Chapter 6

After school, instead of heading straight to work like I usually do, I go to the Heartstrings offices. Gladis is the world's best matchmaker, and I need her help.

I walk into her office, and her young, blonde assistant is on the phone, so I sit down and wait. The assistant hangs up the phone and smiles at me. It does nothing for me.

"Welcome to Heartstrings Dating Agency. How can we help you fall in love?"

"No need for that, ma'am," I tell her. "I'm already very much in love."

"Too bad," she says.

"Hunter!" Gladis says, coming out of her office, coffee cup in hand.

"Hello, Gladis. I know I don't have an appointment or anything, but I was hoping you had a few minutes to spare for me." She sets her coffee cup down on the counter and pulls me into a hug.

"Of course. Come on in. Katherine, hold my calls."

"Sure thing, Boss," Katherine says, smiling at me again.

I follow Gladis into her office. She leads me to a couch in the corner. "How are you holding up, Hunter?"

"Not great, to be honest." How do you tell the love of your life's mother that you're dying on the inside?

"Did you ever figure out what you did wrong? Henry and I have been trying to figure it out but have come up with nothing."

"Why did I have to be the one to do something wrong?" I ask hotly. She lied to me. She led me to believe she didn't love me anymore. She made me think she wanted other men to touch her perfect, tanned skin. Her tight, pink pussy. She made me think that everything we shared was just a way to pass the time for her and I should take her over my knee the second she's not all fucked up from carrying my kid.

"Men usually fuck things up."

"My mother said the same thing, but I figured it out regardless."

"What is it?" she asks.

"I can't tell you, but I do need your help."

Together, we devised a plan that is guaranteed to work. It has to; I won't accept anything less. Gladis promised to keep my secrets, which is crucial in order for this to work. On my way out, she hugged me again.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing."

"I do, don't worry."

As soon as I leave her office, I walk down to the jewelry store and purchase a two-carat platinum solitaire diamond engagement ring. I've had my eye on this ring for over a year now, and buying it is step one in my Get Gwen Back plan.

At home, I had planned on telling my parents everything, but they are out, so when Heather is sitting in the living room watching TV, I realize that I hadn't spoken to her since Gwen dumped me.

"Hey, sis," I say, sitting down next to her. She turns the volume down on the tv.

"Hey, Hunter. What's up?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

"I seem to be doing nothing else these days. Shoot."

"Gwen is pregnant," I tell her, dropping what I think is a bomb.

"She finally told you?"

"Um… no… I saw her."

"Oh, okay."

"You knew?"

"Oh, yeah. I figured it out two weeks ago."

"And you didn't say anything?"

"Hell, no! I'd never betray my best friend, Hunter, not even for you. But I'm so glad we can talk about it now. What the heck are you going to do about it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, are you going to be involved in the child's life?"

"Did you seriously just ask me that?"

"I know, I know. Just thought I'd check."

There's no other outcome here. Gwen and my child are mine.