“Oh, for—” He swore under his breath and moved toward Hunter so fast my brain barely caught up. “You got my daughter pregnant?”
“What?” I shouted.
Hunter ducked before Dad’s hand could connect with his shoulder.
“Cole,” Mom snapped.
“I’m not pregnant,” I yelled.
Dad froze. He looked at mom then at me then at Hunter.
Hunter straightened slowly, one hand up. “She’s not pregnant.”
Dad pointed at him. “You do not get to speak first.”
Hunter’s mouth shut. My stomach twisted from the way Dad came at him ready to accuse him while Hunter stood there looking like he deserved Dad’s wrath.
Dad looked at me again, breathing hard. “You’re not pregnant?”
“No,” I confirmed.
Dad exhaled. “Why is he here with you looking like he’s about to confess to a crime?”
Hunter turned very slowly toward him. “I care about Catherine.”
Dad’s jaw tightened. “She’s CC to me.”
My throat tightened.
Hunter’s voice stayed low. “Cole.”
“No,” Dad snapped. “You don’t get to make this sound reasonable.”
“I didn’t mean for this to happen behind your back,” Hunter continued, keeping his voice even.
Dad laughed once, but there was no humor in it. “You didn’t mean for what to happen?”
Hunter’s jaw flexed. “Catherine and I have been seeing each other.”
The room went silent. Mom closed her eyes for one second. Dad looked like someone had hit him. He looked hurt. The anger had been easier to handle. The hurt was worse.
His gaze moved to me. “CC.”
My eyes burned immediately. I hated that he called me that and that it sounded soft. I hated the way he was looking at me with such utter disappointment.
“Dad.”
His eyes searched mine. “When you said you were going to Taylor’s…”
Tears hit before I could stop them. “Not every time,” I said quickly. “Sometimes I was with Taylor. Sometimes I was with Hunter.”
Dad’s face tightened. I could see him putting the pieces together. The nights I came home late. The times I said Taylor needed me. The way Hunter had been around at lunch. The way I had probably looked at him when I thought no one noticed.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m so sorry I lied. I didn’t mean for it to become this. I didn’t mean to fall for him.”
Dad’s expression hardened. “These things don’t just happen.”
Mom cleared her throat. We all looked at her.