“We do, huh?” I drawl. “And what do we need to talk about, Richie?”
He flinches, as he always does when I use the mocking nickname. I dubbed him Richie Rich after I discovered that he uses his money and looks to get ahead.
“You know exactly what we need to talk about.”
I frown. “If you mean this—” I gesture to my stomach, “—then there’s nothing to discuss. My baby and I are none of your business.”
“Tucker’s my business,” he says coolly, crossing his arms over his muscular chest. “I mean, damn, Sabrina, I always knew you were an ambitious bitch, but I didn’t think you were a selfish one.”
Anger climbs up my throat. “Wow. Beau always tried to convince me that you were a decent guy, but he was so clearly wrong.”
Dean hisses out a breath. “Leave Beau out of this. We’re talking about you and Tuck.”
“Do you really want to pick a fight with a pregnant chick right now? Because I’m warning you—my hormones are all over the place. I might claw your eyes out.”
He looks unfazed. “You’re fucking up my boy’s life. You really think I’m just going to stand by and let you do that?”
Gritting my teeth, I slam the dresser drawer shut and mimic his pose, positioning my arms tight across my swollen breasts. “Tucker is a grown-up. He also happens to be the father of this baby. If he wants to have a hand in raising her, I can’t exactly stop him.”
Frustration clouds his expression. “This will ruin his whole life. Don’t you get that? He’s giving up everything he’s worked toward for a chick who doesn’t even love him.”
My jaw almost hits the floor. Where the fuck does he get off saying this shit to me?
“What makes you think I don’t love him?” I shoot back defiantly.
“Because if you did, then you’d already have a ring on your finger. Tuck doesn’t do things half-assed. He loves you, you’re having his kid—if he thought for a moment that you loved him back, you’d be getting married in City Hall before this kid pops out. Instead, he’s staying in Boston when all he’s talked about since freshman year is going back to Texas—”
Guilt pricks my throat. Hard.
“And now he’s going to take the first job he finds, instead of opening a business that he’s actually taken the time to research and think about.” Dean shakes his head. “Don’t you see that?”
I falter. He’s right. Tucker doesn’t half-ass it. And yet here he is, moving in with a guy he barely likes, considering buying shitty franchises he’s not passionate about, and all because I was so overcome with lust one night that I forgot that “just the tip” is as effective in knocking you up as having a guy ejaculate in you.
He’s changing his entire life for me. He’s changing his goals and his plans and his lifestyle to accommodate this baby. And I’m the one who caused him to do that.
Despite my threat about clawing Dean’s eyes out, I don’t feel at all feral anymore. I feel…wrecked.
So wrecked that I’m helpless to stop the sob that flies out. So wrecked that I fall apart right in front of Dean fucking Di Laurentis.
I sink to the floor and bury my face in my hands, crying so hard that I can’t even draw a breath. I gasp for air while hot tears slide down my cheeks and soak my palms. I’m a shuddering, pathetic, pregnant mess, and it’s not until a firm hand clasps my shoulder that I realize Dean is sitting on the floor beside me.
“Fuck,” he mumbles, sounding as helpless as I feel. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“I deserve to cry,” I choke out between sobs.
“Sabrina—” He touches my shoulder again.
“No!” I wrench away from his grip and stare at him with tear-filled eyes. “You’re right, okay? I’m ruining his life! Do you think I’m fucking happy about that? Because I’m not!” I gulp rapidly, trying to remember how to breathe. “He’s kind and sweet and so goddamn incredible and he doesn’t deserve to have his world turned upside down like this! He should be making all these plans right now and being excited about graduating college and starting a new chapter in his life, and instead it’s end of fucking story. The best guy on this whole planet is stuck with me—forever—all because of what was supposed to be a one-time hookup!”
I finish in a panting rush, viciously swiping at my tears. Beside me, Dean looks totally and utterly stunned.