Page 240 of Champagne Nights

“You look beautiful.” Ben grinned as he hugged her.

“Thanks. What are you three talking about?” She placed her arm around my waist.

“How amazing this yacht is!” Frankie exclaimed.

I droppedEllie off at her apartment after we got back from the Hamptons. As much as I wanted to be with her, I also needed to be alone to think. So, I used some bullshit excuse about having to go home and do some work for a meeting tomorrow. She understood, and that’s what I loved about her. She never questioned me, and I felt like a bastard for lying to her. What the hell was I going to do? How was I going to tell her that my ex-fiancée, whom I was still with when we met, was now pregnant with my child?

Chapter Twenty

Henry

I’d texted Addison asking her to come over because I needed to talk to her. I was home about a half hour when I heard the ding of the elevator, and she stepped into the foyer.

“What is so urgent?” she asked as she walked into the living room and set her purse down.

“You need to sit down.”

“Okay. You’re freaking me out,” she said as she took a seat on the couch.

“Kirsten is pregnant,” I blurted out.

“WHAT?!” She instantly stood up.

“I’m fucked, Addison. Totally fucked.”

“No. No way. You can’t trust her, Henry. Are you positive that kid is yours?”

“As far as I know. She never would have cheated on me.”

Addison placed her hand on her forehead and sat back down.

“Why the hell weren’t you using protection?” she asked.

“It was one night—the night of her parent’s anniversary party. I’d drank too much because I didn’t even want to go. When we got back to my place, I reached into my nightstand forthe condoms, and they weren’t there, which I thought was weird because I’d just bought a new box. She said it didn’t matter and it was safe. I was drunk and tired, so I didn’t even give it a second thought. I am so fucking stupid.”

“Have you told Ellie?”

“No. Ellie knows nothing about Kirsten, period.”

“Oh my God. You never told her? Henry.”

“Don’t, Addison. I already got the third degree from Ben and Frankie. This ruins everything—my relationship with Ellie, my life. I don’t know what to do,” I said as I sat down next to her and placed my face in my hands.

She reached over and hooked her arm around me.

“You may think this ruins everything, but you can’t look at it like that because it doesn’t have to. Ellie is an amazing person, and she’ll understand. Just because Kirsten is pregnant doesn’t mean shit. It only means you’re going to be a father. It’s not like you’re getting back together with her because of this. Right, Henry?”

“God, no. Absolutely not.” I turned my head and looked at her.

“Okay then. You’ll still have a relationship with Ellie and be a part-time father. Millions of guys do it. She'll forgive you once you sit Ellie down and explain everything, including the idiotic reason why you never told her about Kirsten in the first place.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes. She loves you, and you made a mistake. We’re all human, big brother. We all make mistakes.”

The next morning,as I was sitting at my desk, my phone rang, and my father was calling.

“Hello, Dad.”

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