on you. Sooner or later the people in your life will see that too. Perhaps some of them already are, and they’re going to question you. What are you going to tell them, Mandy? Lie and say nothing’s wrong? In several months you’re going to have a kicking and screaming child that will refuse to be a secret any longer. Stop doing this to yourself.”
She felt every word that Doc Jones said to her. The tears that were always at the surface erupted past her lashes. Doc Jones was pushing, but at the same time, she knew they were all words she needed to hear. They were all truths she’d been almost refusing to face.
“I keep promising myself the tears I cry are my last, but just like everything else, it’s a lie. I can’t stop them, I can’t stop the hopelessness I feel in moments of weakness, and I can’t stop loving Dalton,” she sobbed, hiccupping and accepting the tissue Doc Jones pressed in her hands. She wiped away the wetness on her cheeks with angry movements, pissed at herself for showing emotion again. “Why is he doing this to me? We were happy.”
Doc Jones shrugged. “That I don’t know, honey, and they may be answers you never find out. Can you live with that?”
*
Can you live with that?
After her session with Doc Jones, Mandy was pissed and so tired. She was done with it all, and when she was done with it all, she wanted to eat. Decision made, she turned into the Sonic that had always comforted her. Mandy Walker didn’t do pity, she didn’t do running, and she sure as hell didn’t do scared. All of those were the reasons she’d simply been avoiding anyone and everyone she knew. Especially Dalton Barnett. If it were up to her, today, she’d never see him again. Never talk to him again, and he sure as fuck wouldn’t be there when she gave birth to his child.
He hadn’t earned that right, and she was pretty sure that her dad, Liam, would knock him on his ass if he came near her. To say her baby would throw a wrench into the dynamics of the Heaven Hill MC was putting it mildly, and she’d never felt guiltier in her life. She’d never thought Dalton would ask for a leave of absence.
That, however, couldn’t bother her, because right now she needed some chili cheese fries in the worst way, and damn the man on the bike in front of her at the Sonic drive-thru. Apparently he’d ordered the whole damn menu. As her stomach clenched one more time, she honked her horn out of frustration.
It was then that the guy on the bike turned around and took off his aviators. There in front of her was the one man she was trying to avoid.
She tilted her head back against the seat and asked the question up to the sky that she constantly wanted the answer to. “Really?”
Dalton offered her a sheepish grin and a small wave, not looking the least little bit put out. She hadn’t verbally spoken to him in almost a month, but you wouldn’t know it, looking at him right now. He hadn’t really answered her texts either.
Mandy knew immediately that she couldn’t deal, and gave up her precious spot in line. Chili cheese fries be damned. After all, Bowling Green had more than one Sonic, but she had only one ounce of pride left, and Dalton wasn’t going to watch her lose it if she had anything to say about it.
Thirty minutes later, Mandy sat at the Sonic off of Scottsville Road, eating the chili cheese fries she’d wanted so badly. They were probably the best things she’d ever tasted in her life. Sighing, she wondered how long she’d be able to keep her condition a secret from her mom, dad, and everyone else in her life. As Doc Jones had reminded her, it wouldn’t be a secret for long. Several times Drew had looked at her like he knew something wasn’t right, and like he knew she was hiding something—but he hadn’t yet confronted her. For that she was grateful, because she knew as soon she came clean, and if she and Dalton couldn’t work it out, Drew would be the least of his worries. Her dad would
She felt every word that Doc Jones said to her. The tears that were always at the surface erupted past her lashes. Doc Jones was pushing, but at the same time, she knew they were all words she needed to hear. They were all truths she’d been almost refusing to face.
“I keep promising myself the tears I cry are my last, but just like everything else, it’s a lie. I can’t stop them, I can’t stop the hopelessness I feel in moments of weakness, and I can’t stop loving Dalton,” she sobbed, hiccupping and accepting the tissue Doc Jones pressed in her hands. She wiped away the wetness on her cheeks with angry movements, pissed at herself for showing emotion again. “Why is he doing this to me? We were happy.”
Doc Jones shrugged. “That I don’t know, honey, and they may be answers you never find out. Can you live with that?”
*
Can you live with that?
After her session with Doc Jones, Mandy was pissed and so tired. She was done with it all, and when she was done with it all, she wanted to eat. Decision made, she turned into the Sonic that had always comforted her. Mandy Walker didn’t do pity, she didn’t do running, and she sure as hell didn’t do scared. All of those were the reasons she’d simply been avoiding anyone and everyone she knew. Especially Dalton Barnett. If it were up to her, today, she’d never see him again. Never talk to him again, and he sure as fuck wouldn’t be there when she gave birth to his child.
He hadn’t earned that right, and she was pretty sure that her dad, Liam, would knock him on his ass if he came near her. To say her baby would throw a wrench into the dynamics of the Heaven Hill MC was putting it mildly, and she’d never felt guiltier in her life. She’d never thought Dalton would ask for a leave of absence.
That, however, couldn’t bother her, because right now she needed some chili cheese fries in the worst way, and damn the man on the bike in front of her at the Sonic drive-thru. Apparently he’d ordered the whole damn menu. As her stomach clenched one more time, she honked her horn out of frustration.
It was then that the guy on the bike turned around and took off his aviators. There in front of her was the one man she was trying to avoid.
She tilted her head back against the seat and asked the question up to the sky that she constantly wanted the answer to. “Really?”
Dalton offered her a sheepish grin and a small wave, not looking the least little bit put out. She hadn’t verbally spoken to him in almost a month, but you wouldn’t know it, looking at him right now. He hadn’t really answered her texts either.
Mandy knew immediately that she couldn’t deal, and gave up her precious spot in line. Chili cheese fries be damned. After all, Bowling Green had more than one Sonic, but she had only one ounce of pride left, and Dalton wasn’t going to watch her lose it if she had anything to say about it.
Thirty minutes later, Mandy sat at the Sonic off of Scottsville Road, eating the chili cheese fries she’d wanted so badly. They were probably the best things she’d ever tasted in her life. Sighing, she wondered how long she’d be able to keep her condition a secret from her mom, dad, and everyone else in her life. As Doc Jones had reminded her, it wouldn’t be a secret for long. Several times Drew had looked at her like he knew something wasn’t right, and like he knew she was hiding something—but he hadn’t yet confronted her. For that she was grateful, because she knew as soon she came clean, and if she and Dalton couldn’t work it out, Drew would be the least of his worries. Her dad would
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