He always did have a quick temper. Toni’s was more of a simmer than a flare.
“Jake Johnson. That sonofabitch.”
She almost laughed. What was it with Jake and the Agrioli men? He’d never held any appeal for her. “It’s not his.”
Grey seemed to deflate, falling onto the sofa. “Who, then?”
She stared into her mug, not wanting to see his face when she dropped this particular nugget of info. “Toni. Toni is the father.”
“Toni? As in, Antonio? My brother, Antonio?”
Her eyes flicked to his briefly before detouring to the flickering flames.
“I told him to look after you, not climb on top of you. Holy hell.” He performed the same move his brother had done when she’d told him the news—cradled his head and dragged his hands down his neck like he wanted to pull the skin from his flesh. She stiffened as the déjà vu gripped her by the throat.
“Does anyone else know?”
She pulled in a breath before answering with a smirk. “Toni knows.”
“How did he take the news?”
“The same way you did, but with shorter hair.”
His hands bounced on his thighs as he dropped them. “Sorry. It’s a shock. He can’t have been too surprised. He was there when it happened.”
You’re kidding, right? He said it as if he thought they’d planned this. And even if they had, was anyone not bewildered at the reality of facing a complete life one eighty? But Toni had been more than astonished. He’d been horrified.
She cleared her throat. “I was on the pill. We were careful.” Her grip on the cup tightened as memories of that night came rushing back. They’d been phenomenal together. Apart from the condom, there’d been nothing careful about it. Instinctual, primal, carnal. . . not careful. This baby had been made with love.
“So, it was an accident?” His eyebrows raised.
She remembered watching the second line appear on the pregnancy test. Accident sounded so wrong. “Neither of us thought it would actually happen.”
“Well, it has. So, what’s he gonna do about it?”
Her eyes narrowed. Jesus. Like the baby was a problem to be solved? Toni’s problem. “What do you mean, ‘what’s he gonna do about it?’ I’m the pregnant one—not him.”
“He might not be carrying the bun, but he’s responsible for putting it there, and he damn well better look after you while it bakes. I can’t believe he let you travel in your state. Have you been eating at all? Your family must’ve noticed.”
The machine gun delivery of judgements and questions ticked her off. “I’ve been busy elsewhere at mealtimes. Toni doesn’t know I’m here.”
“You just took off?” Grey crossed his arms.
Well, now she had an attack of the guilts. “Kinda, yeah. I told Clay I was coming to surprise you. Toni probably knows by now.” She could only imagine how he might be handling the situation. Maybe he’d recovered from the jolt and he was ready to talk? Maybe she’d ring him in the morning?
Why did I run away?
On the coffee table, her phone lit up with Antonio’s number.
“It’s him,” she croaked, eyes flooding with tears.
I can’t.
“I’ll handle it. You drink your tea. There’s a spare room—second door on the left up the stairs. Help yourself. It’s late.”
Maybe it was cowardly, but she grabbed her drink like it was her safety blanket and hotfooted it up the stairs. Not quick enough to miss Grey’s greeting for his brother, though.
“What the fuck have you done?”
Nice, Grey.
She clicked the door closed, kicked off her boots, and got under the warm bed covers.
Antonio hadn’t been the only one involved. It took two to create a life.
Wasn’t that the crux of the problem?
It takes two to make a life together.
Was she going to have to raise this child on her own?
_____
She tiptoed downstairs the next morning, not wanting to wake anyone. It was barely six, but her bladder and her stomach woke her up, both wanting to empty their contents. If she could find where they kept the crackers, she’d be okay.
“Mornin’.” Grey’s voice cut through the quiet.
“Shit!” Startled, she grabbed for the banister.
“Sorry.” He grinned. “I heard you get up. Did you sleep well?”
“A bit.” She made her way into the kitchen, noting that he’d lit the fire.
“Do you want crackers?”
“Yes, please.”
He pushed a plate across the stone benchtop. “How about some tea to go with them?”
Taking a seat on one of the stools at the island bench, she reached for the food. “Actually, do you have juice?”
“Cranberry.”
“That’ll do. Thanks.” She nibbled on a cracker, appreciating its bland taste. “Was Toni okay?”
“He was ready to come and get you.”
“What?” The half-eaten snack dangled from her fingers.
“Don’t worry; he’s not comin’.”
“I’ve gotta go back, anyways. It was stupid of me to run.”
He leaned on his elbows, meeting her stare. “I’m glad you came. But I’m surprised you chose to come here.”
“I wasn’t thinking.”
Grey winced, pushing back to stand and gripping the edge of the bench. “Ouch. I deserved that. And I never said how sorry I was. I shouldn’t have run out on ya like that.”
“You hurt me.” The remnants of the pain niggled behind her sternum before fading away.
It was funny; she’d spent weeks going over and over so many questions in her mind. If she’d had the chance to confront him, she would’ve unleashed them all one by one.
What could she have done to make him stay?
Why wasn’t she good enough?
Why didn’t he ask her to go with him?
What mistakes had she made?
The answers were all so clear to her now, she didn’t need to ask.
She was worthy. She hadn’t done anything wrong. There was nothing she could’ve said to make him stay,
