I go completely still. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“Kat, come on. You cannot possibly think either of us is equipped to handle a child. You cannot possibly think that this is what I want.” His voice is flat. “I won’t be trapped into a relationship just because you’re having a baby. I won’t, so if that’s what you’re thinking—”
I bristle at the accusation. “How dare you say that to me? How dare you even suggest that I would ever try to… to…trick youinto a relationship?”
He shakes himself. When he speaks again, he sounds a bit more like himself. “I’m sorry. That came out wrong. I know you’d never do this intentionally. I’m just…fuck, Kat, I’m panicking over here.”
My body trembles with rage. I turn away, to keep from smacking him.
His voice is quiet. “Helena thought, if she invented a pregnancy, it would make me stay.”
“I’m not Helena,” I snap, not looking at him. “And I’ve never asked you for a damn thing, since the day we met.”
He’s silent for a moment. I can hear his labored breathing.
“That doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want this,” he says slowly. “I’m sorry if that’s not what you want to hear. I’m sorry for my part in this. But… I think you should get rid of it. For my sake, for yours, and especially for the sake of the…” He clears his throat, as if he cannot bear to say the words. “Thebaby.”
I suck in a breath. Tears are pricking at my eyes.
“It’s for the best, you see that, don’t you?” he asks. “You can’t take care of a kid. You’re still a kid yourself, Kat. People who have kids need to have their shit together. They have to be responsible, all the time.” He pauses. “That’s not you. It sure as shit isn’t me.”
I think about the picture of the tiny dictator sitting inside my purse.
What if he’s right? What if I mess up that tiny little life?
The terror I battled back earlier rises up inside me again. I turn to face him. I’m not even sure what I’m about to say, but before I can get out a single word, Harper’s voice cuts me off.
“Kat, as much as I appreciate you doing this, I can’t let him continue berating you for my problem.”
My head swirls in her direction. “Huh?”
She shakes her head at me, eyes intent. “You can stop covering for me. You can tell him the truth.”
I blink at her, totally confused.
Grayson is equally baffled.
She turns to him and lies through her teeth. “Kat isn’t the one who’s pregnant.I am. She was just being a good friend, coming to the clinic with me for my first checkup because I was nervous. So you can stop yelling at her like a psychopath, because you’re off the hook. She’s not pregnant with your demon spawn — and thank goodness for that because it would probably come out with your personality. Frankly, one Grayson in this world ismorethan enough.” Her smile turns sweet. “Get over yourself, Douche — I mean,Dunn. And apologize to Kat, while you’re at it.”
With that, she turns promptly back around in her seat.
I see Masters glance at her, an amused smirk on his lips. “I get to pick the name.”
She shoots him a dark look.
“Well… shit.” Grayson sounds undeniably relieved. “I’m sorry, Kat. Truly, I’m sorry if I was an asshole just now. But…shit, I nearly pissed myself, thinking you might actually be pregnant. Can you imagine what a total goddamnednightmarethat would be?” He laughs.
“Yeah,” I murmur absently, looking out the window. “Total nightmare.”
* * *
We dropGrayson off at his place in Malibu. He’s back to his happy-go-lucky self, buoyant with the knowledge that I’m not carrying his child, grinning at me as he climbs from the car and waves goodbye. The drive back to my house passes in utter silence. When we pull into my driveway and climb out, I meet Harper’s eyes and ask just one question.
“Why?”
She shrugs. “I didn’t like the way he was talking to you. I don’t care how upset he was — that doesn’t give him the right to make you feel small or inferior or scared. Just because he’d be the shittiest parent on the planet doesn’t justify him telling you you’d be one too. He was trying to intimidate you into a choice you don’t want to make, and I wasn’t going to stand by and let him do it.”
I fight back tears. “But what happened to all youryou have to tell him, honesty is the best policycrap?”