Page 168 of Small Town Firsts

We both turn and watch in horror as my father bursts in, looking ready to kill. My mom lingers outside the office with wide, worried eyes, while my brother is right behind Dad, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt just as he rears back to punch Alden.

This day just went from awful tofucking awfulin about two seconds flat.

CHAPTER 22

ALDEN

I listen mutelyas Mr. Reynold’s hurls insults my way left and right. “You sorry, sad sack of shit! You take advantage of my goddamn daughter after we practically raised you as one our own?”

Nate keeps him physically restrained, but barely.

This, right here, is my worst nightmare come to life. I’m honestly closer to the Reynolds family than I am my own. The love and kindness they showed me growing up was no different than the love they gave their children—unconditional. But here and now, I can see that there absolutely are conditions. And sleeping with their little girl, fathering her child, and—as it seems to them—skirting my responsibilities, breaks those conditions.

“Dad, please,” Natalie sobs, but it’s no use. Mr. Reynolds is past the point of no return.

“It makes me sick to think of all the time we allowed you into our home. All the times you spent the night.”

I don’t bother trying to defend myself. He’s not going to listen to a word I say. Thankfully, Nate speaks up. “That’s. Enough.” His voice is deep and commanding, and his father instantly stops.

Natalie is quietly crying, her mother now consoling her while the three men in the room engage in a testosterone stare down, none of us willing to be the first to speak.

Carlos steps into the room, cutting the tension—slightly. With eyes straight on me, he says, “I’m gonna suggest y’all either take this elsewhere or take the volume down. Customers and staff alike can hear every word. And while we want to be talked about in town, let’s reserve it for our food, not our gossip.” Just as quickly as he entered, he leaves, shutting the door behind him.

I collapse back into my chair. “Fuck,” I groan out, elongating the word.

“If I let you go, will you stay put?” Nate asks his father.

Mr. Reynolds grunts and nods.

Nate releases him and he lunges, popping me in the jaw. “Goddamn it, Dad!” Nate yells, yanking him away from me. Mrs. Reynolds begins to weep as well. I rub a hand over my aching jaw, and Natalie moves closer to me, placing her hand over mine.

“I’m s-s-sorry. This is all my f-fault.” Her words are barely understandable, and her touch feels like fire and ice. I want to haul her in closer and shove her away all at once. One thing’s for sure, though—this is her fault.

Yet, somehow, I find myself sympathizing for her, which pisses me off. I turn my head from her, causing her hand to fall away. She gets my message loud and clear and steps back. Nate guides her down into a chair, repeating the motions with his mother.

Together, we sit in my office, me on one side, the Reynolds clan on the other. This feels like the meeting from hell, with sides clearly drawn—it’s me against them.

The patriarch of their family goes to speak again, but his wife quiets him. “Luke, I think it’s safe to say there’s a lot more going on here than we know.”

Mr. Reynolds disagrees. “I know all I need to know.”

“You really don’t, Dad. You know what you overheard, which isn’t much.”

Her dad pins her with a glare so icy it could sink the Titanic. “Then start talking, little girl.”

NATALIE

Oh.Jesus. I’ve never in my life regretted keeping this secret more than I do in this moment. Talk about a colossal fuck-up on my part. “If you’re going to be mad at anyone, be mad at me.”

My dad glares. “Oh, I am.” My mom lays her hand on his, and he simmers down.

“When Alden and I…when we…” I struggle to find the right words, finally settling on, “That night, I came on to Alden. I’d had the biggest crush on him for as long as I could remember, and I finally decided to act on it—that it was now or never.

“He…he seemed into me, and one thing led to another.” A quick look around the room tells me this is as awkward for everyone else as it is for me. “I didn’t realize how much Alden had drunk that night, and the next morning, he didn’t even remember anything happened between us.

“It stung, but I figured no harm, no foul. And then…”

“And then you found out you were pregnant,” Mom supplies.

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