A Reason to Stay (Oak Hollow) by June Stevens, DJ Westerfield Page A

she’d never felt before. And it had all been a lie. The sad part was, it wasn’t a lie to her. Making love to Ellie had been a lie to someone else. And he’d made her a part of that lie. Ellie, for the first time in her life, was the other woman. Her stomach churned, and she was suddenly glad she hadn’t eaten breakfast yet.
    "You can explain?" she shot at him, the venom in her voice surprising them both. "What can you explain? Oh, I know, I bet you can explain why, in those weeks when I was searching frantically for this ring, you didn’t tell me she’d given it to you. You can explain that you just let me assume it had been lost or stolen and she hadn’t wanted me to know."
    She flung the ring box at him and went on, the rage within her building. "Or maybe you can explain why Grammy would give you the ring instead of me? Well, no need. It’s all here in her letter. She obviously thought you a better candidate to actually use the ring than me. Why waste such a beautiful ring on a granddaughter who is so fat and hideous no one would ever want to marry her when she could give it to some stranger off the street."
    Ellie saw him flinch at her last words and knew she was being unfair. Jake had been as much of a grandson to Grammy as Ellie had been a granddaughter. Jake would have done anything for her, and quite often had. His own grandparents had died when he was a baby and Grammy held a special place in his heart.
    But Ellie couldn’t help herself. She couldn’t feel the remorse she should. The vile words tasted like acid on her tongue, yet she kept flinging them at him. Wanting him to feel a measure of the heartache she was feeling.
    “Or maybe you can explain about last night. You can explain to me why you fucked me last night, knowing you were about to propose to another woman!"
    Jake’s eyes widened in confusion. He opened his mouth to speak, but Ellie held up her hand, shushing him.
    "Save it. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear how you think you can charm your way out of this one, Jake. Grammy’s note is quite clear. There is someone. The wild ladies man has finally settled down. But you haven’t, have you? Or was I just one final fling before you popped the question? One final fuck just to say you did?"
    Ellie ignored the stunned expression that marred Jakes features. She kept on her tirade, afraid that if she slowed down for even a minute she would start crying. "Who is she, Jake? Who is the woman you made a fool out of by fucking me last night? Besides me. My God, I can’t believe I spent so much of my life loving you, believing in you. You’re nothing but a snake, just like the rest. Here you are with a woman waiting for you to propose, you even have the ring, and you spend the night fucking me. Twice. Oh, God!"
    The last sentence was a strangled gasp as a realization struck her solidly in the stomach, causing her to double over.
    "We didn’t use a condom. Oh, God. How could I have been so stupid? I could be pregnant and he’s going off to marry some other woman. Oh, Ellie, you are one stupid assed chick!" She was no longer yelling at him, but muttering at herself as she rocked on the sofa, holding her arms over her stomach. She couldn’t believe the situation she’d gotten herself into.
    "Ellie." Jake put his hand on her arm.
    Ellie shot up. "Don’t touch me. Don’t ever touch me again!"
    She knocked his hand back with such force he stumbled back onto the couch. Taking advantage of the moment, Ellie flew past him and out the door. She had to get away from him. Once she was outside, she wasn’t sure where she’d thought she would go. They were miles from town, her car was at her house, and it was storming.
    She paused on the steps of the wrap-around covered porch, trying to gather her thoughts, but when she heard the slam of the screen door behind her she raced out into the rain. She wasn’t fast enough. Halfway across the lawn his hand wrapped around her arm, jerking her to a