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.He took another quick look over her shoulder, unableto shake the feeling that Evy was watching everything frominside her car. Come on in. She smiled and stepped inside, dusting him with apotent dose of a flowery smelling perfume that smotheredwhat was left of Evy s scent.He closed the door andlocked it. Have a seat, he said, drawing the blinds andtrying his best not to sound rude. That s why I ve been calling you, Megan saidmatter-of-factly, sinking into the armchair that suddenlywasn t as bright as it was two minutes ago. I saw mydoctor this past week and& I m pregnant. He stood over her with his hands on his hips and hismouth collecting flies, the taken aback silence making hisears ring. What makes you think it s mine? I mean, I useda condom. She shook her head fervidly, spilling more tearsdown her face. Condoms aren t a hundred percentfoolproof, and I wasn t with anyone else during the time ofconception.Only you. The crushing blow drove the air from his lungs like asledgehammer to the gut.White specks floated across hisvision as the room twirled around him.He plopped downonto the couch before he could fall.She was lying.Had tobe.He had used a condom. What? he repeated, at a loss for words.She wiped tears away with her hands. I m so sorryto spring this on you, Dean.It took me a few days to evenknow what to do and I m still not sure. The dam gaveunder pressure, unleashing salty rivers down her face. I m so sorry, she cried, her breath hitching in wheezygaits. I m just scared. His mouth opened but nothing came out.This wasn thappening.Couldn t be happening.Evy flashed through hismind, ripping the necklace off and throwing it in his face,telling him she never wanted to see him again.He shookhis head, dazed and confused by the heavy blow.He stumbled into the bathroom on heavy legs andglanced in the mirror, shuddering at what he saw.Hisreflection already looked different.Aged.His stomachchurned and he turned away. Here ya go. Thank you, she sniveled, taking the box of tissuefrom him and plucking one from its core.She tried flashinghim a reassuring smile as she dabbed at her eyes and nosebut there wasn t anything reassuring about any of this. This isn t exactly the summer I had planned. He inhaled deeply through his mouth, avoiding herstinging scent at all costs. I still don t get what makes you think it s mine. Because I m not a whore, Dean! she barked,startling him. That s how! I know who I was with duringthe time frame the doctor gave me for conception. Dean wasn t sure which made him wince more: hersudden outburst or the return of the word conception.Itmade his skin crawl and he wished she would stop sayingit.Megan released a weary breath and lowered hervoice. I m sorry. She looked up at him with wateryeyes. Believe me, I didn t want to end up gettingpregnant, especially out of wedlock.My dad is probablygoing to throw me out on the street. So& what are you going to do? I m keeping it, she answered way too fast forcomfort, plucking another tissue with a swoosh andblowing her nose.A short laugh escaped her, sending ashiver down his spine. My dad would kill me if Iaborted.That goes against everything his campaign standsfor. Dean s eyebrows drew together, meeting in themiddle of his wrinkled forehead. Campaign? Mascara ran down her face. He s on the citycouncil, remember? I told you he was running for mayor. Dean slowly nodded, even though he rememberednothing she had said that drunken June night, which nowseemed so long ago.Nothing outside of the ski mask thinganyway.She cleared her throat and sat up straighter. Look, Idon t expect anything from you, but I would never stop youfrom wanting to be a part of this child s life. He watched her dotingly rub her smooth belly, heracerbic words cutting him to the bone.Her absoluteassumption he was the father was unnerving to say theleast. What I want is a paternity test. She smiled thinly. Of course.I asked about that andthe earliest they can do it is during the tenth to twelfthweek of pregnancy.His eyes narrowed as he did the math in his head. Which is when? Even her shrug annoyed him. Another month or so. Wow, he murmured bleakly under his breath. I know, but like I said, Dean, I wasn t with anyoneelse during the time of& He shot a hand up into the air. I get it, he said,cutting her off before she could utter the dreaded c-word again.She nodded faintly, blinking more black tears into herlap.His mind reeled, desperate for a way out.His shipwas sinking and time was of the essence.The airconditioner kicked on, pushing the ear-ringing silencefrom the room like a big bully.They stared at each otherwhile cool air washed over them.The tension was thick.He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, unwilling toeven begin accepting such a ridiculous claim.How couldhe be the father? Because she wasn t with anyone elseduring the time of conception? He called bullshit. Won t be long now before I ll really be showing. She patted her stomach and looked up to meet his petrifiedgaze. I m going to tell my family tomorrow but I wantedyou to know first. He bit his tongue to keep from saying something hemight regret and responded with a shallow bob of thehead, indicating an understanding that couldn t be furtherfrom the truth.She sensed his disinclination and got up, stuffing thewadded balls of Kleenex into her Coach bag. I shouldgo. He followed her to the patio door, praying Evy wouldn t be standing on the other side when he pulledback the blinds, her green eyes just as broken as his heart.He swallowed hard and tugged on the plastic chain like aband aid, sending the slatted shades noisily collidingagainst each other.Relief spilled over him when he sawthe patio chairs.He slid back the glass door, beyond readyto get Megan and her pungent perfume out of his condo.She stopped in the doorway and turned to face him.He glanced behind her to the parking lot and she movedher head to block his view. Can I call you if I need a rideto the doctor s office or& peanut butter ice cream orsomething? she asked, trying to smile.He sucked in massive gulps of air that tasted likesterilized medicine, trying to round up a response thatwouldn t lock him into anything. Sure, he lied.Her face brightened. Thank you, Dean, she saidsoftly, leaning in and kissing him on the lips
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