“Well then, don’t expect to see her anytime soon because she wants nothing more to do with you. Making her choose between you and the baby—that was cruel, Eric. I couldn’t help feeling sorry for the poor girl,” Lauren taunts, clicking her tongue in disapproval.
“Lauren, you have no right to interfere in what doesn’t concern you.” I grip the phone so hard I feel the back of the case start to crack.
“I’m not just going to stand by and do nothing when a woman’s life is in danger. Eric, all of the stress you’re causing her—it’s just not good for the baby,” Lauren admonishes, her voice needling me like nothing else can.
“I’m the one who put her life in danger? Are you serious? Because of the shit you pulled, she nearly miscarried twice! This isn’t a game, Lauren! Tell me where she is! Now!” She’s done everything she can to provoke me. I can’t hold back anymore.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I gave Ivy my word,” Lauren sighs like I’ve somehow disappointed her. “I’m not holding her under lock and key, Eric. If she wants to reach out to you, she will. Until then, consider what you had as being over. She’s moving on without you. She apparently wants this baby, even if you don’t.”
“I never said I didn’t want the baby,” I reply angrily.
“But you want Ivy more, right?” Lauren asks, no doubt shaking her head as she fingers her stupid pearls. “Eric, how much is it going to take for you to learn your lesson already? Two dead girlfriends buried in the ground?”
I let out a strangled cry, pinching the space between my eyes. What right has she to hold me accountable for all this?
“Do you see what I mean, Eric? I can’t turn Ivy over to someone as unstable as you. It wouldn’t be right. I’d be putting her at risk.” Lauren carries on, pretending to be unaware of the pain she’s causing. “Ivy needs someone who will take good care of her, and I found the perfect man for the job—someone who will rub her back when her muscles are sore, someone who will place his hands on her stomach to feel the baby kick, someone who will tuck her in at night and hold her until morning. Basically, someone who will appreciate her the way you don’t have the balls to.”
“Lauren, you’re going to pay for this,” I seethe, envisioning another man doing those things to Ivy—things that I should be doing.
Lauren starts to giggle. “So, Eric, how does it feel to be replaced by someone else? Not too good, huh?”
She hangs up on me before I have a chance to respond. I hurl the phone away from me, my head buzzing with thoughts I don’t want to think about—thoughts of Ivy in the arms of someone else.
Chapter Two
Ivy
I have no idea where I am.
The wind whistles against the eaves as I sit motionless on top of the feather bed. It’s getting light out. I can see the hands on the grandfather clock. It probably wasn’t the smartest move to bolt from Tim’s presence after he made his identity known. But making amends doesn’t seem to be his strong suit. I’ve been hiding out undisturbed in this upstairs bedroom since last night. He’s keeping his distance, probably regretting his hasty decision to have me move in. Looks like we’re not going to play house after all.
What was I thinking? Tim is the enemy—the man who slept with Cassidy. And I’d do good to remember that. But after seeing him in person, I can understand why Cassidy faltered. He’s seriously hot. Even so, I’ll never forgive her for cheating on Eric. That’s something I would never do—no matter how mad I am at him right now. Eric loves with his whole heart, and for Cassidy to betray him like that? I don’t get it.
Lately, I’ve been feeling a sort of kinship with Cassidy, the girl it seems I’ll always be compared to. She fought and died for her unborn child, and now I’m continuing that fight, waging war with my own traitorous body. She sacrificed her life for the sake of her baby, and I’m prepared to do the same. That’s why I have to stay away from Eric. I need to put some distance between us. I can’t look at the fear in his eyes and know I’m the one who put it there.
That’s the only reason I called Lauren. She’s the one person Eric knows I would never turn to for help. He’ll never be able to track me to this farmhouse, smack dab in the middle of nowhere. And that’s my one saving grace, because if he ever does find out where I am, it’ll break him. Lauren planned her revenge perfectly.
There’s a gentle tapping at the door, and I jump, my nerves stretched razor thin. Throwing back the bedding, I wince as my skin comes in contact with the chilly morning air. The bed is high off the ground, so my swollen feet dangle above the hardwood floor. My back is killing me. My muscles are tight. I must’ve slept all night curled in a ball, never stretching out, never fully relaxing. When I pulled the covers over my head, I wasn’t thinking straight. My mind shut itself down, defaulting to survival mode. I blanked out until I went numb.