Page 192 of Even Exchange

“None at all?”

“Then why would you—” I freeze in place, suddenly understanding. My mom loves bribery, but she’saddictedto blackmail. “What does she have on you?”

“Nothing.” His voice rises two octaves, and he clears his throat. “I just… I want this now.”

He reaches toward me, and I swat him away. “Don’t.”

“Come on,” he says, stepping forward, and I retreat, feet fumbling, and trip over the carpet. I shriek, bracing for the fall. Arms wrap around me, catching me before I hit the floor.

“Are you okay?” Jonathan asks, pulling me to stand, and I take a few deep breaths, placing my hand over the baby. Falling and hurting her is one of my biggest fears.

“I think so,” I whisper, heart racing.

Jonathan rubs my stomach. “Come on, babe. Let’s do this together.”

His use of a pet name pulls me back to reality, and I wiggle out of his hold. “Just stop.”

“Char—”

I fold my arms firmly over my chest. “The truth, or you leave.”

He blows out a frustrated breath. “Fine. Your mom came to see me.”

“Well, that makes a hell of a lot more sense than the Tin Man getting a heart.”

His eyes connect with mine, full of hurt, but he doesn’t deserve my sympathy. “Can’t we at least pretend?”

I burst into laughter. “Fuck, no.”

Panic sets in his eyes, and he bends over, taking deep breaths. The reaction I would have expected when I told him I was pregnant, not when he told me we should pretend to be together because…?

“Jonathan,” I press, grinding my molars. “What does she have on you?”

“Nothing. It?—”

“Thetruth,” I repeat, pointing toward the door. “Or you leave.”

He groans, dragging a hand down his face. “She has a picture of me doing coke at a party earlier this year.”

My mouth falls open. “Why would you? How could you?” I shake my head, trying to bring myself back to the present situation. He’s not my boyfriend. His drug usage is not my problem. But this is. “How does she even have that photo?”

“She was having me followed when we were dating,” he says with a hardened jaw. “Said she wanted to make sure she knew the kind of person her daughter was with.”

“So she saw cokehead party boy and thought,Yeah, he’s the one for Charlie?” I mock.

“Actually, she told me to break up with you or she’d send it to my coach,” Jonathan says, his tone lacking humor. “That it wouldn’t be a good look if her daughter wasdatinga cokehead party boy.”

My jaw drops to the center of the earth. I blink, unable to conjure up a single word. The last months of our relationship flash in my mind, trying to provide me with any signs I missed.

“That’s why I had Eric run into you at Ken’s Karaoke,” he says, another slap to the face. My head spins, the blaze continuing to roar on my charred body.

“You…” My veins thrum. “You wanted me to catch you?”

Everything suddenly makes sense.

Why Jonathan’s roommate insisted I go see him. Why Kendra didn’t seem surprised by my arrival. Why he spewed every hurtful thing he could think of as I left. Why he didn’t chase after me.

He nods.

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