Page 80 of Savage Heart

“I know. I hear you, but I’m not sure I want to give a baby up. I just took the test. Give me a minute to think about it.”

He sits back down and takes my hands. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” He shakes his head and then drops his forehead to my shoulder. “I’m sorry.” He takes a deep breath. “We’ll think about it and keep talking, okay?”

I nod. “Okay.”

He kisses my cheek and stands. “Love you.”

“I love you too.”

He walks to the door and looks back at me once more before walking out. His eyes are rimmed red, and he looks devastated, but I don’t try to stop him. I need some time to think.

I pick up the test again and stare at it.

A baby.

It seems like as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I got morning sickness.

If only it was just a morning thing. I feel like I could throw up all day long.

And Lincoln’s attitude has just made it worse. We couldn’t stop arguing at the farewell party for him and Maverick at the ranch today.

Maverick . . . I haven’t told him yet, and I can’t bear the thought of it.

I can’t imagine what he’s going to think of me.

I finally just asked Lincoln to take me home because I was sick of having it out with him. We’ve never argued, but ever since we found out about the baby, we’re at complete odds. I want to keep the baby, and he doesn’t know how I can even consider it. He doesn’t know this, but I’m not going to school anymore. I’ll keep working at Prairie Rose and hope to God my mom will let me stay with her.

“We need to stop by the party out at the Jensen place. Everyone’s expecting us, and I told Maverick we’d meet him there,” he says.

“You can go without me.”

“We’re leaving in the morning. You can’t miss it.” His mouth is in a thin line, and I sigh.

“I know. Okay, let’s go.”

“Just a few minutes. We don’t have to stay long, okay?” He’s already driving toward the old abandoned property.

“Come on, Iris,” he says softly when he parks. “This is the last time we’ll all be together for a long time. I don’t want to fight with you.”

“I don’t want to fight with you either,” I say.

I lean my head on the headrest and turn to smile at him.

“We’re gonna be okay, right? No matter what happens?” he asks.

“We have to be,” I tell him.

He reaches out and takes my hand, squeezing it. “We have to be,” he echoes.

His eyes are sad when we get out of the car. We walk toward the bonfire. I fill a red cup with ginger ale when no one is looking and watch Lincoln get drunker and drunker as the night goes on. After I’ve thrown up twice, I convince him to take me home. I know if I asked Maverick to take me home, I’d spill, and I don’t want him hearing about the baby the night before he leaves for school.

“I should drive,” I tell him.

“No, you’re throwing up every other minute. I’ve got this.”

I should do a better job of talking him out of it, but I throw up one more time by the car, and he looks at me like, See what I mean?

I keep my eyes closed on the drive but open them to tell him to slow down, and the next thing I know we’re spinning so fast, and there’s a loud crash.