Page 24 of Hooking

Brooks lets out a strangled breath. “I’m going to kill him when I get a hold of him,” he says, before handing the phone back to Hayley.

“Are you going to be okay? Do I need to come over?” she asks with genuine concern.

It figures this would be my luck. This shouldn’t surprise me. My fiancé cheated on me, and the guy I lusted over for years hits it and quits it… Again. I’m destined to be alone. I should just accept my fate and get a cat or two. Become the crazy cat lady the universe is so obviously pushing me toward.

Yup, that’s it. I’m going to get a cat and become a crazy cat lady.

“Cass—”

Shit, Hayley’s still on the phone. What were we talking about? Right—Channing ghosting me, her coming over to help heal my broken heart.

“It’s okay. I’ll be fine,” I squeak out before she so hastily decides for me.

“Okay. But you’ll call me the instant you need me?”

“Yes, Mom.”

She lets out a little laugh. “I’m serious. I worry about you. This is a lot of heartbreak for one person to go through.”

She’s right, but I’ve learned God would never give me anything more than I can handle. And if it’s dealing with heartbreak after kissing a few frogs, then so be it.

“Yes. I’ll call if I need anything,” I say, ready to crawl into bed and drown in my own tears. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the arena.”

She finally agrees and hangs up after she’s happily satisfied that I won’t drown myself in the bathtub. Giving up on my hope that Channing will show, I store the uneaten containers in the fridge and pad down the hall to my bedroom. Pulling back the cover on the queen-size bed, I climb in still in the clothes from the flight home and pull the cover up over my head.

So, I may not be drowning myself in my bathtub, but I will wallow in my self-pity from the comfort of my own bed. And tomorrow, when I see Channing at the practice arena? Well, he’ll get an earful from me.

Chapter 10

Channing

Iwalk into Café DuPont ready to tell Natasha where to shove her pregnancy claim. As I move further in the café, I hear my name from behind.

I turn to see Natasha sitting by one of the large café windows. Great, the more public she makes this, the better for her. But I won’t let that happen. I won’t lose my temper with her.

“I got you an espresso.” She slides the cup my way. “Thank you for meeting—”

“Cut the shit, Natasha. The team’s PR girl called. She told me what bullshit story you’re trying to sell here,” I say, cutting her off.

Her expression turns arrogant. “It’s not a bullshit story, Channing. And you of all people should know it considering we’ve been exclusive with one another until six months ago,” she says, standing and flashing me a glimpse of a very prominent bump. “Babies happen when you have a lot of sex. Something you and I did a lot of.”

“We weren’t ever exclusive. You were just an easy lay,” I rasp out, anger building in me. “There’s no way to say this baby is mine. I always dressed for the occasion.”

She looks at me with fire in her eyes. I know I pissed her off, but I refuse to let another woman manipulate me and get my hopes up.

“I want a paternity test. Tomorrow. Talya set one up at a local testing center.”

“Fine. Let me know what center, and I’ll be there,” she says, with a smug expression. “And what are you going to do when the test comes back that you’re the father?”

“We’ll just let our lawyers handle that,” I say, standing from the table. “I’ll text you the time and place.”

I leave her at the table, pissed that I’m going through this. Like Rachel all over again. I was so ready to be a dad and husband when she told me she was pregnant, yet when she didn’t show up to the altar, and I found out it wasn’t my kid, I was devastated. I could have handled the betrayal of her finding someone else. But finding out that she not only found someone else, and was technically carrying his child, gutted me.

I drive home in a fit of rage. How could I have let this happen? I’m always safe, always dressed for the occasion. Yet here I am, back in the same predicament. But what if Natasha’s not telling a lie?

I’d do the right thing, that’s for sure. But what is the right thing here? Do I marry her like I was going to do with Rachel? Do I pay child support? Do we try to have an actual relationship? And what happens to Cassidy?

Fuck.

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