Page 78 of Dash

“Let me think… we’ve been dating five fucking seconds, Ivy, and this happened because I messed up.”

“Or here’s a novel idea,” Katie says, “maybe tell Dash that his super biker sperm knocked you up and see what he says.”

“Have you ever known a single man on the planet to be like, hey girl I just started dating less than two months ago. I’m so delighted that you’re having my baby?” I bury my head in my hands, groaning. “Though at least it’ll piss my mother off if I become a single parent.”

“I don’t think Dash is like that,” Ivy says slowly. “He doesn’t seem the type to leave you to do this on your own.”

I want to believe her. I want to believe her so badly that it’s an ache inside my chest. “And what if he does walk away and I’m left holding a baby I can’t afford?”

“Right, because of the two jobs. Since when have you had two jobs?” Katie sounds a little wounded at being kept in the dark.

I wince. “For months. Living alone is expensive.”

The silence hangs between the three of us, thick in a way that makes my stomach twist. “You should’ve told us it was that bad, babe.”

“I’m really scared,” I admit between my tears. “I don’t wanna lose him, and I feel like he’s going to walk as soon as he finds out I caused this.”

Ivy and Katie hug either side of me, and I sob, trying to calm my hiccupping breaths, but I can’t. Because for once my life felt like it was going in a good direction and, of course, I completely fucked it up.

Ivy orders food. She also pays for it. I don’t argue.

I pick at the food, my stomach in knots.

It’s just after ten-thirty when there’s a knock on the door. My eyes snap towards it, terrified it might be Dash. I don’t have the strength to lie to him right now.

Ivy places a hand on my shoulder. “It’s just Nate.”

She stands and walks to the door, opening it. The relief that I felt briefly that it wasn’t Dash is doused when he steps into the room. He’s not wearing his kutte, just a green hoodie with his jeans. He sweeps the room with his eyes as if searching for monsters hiding in the corner, but it’s the little girl clutched in his arms that has my attention.

Seren isn’t his, not by blood, but it doesn’t matter. The way he holds her like she’s stitched into his DNA has my eyes filling with tears.

What would Dash look like holding our child? I quickly squash that thought. We’re not Ivy and Riot. They had a history before they so much as kissed. I’m barely a footnote in Dash’s life.

Riot pulls Ivy against him, his hand on her neck, the baby between them as he kisses her. It’s quick, and yet there is so much yearning behind it that it makes my chest ache. I miss Dash. I wish he was here. I wish I knew everything was going to be okay.

“You girls alright?” he asks, looking between us. The solemn mood sticks to the walls.

Ivy takes her daughter from him, crushing her to her chest with such an ease, I can’t help but feel jealous. Her daughter was conceived under horrible circumstances, and yet she loves Seren. My baby was created with joy and happiness—and sometimes tequila—so why can’t I be in this a hundred per cent?

“All good,” she says. “Let’s get this little princess home and into bed. We’re dropping Katie off on the way.”

“Already assumed that was happening.”

Katie just smiles at him. Then she steps up to me and hugs me so tight I feel like my bones might shatter. She whispers into my ear, “Tell him.”

It’s quiet when they leave. Too quiet. I don’t like the silence. It gives me too much time to be in my head, and right now, that is the worst thing I could possibly be. I don’t know how I feel about anything other than terrified. I don’t know how to plan for a future when I don’t have security. I don’t know how to raise a baby without support.

I press a hand over on my stomach, staring up at the ceiling over my bed. The choices I face yawn before me, and I have no idea which path to pick.

I know which one I want, but what if he doesn’t want that with me?

I tap my fingers over my belly. “You’re not meant to be there,” I whisper, “but now that you are… I wish I could keep you.”

And then I let the tears fall.

TWENTY

DAYNA

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