More importantly, what would Josephine say? How did I tell my best friend, the woman I loved and just claimed, that the woman who broke my heart was now back in my life, and this time, she was parading around a kid that wasn’t mine?
As I entered the hospital, my eyes scanned the corridors, searching for the formidable figure of my grandmother. The whispers of the town’s gossip train seemed to follow me, the hum of voices growing louder in my imagination. Rosewood’s residents sure knew how to stir up drama.
I spotted Granny’s silver bun and strode determinedly towards her, my heart pounding like a drum in my ears.
She turned, her sharp eyes fixed on me, and I knew this would be a conversation to remember. “Granny,” I began, my voice steady despite my nerves. “I need to talk to you about Emily Holmes.”
Her eyes narrowed, and I could almost see the wheels turning in her sharp mind.
“Ah, the ex-fiancée. What about her?”
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for her reaction. “She’s in town, Granny. And she has a baby. She says it’s mine.”
A slight smile played at the corners of her mouth, but her eyes held a warning. “Is it yours?”
I straightened my shoulders, feeling a surge of determination. “No! I swear.”
Granny’s eyes widened, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of surprise. But it was quickly replaced with her trademark steely gaze. “Are you sure, boy?” she asked, her voice sharp as a whip. “Because that woman has always been a troublemaker. If that child is yours, you’ll need to step up and take responsibility.”
I felt a surge of panic at the thought. “It’s not my kid, Granny,” I insisted, my voice rising. “I haven’t seen Emily in a year, and I sure as hell didn’t father her child. You know I wouldn’t lie to you.”
Granny studied me for a long moment, her eyes searching mine. Finally, she nodded, a slight smile returning to her lips. “Alright, then. We’ll deal with her accordingly. But mark my words, that woman is up to no good. Keep your distance and focus on Josephine. She’s the one who matters.”
I nodded, grateful for Granny’s support. But even as I agreed, my mind was reeling.
What was Emily up to? And how was I going to explain this to Josephine?
As I left the hospital, my mind was still racing. I knew Granny would believe me, but what about Josephine? The thought of losing her made my heart twist with anxiety. She was my best friend, the only person who truly understood me. I couldn’t bear the thought of her slipping away because of Emily’s lies. I had to find her and explain everything before Emily got to her first. My hands clenched into fists at my sides as I quickened my pace, my eyes scanning the familiar streets of Rosewood when the one person I didn’t want to see stopped in front of me.
“Hey, Carebear! Guess what?” The bane of my existence smiled up at me. “King said I was your problem for the rest of the day.”
Grabbing Cameron by the collar of his coat, I pulled him along with me as I headed for my truck. I had no fucking clue why the kid was here, but upon seeing him I knew he was just the person I needed. Kid was trouble with a capital T and considering what I’ve seen the kid do in the past, I knew he would come up with something brilliant to help me out of this mess fast.
“Dude!” Cameron huffed. “Sissy just bought me this coat.”
“I need your help?”
“Sure, sure. No problem, but you gotta stop dragging me first.”
I stopped, letting the kid go as he readjusted his coat.
“Sorry, kid. Been a crappy day.” I groaned, raking my hands through my hair and looking around as residents stared on in rapt attention.
“I heard.” The brat frowned, looking up at me. “It’s all over town.”
Shaking my head, I asked, “Why aren’t you in school?”
“Let’s just say Principal Kellerman and I had a difference of opinion. He said if I didn’t start obeying the rules, he wouldn’t let me participate in this year’s science fair, and I may have said if he didn’t take that stick out of his ass and chill out, I would up my game.”
Of course, the brat did. I expected nothing less from him.
“And let me guess,” I snarked, rolling my eyes. “Three-day suspension?”
“Yep!” the brat happily admitted. “King’s hopping mad, but he said he had more important things to worry about, and said you would know what to do with me.”
Cameron, the kid brother I never wanted, grinned up at me, clearly proud of his suspension.
I sighed. This kid was a handful, but he had a knack for getting out of sticky situations. “Alright, let’s get out of here.People are staring.” I started walking again, dragging him by the collar. “And you can start by filling me in on what you’ve heard.”
