Watch Over Me

“I hated keeping it from you, of all people. I just didn’t want anyone knowing in case I’d made yet another mistake. When you’re a single mom, people seem to have a lot of opinions about what you should and shouldn’t be doing, especially where men are concerned. I didn’t want everyone rolling their eyes and talking about me. Trust me, I’ve been there, and it’s not pretty.”

Gwen winced. “I guess I validated all of those fears with my little tirade, didn’t I?”

Sha

Gwen instantly sobered at the mention of what she’d been trying to wrap her mind around all day. Her hand lifted to rest on her flat stomach, still in disbelief that any of this was really happening. Well, the part about the man leaving her was actually pretty easy to believe. She might not have been pregnant during her other relationships, but she was certainly familiar with seeing the guy’s back as he walked away. “I really didn’t know, Sha

“Well, he kind of deserves some crap after his comment to you. What was it again?” They both repeated, “Good deal, thanks for letting me know,” at the same time. “Come on, that was kind of an asshole reply, wasn’t it? Seems so out of character for him, though.”

“Boy, this is one of those times you’d like to get drunk with your girlfriend, isn’t it?” Sha

Chapter Seventeen

Dominic peeled the label from his second beer as he stared at the large screen television in the bar without really seeing it. He wasn’t even sure what he was doing here. He’d been feeling a cross between anger and betrayal, helped along by a good ole fashion case of panic when he’d taken off earlier. The whole crazy relationship between Sha

The question on his mind tonight was why she had said she wasn’t pregnant if she was? Clearly she was if Sha

“Damn bro, couldn’t you have picked a bar a little closer? The traffic was hell getting here.” Dominic jerked around in surprise to see Gage standing behind him. He was at Fla

“Shouldn’t you be with your new girlfriend?” Dominic asked sarcastically as the other man settled on the stool beside him. He waved a bartender over, signaling for a beer before speaking.

“Nah, she had her hands full with your very upset girl. Why’d you take off like that? I mean, that’s like something I’d do.”

“Why would she lie to me about that, Gage? I get that she might have been upset about it, but she plainly told me in that text that she wasn’t pregnant. Then just a few days later, I find out that she is, but she hasn’t said a word to me. She should have known I wasn’t going to lose my shit or anything. Hell, we both knew it was a possibility. Do you think she just wasn’t going to tell me at all?”

“Come on, man, you live next door to her and work in the same building. I don’t think she intended to keep it from you. That would be damn near impossible. I think you’re overreacting. Gwen’s not the type of woman to be trying to play you. That doesn’t even make sense. She said it was negative the first time.”

“Well, if it was a closed case, then why was she taking another test? She had to have suspected that something wasn’t right. Women don’t just randomly take pregnancy tests whenever they feel like it, do they?”

“Hell if I know, Dom. You should go on back home and talk to your little mama.” Gage started laughing. Fuck. He wasn’t ready to talk to Gwen yet, and if Gage was going to be tossing out baby jokes all night, he was going to need something stronger than beer.

*   *   *

“Holy shit,” Dominic groaned as his head threatened to explode. Hell, he could even see the white light coming for him. This must be what death felt like. He could think of no other explanation.

“Getting up today, princess?” an amused voice asked as he writhed in pain.

Rolling onto his back and blinking until he recognized Gage, Dominic had his answer. He was in hell and Gage was his executioner. The asshole had turned on every light in the room, along with opening the blinds. Come to think of it . . . where was he? He was obviously on a couch, but not his. “What the fuck, man?” he grumbled as he tried to sit up.

“You know, if Gwen could see you now, she’d be rethinking her feelings. Frankly, dude, you look like roadkill, and you smell even worse. I knew when you passed out in the bathroom at Fla

“Where’s my bike?” Dominic asked, picturing it trashed or stolen.

“I had one of the guys pick it up last night. He dropped it off at your place. Told him to bring the keys by the office this morning.”

His head was hammering relentlessly as he tried to focus his sluggish thoughts. “How much did I have to drink last night?” he croaked out. His mouth felt like sawdust.

“I think it’d be easier to ask what you didn’t drink last night,” Gage smirked. “I tried to cut you off, but you listened to your other friends over me.”

Flopping back, Dominic asked in confusion, “What other friends?”

Gage took a loud slurp out of the cup he was holding, making Dominic’s hair stand on end before saying, “Oh, you know, most of the bar. After you buy a few rounds of drinks, you get a lot of new buddies. I’m go

“And Gwen?” Dominic asked. He’d probably drunk dialed her all night.

As if knowing what he was getting at, Gage pulled a phone from under the chair cushion in the corner. “Don’t worry; I took this from you early in the evening when you started trying to bring your contact list up. I knew no good was going to come of that. I hid it when we got home because I was afraid of what you’d do if you woke up. That’s one way in which you didn’t make an ass out of yourself last night.” Gage laughed as Dominic weakly flipped him the bird. “Oh, guess what. I saved the best part for last.”