Chapter 8 #2
"Appreciate it, Mad." I nod, trying to block out the thoughts in my head and sigh. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with this shit. I know I’ll have to go before the judge soon, I just don’t know when.”
“Just let me know when you need the day for that,” Maddox grunts, eyes searing into me with laser focus. "Something else bothering you?"
My eyes spring open, and I meet Maddox's stare.
"I slept with a woman I shouldn't have."
He cocks an eye brow. "Who?"
"Mammon's sister. She’s also Dash’s teacher."
Maddox whistles and lowers himself into a chair. “Let me get this right. You slept with your son’s teacher at a time you didn’t know she was, and now you’re freaked out that you have to see her again. You see old lays all the time, what gives about this one?”
That right there is the question of the century. Why do I care so damn much? I screwed up where that woman is concerned more than I should. To the point it’s screwing with my head.
Before I can speak my thoughts out loud, Beau steps into the office with a knock as he does so.
“Sorry to interrupt, but you’ve got company.” He grins in my direction.
“Who?” I ask, getting to my feet. I grab my phone and shove it back in my pocket.
“Mammon’s sister. She pulled up to the gate right behind me.” Beau’s grin shifts into a knowing smirk. If he didn’t wipe the smugness off his face, I’d see to it that he does the shit jobs for the next month. Plus, we gotta get the septic tank pumped for the bunkhouse in that time frame.
Oh yeah, for his smugness, he’s handling the septic tank.
“She’s out by her truck. I told her to wait there for you,” Beau says and dips out of the office as quickly as he popped in.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Yeah, he’s definitely going to have every last shit job along with the septic tank for the next month.
Hell.
What the hell is she doing here? Why couldn’t she just text me back instead of showing up at my place of work?
Better yet, how the hell did she know where I worked in the first place?
I don’t remember telling her, though I know it wouldn’t be hard to figure out.
Her brother could have told her, for all I know.
Not to mention, she could have looked at the school documentation that I filled out for Dash.
Then again, she could have figured it out since at the wedding, the majority of the attendees who weren’t club members were from here.
Leaving the office, Maddox right on my heels, I find Delaney almost immediately. She’s standing at the fence to the pasture, petting Onyx’s neck, not at her truck.
I blink at the sight of my horse letting her pet him. What the actual fuck? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him allow anyone that he didn’t know to do that.
“Delaney,” I call out, not missing the way she flinches at the harsh tone of my voice.
Yeah, that’s on me too, but she should have just texted me back. I wouldn’t have had this conversation over messages. However, I would have set up a time for us to meet somewhere, maybe at her place.
No, not her place. Too much temptation. Somewhere public for sure.
“What are you doing here?” I demand, stopping when a handful of steps away from her.
“You, um, texted, and I figured I’d go ahead and get it out of the way. You’re right. We do need to talk. I, ugh, can we go somewhere private?” she asks, looking behind me.
I didn’t bother to look to see that Maddox was watching us. I simply stare at her, seeing how nervous she is, and nod. “Let’s walk over to your truck.” The faster I get this done, the sooner I get her out of here and away from me.
Delaney nods and looks ready to bolt as it is. Good. Having her here is too close for my comfort.
Walking, side by side, I take in the sight of her. I clench my hands into fists to keep from pulling her into my arms. The fact I want to do something a lover would do pisses me off.
I stop us at the side of her truck and lean against it while she faces me without meeting my gaze.
I open my mouth to speak, but don’t get the first word past my lips before she rocks my world.
“I’m pregnant.”
“Come again?” I growl, my heart racing, blood freezing in my veins, terror wanting to seep in. I know I didn’t just hear her right.
Delaney pales and steps back a couple of steps, wrapping her arms around herself.
“I knew the condom broke. I’m not as naive as people like to believe me to be.
That night, I knew. I was on the pill, but I hadn’t been able to renew it as I needed to switch doctors and hadn’t been able to take it for a few days.
I made an appointment in town for a new prescription, but .
. .” She swallows and keeps going with her ramblings.
“I thought of taking the Plan B stuff, but I didn’t.
I’m sorry. I just couldn’t do it. I told myself that I was good at the time.
Then weeks later, I took a test and found out I’m pregnant.
I went to the doctor to confirm it. I’m not getting rid of it.
” Her face pales further as she sucks in a breath, and my anger rises even more.
“I thought you should know that they didn’t just confirm, but I learned I’m having twins. ”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
This can’t be happening.
Not a-fucking-gain.
“You need to go,” I snarl, pushing away from her truck and walking away.
I can’t do this right now. The anger rising inside me, the bullshit with my ex, now this, it was too damn much.
If I didn’t get away from her, I’d do something that I know I would regret down the road.
Though I wasn’t sure what down the road meant.
I just need time to wrap my head around all of this.