“I was hoping that I could convince Dare to let me move in with him so he can take care of me and the baby, but that will never happen if Dare stays with you and … well, I know that the three of you are starting a relationship together. There’s no way Dare will let me stay with all of you living together. I don’t get along with Adam and … well, I’ve made you uncomfortable.” She squeezed Ashley’s hand. “I really need him and I’m afraid he’ll send me away. And my mom won’t have anything to do with me.”
“Even if that happens, you can manage on your own. A lot of women these days—”
“No, that won’t work. I can’t get a job … you know how things are. Even if I can pick up a part-time job serving coffee or working in a store, I won’t make enough to support me and the baby, especially having to pay for babysitting.” Tears fell from Helen’s eyes. “Please, Ash. I need your help. You have both Adam and Dare. If you just tell Dare that you choose Adam, then everything will work out for both of us. Dare will take care of me and the baby, and you’ll still have Adam.”
Ashley tugged her hand away. “No. You need talk to Dare and let him decide if he wants to help you and how, but it’s not fair to Dare that I break up with him over this.”
Helen stared at her, her gleaming blue eyes intense.
“Even if he’s the father?”
* * *
Ashley felt numb as she drove to Dare’s. She’d told Helen outright that she didn’t believe that for a minute. He had even proven that when Helen had thrown herself at him in front of Ashley and he’d turned her down flat. But then, despite all Helen’s previous lies and trickery, what Helen told her after that put enough doubt in Ashley’s mind that now she wasn’t sure.
She arrived at Dare’s and parked beside Adam’s car in the driveway. She walked up the front steps then rang the doorbell. Dare greeted her with a broad smile. But as soon as he saw her face, his smile faded.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“We need to go sit down. And I think strong drinks all around would be a good idea.”
“Sounds ominous, but whatever it is can wait for this.” He drew her close and kissed her, but as sweet and persuasive as his lips were, she stiffened.
He eased back, but still held her close, his penetrating gaze locked with hers. “What’s wrong, Ash?” he asked softly.
“We really need to talk.”
His lips compressed. “No good conversation ever started with those words.”
“What’s going on out here?” Adam asked, standing in the foyer a few feet away.
Ashley’s gaze lingered with Dare’s, then she drew back and turned to Adam. “I was just telling Dare that we need to talk.”
* * *
Dare didn’t know what was going on, but the look in Ashley’s eyes turned his blood cold. Whatever she wanted to talk about would be game changing. He could feel it in his bones.
She walked to Adam and Adam drew her close and kissed her. Dare could tell that she wasn’t freezing up with Adam like she had with him. Fuck, so whatever was troubling her was definitely about him.
He followed the two of them into the living room. “Did you mean it about those drinks?” he asked as she sat on the couch beside Adam.
Her gaze caught on the open bottle of wine on the coffee table and she poured herself a glass. Dare and Adam already had full glasses.
“This will be fine.” She sipped hers, then set the glass on the table.
Dare sat on the chair across from them.
“Just before I came here, Helen dropped by my apartment to talk.”
Dare frowned. He didn’t know what trouble Helen had tried to stir up, but clearly it had had a profound effect on Ash.
“Well, she’s afraid to tell you this but … she needs help.”
“She’s needed help for a long time.” He shook his head in confusion. “Why would she go to you about it?”
“To be honest, she came to me to ask me to break up with you.”
“You’re not going to listen to her, are you? You know she’ll do anything to get attention from me. She’s insecure and sees you as a threat to her relationship with me.”
“I know. And I was ready to assume anything she said was a lie, but…” She locked her gaze with his. “Dare, she’s pregnant.”
The announcement took him totally by surprise.
“How do you know she’s telling the truth?” Dare asked.
“I could feel her fear. She doesn’t think she can do this on her own and she’s afraid you won’t be there for her. Especially when she tells you that … you’re the father.”