Page 87 of Size King

Luke keeps shaking his head, smirking wide and pleased with himself for apparently figuring out the source of my woes.

“After everything she and I have been through already and everything we’ve sais, that can’t be it. I refuse to believe it.”

“Is it that unbelievable, really?” he asks.

When I think back on the past month and everything that was happening to me, I realize thatnothingshould be unbelievable to me anymore. I slump my head in defeat, feeling dumber than I’ve felt in a long time.

“I’m stupid, and girls are fucking crazy,” I say.

“Man, that’s just the way it is,” he agrees. “You never know with women. They’re like great works of art: beautiful, respectable, but very fragile.”

I’m not sure if it is the drinks talking for me, or if I feel randomly inspired to do so, but I decide to not hold back any longer.

“Jillian’s pregnant.”

He is puzzled, not piecing it together right away. “Come again?”

“The girl I took home from the bar is pregnant,” I stress. “And it’s mine.”

Luke looks at me wryly before asking, “Are you sure it’s yours?”

“Yes.”

“She showed you some kind of proof of that?”

“She was having morning sickness while we were together, I’m sure,” I say. “She says she didn’t sleep with anyone else after me, and I believe her.”

“She could’ve gotten pregnant right before she met you, and she’s using you as her replacement daddy.”

I never seriously doubted what Jillian told me. She always comes off honest and sincere. She has mentioned hiding the pregnancy for a while. Then, I begin to wonder if she could potentially be hiding another man’s child and hoping to pass it off as mine. It would make sense if she slept with someone that wasn’t going to help or be there to try and move in with someone that could take care of her.

“Did that never cross your mind?” Luke asks.

“I think the baby’s mine,” I say.

“You never know,” he says. “But I will say this: pregnant chicks aresuperhormonal. My guess is that’s why she freaked out over you calling her a friend.”

“You’re talking as if you know for an absolute fact that’s what it is.”

“Let’s say I’m right until proven otherwise.” He winks.

The idea of Jillian’s behavior being caused by hormones did cross my mind. The only thing on my mind now is the seed of doubt that Luke has sowed into it. I am troubled, and he can see it.

“What are you going to do, dude?” he asks.

“I want to be there for her and for this baby,” I reply.

“Okay then,” he says. “You need to talk to her right away and clear things up. You guys can’t act like this when that kid is born, especially if you were interested in dating this girl.”

We both sit there, contemplative and pondering on my predicament. He’s having an epiphany on his own, and I want to know what it is.

“What should I do, man?” I ask.

“Do what you think is right, man,” he answers. “And you know what? I believe her, too, when she says it’s your kid. She’s probably telling the truth. Call her up and don’t keep things uncomfortable.”

“What made you leap from A to B like that?”

“What?” he asks like he doesn’t know what I’m talking about. “Maybe she’s telling the truth. I don’t know.”