Page 34 of Shameless
I stood and paced the bedroom. “All right.”
“Call me after or call me tomorrow. We need to talk.”
I stopped walking. “Talk?”
“It’s about Club 24, but it can wait.”
My stomach sank. “Did something happen while I was gone?”
“Yes, but nothing bad.”
“Then why are you trying to freak me out?”
“I’m not trying to freak you out, but now that you’re back, there are some things we need to discuss.”
“But good things?” I asked for clarification.
“I think so.”
“Just tell me now, Brandon. I’m done with secrets.”
“Jason and I are—” A knock at the front door interrupted his words.
“Shit. Stacey’s here. Can I call you back?”
“Yeah, of course. Let me know what happens with her.”
“I will.” I disconnected the call, threw my phone onto the bed, and made my way to the front door. Taking a deep breath, I swung it open.
“Hey,” Stacey greeted with a frown.
“Hey,” I replied curtly and stepped to the side so she could enter. It was then I noticed the key on the table near the door where a picture of us used to be. I didn’t bother to ask if she wanted anything to drink or whatever was the polite thing to do for guests, although that was what she was now.
“How was Mexico?”
I grunted a sarcastic laugh. “Yeah, not going to tell you howourhoneymoon was.”
“I understand.” She sat on the couch, her hands folded in her lap.
I leaned against the wall across from her and crossed my arms. “You might as well just spit it out.”
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The ticking of the kitchen clock on the wall echoed in the room as I waited for her to say something.
“I’m pregnant.”
My legs gave way, and I slid down the wall. I stared at her a moment as she looked down at her lap, not making eye contact with me. “I don’t understand. We were getting married. I know we didn’t talk about kids, but wasn’t that in our future? So what if it was sooner than we’d thought?”
Her brown eyes lifted, and a tear slid down her cheek. “Because I don’t know if you’re the father.”
The ticking of the clock echoed in my ears as every second of the past eight months raced through my head. Had it all been a lie? “How?” I whispered.
“I slept with Eddie on the 4thof July.”
“You slept with Eddie on the 4thof July?” I asked, as though I didn’t understand her. Stacey nodded. I was fuming as I went on. “At the party you begged me to go to, but I couldn’t because I was bartending at my own club so I could get tips to pay for our fucking honeymoon that I just went on alone?”
She nodded again and wiped tears from her cheeks. “I didn’t plan for it to happen.”
“You didn’t plan for it to happen?” I snickered and stood. I was aware that I kept repeating what she was saying, but I just couldn’t believe the shit coming out of her mouth.
