I guess I’m lucky that my parents are still in love. But I can’t think about them without feeling nauseated. Because they’re going to flip out when I tell them I’m pregnant.
All of a sudden, I feel Billy’s palm on my knee and realize I’ve been jiggling it.
“Everything will be okay,” he says as he returns his attention to the road.
“It’s my first OB-GYN appointment.”
“Any idea when you’re due?”
“This summer. Probably late July? Pregnancy calendars are weird. You can figure it out from the date you did the deed or from your last period. I’m not sure which is more exact.” I laugh awkwardly. “Sorry. You probably don’t want to hear about periods.”
He shrugs. “If a guy can stick his dick in a pussy, he should be able to deal with periods. It’s part of life.”
Billy always has a very blunt way of saying things. He cracks me up. I just wish my father found him humorous. “That’s a very mature outlook.” He clears his throat, but doesn’t say anything. “What?”
“How’d you know I was gonna say something?”
“Because you always have something to say.”
Chuckling, he nods. Then goes quiet. “Just wondering when you were gonna tell me you stopped by the football house during karaoke. You know, after you went to Ezra’s.” He side-eyes me. “Why didn’t you say hi?”
Heat crawls up my neck. “Jinxy told you.”
“Let me guess. You didn’t like my singing.”
“You have a great voice. I love how you work the crowd.”And you lookedreallysexy doing it.
“But?”
I nibble my bottom lip, debating what to say. God, this is embarrassing. “Don’t make an issue of this, okay? I’m not myself right now.”
“Just spit it out. I can take it.”
Taking a deep breath, I turn my head to stare out the window. “Watching you sing and flirt with Vicky was hard to watch.”
He’s quiet for a long stretch, and I brave a glance at him. His brow is pinched. “I told you we’re just friends. I meant that. She didn’t come upstairs with me that night.” I give him a look, and he chuckles. “And we didn’t do anything in one of the downstairs bathrooms or hot tub either. I went to bed by myself. Scout’s honor.”
“You were never a Boy Scout.”
“True. But I haven’t gone there with Vicky in a while.”
“Since homecoming.”Jesus, Roxanne. You sound like a stalker. Why are you bringing this up? Drop it already. That was over two months ago.Billy looks really focused on driving all of a sudden, and my heart sinks with that confirmation. I try to play it off. “It’s okay. You’re a twenty-year-old dude who likes to fuck. I get it. But you wanted to know why I left? That’s why. I know you and I are just friends, and that’s really all I can handle right now anyway. I have no claim over you, Billy. Go fuck around and play the field. I just don’t want to know about it.”
I have no room to be critical of this man. If Ezra hadn’t been such an asshole that week, I would’ve gone to homecoming with him, and we definitely would’ve had sex.
This conversation is freaking me out. I’m the last person who should be angling for a relationship with Billy while I’mpregnant with Ezra’s kid.My life is so screwed up right now, I think as my heart hammers in my chest and sweat breaks out under my arms. I’m jittery all of a sudden, like I have low blood sugar.
Having Billy bring me to my appointment was a mistake.
He pulls up to the medical complex, and I gather my bag. “Thanks for the ride. You can just drop me off. I’ll call an Uber home.”
Ignoring me, he parks. I reach for the door handle, but he puts a hand on my elbow. “Can you give me a minute?”
“I don’t know why I said all that crap. Just ignore me, okay? I’m hormonal and hungry. I can’t explain why else I feel possessive about you. I have no right to feel that way.”
Finally, I brave a look at him. His blue eyes are dark and positively feral. I suck in a breath as he reaches for me and crashes my mouth to his.
The first swipe of his tongue against mine shoots an electric current through my entire body like I’ve been struck with a live wire. Every part of me comes alive under his touch.
