“You will learn to love me, Owen. I’m going to be the best mother to this baby, and for better or for worse, you will be in my life for the next eighteen years at least.” She sniffled, then repeated with conviction, “You will learn to love me.”

Something broke inside me. I knew it didn't matter what I said. Everly was so entirely selfish that the only voice she heard was her own.

I was calm. Too calm. I felt like I was on autopilot as I slowly rose to my feet and turned for the door. As I went to pass her, I paused mid-step.

I didn’t yell or curse. I simply gave her the truth as I knew it.

“No, I won’t. I want to be clear on this. We will never have a romantic connection. I will never fall in love with you. Don’t wait around hoping that will happen because you will only be left disappointed.”

“But, Owen, I… I love yo—”

Her bullshit declaration was severed as my raging eyes cut to her teary ones. “You think those words mean something coming out of your mouth? You think your confession carries any weight after the damage you have dealt—not only to me but also to your so-called friend, Alexis?”

I leaned closer, my lips barely an inch away from her face as I gave her the words I had once received and subsequently wrecked me forevermore. “Your touch feels like poison. Your words are laced with venom. And any love that you ever give will only rot someone to their very core. Now, why would I want any part of that?”

Finally, my sincerity seemed to penetrate through her obnoxiousness as understanding engraved her expression.

I stepped back and launched for the exit.

“I’m sorry,” I heard her sputter from behind me.

I didn’t even turn my head as I set her straight. “I will never forgive you. Never.”

Over those next four weeks, we hardly conversed after I practically told her I would hate her forever, but we also had to be civil for the baby.

My life had turned into a comedic timeline of errors. Stress continued to chip away at me as I constantly ruminated on all the ways I had messed up. But no matter how I replayed my previous encounters with Everly, I couldn’t pinpoint where it all went wrong. Where she even got the notion that I was remotely interested in her in that way. I almost found it bizarre, my instincts blaring at me to take note.

I rubbed at my lagging eyes as I drove home from another double shift, spontaneously pulling into a group of shops. I hadn’t noticed that I’d missed dinner again—an omission that was becoming all too frequent.