Perfect Together by Kristen Ashley

Sabre didn’t move.

“I mean, that’s not okay,” she said. “We made this baby together. And it wasn’t like he didn’t know I wanted to start a family. I told him. Then I fall pregnant and he’s acting like he didn’t know that, and he’s pissed and shouting at me, and Sah, I wanted to work on us. But even if he was intent on being an asshole, he could give me a chance to get my shit together. I mean, I don’t just have myself to consider. I have our baby now too. In the end, he threw my stuff in the backyard and told me to come get it or he was going to have Goodwill come and take it away.”

His voice was strange when he asked, “Dad threw your stuff in the backyard?”

“Yeah, it was all over. It took me hours to collect it. And some of it was drenched because he threw it in the pool.”

“And you’re pregnant.”

She ran her hands down his arms to catch both of his and smiled huge at him.

“Yes. I’m carrying your little baby brother or sister.”

“And Dad wants you to get rid of it?”

She frowned and nodded.

“And you drove all the way down to Tucson to ambush me after my last class and tell me my father is a colossal dick because…why?” he asked.

Her head jerked.

Sabre pulled his hands from hers and took a step away. “My dad might not want another baby, but he wouldn’t get pissed you wouldn’t get rid of it and kick you out. And he would never throw your shit in the backyard.”

She took a step toward him, but he just backed up again, so she stopped.

“Sah, I know you love your dad, but he did do that.”

“And you’re here telling me this because you think I can do something about it?”

“Whether your father likes it or not, I’m part of your family now.”

“That’s why you’re right here, right now, to tell me that and not because you’re pissed Dad broke up with you and you’re doing crazy shit to get back at him.”

Her mouth shut and her face got hard.

Christ.

She was doing seriously crazy-ass shit to get back at his dad.

“Are you even pregnant?” he asked.

“Yes,” she snapped, too fast.

“You’re not, are you?”

She jerked up her chin. “Yes, I am.”

“Is it Dad’s?”

Something eerie as fuck moved over her face, and she hissed, “I cannot even believe you asked me that.”

“Myrna, are you pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t fucking lie to me,” he bit. “You’ve cornered me, talking trash about my dad, and it isn’t like this shit doesn’t pan out one way or the other. You’re either pregnant, or not. And if you are, it’s either Dad’s, or it isn’t, and it’s easy to find out of it isn’t. In a few months, your jig will be up. So just tell me, are you dicking with me?”

“He threw my stuff in the backyard, Sabre.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“It was boxed, but he put it out there and—”

There it was.

It was boxed.

She didn’t get out when Dad told her, so he put her out.

That’s a really different thing.

He shook his head, took another step away and said, “Listen, I am not in your shit with my father. This not only has fuck all to do with me, it’s seriously gross. You got an issue with him, take it to him. But if you guys are done, you’re just done. Get over it. Move on. Don’t go all stalker, for fuck’s sake.”

“Your father doesn’t like you to speak that way in front of women,” she sniffed.

“Bet he’d like it less some crazy chick shows at his son’s school and lays a bunch of sick lies on him,” he returned.

She changed again, her face twisting, and she shared, “He used me.”

“I’m done with this conversation. Goodbye, Myrna. Hope you get your shit together.”

He moved away, but she dogged him, walking at his side. “I barely left, and he’s getting back together with your mother. She was over at his house last night.”

Sabre stopped dead and turned to her. “How do you know that?”

“That was my house, like, a week ago,” she said, rather than tell him her crazy ass was staking out his father’s place.

“It was never your house, Myrna. You always just lived there,” he pointed out.

She looked like she’d been slapped.

But for fuck’s sake, get with the program.

“Dad has a friend who’s a cop,” he warned her. “And I’m sure as shit telling Dad you’re pulling this crap. I’m also telling his friend.”

“He shouldn’t have used me as his fucktoy.”

“I don’t remember him drugging you or locking you in the house,” Sabre shot back. “Christ, get away from me and stay away from my dad.”

Thankfully, she took a step from him, returning, “You’re just like him.”

“Yeah, I am. And thanks for the lesson. Because now, if I ever walk away from a woman I care about, and I hook up with some rebound piece who seems immune to understanding the situation even though it’s all fucking around her, I need to cut her loose before she whacks out.”