Page 33 of Full Out Fiend

Something really fucking awful at that.

I inhale slowly, savoring these last few seconds of peace before I become the bearer of bad news. As much as I want more with her, it has to be on her terms. And she needs to know the truth before I try to propel things further. She deserves to know, even if she gets pissed or never wants to see me again. I hate the idea of losing her—again—when I just freaking found her. But staying has to be her choice.

“I have to tell you something,” I murmur, gently squeezing the tense muscles between her shoulder and her neck.

She looks up at me, wide-eyed, and pales even more, if that’s possible.

“That night? The condom broke.”

The weight of my words drops between us and demolishes our connection. All the air is sucked out of the alley. The world stops spinning, and the most selfish, despicable part of me regrets speaking the truth.

She yanks herself out of my hold, stumbling until her back hits the wall of the alley. I watch, aware I’m causing her this pain, as she raises a hand to her mouth and slumps against the bricks.

“I didn’t realize it broke until I went to the bathroom, I swear. When I came out to tell you, you were already gone. I tried to find you. Tried to figure out how to get a hold of you. As soon as I got home from camp, I got tested. I’m clean, by the way, and I can show you the results. But you have a right to know, and I didn’t want you to think…” I trail off.

“It all makes sense now,” she whispers to herself.

“What?” I pry. “What makes sense?”

I move closer to the wall, desperate to hear her, to reignite that spark between us.

“The condom. The condom broke. It all makes sense now.”

Fuck. I don’t know what else to do or say. I’m confused, but I refuse to push her when she’s already in a state of shock and pain.

Except we’re sort of on a time crunch here. I don’t know how much longer we can count on having privacy in this alley. If only I could convince her to go with me… take her back to my house or somewhere quiet where we could talk…

The silence creeps toward the minute mark as awkwardness churns between us.

I sigh and try to mentally regroup, repeating the question I asked her when I first found her in the alley.

“Are you okay?”

This time, her response comes out loud and clear.

“No. I’m really not okay. Fielding—I’m pregnant.”

Chapter 21

Fielding

Mybackhitsthebricks first. My back, then my head. I focus on the way air fills my lungs and the solidness of the alleyway as my chest expands.

I trace the mortar around the bricks behind me with my fingers as all other motor functions and lucid thoughts leach out of my brain.

Maybe if we both just stay out here, pressed up against this wall, we won’t have to face the reality of our situation.

Daphne sniffles beside me, and I force myself to clear my throat in response. I need to think. To act. To dosomething.

The condom broke.

She’s pregnant.

We’re dealing with causation as opposed to correlation here, so that means…Fuck. That means…

My brain isn’t working. I doubt my voice will, either, even if I could think of something to say.

But I can’t just leave her hanging.