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Reagan is paralyzed in my arms.
“His name is Joey.I was pregnant when we broke up.”
I stare at her.Does she think I’m an idiot?Besides the fact that I would need far more proof than a photo of a kid that might not even be hers, I’m definitely sure that child cannot be mine.
I narrow my gaze.“And you heard I was about to inherit some money, so you came running, looking for a handout?”
Reagan flinches and then struggles to free herself.I don’t let go of her because I know she will run from me, and that’s not happening.
“You can’t seriously expect me to believe that child is mine,” I deadpan.I’m close to slapping Silvia myself, and I’ve never hit a woman.
Her eyes widen.“Of course he is.”
“Why the fuck wouldn’t you have told me before now?”
She stands taller, holding her head high.“Because I knew you would be a shitty deadbeat dad.”
“And now you want money,” I growl.“Go away, Silvia.”I take a step back, keeping Reagan in my arms, and reach for the door.
“You’re just going to dismiss me?”Silvia squeals.
“Yes.Go find some other shmuck to blackmail.I’m not falling for it.”
“He’s your son!”
“You were sleeping with about five people when we broke up, Silvia.I’m not buying it.”I’m so confident that child is not mine that I don’t even flinch.I’m surprised Silvia would stoop this low.
“I’ll get a lawyer,” she shouts as I shut the door.
“You do that,” I shout back through the closed door.I’m so fucking furious with her that I release Reagan to run my hands through my hair.I’m afraid I was holding her too tightly.
“Tiago,” she gasps.
I draw in a deep breath through my nose.“I’m sorry, baby.Jesus.”
“What if heisyours?”
“He’s not.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I never once fucked that bitch without a condom, and we weren’t having sex at all at the end.She was cheating on me with several people, had been for a while.I was the last to find out, but I knew something was off between us.”
Reagan takes a step back and flattens herself to the wall.“You can’t just dismiss her.”
I realize how this looks to my girl.Bad.I’m not handling it well.“Reagan…”
My brother shows up.“What’s going on?What did Silvia want?”
“Money,” I say.“She flashed a picture of a kid on her phone and said it was mine.”
Ryder cringes.“That’s low, even for Silvia.”
Reagan throws her hands in the air.“Neither of you is the least bit concerned that the kid could be Tiago’s?”
“No,” my brother and I say in unison.
“You’re being so callous,” Reagan argues.