CHANCE DIDN’T ASK ANY QUESTIONS. He pulled into my parents’ driveway thirty minutes later and honked the horn. I didn’t even pause. I got my purse, grabbed the bag with my meds, and walked out the front door. I could hear my dad yelling when I jumped in the passenger seat and slammed the door before locking it.
Chance looks at me with questions in his eyes before he looks past me to where I’m sure my father is fuming.
“If I drive out of here right now, is it going to get me killed?” he asks.
“Possibly.”
“Right. Well, seeing as I like being alive and I plan to keep on breathing for a while longer, I’m going to step out of the truck and have a chat with your dad.”
Before I can stop him, he opens the door and steps out.
Shit!
I can hear them talking, but not what is being said because the window is up and the hum of his engine is drowning them out. Hesitantly, I reach over and press the down button until the window is cracked slightly.
“ . . . just came because she called me and sounded upset. I owe it to Cohen to make sure she’s okay, sir. No offense, but if she isn’t okay here, then I’ll step in.”
“Is it yours?” my dad barks.
“Is what mine?”
“The baby.”
Chance looks over his shoulder at me. His face is stoic, but his eyes flash in warning. Warning of what, I’m not sure.
“I was unaware that Dani was expecting, sir.”
“Cut the bullshit, Chance. Are you sleeping with my daughter? With your roommate’s girl? Do you think I don’t know about the nights she’s been sneaking over to your place?”
Holy shit. This is bad.
“Axel!”
I look between the two men standing toe-to-toe in my parents’ driveway to see my mom running down their porch steps.
“You need to step away right now. This, all of this, is none of your business, and as much as it kills you that it isn’t, it’s time to shut the hell up before you cause your daughter more pain. We will have words later about what you’re accusing her of.”
God, I love my mom.
Chance doesn’t give him a second to reply. He steps away, turns, and walks back to the driver seat.
Mom calls his name and gets his attention before he can shut the door. “She needs to be watched tonight after her fall. Wake her up every few hours. I trust you to take care of her?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He shuts the door and backs out of their driveway.
I can tell he has plenty to say, but he’s keeping quiet.
“I’m sorry, Chance,” I whisper.
He doesn’t speak, but he reaches out and grabs my hand, holding it tight in his and giving me just what I need at the moment.
Someone else to be my strength.
The second we got back to the apartment, I took off to Cohen’s room. By the time my head hits his pillow, I was ready to crash. Chance gave me the time I needed—and wanted—to be alone. The only time I saw him was the two times that he woke me in the middle of the night.
I can’t believe that my own father would think so low of me. Even through my hurt that he would even say such a thing, I can see where the thought sprouted. Cohen’s been gone, and by his own account, he knows I’ve been coming over here. It makes sense, even if his lack of faith in me is heartbreaking.
I don’t realize I’m crying until I feel the bed depress.
“You want to talk about it? I’m not good with the chick shit, but I can try to help.”
“I think you’ve guessed that I’m pregnant?”
“Figured as much when your dad was about to rip my head off and assumed I had slept with you. I thought he knew you and Cohen were together?”
I sigh. “You should know him well enough to know that, when he’s mad, he gets . . . irrational. I guess he didn’t consider that it was something that happened before Cohen left. And everything that happened today, with the note and then the baby bomb, I guess he just lets his emotions get the best of his.”
“I won’t insult you by questioning if this is Cohen’s or not, but you do realize that it’s going to be on the top of everyone’s assumptions that this baby isn’t his?”
“I’ve waited for him my whole life, Chance. Everyone who knows me knows that. I just can’t believe my own father . . .” I trail off and leave it hanging. No sense in beating a dead horse.
“Why don’t you tell me about the note? Then give either your girls or Liam a call. You need your friends around you, and honestly, Dani, I like you enough, but I don’t know how to be the shoulder you are bound to cry on at some point.”
I laugh and take a deep breath, willing my hurt feelings not to fester into tears. “Yeah, okay.” I tell him all about the note and what I remember it saying, which isn’t much, but he promises to check with the guys at work to get more details. In the end, I feel a little better just having someone to talk to, but I decide that he’s right and I need my people.
Not knowing what to say to the twins yet, I pick up and dial Lee, knowing that he can help me sort my head before I call them. Having just dropped his date off, he agrees to head on over to the apartment. I can tell he wants to ask questions, but he hangs up with the promise to be over shortly.
“Well, you really managed to go all out in the drama tonight, Dani,” Lee says, leaning back against the headboard and opening his arms so that I can rest against his chest.
“Can you believe I’m pregnant, Lee?”
“Honestly? I can’t say I’m shocked. I mean, it’s Cohen.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I laugh.
“The man wore a cape for, what . . . like, twenty years. He’s some super-secret black ops marine. I’m pretty sure he could kill me a million different ways—the man is just born to have super everything.”
“We used a condom, Lee.”
He gags. “I love you, Dani, but I don’t want to talk about that shit. Let’s just leave it at shit happens and his super sperm battered down the shield.”
I slap his stomach. “God, you’re disgusting.” I settle back down for a second before I push up and spin to look at him. “Do you think Cohen will think the same thing my dad did?”
Lee doesn’t say anything, which doesn’t help the trepidation I already feel. “I’m not going to lie to you, Dani. From the outside, without all the facts, it looks shady. But you said it yourself. Your dad didn’t even know how far along you are.”
“I would never betray Cohen like that.”
He smiles. “Yeah, I know that. It’s a shitty situation, Dani. Wait until Cohen gets back before you start to worry about it. I will say, I wouldn’t keep this from the girls.”
“I didn’t plan on it. I just need to process things. I’ll call them tonight.”
“Sure thing, babe. Come on. Let’s get some rest. I came straight here after a night out with Stacy. I’m fucking beat.”
Lee and I managed to get a good few hours in before the knocking started. Chance left a note that said that he was over at Megan’s and would be back later. He’s been spending a lot of time with her lately. I teased him about finally dating, something I’ve never seen him do, but he told me that it isn’t anything other than helping her out with her daughter. I push back my normal embarrassment and guilt when I think about my first impression of her. Now, having met her, I know she is just a grieving woman who needs her friends.
I step out of Cohen’s room and walk to the door. When I look through the peephole, I smile and shake my head at the noise four fists can produce against one door.
Well, that didn’t take long.
I open the door right when Lyn is about to bang on it again and just barely dodge her fist.
“Damn, Lyn!”
“About time, bitch,” she snaps.
“Hey, Dani.” Lila gives me a hug and follows her sister into the apartment.
“Where’s Lee?” Lyn asks, looking around.
“Right here. God, could you be any louder. I was out with the screecher before I came over here, and God, my head hurts.”
All three of us look over at Lee and gawk.
“I can’t believe you went out with her crazy ass again,” Lila snaps. “The last time you went out with her, didn’t she go on and on about how many babies she wanted to have with you AND detailed out their names and what they would look like?”
“Christ, you must love crazy,” Lyn mumbles.
“Oh, shut up. It wasn’t that bad. Plus, I was horny.”
“You’re disgusting,” Lila sighs.
“All right. Enough of this shit. What’s going on with you?” Lyn says.
“What makes you think something’s going on?” I hedge.
“Don’t play me for a fool. First of all, you don’t come home at all last night. You don’t answer your phone. Your car is still at the salon! And if that isn’t enough, when we went home to Mom and Dad’s for dinner, Cam was going on and on about how he and Colt overheard Dad telling Mom about how you got some fucked-up letter after work today. Then he said that you had to go to the emergency room. If that’s not enough to know something is most definitely up with you, then you’re insane.” She takes a deep breath, and for the first time, I see through her anger and the worry she must have had all night for me, instantly making me feel guilty.
Taking a strengthening breath, I point to the couch. “You two might want to sit down.”