CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Mouse
Her face was blotchy and red as she slowly pulled the door open and I started to crumble the moment I saw it. Carla took me in with tired and puffy eyes. It was clear she’d been crying and it was obvious why.
She didn’t even speak a word as she pushed the door open and walked back over to the couch. I knew the moment she crawled back under the thick blanket that she wanted nothing more than to shut the world out.
“I need answers,” I barked as I stomped my way in, throwing the door closed with a bang.
My eyes scanned the area. There was nothing that looked out of place. I couldn’t stop myself as my feet carried me to Amber’s bedroom. And there I found much of the same.
Nothing new.
Nothing out of place.
Just nothing.
Not a single thing that would lead someone to believe that a baby was coming soon.
“Where is all the stuff?” I asked as I made my way back to the living room.
“What stuff? I haven’t touched any of her shit. I can’t…” she said and wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“The shit for the baby? The crib. Blankets. Clothes. Diapers.”
Her red eyes dragged themselves to look into mine.
“Didn’t you hear me?” She spat the question at me and I could see her begin to shake with anger. “She wasn’t keeping it. She wasneverkeeping it!”
“Then why didn’t she…” I couldn’t even say the word. It felt like acid in my mouth and refused to leave my tongue.
“Get rid of it?”
I flinched.
“That’s my kid you’re talking about,” I said as calmly as I could manage.
“Andyour kidis the reasonmy friendis dead.”
I didn’t have anything to say to that. She wasn’t wrong. But she wasn’t exactly right, either.
Sometimes shit happened. You couldn’t control the world and there were no guarantees in life except that it will end in death. And even then, you will never know when that time was coming.
My feet carried me across the living room and then back again. Over and over, I wore a line in the carpet while my fingers tugged at my hair.
“How did this even happen?” I was mentally scratching my head trying to figure it all out. Sure Amber and I had been together a while but I always made sure to be safe when we had sex.
“She said there was one night… you were really drunk or something. The last time… you two did stuff.”
Well, shit. I barely remembered that night and I sure as hell couldn’t tell you if I had worn a condom or not. Obviously, I hadn’t, I guessed.
“Why didn’t she tell me?” I asked and this time I sounded a little broken and sad.
“She’s not… she wasn’t dumb. You knew this. She saw the way you forgot about her once that bitch came back into your life or whatever.”
“Watch your fucking mouth,” I growled as I pinned her with a murderous glare.
“Exactly my point right there.” She shook her head and sighed. “You were never Amber’s and honestly, she was never yours.”
