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PROLOGUE

Landon Downey clutched the baby nairlfriend’s dorm room door While he was certain he didn’t want to name their child Abba or Zed, he was also certain he couldn’t show up ely way they’d parted last week He should have shown up with so nicer than a book with a bent corner and a bouquet of half-dead flowers, but the twenty-four-hour convenience store on campus hadn’t offered many options

He’d been an asshole Rachel had co the stick with two blue lines she’d carried in her hand Landon had been severely hungover courtesy of a late party at Cliff’s house At the , he’d had two things on hislate Finals week had started with a bang

While he’d hustled around the house looking for his books and sing a couple of pain relievers, Rachel had followed, irate by this bit of inconvenient news, angry because birth control was “supposed to work, da a fit about how she had neither the time nor the patience to deal with a baby “I won’t sacrifice my law career for a child I didn’t plan to have!” she’d said

He’d hastily agreed while gathering his things—ad to do—but he si news she’d laid at his feet Especially when he was running on only three hours of sweaty, post-drunken sleep and before he’d had a single drop of coffee

Hindsight being what it was, he nohat he should have done He should have ditched class entirely He should have stopped rushing and given Rachel his full attention He should have reminded her they loved each other and they could work out whatever sharp curve life had thrown their way

But he hadn’t done either of those things Instead he’d agreed with her that yes, the ti was bad and yes, the birth control should have worked, and then he’d told her he’d see her after class But he hadn’t seen her that night Or the next She’d ed to avoid him the entire week

He knocked again

Finally, the door opened and her roommate, Tina, blocked the doorway, her expression a mix of fury and protectiveness “What do you want?”

Ignoring her tone, he held up the bouquet of flowers “I need to talk to Rachel”

“Maybe she doesn’t want to talk to you”