Tears stream down my face, dripping into my lap while snot fills up my nostrils. I need a Kleenex, but since I can barely make out the road now through my tears, taking my eyes away to focus on the glove compartment wouldn't be my wisest decision. Especially since I'm traveling with a little companion now.

I park outside my apartment and my hand falls to my belly, rubbing up and down.

“I'm sorry about Daddy, he's being an asshole,” I mumble. “Strike that last word. Bad word. Not nice. Daddy isn't being nice, but he's scared. I knew he would be. But I didn't think he'd disown you.”

I take my keys out of the ignition and enter the apartment.

Not having much energy or drive to do anything else, I lie on the sofa and grab the remote.

Clicking on the television, I start my Netflix stream of Gilmore Girls, but then I remember Sydney and I promised to watch it together. So instead, I click on Felicity.

The first episode ends. Guess I'll be watching that again, because the entire time, my mind is on my baby and my baby daddy.

I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised—he’s let fear rule his life for the past twelve years. Of course he’d accuse me of sleeping around. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt any less. It's a good way for him to hate me forever so if something did happen to me in childbirth it wouldn’t destroy him. He's blind and stupid.

“Sorry little bug, your daddy needs to come to some realizations on his own.”

Mental note to self, stop talking to the baby about its daddy.

The door to the apartment swings open. Ava and Cat both come in with brown paper bags of takeout food, unsure expressions on their faces.

“How are you?” Ava asks, kneeling on the carpeted floor and opening the bags.

“I'm fine, why?”

Cat joins me on the couch, her hand rubbing my leg. “So, you're pregnant?” she asks.

I don’t turn my head away from the TV, but I move my eyes to look at her from the side. I went straight to Garrett's after a walk in the park how the hell could she possibly know?

“That's an all-time record for Climax Cove gossip ring,” I say.

“You called in sick to Dane,” Ava says with a frown. “You went in one time with that horrible sinus affection and he had to send you home. After last night, we put it all together.” Ava places the quesadilla, rice, beans, and tacos on the coffee table. A whole Mexican feast, which as strange as it sounds, smells amazingly awesome right now, even though I've never been a big eater when I'm upset.

I nod, tears already forming in my eyes. I sit up and Cat wraps her arms around me and Ava joins us.

“It will be fine. I know it's unplanned, but—”

“He doesn't believe the baby is his.” The tears becoming too much, I wipe under my eyes, grabbing a napkin from the table.

“What?” Ava asks, her tone flabbergasted and offended even though the accusation wasn't directed at her.

“He thinks it’s not possible since he had a vasectomy.”

“What a douchebag!” Ava stands and grabs her phone.

Before I can stop her, she's already talking into the receiver. “You need to talk to your friend. He's being a complete asshole.” There's a pause. “I don't care. Go over there after work and straighten his shit out. Find out for yourself.”

“Ava,” I hear Dane saying her name when she clicks off the phone.

“That should handle that.” She sits back down, handing out forks.

“We're going Chinese style, just dig in.”

We all laugh, using each of our forks to dive into the food.

“I hate to be the one to ask, but are you okay with this? Even if Garrett doesn't want any part of the baby’s life?” Cat asks, showing how little she knows him.

“He will. I know he will. He's scared.”

“How can you sound so sure when you were just crying about it?” Cat asks.

“I'm upset he accused me of sleeping with someone else, but I know it's all out of fear. I was there twelve years ago…I remember how it destroyed him.” I squeeze my eyes shut to stop any more tears from falling because the memory of that time in his life is hard to bear. “I know it, but he has to figure it out for himself and learn to handle those fears in a better way.”

“Fear of what?” Cat asks.

“Fear of losing the people he cares about. He’s not ready to admit to himself that this is happening whether he's scared or not.”

“Man, Charlie. You're a rock star.” Ava shoves in a spork full of rice into her mouth. “I’d probably just cut Dane’s dick off.”

I give her a small smile. “No, I'm just an expert on Garrett Shaw.”

I won't admit it to the girls, but I damn sure hope I'm right.