Page 119 of Baby Surprise for my Brother's Best Friend

A baby I’ll have to raise.

Alone.

Around noon, my phone buzzes again.

Alessio:

I’m sorry about last night. I panicked. No excuse. Just... I’ll be home later after my shift.

A second text follows before I can even process the first.

Alessio:

Also, I love you. Even when you’re probably plotting my murder. Especially then.

Despite myself, a tiny, reluctant chuckle escapes me.

Of course, he would text something like that.

Of course, he would know exactly how to punch a hole in my anger just enough to make me feel something other than hurt.

I stare at the screen for a long minute, thumb hovering over the keyboard.

I could forgive him too easily. I know myself.

So instead, I lock my phone and slide it back into my bag.

He’s coming home.

But he’s not getting off easy.

***

That night, after hours of pretending everything was fine, I sit cross-legged on the living room floor, sorting through old client files to keep my hands busy and my mind from unraveling.

The clock ticks steadily. The city hums outside.

Alessio should be home soon.

I tell myself not to look at the door.

Not to check the time again.

I’m halfway through an ancient folder of contracts when I notice it.

An envelope. Thin. Plain. Slid just barely under the door.

My stomach knots instantly.

I crawl toward it on numb knees, snatching it up with fingers that tremble before I even tear it open.

No stamp. No label.

Just one sentence scrawled across the page.

This is your last warning, lover boy

My breath whooshes out of my lungs in a single, sharp exhale. A chill skates down my spine, prickling every inch of my skin.

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