Page 40 of Unpredictable

A family. A real family. I’ve never had that. I don’t know what it really looks like, but as far as I’m concerned, my kid will have that or I will die trying.

It doesn’t hurt that this child comes with the only woman I’ve ever loved. The only other person in this world that has the ability to ruin me.

I fucked up. I fucked up bad.

What were you thinking?

I wasn’t, as usual. I let fear rule me, which might have just ruined the best thing that ever happened in my life. With that thought, I pull myself up off the floor and start working on my plan.

Operation V.

Because one thing is for sure, if I plan on winning V and our child over, I’m going to have to work my ass off.

???

I go to take a drink of my room-temperature coffee when someone starts pounding on my door.

I walk from the couch to the single serve coffee machine set up in my kitchen and pop in a new pod, starting my next cup before heading towards the front door.

“I’m coming!”

I swing the front door open and am instantly pushed back and pinned to the wall.

“You fucking knocked her up?” Reed roars. “Then you let her walk away. What in the actual fuck, Brooks?”

I don’t even make a move to fight him off me. His anger is justified. Honestly, I wish he would punch me in the face. I deserve it.

“Reed, get off of him. Now,” Finley demands, trying to pull him off me, as Keaton tries to step between us. Finally, they manage to break us apart, and I start coughing.

“You okay, man?” Finley asks me while looking at Reed.

“I’m fine, but I need you guys to leave. I have a lot to do right now, and I can’t have any distractions.” I head into the kitchen for my cup.

“Yeah? And what’s this?” Keaton asks dryly, pointing at my notes and laptop. “You’re seriously sitting here working right now?”

“I’ve been doing some research.” I set my cup down on the counter after taking a drink and rub my face.

“Looks like you’ve been up all night.” Keaton flips through my shit without asking. “Must be hard on you not to get any sleep, huh?”

“Make yourself at home,” I mutter.

“Babies can cry in the womb?” Keaton asks in horror.

“Yes.”

“You been to sleep yet?” Finley asks.

“But we can’t hear them when they do that, right? Not until they come out.” Keaton’s eyes are huge with shock… or is it horror?

“No, too much to do.” I reach out, attempting to grab the notebook from Keaton without answering his question.

“Yeah, well, I haven’t either.” Reed sighs. “I couldn’t go to sleep last night because I was too worried about Sage sneaking out of bed and killing you or me.” He mutters, “I should have just cuffed her to the bed.”

“Why would she kill you?” Finley asks.

“Because I’m friends with this ‘self-centered asshole whose apparently never heard of protection,’” Reed says in a girly voice.

“Not that it’s anyone’s business, but usually we use more than one form of birth control. The one time we don’t and one slips by the goalie.” I shrug as I sit back on the couch and pull my laptop onto my lap.

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