Page 109

AVERY

“ Y ou sure you don’t want to stay home?” Porter asked.

“No. It’s too quiet,” I said.

When Trent dropped me off, he’d called Porter to come and be the lookout at my house. I’d only managed to hang out there for about an hour before the silent rooms became oppressive. I didn’t want to be at Cole’s, and I didn’t want to be at my place. The only option that left was Stormy’s.

After getting her on the phone, I’d gone outside to ask Porter for a ride. At least at Stormy’s house, I wouldn’t have to sit alone and stew in my own thoughts.

“All right,” Porter said as he turned into Stormy’s neighborhood. “I’ll hang outside. Your friend seems cool, but it’ll be weird with me in there.”

“Stormy won’t care.”

He shook his head. “I’ll be fine for a few hours. It’s early. I’ll call someone else later to relieve me.”

He pulled into Stormy’s driveway, waited for me to get out, then pulled across the street and parked at a house with a “for sale” sign out in the yard. Porter angled the truck so he’d have a direct line of sight on Stormy’s house.

Stormy was at the stove flipping pancakes when I entered, Shiloh watching her intently from her high chair.

“Good morning,” Stormy said.

“Morning.”

I flopped on the seat at the bar and watched her work, zoning out as she poured more batter onto the griddle.

“What’s wrong?”

Torn from my thoughts, I refocused on her. “Huh?”

She gave her spatula an irritated wave. “I know you. You look like shit.”

“ It, ” Shiloh squealed.

Stormy paled and glanced over at the baby. “I guess I need to start watching my mouth.”

I giggled, and Stormy joined in. She placed a plate of pancakes with butter and whipped cream in front of me, plopping a bottle of maple syrup beside it.

“Here. Let’s get fat and happy,” she said. “And you can tell me what’s got you looking like that.”

She’d never take no for an answer, so I went over everything that had happened—my secretive call, the reaction I’d gotten from Cole and Langston, the things Cole said afterward.

“Do you want my honest opinion?” she asked.

“As long as it agrees with my opinion,” I said dryly.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m with Cole on this.”

“Really?” I’d had doubts that I’d done the right thing, but I’d hoped an outside source would agree with me. It would have been less damaging to my ego.

“Really,” Stormy said apologetically. “If you’d told them and explained where you were coming from, I’m positive you could have convinced them you were strong enough to handle it.”

“Ugh.” Groaning, I dropped my fork onto my plate and rested my head in my hands. Having her side with Cole made me feel worse. The two people I cared about most agreed, which meant I was likely in the wrong.

Why had I done it in the first place? In the moment, when my emotions had been at their highest, it made perfect sense.

If Cole had disagreed, they would have forbade it, and I’d have been pissed.

In hindsight, though, Stormy was right. Cole wasn’t that hard-headed.

If I’d explained what I wanted to do, he probably would have been convinced.

And like Cole had said, I would have been furious had he done something like that behind my back.

It was enough to drive me to tears. In fact, I was crying.

“I hate this,” I said miserably. “I’m not thinking straight. What’s wrong with me?”

“That’s understandable,” Stormy said, squeezing my hand.

“Hell, I’d have lost my mind by now if I was in your position.

It’s okay to screw up, as long as you own up to it.

It sort of reminds me of when I was pregnant with this little monster over here,” Stormy said, nodding to Shiloh, who had given herself a mohawk with the syrup from her pancakes.

“What? Me getting all weepy every three minutes?” I said, brushing the tears from my cheeks.

“Yeah, I cried at the drop of a hat. Marcus was so upset that he couldn’t do anything to help. Sometimes all I needed was to have a good cry.”

“Oh my gosh,” I said with a laugh. “I was the same way. Anything could set me off. If I couldn’t find my shoe? Tears. The Chinese place forgot to put chopsticks in the bag? Tears. It was crazy.”

“Exactly. It’s fine that you’re emotional right now. You were like that when you were pregnant with Ash, and with him missing, it’s probably the same thing.”

“Right. Just like when I was pregnant.”

The smile froze on my lips. When was my last period?

“Avery?” Stormy asked. “What’s wrong?”

I did some quick math in my head. I was almost ten days late. My cycle fluctuated, sure, but usually only by a couple days, three at the most. Ten days? Ten fucking days ?

“Oh, shit,” Stormy whispered. “No way. Avery? Are you?—”

“I need to get a test,” I hissed.

Rushing out the door, I ran to Porter’s truck, not even bothering to say goodbye to Stormy. My head was buzzing like an old-fashioned TV set to a channel with nothing but static. The hissing roar in my head washed out all other thoughts.

“Something wrong?” Porter asked as I jumped into his truck.

“Drugstore. Hurry.”

“Uh, okay,” he said, frowning as he started the car.

The drive to the store, grabbing a few tests, and paying went by in a blur.

By the time I climbed back into the truck with the little paper bag in my hand, it seemed like I’d walked out of Stormy’s house ten seconds ago.

Time lost all meaning as I went through every time Cole and I had fucked since he’d come back into my life.

From what I could recall, none of those times had involved a condom.

I was on birth control, but that wasn’t foolproof. Son of a bitch.

“So, are we going back to Stormy’s?” Porter asked.

As much as I loved my friend, I was too freaked out to do this in her presence. I needed privacy.

“Back to my house. For a little while. I’ve got something I need to do there.”

“You got it,” he said, and turned toward my place. “You’re being really weird?”

I ignored him. Porter told me he’d wait outside, but I barely heard him. It took all my concentration to keep from crying before I got the front door closed behind me. Those tears came bursting through before I’d even gotten to the bathroom.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” I muttered as I clawed at the bag and the three boxes inside.

Unwilling to trust one test, I’d bought three different brands. As I laid out the separate sticks, I kept scolding myself. If this was actually happening, then it was quite possibly the worst timing in history. I couldn’t think of a worse situation to become pregnant.

Outside, a passing car backfired, and it was like a slap in the face to bring me back to reality.

I felt like one of those hysterical women in old black-and-white movies who needed one single crack across the cheek from the stoic, calm male character to bring her back to her senses.

I didn’t need that. I was stronger than a goddamn damsel in a movie who fell apart as soon as things got hard.

Blowing out a breath, I tried to talk myself off the cliff. This wasn’t as bad as it could be. Yes, Ashton was in danger, but I wasn’t alone. Not like I was when I found out I was pregnant with Ash. I had Cole now. No matter how bad things were, I wasn’t alone.

“Shit,” I hissed, realizing I hadn’t spoken to Cole all day.

Forgetting all about our argument, I dragged my phone out to call him. He had to know what was happening.

The phone rang over and over, far longer than it usually took him to answer. I was about to hang up and try again when his voice finally came on the line.

“Avery,” he said, his voice breathless and excited. “Now’s not a good time. Can I call you back?”

“Cole, you don’t understand, I’ve got something important?—”

“Avery, something big is happening. I can’t explain over the phone, there’s too much. Hang tight, and I’ll be there soon. Are you at your place?”

The manic way he was talking and the strange exuberance in his voice threw me off. All my thoughts and worries receded.

“Is it about Ashton?” I asked, clutching the phone tightly, pressing it hard to my ear.

“I’ll see you in a little bit and explain. Are you at home?”

“Y–yes, I’m at my place. Cole, I?—”

“I love you, Avery. I’ll be there soon, I promise.”

The call ended. All I could do was stare at my phone. What had happened between last night and now to make him act like that? What could have Cole so excited?

I glanced down at the tests. It could wait. Honestly, it would make me feel better if Cole was here for it.

That could wait, but my curiosity couldn’t. Maybe Porter had heard something? I was pretty sure I could cajole him to tell me what was up if he had.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I went outside.

Rushing around the hood, I called out, “Porter? What’s?—”

The words caught in my throat as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing.

The driver-side door was open. Blood smeared the door handle and the paint next to it. A faint splatter of crimson stood out against the light gray of the driveway’s concrete.

Backing away slowly, I glanced around like a trapped animal. This was not good. Not good at all. Then I remember the sound of the backfiring car. Had it been a car? Or had it been something else? Something worse?

Icy-cold fear drenched me, like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on my head. I was exposed. I needed to get back inside. Now.

I turned to go back to my house, but froze mid-step. A young man stood on the porch, grinning at me. I didn’t recognize him, but from the way he held himself, I could tell he was bad news. The fact that he was cutting off access to my home turned my bowels to water.

He winked and made a seductive kissing motion with his lips.

“Damn, woman, you’re hot. Bit old for me, but I’d still do ya.

I’ve never had a good MILF. You older ladies are supposed to be good in the sack.

Unfortunately, the boss says you come to him unharmed.

No dick for you.” He looked me up and down. “Unless you ask real nice, that is.”