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I jerked away from Aspen and frantically dabbed my wet eyes But Oren already stood frozen in the doorway, seeing everything The ornery grin on his face instantly dissolving, he glanced frootten he was coet help fro on?" he de" A sudden flurry ofher hands "You know us girls We cry at happy greeting cards"

Oren arched her a disbelieving glance before he turned back to aze tracked every tear that had slipped downcards"

Aspen cleared her throat and sent him a tense smile "To what do e the pleasure of your visit, Mr Tenning?"

It took a fewhis attention from me, but when he did, he still looked distracted as he turned to Aspen

Lifting a folder in his hand, he reain slashing its way across one ofher hand to her forehead, Aspen blew out a frazzled breath "I forgot" Then she frowned slightly and set her hands on her hips "And for your inforer use red ink" Then she cleared her throat discreetly "It’s green now"

One corner of his lips hitched up at her joke, but his gaze strayed back to me and his s to ask all over again rong But thank God, the ringing of Aspen’s cell phone in the charging station on the counter interrupted him

Aspen hurried to it and checked the screen before a soft srocery store and probably has a question Excuse me a moment"

As she walked stiff-backed fro after her "She’s still so formal and teacher-ish sometimes; it freaks me the fuck out" Then he turned to me and lowered his voice, "Now, seriously What the hell is wrong?"

No way could I put any of this on Oren It ay too personal and distressing andand deep for whatever we had going on between us I stood up so quickly I al to catch it, I fuirl stuff," I answered vaguely, htthem on the back of the chair "Don’t pull that bullshit on me, Caroline What the fuck happened?"

I irl stuff Do you really want the grisly details?"

"Like a heavy fuckingto scare me off Besides, I know that’s not what this is about You’re crying, and I want to knohy"

"Fine," I snapped I tried to pull rip around my wrists "I went to the doctor today forfor birth control" I could feel the challenge in aze, and I don’t knohy I put it there Maybe I was daring hi doctor’s news meant eren’t just bed buddies It meant there was more to us than just sex

But he didn’t back down "And?"

"And he had to do an exaaze, and I was once again overwhelmed with the need to cry "Shit" He closed his eyes briefly When he opened up, his hazel eyes were full of misery "The abortion messed you up down there, didn’t it?"

"Yeah" My shoulders curled in around my chest as I bowed my head and squeezed et pregnant again"

"Da into my cold, numb bones as he shifted closer Then his breath was in ently touched my shoulder, I stepped back and turned my face away "Seriously, you don’t have to--"

"Will you just shut up and coainst hi it into place against his shoulder Then his arms enfolded me, and he just held me like that

I shuddered thedeeper into hirabbed handfuls of the back of his shirt and held on for dear life

My sorrow erupted, and I started crying again, in great sobbing heaves