Page 90 of Reckless

I’d barely touched on the idea of confronting Gage with the news when Millie shattered my peace at work.

“I guess you’ve heard about the charity gig this coming weekend?” Millie said after we’d seen Violet to her daughter’s car. The woman had rallied once again, and we’d had a cheerful goodbye.

I froze just inside the sliding doors. “Charity gig?”

“So, you haven’t heard. Gaged is coming to New Hope for a holiday charity fundraiser for hospice.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. This had to be a joke.

Millie’s hand gripped my arm, but I couldn’t turn to look at her. Anxiety flooded my system as images of Gage with Jazmin flashed in my vision.

I would have to tell him.

“Are you okay? You just turned a ghastly shade of white.” Millie guided me through the hall to a room set aside for employees who needed a nap, and once there, eased me down onto the cot.

I couldn’t catch my breath, I was lightheaded and dizzy. I would’ve tumbled to the floor if I wasn’t already sitting down.

Millie sat down on one of the hard plastic seats. “I’m sorry. I assumed you knew.”

“I…No.” I stared at her, wanting desperately to tell her about the baby, but the words just wouldn’t come out. “I made myself stop looking.”

I wondered how hewas coping with Ron.It had hit the news thathis father was actually his long-time manager, enough of a shock without what I had to add to it—which was one reason I’d given myself for not contacting him.

“It’ll be okay,” Millie said. “Just because there’s going to be some sort of gig here, doesn’t mean you have to go to it. But if you do want to go, there’s other bands playing in the lineup.”

All I could think was,This is my sign.I’m going to have to tell him.

She moved to the bed beside me and hugged me to her side. “You and I can do something that night. We’ll have a fun night in. The boys will be going…but we don’t need to. Now, come on, let’s get out of here. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. I’ll buy us lunch.”

I sucked in a couple of deep breaths. “Okay, you’re right.” But my stomach turned over at the thought of food and the smells that came along with it.

I followed Millie to the car in a daze.

“You know,” Millie said, “you should start dating someone else. That’s a great way to get over him.”

“Yeah…” I responded woodenly, listening to her go on about how I just needed to find someone special. She’d been saying it for weeks.

“Someone will come along, Kelly, don’t you worry about that. A beautiful girl like you won’t be single long.”

I didn’t want to be single forever, but I couldn’t fathom dating when I wasn’t over Gage. And was carrying his child.

I wanted love. Someone I could just be with, who the whole world wasn’t in love with too. A normal relationship. Was there such a thing? Women started over all the time, dated while they were pregnant, even found men who would accept someone else’s child.

But before I could even begin to build my new life, I had to give Gage the news.