Chapter 47 Honey
HONEY
Listless, I ignore my huge stack of essays and slump on my kitchen table.
“You need to eat. Here.” Cynthia slides a cold slice of pizza toward me, and I wrinkle my nose.
“Not now, but thanks.” When I told her what happened, she was here in an hour.
“You’ve barely eaten since I got here. It’s been two days. A strong breeze is going to blow you away. Want me to go grab you some tacos?”
I shiver and wrap my blanket tighter around my shoulders. “I’ll be fine. I’m just really not hungry. I’ll eat a granola bar later.”
My phone buzzes with a text, but I ignore it.
Cyn sits opposite me and lowers her head until our eyes meet. “Aren’t you going to see who’s texting? Maybe it’s Beau.”
My eyes sting, and I blink the tears away. “Whether it’s him or not, I’m afraid, Cyn. What if he has terrible news? I can’t handle any more bad news this month. Cash can’t get a straight answer out of our father about the finances. It’s freaking me out.”
Frowning, she chews on her bottom lip. “Well, no matter what, you’re not marrying that douchebag.”
“I don’t want to marry Ian either, but he said he’d call in my dad’s loans this week if I didn’t get on board with his plan.”
“What if he can’t find you? Come home with me. I’ll hide you.”
“What about my job? I can’t leave or I’ll get fired, and teaching is all I have.” Now that I’ve had some time to think about it, I’ve realized I can’t just disappear, as tempting as that may be.
As the day wears on, I note that it takes me an hour to grade one essay. The sun is starting to set when someone knocks on the door, and I freeze. Cyn looks at me, and I nod. At least I have backup in case it’s Ian.
But when the door opens, it’s Trig. He gives me a crooked grin. “I heard you needed some dinner. I got ya some Mexican food. Hope that’s okay.”
I burst into tears.
“Well, shit. If I thought Mexican would make you cry, I’da gotten ya something else.”
Cyn rubs my shoulder. “I hope it’s okay, but I got his number off your phone. I thought you needed some reinforcements.”
I nod with a watery smile. “Thanks.”
She waves at my brother. “I’m Cyn, her college roommate.”
He shakes her hand. “Hi, darlin’. Heard a lot about you. Thanks for calling me.” Turning, he sets out the food, then takes a chair, flips it backwards, and sits down. “Tell me everything. Do I need to kick Walker’s ass again? ’Cause I will.”
I shake my head. “This isn’t his fault.” He swore he used condoms every time with Mel. He and I have been careful, so I have no reason to think he’s being dishonest about that.
Trig scratches his chin. “You gonna give me some idea of what he did?”
“Will you promise to not freak out? Because I can’t handle any more drama right now.”
“Boy Scout’s honor.”
“You were never a Boy Scout.”
He snickers. “But that sounds good, right? Like something an upstanding citizen would say.”
“I’m serious, Trig. I don’t want you to go on a rampage or get crazy. Can you be chill for once in your life?”
“I swear to be as chill as an ice cube.”
I bite my thumbnail. “Beau’s ex is pregnant. She says it’s his.”
“That fucker cheated?” His jaw turns to granite.
“No, he didn’t cheat. He’s not a scumbag. They hooked up in August. Beau and I started seeing each other in October. It’s just… bad luck, I guess.”
“Don’t ya think that deserves a little retribution? I could slash his tires or break into his truck and put a dead fish under his seat.”
I squint at my brother. “How is it that you’ve stayed out of prison?”
He belts out a laugh. “No fucking clue.”
“Here’s the thing. If it’s his baby, I already know I can’t handle it. The thought of him having a child with another woman makes me fucking rabid. I’ve never considered myself a jealous person, but this situation has taught me otherwise.”
“And he’s sure it’s his?” He scratches the scruff on his cheek. “Not to impugn your sex, but sometimes chicks lie.”
I pause to appreciate his good vocabulary. “That’s true. I suppose everyone is capable of being deceitful, but you should have seen her. Her lip was quivering, and she seemed pale and pasty. If she was lying, she deserves an award because it fooled me.”
Nodding slowly, he folds his arms. “She’d better bring receipts.”
“I’m sure Beau’s going to get a paternity test. But she said something about the doctor giving her a likely conception date, and it was the last time she was with Beau.” I close my eyes. “I can barely talk about this.”
“Well, fuck.” Trig holds out a bag of food. “Here. I’m out of my depth, but I can feed you. And if you change your mind about kicking Beau’s ass, I’m happy to oblige.”
I pat his hand. “You’re a good brother.”
He grins. “I am, aren’t I? Now what are we gonna do about that fuckface Ian?” My phone buzzes again, but this time, Trig grabs it. When he reads the text on the lockscreen, he growls. “Speak of the damn Devil.”
I grab the phone, and my heart sinks when I read the message.
Hey, gorgeous. Your dad and I are in Vegas for a conference this week.
We were thinking you could join us so we could work out the details of our agreement.
You and I will stay in the penthouse. It’ll give us a chance to get to know each other.
I’ll fly you out on my plane. Be ready to go on Friday night.
Cyn reads the message over my shoulder and curses. “I can’t believe that asshole.”
I swallow. “Looks like I have until Friday to figure this out.”