Page 97 of Keep Me
Olana kissed Ben on the cheek and, leaving her hand on his shoulder, she asked, “How has the rest of your week been? Sorry I couldn’t catch up with you, I’ve been busy.”
“Great. Thanks for asking. Such a nice girl. You care more about me than my own son.”
“Dad,” Matty gritted out, drawing Olana’s attention.
“Matty, and…” Olana’s face fell when she saw me sitting next to her somewhat estranged fiancé. “What’s Britt doing here?”
“That’s not your concern,” Matty replied. “She was invited. You, however, weren’t.”
She clutched her chest, and something in me felt a little bad. Why hadn’t he told her about this mess? If they were about to have a kid together, then I would have thought they’d be on the same page.
“I was invited, and is that really how you’re going to talk to me?” She was talking to Matty like he was a child, not someone you wanted to build a life with.
“Why would it be any different?” His voice was disinterested and tired.
“You know why.”
Matty’s dad blew out a long whistle. “Oh, wow. I feel like I’m on an episode ofJerry Springer. Gotta admit, I didn’t think you could fuck up more, Ben, but marrying one girl while getting another pregnant has got to be the best thing I’ve heard you do.”
“Pregnant?” Matty’s brows furrowed as he glared at Olana, and her cheeks flamed. “Wait, did you tell my father I got you pregnant?”
“I think the more pressing question is are you already married?” She pointed at me. “To her? Because I can tell you right now that she’s been dating a hockey player for the last month.”
I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even say anything. There was so much being thrown out that I just sat back, watching.
“She’smy wife. She isn’t dating a hockey player.”
I hated that when he said my wife, a small thrill ran down my spine straight to my center. I understood that we were here to get the marriage certificate so we could get divorced, but mygoodness, him owning me like that and claiming me in public in front of people was hot as hell.
Olana’s lip trembled, and her gaze flickered over his. “I-I-I don’t know what to say. I thought. I thought you were going to marry me?”
“Why would you think that? Because you told them you were pregnant with my kid?”
He was acting so cavalier about the entire thing, and I felt like something big was coming, but wasn’t entirely sure what.
She didn’t answer, her mouth just hung open like a gulping fish.
“Are you pregnant?” I asked her.
“If she is, it’s not mine.” Matty looked at me hard in the eyes. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to think this was all normal, but so much had happened I didn’t feel like I could.Not mine.He really just said that.Not mine.
“H-how do you know?”
He let out a humorless chuckle before narrowing his eyes at his father. He turned and leaned forward. “Because it’s been a hell of a lot longer than nine months,” he grumbled so only I could hear.
Longer than nine months? They hadn’t had sex in over nine months.
I pursed my lips, looking over to Olana for… clarification? I didn’t know, but her jaw was clenched, and her face was going red.
She’d lied that day, and I took her word for it.
“Ben.” Olana tried to reason with Matty, stroking his arm. He shook off her hold, glaring at her with more anger than I’d ever seen in him.
“No. My name is Matty and I don’t want to hear your explanation. You’ve been lying to me for years. Please don’t tell me the cancer is a lie too?”
“Cancer?” Matty’s dad blurted out, looking between the two of them. “You told him you have cancer too?”
Tight-lipped, Olana took a deep breath with her eyes closed. She looked like she was one step away from crying. “What else did you expect me to do? You wanted me to marry him. He immediately did the math when I told him I was pregnant, so I needed to come up with another reason.”
