Chapter 4

The next morning, a photo landed on my phone.

A pregnancy test. Two red lines.

"Georgette's pregnant. Come to the shelter, let's talk about what to do."

We were never married, and I had never once touched Georgette. Whose child it was needed no explanation.

"In case you don't show, I already picked up Fluffball's ashes. I'll give them back after we talk."

The message was from Frank Gilbert.

My hands shook with rage, but there was nothing I could do.

I could only be there, on time, standing in front of them.

Rupert Henson looked happy.

Frank looked at him, unable to hide his own delight.

"I'm sorry, Drew. I didn't know you and Georgette were that kind of couple."

Tears welled in Rupert's eyes. He said it softly.

"I wouldn't dare hope Georgette could cut you off completely, but I really can't live without her."

"And I don't have any family left in this world. I really want to keep this child. Worst case, I'll take the child and start over somewhere else."

Frank chimed in.

"Drew, think of Georgette too. This is her flesh and blood."

"She's going to end up by your side sooner or later anyway. Would it really cost you anything to make room for Rupert for a while?"

I looked at him coldly and said nothing.

Then Rupert shot to his feet, his voice breaking.

"If you won't give in, I'll die right here in front of you."

He worked himself into a frenzy and bolted for the second-floor balcony.

That was the scene Georgette walked in on.

"No, Rupert!"

She lunged and threw her arms around him, terror all over her face.

"Drew James, how could you be this kind of man! Georgette, are you all right?"

Frank glared at me with pure hatred.

"You'd drive Rupert to his death. What about the baby in Georgette's belly?"

He lost it and grabbed whatever was near to hurl at me.

In the blur I saw what it was. A small urn.

Fluffball's ashes.

My heart jerked, and I ran toward him on instinct to stop it.

But Georgette saw me charging over and thought I meant to go after Rupert.

She threw both hands out and shoved me hard.

"Are you insane? What are you doing!"

There was a dull thud, and my body slammed into the edge of the railing. I flipped half over the top, nearly going straight off the overpass.

Pain tore through me and I curled into a knot on the ground, bleeding from a dozen places where I'd hit.

Several seconds passed before Georgette finally looked up, saw me sprawled there white-faced, and scrambled to call 911.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in the hospital.

Georgette sat at my bedside, her eyes red, as if she'd been crying.

"Drew, I'm sorry. I panicked, and that's why you got so badly hurt."

Her voice was hoarse.

"Seeing you lying in this bed, it kills me... I'm sorry. I promise you, once I have this child, I swear I'll have nothing more to do with him. All right?"

Before I could say a word.

Frank knocked at the door, frantic.

"Georgette, Rupert had a scare and he's running a fever. Go sit with him for his checkup first."

Georgette gave me a guilty look, but she turned and walked out of the room anyway.

Not long after, a doctor came in and said, a little reluctantly,

"Mr. James, this fall injured your lumbar spine and several bones. Recovery will take a long time, and one wrong move could leave you permanently disabled."

"Where's your girlfriend? I just tried to tell her about your condition, but... I couldn't find her."

I answered quietly.

"She isn't my girlfriend anymore."

The next day, Georgette, who'd been gone all night, left me a string of messages.

She said Rupert was fine, that he no longer needed her round-the-clock care, and that she could come see me soon.

Then she'd picked out a few adorable purebred cats, asking which one I liked, and a moment later asking what I thought of the meeting we'd arranged before.

But she didn't know I had already checked out of the hospital and boarded a flight to Switzerland. I was never coming back.