Forever Mine (Roommate Duet 0.5)(19)

“Savannah, we need to talk,” she tells me matter-of-factly.

“I have nothing to say to you.” I cross my arms over my chest.

Glancing down, I look in her hand and see she’s holding a thin piece of paper or something. She notices me looking at it and wipes the tears streaming down her face before I realize what it is.

An ultrasound.

She sucks in a deep breath and hands it to me. Looking down at the printout, I see her full name on the top and notice it’s dated from two weeks ago. It even has the weeks and number of days pregnant. I look it over from top to bottom, trying to figure out if it’s a fake, but there’s not a doubtful bone in my body as I hold it. This is one-hundred percent real. Veronica is pregnant.

“I know we haven’t had the best friendship, Savannah. I know I was a total bitch to you growing up, most of the time for no reason. But right now, I have no one else to turn to but you because you’re the problem.”

My eyes narrow. Nothing like a back-handed admission to her being a douche.

“Hayden’s the father, but I haven’t told him yet. We’ve hooked up a few times the past couple of months, but we never made things exclusive. Last night I was going to give him the big news after our date, but he was too busy tending to you. And now today—” More tears begin to fall, harder this time. “He doesn’t want anything to do with me, and I know it’s because he thinks you’ll take him back because he never quite got over you.”

She’s always known how to twist the knife, and now is no different. I feel as if I’m falling into the abyss with no bottom in sight. Then realization hits me: Hayden and Veronica are having a baby together. My hand begins to shake, and I drop the photo and watch it float to the ground. I pick it up, and it feels like poison in my hand. Emotions bubble inside me, and I don’t know how to feel about any of this.

But the kiss last night…

I’m brought back to reality when she clears her throat.

“Do you understand now? Don’t be a homewrecker, Savannah. You’re a lot of things, but you’re not that. My baby needs a father, and now I feel like Hayden’s second-guessing everything, and I’m scared. I’m so fucking scared.”

She sits on the small couch that Hayden slept on last night, and I can tell she’s not bullshitting me. Veronica was a hateful, vile human being toward me, but as she sits here, she looks so broken and vulnerable that I can’t help but feel sorry for her. Guilt washes over me, and I try to replay each moment I had with Hayden last night. He was cautious with me, but was he too cautious? Because he was seeing Veronica? It’s not within his character to chase after one woman while being with another, but then again, I don’t really know Hayden anymore. Not like I used to. Plus, the ultrasound doesn’t lie. It’s clear as day that she’s pregnant.

“Okay,” I say, coming to terms that they’re going to be in each other’s life forever no matter what. It all makes sense why she was so protective of him last night, and I feel like a total bitch.

I walk over to her and hand over the photo.

“You’ll stay away from him?” she asks, meeting my eyes. A glimmer of hope flickers in them, and she’s right. I can’t be the woman who destroys a possible happy family. In a sick, fucked-up way, I feel as if I deserve this for what I did to him.

Now we’re even, I suppose.

I search her face and nod. Veronica stands and wraps her arms around my neck. “Thank you, Savannah. Thank you for understanding. I’m going to tell him the exciting news as soon as I leave here.”

No words form. She thanks me again and walks to the door and turns and looks at me without saying another word.

When Veronica leaves, I feel as if I can’t breathe because the weight of everything is sitting on my chest. I’m actually living in one of my nightmares. Sadness and loss courses through me, and for the first time since I broke up with Hayden, I’m feeling as if he’s really slipped through my fingers for good. My heart breaks into pieces as I hurry and grab my phone and head to Donny’s room.

Tears stream down my face as I take the elevator a few floors up. As soon as I make it to his room and knock, I try to suck in a deep breath and stop crying, though it feels damn near impossible. He opens the door and gives me one look before pulling me inside.

“What the hell?” He searches my face. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

He leads me over to the bed and tries to smooth out the rustled blanket and sheets. I sit and look up at the ceiling and try to find my words.

“I need to get the fuck out of here, Donny.”

He sits next to me. “Honey, tell me what’s going on.”

“Veronica just came to my room.”

His face contorts, and he narrows his eyes. He’s always hated her as much as I do.

“And she had an ultrasound with her and told me Hayden is the dad. I have to stay away from him, Donny. I can’t be the reason he ruins what he has going on with her.” I place my face in my hands, and he rubs my back. “I knew lying to him would eventually catch up to me, but this is so fucking cruel.”

He pulls me into his arms, and I cry on his shoulder. “The truth always comes out, Sav. Are you sure she wasn’t just fucking with you? It’s Veronica. She’s a bitch.”

I push away from him. “I saw the ultrasound. I saw her name on the corner. I saw the date. It was real, Donny. As real as me sitting here in front of you right now. But she hasn’t told him yet, and she’s afraid me being here is going to mess with what they have.”