Chapter 8

I’d been right to hold off on telling Mom. After getting home, I stopped by the kitchen for a snack and heard tears through her bedroom door, my heart aching to hear her grief. I quickly texted Annie and went in to check on her, but after seeing her so upset, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t bring myself to tell her. Tucker would have to understand.

What he definitely didn’t understand was all of the flowers Zane kept leaving in my locker again when we got back to school.

“Crap.” I slammed my locker shut only seconds after opening it, and Emma jumped.

“What? Wait, don’t tell me he did it again.”

“Yes.” I groaned. “I’ve been throwing them away so far. I don’t know how he’s not getting the message.”

“What was it this time?”

“A sunflower. Which is actually Annie’s favorite.” I laughed. He’d love to know that.

“Give it to her then.” Emma shrugged.

“Something from Zane? Annie would kill me. Metaphorically, of course, but she can’t stand him.”

“Then, here.” Emma opened my locker and handed the flower to some random guy that passed. “Give that to your girlfriend.” She swung my locker closed and clapped her hands together like she was brushing off dust. “There. Problem solved.”

“Oh, my God, I love you.” I half-laughed, shaking my head.

“Well, duh. Now, grab your books so we can get to class.”

Still laughing, we headed to sixth period and took our seats on the right side of the room near the middle, chatting with a few other friends until the bell rang for class to start. But about halfway through class, I got this weird sense that something was wrong. Still thinking about Mom from the other night, I got a pass to go to the bathroom, wanting to give her a call, and rushed down the hall, my heels clacking on the linoleum in the mostly deserted hallway. I hurried past a few people huddled around a locker as I turned the corner and ran smack into someone’s chest.

Why does that keep happening to me? I reached up to rub my nose, and my eyes widened as I finally took in the familiar chest and shoulders in front of me.

“Whoa, you okay?” Zane grabbed my arms like I needed steadying.

“I’m fine.” I stepped back, my nerves now alert, only the two of us in the hall. And whoever had been around the corner. I wondered if they’d come if I called out. Yeah, don’t overreact, Isabel. You’re at school. What’s he going to do?

You didn’t think he’d do anything that other night either…

Crap. My fingers found the bottom of my top, rubbing along the hem as my other hand reached for my phone I’d tucked in my back pocket.

Zane’s gaze followed my movement, and he frowned. “You don’t trust me, do you?”

“Really? After what you did that night, you expect me to?”

“It was one time, Izzy, and that week…” He trailed off, something passing over his face that actually made me pause.

“That week what?”

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he blinked back tears. I frowned, some stupid inner part of me too tempted to take pity on him for a moment.

“Whatever happened that week doesn’t excuse the things you did, Zane.” I softened my voice slightly. “There’s no coming back from it.”

“Don’t say that.” He stepped forward, that insecurity I’d seen in his black-as-sin eyes now fueled with anger. I stepped back on instinct, but he grabbed my wrist. My breaths instantly went shallow, the world around me moving as sounds and smells shifted into that night from several months ago.

“Shit.” I vaguely heard as someone grabbed my shoulders. “Izzy, I’m sorry.”

I blinked, Zane coming back into focus, and I clutched my wrist to my chest. “Yeah, you did it that night, too.”

Blinking back my own tears, I slipped around him and into the bathroom before he could follow. The last stall door was wide open, and I ran inside, latching it behind me. I leaned back against the wall and slid down to the floor, staring at my knees as I struggled to catch my breath.

I had to get a grip. I had to figure out how to deal with this. I was tired of this happening, of having to feel this way when even something normal happened. Not that dealing with Zane should have to be normal, but…

Forcing myself to shrug it off, I was about to get up, realizing I had to pee, when I heard the door to the restroom push open, and someone came in sobbing. I frowned, about to check on them, but then froze when I heard Phoenix’s voice.

“Lisa, you have to tell us what’s the matter. What happened?”

“Yeah, we can’t help you if we don’t know.”

“You can’t help me.”

“Not if you don’t let us,” Larissa tried again.

“No, you don’t get it. You can’t help me.”

“Why not?”

I heard a rustling from a bag before there was a clink, like something was thrown in the sink.

“Oh, my God.” Phoenix gasped. “Is that a pregnancy test?”

“Yes.” Lisa sobbed.

“And it’s positive? Two lines means positive, right?” Larissa added.

“Yes.”

“Shit…” Phoenix puffed out a breath of air. “Do you know whose it is?”

“Tucker’s.”

My heart stopped, my whole world spinning to a standstill. I thought I had to pee before, but now, I was just sick, my stomach rolling. I sat frozen, listening to the conversation that was changing my life forever.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, he’s the only one I’ve been with for months, but now he’s with that bitch, Izzy. Shit. What am I going to do?”

“You’re going to tell him. This is his baby, too,” Larissa encouraged. “No matter what he has going on with Izzy, he can’t ignore this. What you shared with Tucker was special. You said it yourself. Hell, I’ll bet he even dumps Izzy.”

“Or she dumps him. I mean, no offense, who wants this drama with their boyfriend?”

Oh, God.My stomach rolled all over again, and I scrambled to the toilet, officially throwing up my lunch. Flushing, I knew there was no use hiding anymore. I pushed open the stall door, and three shocked faces focused on mine in the mirror. With all the dignity I could muster, I grabbed a paper towel to clean the edges of my mouth.

“Congratulations.” I had no idea why I said it, but I walked out of that bathroom with my head held high. My legs shook, feeling like rubber the entire way back to class. Emma tried to get my attention a few times, but I was lost, gone in my thoughts so far that I was spiraling. Because how in the world were Tucker and I supposed to get through this? We’d just started. It was like we hadn’t even gotten a chance.

Tears filled my eyes, and I darted from class the second the bell rang. Which was stupid because my last class had Lisa and Tucker. Oh, God. I’d have to watch the two of them together this year. Watch as the guy I loved had a baby growing in another girl’s body. Watch as Tucker had to care about her. Or at least about the baby. What did that mean for us?

“Izzy?” Tucker asked, sinking to his seat, and I blinked, honestly half wondering when I’d gotten to class. It was such a blur. He pulled my seat up to his, and the tears started to fall again. I ducked my head. I couldn’t even look at him. “Izzy, tell me what’s wrong.” He ran his hand back through my hair, tucking a lock behind my ear. It felt good even as it ached, feeling his touch.

“Not now,” I whispered.

He grunted in frustration, but when I still refused to answer, he said, “After class, then.”

I looked up as Lisa came to the doorway, and her eyes locked on mine like she was daring me to tell. “After class,” I agreed.

Which was torture in and of itself, sitting in that room with the both of them, like a freaking taste of what this year was going to be. How was I going to tell him? Shouldn’t Lisa tell him? Of course, now that I knew, I couldn’t not tell him. He’d be furious if I held it from him. I didn’t want to hold it from him. Just these forty-five minutes were eating me alive. Both for the secret and for knowing that the clock kept ticking that much faster to the moment I might lose him.

The second the bell rang I ran out of class.

“Izzy, will you wait?!” Tucker kept right on my heels.

I felt a buzz from my phone, knowing it was Annie.

“Not yet.”

“Yes, yet.” Tucker grabbed my hand, pulling me to a stop. He cupped my cheeks, wiping away the tears I didn’t remember leaking. “What’s wrong? Tell me, please.”

I shook my head, my lips trembling. “It’s so messed up, Tucker. We just got started.”

“Okay, you’re really scaring me now. What are you talking about?”

I bit my lip, pressing down so hard I was surprised there wasn’t blood, knowing I had to bite the bullet. “Lisa’s pregnant. It’s yours.”

Tucker froze.

It took a minute to get through the shock, but then I watched as all of the emotions played over his face.

“What?” he eventually strangled out.

“She’s pregnant, Tucker.” I choked back a sob. “She had a test.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s mine, Izzy,” he argued, denial clearly the name of the day.

“Not according to her.” I shook my head, everything in me welling up. Fear and desperation swirling inside me. For Tucker. Me. Us. I stepped back, and I watched the panic flicker through Tucker’s eyes, but I just couldn’t right then. It was too much.

I spun away, finding Annie and Jet walking up, my sister’s expression telling me she already knew something was wrong.

“Keys. Please,” I choked, holding out my hand to Jet. They appeared in a second, and Annie snatched them, grabbing my hand to pull me along to the parking lot.

“Get in. We can talk on the way home, or would you rather we just take a drive?”

“I have dance.”

“Izzy.”

“I need to dance, Annie.” There was enough force and desperation in my voice that she didn’t argue. We slid in, shoving our bags into the tiny back seat, and Annie revved the engine before heading out of town.

The world rushed by my window, my eyes fixed on the trees, fields, and brush that were still brown from the Texas summer heat, but I saw none of it, lost in my thoughts. The purr of the engine did its best to calm the turbulence whirling inside me, but we were already entering Summer Ridge before I was ready to speak.

Annie’s leg fidgeted, her fingers tapping the wheel in her best attempt at patience. I actually felt the hint of a smile when I noticed, loving her for trying for me.

Fireworkby Katy Perry was playing softly through the radio, and I laughed at the thought of what Jet would say to that on in his car. It was only internally, though. Nothing I was about to say was funny.

“Lisa’s pregnant.”

Annie sucked in a breath, her head whipping to face mine. It only took half a second of reading the look in my eyes for her to believe it. “Holy shit. Damn. Crap. Fuck, how’s Tucker?” She went back and forth between watching the road and me.

“In shock. Denial. I don’t know. I was overwhelmed.” I sighed. I was a completely shitty, awful girlfriend. “I shouldn’t have left him.”

“You needed to process,” Annie offered, but I could tell through her tone she agreed with me.

“Should we head back?”

Her face scrunched for a minute before she shook her head. We were already pulling into the lot of the dance studio. “You have work, and you need to dance. I know you. Text him. Apologize. Y’all can talk tonight. He needs to deal with Lisa first, anyway.”

I nodded, shooting Tucker a text before getting out of the Mustang.

Annie rolled down the window before I went inside, sticking her head out. “Hey, sis. Couldn’t she just be lying? I mean, it’s Lisa.”

God, how I wished she was. “Didn’t sound like it.”

I pushed through the door and went down the hall to mine and Leo’s regular studio, ducking into the bathroom to change. When I came out, I found Leo coming in, his own dance bag tossed over his shoulder.

“Shit. You look like hell,” he greeted.

“Thanks. And no, I don’t want to talk about it.”

He nodded, pressing a button on the stereo remote. “Then we won’t.”

I watched Izzy walk away, but I was still too stunned to move. It wasn’t until Jet came up that I seemed to snap back to reality.

“Dude, what’s going on?”

“Lisa.”

This bullshit she was pulling wasn’t going to fly. I took off for the parking lot, making it just in time to watch the twins pull out in Jet’s Mustang. My eyes swept the area, spotting Lisa with Phoenix and Larissa as they headed to her car.

“Lisa! What the hell?!” I called out, getting her attention as I crossed the parking lot. I was putting an end to this now.

“What a wonderful way to speak to the mother of your child,” she sassed back, a hand on her cocked hip. Larissa and Phoenix flanked her sides.

“You are not the mother of my child,” I grated, trying to keep my voice down as others stopped to watch. “What the hell are you trying to pull?”

“Nothing. I’m not pulling anything. We slept together, Tucker. Shit happens. So, like it or not, I’m pregnant. Congratulations, Daddy.”

She spun around and opened her door, the three of them disappearing inside her car while I was still trying to process that comment. That word. Because I didn’t believe her for a fucking minute. But fuck if it didn’t still scare me shitless.

My heart was racing, blood pumping through my veins so fast it was like I could feel it. I’d done everything I could for years to keep from something like this happening. All aside from abstaining. Which I’d done up until fucking spring break when that harpy had cornered me at my worst moment. Something she’d somehow pulled off twice.

“What are the chances?” Jet asked from my side, ready to have my back as always. He was already weighing everything, picking it apart in his head. The voice of reason.

“Really fucking slim,” I answered, shooting a warning glare at all the people still staring, phones already in some of their hands while they texted. Fuck, it’s going to be all over school by morning at this rate. My own damn fault for trying to deal with Lisa like I had.

Jet nodded. “Well, at least there’s that. Look, I really don’t want to ditch you, but I’ve got to head to practice.”

“I know.” I sighed. “Do what you can about some of this rumor mill?”

“On it.” He took off, and I headed to my truck, needing my own outlet to process before I did anything else stupid.

I ended up at the park, grabbing my basketball and gym bag from the back seat. I ran drills at the court, shooting baskets and running plays until I didn’t have to think. Until it was all nothing but white noise in the back of my head, my thoughts finally just a faint buzzing in the background. I ran home for a quick shower, scarfing down a bowl of some of last night’s leftovers, and was out the door again in less than fifteen minutes.

Lisa, I’d figure out how to deal with. It was how Izzy reacted that I couldn’t let go. She’d left. She’d dropped a bombshell on me and then just taken off. I wasn’t even mad. I knew she was overwhelmed. Probably scared as hell. For me. For us. She’d needed to process just like I had. But something in my gut told me if I didn’t reach out to her, she’d pull away. She’d try to hide just like she did when my cousins pulled their shit.

Shit, can it not just be easy for us?

My jaw clenched in frustration. We’d been together just a few weeks, and there’d already been so much to handle. I’d promised to protect her, and all the drama that kept pummeling down on us was my fault. Every bit of it. But I refused to let her go. Even if this Lisa shit turned out to be true, Izzy was meant for me. I just knew it, and I’d fight for us, whatever it took.

“I’m looking for Izzy Donovan?” I asked the front desk when I reached the dance studio. I’d seen her text on the way over, which made me feel a little bit better, but I was not leaving without seeing her. “I’m her ride,” I added. Not that I’d planned it that way, but when I didn’t see Jet’s Mustang outside, I knew Annie hadn’t stayed.

A curvy, middle-aged brunette pointed down the hall on the right. “She’s in studio number four.”

“Thanks.” I ducked my head in a thank you nod and headed down the hall. From what I could tell, there were six studio rooms down this side. Izzy’s was right in the middle on the left. I knew it had to be soundproofed because the door was closed, and I couldn’t hear even a beat from the bass inside. I knocked before opening and found Izzy and a guy who had to be Leo in the middle of a routine.

I’d seen him in pictures before. Decent height with a lean yet muscular build. He had dark curls and slightly tanned skin, just a shade or two lighter than Jet’s. Izzy had always sworn they were just friends, and I’d never gotten any other vibes, but as I watched them dance, I had to remind myself that that’s all it was. Even if his hands sometimes went places that made my blood want to boil, I couldn’t let it get to me. They danced. This was their thing. I would never want to take it from her because I was being a jealous ass.

I took a seat on the stacked mats in the back corner, watching. Each time they paused to discuss a set of moves and all the run-throughs they did until they had it perfect. That ounce of jealousy I’d had when I walked in slipped away. Because it really was just business for them.

Izzy’s eyes caught mine in the mirror a few times. So did Leo’s. I could see the questions in his, but he never asked. They just stayed on task, reaching for their goals. And they were incredible. I thought that I had talent. Izzy with Leo? They were going places.

When they finally finished, it was late, well past eight o”clock. They headed to their water bottles and wiped the sweat from their brows and chests. Leo walked over first while Izzy dug in her bag. He ran a hand back through his curls and held out a hand, a subtle, confident swagger in his step.

“Hey, man. I’m Leo.”

“Tucker.” I got up to shake his hand. His eyes followed, his head tilting back as I stood to my full height.

“Damn. Izzy said you were tall.” He laughed. “You here to give her a ride? I’d offered, but if you’re here…”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind. She and I really need to talk.” He winced, and I quickly corrected. “Not like that. Just…something went down at school today.”

His brow raised in recognition. “Yeah, I could tell something was up. Let me just grab my stuff, and I’ll get out of here. Good to meet you.”

“You, too.”

When he left, Izzy was still by her bag. I sat back on the mats, wondering how long she’d try to avoid me, but she met my gaze in the mirror, nothing but an apology begging through in her eyes.

I held out my hand, and she rushed over, letting me pull her into my arms. All the tension in my body immediately began to ease. I could deal with Lisa’s bullshit, but I couldn’t lose her.

“I’m so sorry,” she started. “I never should’ve left you like I did. I sprung it on you and then—”

“It’s fine.” I rubbed her back, reassuring. “I know you were freaking out. Just swear that you’re not leaving me, and we’ll be okay.”

She looked at me like I was crazy and then curled into a ball at my side, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. “I don’t want to leave you. I just…hell, Tucker, what does this even mean? For you? For us? How messed up is this going to be with another girl carrying your child while you’re dating me? We’re in freaking high school.”

“You mean if she’s even carrying my child.”

“She had a test, Tucker. Girls can’t just magically make one turn positive.”

“Did you see it?”

“No, but I heard Larissa and Phoenix’s reactions when they did.”

I winced slightly at that but forced myself to shrug it off. “That still isn’t proof. Not to me. They could’ve planned it, letting you overhear or something.”

“How?” Izzy raised an eyebrow, giving me a disbelieving look.

“I don’t know.” I ran a hand back through my hair in frustration. “It’s fucking Lisa. Both times I slept with her, I was at my weakest, and she pounced. And trust me, the chances that she’s pregnant are really slim.”

“How do you know?”

“Because every time I’ve had sex in the past, I’ve used a condom and pulled out. I told you a while back I wasn’t taking chances with my future.”

Izzy frowned. “You haven’t pulled out with me.”

I stared into her eyes, needing her to see everything I meant. “Because no other girl was you.”

She flushed, a small, crooked smile gracing her lips. “What are we going to do, Tucker?” She sighed, laying her head on her knees.

I ran my thumb along her temple, brushing some of the sweat soaked baby fine strands away from her eyes. “I’ll handle it.”