected, shock. Or what, had she thought I didn’t know? But I didn’t feel triumphant at all. If anything, I felt sick to my stomach. Suddenly, I was having second thoughts about having this spat, and especially out on the street.

Her eyes were suddenly on fire, filled with anger unlike any I’d ever seen on her face before. I hadn’t even known Scarlett could look like that. Her whole body shook, her shoulders tight as she squeezed her hands into fists at her sides. I didn't flinch, I stumbled a couple of steps back. Which was ridiculous, because I wasn’t afraid of a pregnant woman.

“Listen here, you fucking prick,” she started, her voice low but gaining in volume and strength. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about right now, and you know what? I don’t give a fuck, Zach!”

My eyes widened at the swearing. She was doing it more than usual, and she advanced a step on me, that made me take a few more back. She was obviously on a roll, and I didn’t have the words to stop her. She didn’t seem to mind we were on the street, but then again, I hadn’t cared either.

“I don’t know where the fuck you got your information from, you fucking bastard, but the baby growing in my stomach right now is yours!”

My eyes widened, then I glared. “That’s a lie—”

“I know my body way fucking better than you do, Zach. You weren’t here. I’ve had to go through this pregnancy alone, and I have the doctor’s visits to prove it. The others helped, but there was only so much they could do. I could have used having you here, Zach.”

She paused and laughed, only the sound was the most painful thing I’d ever heard, and it pierced my chest even harsher than her look of pain and fear from before had.

“And way to talk about promises, Zach. Do I have to remind you, that you were the one to bring it up in the first place? And to have the gall to tell me you never took it seriously! Well, guess what, you bastard, I did. You have no right to go yelling at me and accusing me of bullshit when you wouldn't even let me fucking explain when here you are fucking Abigail!”

Finally, she stopped, and I could have sworn I heard an echo of her last words. Later, we’d probably be embarrassed about the whole thing. I could hear murmurings from the crowd that had formed around us. I was pretty sure some of our friends had come out to see the commotion. Abigail might be among them, and I didn’t even care. I was just glad they were staying out of it.

“I didn’t,” I said quietly.

Scarlett, still trembling and panting from the force of her anger, flinched and widened her eyes at me, looking like prey caught in a trap.

“What?” she said, her voice quiet.

“Abigail and I never got that far,” I told her honestly, though a part of me wondered why I was divulging this information. “Not because she didn’t want to, she’s made her interest more than clear. But I haven’t even kissed her.”

Her eyes grew impossibly wider. There was silence between us, then she took in a shaky breath and licked her bottom lip.

“R-really?” she murmured, looking like she didn't believe me. “W-why, then?”

I shrugged my shoulders and sighed. “Why else do you think, Scarlett? Because of you.”

She frowned, confused, and took a step back. “Me?” she murmured.

I took a couple of steps closer. “Yes,” I said, almost desperately. There was no point in keeping it from either of us because it was definitely how I felt. “Abigail was right there. Attractive, willing, but I wanted nothing from her. Because every time we were about to get intimate, you came into my mind, and I couldn’t get you out. You’re all I’ve thought about in the months since I transferred, Scarlett.”

She tumbled another step back as her face crumpled. “No. Y-you’re lying. You were with her, and you ignored me...” She glared up at me, but it was weak. “Sasha told me you introduced her as your girlfriend.”

I winced and rubbed the back of my neck. “So that wasn’t exactly my finest moment. We haven’t done anything other than go on a few dates. I did it because I wanted to hurt you,” I admitted reluctantly. “Because I was scared to admit that you hurt me when I heard you were pregnant, and I heard it from someone else and not you.”

We both went still again, staring at each other. I desperately wanted to know what she was thinking. I also wanted to close the space between us. Now that I admitted to my hurt out loud, I saw a lot of ways I could deal with it without hurting Scarlett. I shouldn’t have let it control me in the first place, though it was probably a little late to be having that realization.

I opened my mouth to say something, but right then, Scarlett’s expression changed. There was no longer any pain or anger. Instead, her expression went blank, before turning confused. Then her expression shifted to wide-eyed surprise as she pressed her hand to her stomach. I stepped forward, feeling a bit of concern.

“Scarlett?”

“Shit,” she suddenly hissed, her head snapping up to meet my gaze. “It broke,” she muttered, but it was more to herself than to me. “My water broke. Shit, shit!”

I barely got what she was trying to say, then she gasped and stumbled, and I was moving before I was conscious of it, holding her up.

“Scarlett, what’s wrong?” I asked, frantic.

It was a stupid question, and the expression she gave me told me she thought the same.