Page 167 of Small Town Firsts

She nods and pulls me away. “Yes ma’am. I texted you this weekend and you never replied.”

I give her a sheepish look. “Did you? I’m sorry, J. This weekend was…a mess.”

“Yeah, yeah. We’ll talk tonight.”

“Sounds good.” I start to walk away, toward Alden’s office. I slow my pace, taking a deep breath before approaching. The door is partially open, but I knock anyway.

“Come in,” Alden’s deep, masculine voice calls from inside.

I take a timid step into the room, taking great care to leave the door exactly as it was. “Hey,” I say lamely.

“Take a seat, Nat.” His voice is borderline emotionless, and that worries me.

“S-sure.” I lower down into one of the chairs on the opposite side of his desk, looking everywhere but at him.

For several tense moments, we sit in silence until finally Alden stands. “Let me grab our food and then we can talk.”

He stalks out of the room, and I use the time he is gone to give myself a little pep talk. “You’ve got this, Nat. Just tell him your side of things. It’s okay.”

Alden steps back into the room, and I zip my lips. Unlike me, he doesn’t leave the door cracked. He shuts it completely, and I gulp.

“Hope you’re in the mood for a grilled shrimp caesar.” He casually drops the plate in front of me along with a roll of silverware.

“Sounds great, thank you.”

I dig into my food, mostly to have something to do. I expect him to do the same, but instead, he slides open a desk drawerand pulls a bubble mailer from within it and sets it on the desk between us.

“You say she’s mine, and I believe you—mostly. But I’d be a fool not to get proof. I don’t want to drag this shit before a judge, so here.” He gestures toward the package. “I’ve already swabbed myself. All you need to do is swab her and mail it.”

Slowly, I pull it toward me and peek inside. A paternity test. My heart sinks a little, but deep down, I know he’s right to ask for this. Especially with him not remembering even sleeping with me. Still, it hurts, just a little.

“Sure.”

“If she’s mine, you’re not going to keep her from me, Nat.” His tone is hard and cold and so unlike the boy I fell in love with.

“That was…no. Never.” I stumble over my words and he scoffs.

“Never? That’s fucking rich.”

My eyes fill with tears, and I tilt my head back, desperate not to let them fall.

“Jesus Christ. Do you ever get tired of playing the victim?”

My sadness and hurt morph to anger. “Do you ever get tired of making assumptions and not letting people speak?”

“There’s not a damn thing you could say to justify keeping my daughter a secret from me for four goddamn years!” He yells the words, slamming his palms down onto his desk.

I shove my chair back and stand, getting in his face. Fuck being nice and understanding. “Did you ever, even once, stop to think I was seventeen and alone and scared? Did it ever fucking occur to you that I was trying to protect you?” I’m so mad that I’m crying. I fucking hate angry crying.

“Protect me? Get fucking serious! The only person you were looking out for was you!”

“Right. You called it. I was looking out for me by going it alone. I was looking out for me by not getting any parentingsupport, much less fucking child support. You’re absolutely right. It was so easy and breezy for me.”

“Always the martyr, huh, Natalie?” He pitches his voice to mimic me, “Oh, poor me. I’m a single mom and my life is so hard.”

“Fuck. You.” I spit the words in his face like they’re venom. “I was terrified and so infatuated with you that I suffered the humiliation of letting my parents think I was a whore just to save you!” He starts to rebut, but I yell over him. “I was seventeen, Alden. You were twenty! I was scared you’d be charged with statutory rape and that your entire future would be destroyed. So, yes, you asshole. I. Was. Protecting. You!”

By the time I’m finished, we’re both breathing heavy. I’m still crying, and he looks utterly broken and on the verge of totally losing his shit. He parts his lips to speak, but the door flies open, silencing him.

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