Page 40 of His Ex's Little Sister
“That’snottrue.”
“Itis!”
“It’s not!” I thunder out so loudly, I’m sure the neighbors hear. “I left because I couldn’t tell her, all right? I couldn’t tell anyone. I was still a minor. The only way I could enlist at seventeen was to get parental consent. I had to forge my father’s signature, and I couldn’t take the chance that someone would try to stop me from getting the hell out of Dad’s house. You think these cigarette burns are bad? They’re nothing compared to the hospital visits for fractured ribs, broken arms, a separated shoulder… I can go on, but the point is, I couldn’t stay there one more day. All along, Danielle kept trying to convince me to stay. I just…couldn’t.”
“So you knocked her up and left her without manning up instead?” shescreams.
My head snaps like a whip in her direction. “Sorry, what?” I ask, because I did not just hear what I think Iheard.
“That’s right,” she spits out like venom. “You took away her virginity, got her pregnant, and then you left. Justlikethat.”
I shake my head. “She waspregnant?”
“Yes.”
A million questions are going through my head, and they’re coming out haphazardly. “Did she havethebaby?”
“She miscarried, Reid. That’s what caused her downward spiral. That’s what made her try to kill herself twice with prescription pills. She almost succeeded the second time. It landed her in a coma for three weeks. And when she woke up…Danielle hasn’t beenthesame.”
“I didn’t know. I’m sorry she went through something that painful, but there’s just one thing wrong with allofit.”
“What are you talkingabout?”
I make sure Robin is looking into my eyes before I say another word. Somewhere along the line, she was misled, probably by Danielle. “You have to actually have sex to produce a pregnancy,Robin.”
“What?”
“I never slept withDanielle.”
“No. That can’tbetrue.”
“We messed around in high school, but she was insistent that she wasn’t ready. We never went all the way.Notonce.”
“You’re lying. That’s not possible. She waspregnant.”
“Notbyme.”
“She told us you were thefather.”
“I said it already, and I’ll say it again. I never slept with your sister. And I’ll gladly confront her with it face to face.” I get out of bed, take Robin’s hand and put it over my heart. “There’s only one Sparrow sister I’ve had my way with, and she’s right nexttome.”
Robin snatches her hand away. “Bullshit,” she shouts, and jumps back a few feet. “Danielle and my parents should be home by now. I hope you don’t mind letting me use your car. I have to talk to her. She’ll probably have another breakdown because of this… this outrageous lie. I can’t believe you’d make up something so ridiculous. But at least I won’t have to waste another second hearing this crazinessfromyou.”
“Yes, of course you can still use the SUV. Look, I’m not lying. Danielle must have had her reasons for telling you that I was the father, but it’s notpossible.”
“Save it for someone who cares,” she shrieks. In almost the same breath, she lowers her voice and adds, “Oh, and thanks for letting me usethecar.”
“Be safe getting out there,” I say. “Maybe I should comewithyou.”
“No. I can’t be in the same room with you right now, let alone the same vehicle. I’ll… I won’t be coming back here. Josh or my dad will return you SUV and phone during the day tomorrow. And I’ll pay you back for any costs youincurred.”
“You don’t have todothat.”
“I will. Thanks for your hospitality, and for helping my while my family was away. I just can’t take this road. Not after whatDavisondid.”
Davison. Why does that name ring a bell? I tilt my head to one side inconfusion. “Who?”
“Dave.”
