I Just Want You(76)

She climbs into bed with me. "I'm sorry, B. Maybe he just needs time to process it."

"He knew, Mags. He didn't act surprised. He just blew up. I told him I needed to talk to him tonight and he kept pushing to talk then. That's when Barry's text came through and he knew. How did he find out?"

"I don't know, sweetie. I can tell you that neither Barry nor I told him."

"Did I hear my name?" Barry asks from my door. "Hey, what happened? Is everything okay?"

"No, everything is not okay. He doesn't love me. He doesn't want me or this baby."

"What?" He steps back like I slapped him. "How is that possible? I've seen the way he looks at you. Hell, he pisses around you any time another male even gets close."

"Apparently pregnant me is not what he wants," I sob.

"He said that?" Barry growls.

"Leave it," I tell him. "It doesn't matter. I don't want him to be with me out of pity. I don't need him to raise this baby. I'll always have the best part of him." My words end with a sob.

"Come here." Barry joins Mags and me on the bed and wraps me in a hug. "I'm so sorry, B. I thought he would act differently. He's not a man. No man would turn away a woman and his unborn child."

"He loves you," Maggie adds. "I've seen it. He's scared and confused, maybe angry that you waited to tell him, but he loves you. I know he does."

"Tell him that." I laugh humorlessly. "He obviously didn't get the memo."




 

 

"What can we do?" Maggie asks.

"Nothing, just thank you for being here. I need to find a job and a place to live, I guess."

"What? Why?"

"He f-fired me too. Said th-that I would get a g-good severance." I close my eyes, take a deep breath and slowly release it, willing myself to calm down for the baby. "You two didn't sign up to live with a single mom. I can't do that to you."

"The hell you can't!" they say at the same time.

"I'm tired. I just want to sleep."

"Have you eaten?" Maggie asks.

"No, I'm not hungry." She gives me a stern look. "I'll get something later, I promise. I just want to sleep for a little while."

"Okay. I'll be here all night, so just yell if you need anything," she says, squeezing my hand.

"I have to run out, but I'll be back soon. No talk about leaving. We got you." Barry kisses my forehead and leaves the room.

"B, I'm here for you, no matter what you need. Just say the word."

"Thanks, Mags. I just need some sleep."

"Okay," she relents. She leaves my room, turning off the light and closing the door. Leaving me to my tears and the pain, and the fact that my worst fear came true.

He doesn't want me.





WHEN ZANE ASKED me where my girl was, it took every ounce of self-control I have not to punch him. He caught on to my mood really quick when I told him she wouldn't be in and that I didn't want to be bothered. I stomped upstairs to my office, and this is where I've been ever since. The club opens in an hour, but tonight I'm sitting this one out. I'll be right here, drinking away the pain, or at least numbing it. I don't want to see any of the staff, especially Carly. I'm not ready to answer questions. I'm not ready to deal with what it means to be here without her.

"Hey, man, you coming down?" Zane asks from my door.

"Fuck off," I say, not bothering to even look at him. I can't take my eyes off the two Tiffany's boxes that were delivered today. Express shipping. Two little blue boxes that were for her. She fucking played me for a fool.

"What did Tiffany ever do to you?" Zane asks.

"What?" I turn to look at him. "Who the fuck is Tiffany?"

He laughs and points at the two small boxes.

"Don't you have work to do?"

"I do, and so do you. We have a club to run."

"That's what I pay you for. Whatever it is, handle it. I don't want to see anyone." I look up at him. "Including you." 

"That's how you're going to play this?"

"No games. That's not my gig. But Berklee?" I pick up the picture of her from my desk and hold it up for him to see. "She plays games. She's damn good at it too."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Go handle whatever comes up and leave me be. I need tonight."

"Ledger!" a loud, very pissed-off voice yells as heavy footfalls stomp up the steps. I don't give a fuck who it is; they can turn around and go right back to where they came from.

Zane turns to face the door just as Barry appears. I stand immediately and clench my fists. "What the fuck are you doing here?" I seethe, taking a step toward him.