She fixes me with a sharp glare. “Conor would never speak to you, not freely. Did you tie him up and force feed him vodka or something?”
“No, he got drunk on his own, I guess because he has feelings for you and misses you, the poor soul. I’m surprised he hasn’t withered away under the soul sucking aura you give off.”
“Oh, fuck off, Dean! You want to stand there and act like you’re better than me because you never went astray? And now you’re marrying some fucking whore as if what we have doesn’t matter!”
“We don’thaveanything, Trisha! Do you still not have that through your thick fucking skull? I hate you. In fact, I don’t even hate you because that would suggest I still feelsomethingabout you, but I don’t. I feel absolutely nothing for you!”
“Does that make it easy to cheat on me?” she yells. “With a fucking Byrne, of all things. A snake who probably isn’t even telling you the truth about herself because tell me this, Dean.” After much panting and grunting, she stands. “How does a bitch from a nobody family end up at the same party as a Savoy, huh? They’re nothing. They’re reaching well above their pay, and for what? Hell, they might be rich but they’re nothing compared to us. You’re punching so far down and you think I’ll let scum like that anywhere near our baby?”
I surge forward as anger rises but catch myself just in time. Clenching my fist, I glare at Trisha with all the loathing I can muster. “But it’s notourbaby, is it?”
“Is that what she’s making you believe?”
“This has nothing to do with Clover!”
“It has everything to do with her!”
“No, Trisha. It’s to do with you and your fucking games, your constant lying and you fucking your bodyguard and making me believe that baby is mine!”
“It is yours!” She’s screaming at me now, stomping forward with fire in her eyes. “It’s your baby!”
“Bullshit! Conor’s so fucking excited to be a dad!”
“I haven’t seen him in months!”
“I don’t care, Trisha. You fucked him, and unless you can prove to mewhenyou fucked him then everything about this” —I motion to her belly— “is no longer something I believe you about.”
“I wouldn’t lie about this!”
I have to pull myself away from her, putting almost the full room’s width between us before my anger gets the better of me. “Bullshit. Fucking bullshit. A few weeks ago, you made me believe the baby wasdeadbecause you found it fucking funny. There’s nothing you wouldn’t lie about, and I know you. You might be cracked in the head, you might be a fucking spawn of Satan, but you value money and prestige, and having a baby from your bodyguard ejects you from this perfect little life! So what better way than to get me drunk and make sure we sleep together so you can claim that baby is mine!”
Trisha scoffs and then she starts to laugh. It’s a cold, humorless sound that drags on and on while she caresses her large bump and sways back and forth. “Oh, he thinks he has it all figured out! Why not just admit that you don’twantthis baby to be yours so you can marry that random fucking whore with a clean conscience?”
“Don’t you fucking dare,” I snap, pointing at her. “I have always made it crystal clear that while I despise you, I understand the expectation. No matter what happens between us, everyone is watching me to make sure I do the right thing. The Savoys won’t abandon an heir, right? They won’t turn their back on a child! And they’re right!” I throw my arms up. “I won’t. I would never abandon my child to a life with you. But now I don’t know if that even is my child!”
“SOwhat!” Trisha screams. “What does it matter?”
“It matters because I’ve been trying to cut you out of my life like some cancerous sore and you keep clawing your way back in. You think you can attach yourself to me forever by lying about that baby?”
“I’m not lying!”
Hard to believe her as she continues to laugh. “Then prove it.”
Her expression falters. “No.”
“Yes. I want a paternity test.”
Her eyes narrow to slits. “No.”
“Yes, Trisha. I want one. And let me be very clear here because you don’t seem to grasp exactly what I’m saying. I want nothing to do with you. I willneverwant anything to do with you again. But I want proof that the baby is mine and not a cheating secret you’re trying to hide from your precious father. So get me that test.”
“Dean—”
“No!” I snap. “No ifs, no buts, no excuses. I want proof. And if this is just another one of your fucking games and that baby is mine, then I will uphold my original agreement of raising that baby with all of the love and care they deserve. I will be there for it and I will have nothing to do with you outside of caring for that child. But if that baby is not mine?” I can barely breathe with how furious I am. “You will never lay eyes on me ever again.”
“Fuck you!” she screeches. “I’m not letting anyone come near me with any sort of test, you fucking psychopath.”
“Get me the test, Trisha, or I go to your father right this second and tell him everything I’ve just told you about Conor. I bet he’ll want the test just as much as I do so he can calculate how muchshameyou’re bringing onto him.”
