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I shake s ended badly, but even if they hadn't, the point is, it ended Both of us drew some lines in the sand Some pretty harsh words were spoken"

"What did Lucas say to you?" Jules asks with eyes blazing

I shake ain

"What did he say?" she grits out

An overwhel that the terrible things that Lucas said are probably true But maybe they're not, and I think it would be nice to have one person believe in me So I take the risk and open myself up It's what Lucas has been after to ht?

"He told me I eak," I whisper as my eyes lower to the table "Said he felt sorry for our kid and that I was going to fuck up its life the way my parents did to me"

Jules gasps and her face mottles red "That little fucker"

Holding ht"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Steph," Jules barks atand he's an asshole to have said that to you"

My head shakes in denial, which I'ood at "You don't knowup and howhow defective I am I'll probably screw this kid up the way I was screwed up"

"Bullshit," she hisses at nant by mistake The easiest course for you to have taken was to have an abortion Instead you tracked down Lucas and told hi it on your own if that's what it took Aht?"

Reluctantly, I nod

"That's because you love that baby inside of you," she presses in a softer voice "In fact, I'nancy test was positive"

That's so very true

"TellLucas aside, what are the things you think about when you think about raising your child?"

There's only one answer to that question, as I've thought about this a lot "I' my parents did"

Jules's lips curve upward and she nods at reat mom"

I s me up At least I have one person who thinks I can do this, and that makes all the difference in the world to me

Chapter 23

Lucas

"Don't you think you ought to slow it down a bit?" Simone says to me as I take a sip of my fifth Jack and Coke Or is it my sixth?

"Is it rude to tell rowl at her as I lean an elbow on the bar and survey the place My eyes lock on a blonde across the small dive bar we stopped at because it was too early to hit the dance clubs She gives et very lucky if I just walk across to talk to her

"It's coer out on me"

"You don't knohat you're talking about," I o from buzzed to drunk off my ass It's been the only state of mind where I've had any peace the last feeeks

"I know you've been sla you out on the carpet," she pushes back at me "I can't believe you said that to Stephanie"

So now everyone's on Stephanie's side now Just fucking great

I drain ive a chin lift to the bartender to pournu sister, I aet about the way Jules went at ht

Simone, Van, and I had stopped by Max and Jules's house for dinner with plans for going out later that night club hopping We have fourSunday and I wanted to blow off soet laid It ay past time

The h, Jules came at ot the entire scoop on ent down between us This, of course, included Stephanie running her trap with the details of the words we'd exchanged

"You're a fucking asshole," Jules said to me when I walked into the kitchen My first reaction was to look around to make sure the kids hadn't heard, but they were nowhere to be found