Her fingers clenched around the phone, and she held it tight to her body. Face red with anger, she shook her head. “No, no, I think I’ll text the hussy back.”

Fuck…no. She looked down and started typing something, and my body reacted out of pure, fear-based, survival-mode instinct. Rushing over to her, I simultaneously grabbed the phone with one hand and shoved her with the other. I ended up pushing her into the coat hooks along the wall, and her face flashed with pain. I hadn’t meant to hurt her, and a stab of guilt went through me. It was quickly replaced by a tidal wave of relief. She hadn’t completed the message. Gavin wouldn’t get his hopes up. And maybe one day he’d actually leave me the fuck alone.

Betrayal on her face, tears in her eyes, Kiera shook her head. “Who’s the liar now, Kellan?”

I knew what it looked like, I knew what she thought, but she was wrong, and our lies were not comparable. I shook my head at her. “This is different. This isn’t about you and me.”

Her hands went to her hips, her stance demanding. “Then tell me the truth. What are you hiding?”

A brief second of panic went through me as I contemplated how to tell her. But then, as my eyes drifted to her stomach, I remembered…I didn’t have to tell her anything. Not anymore. We weren’t together anymore, and she was still fucking lying to me. My jaw tightening, I snapped, “It doesn’t concern you and I don’t have to tell you anything anymore.”

The tears poured down her cheeks now and seeing them still sent a crack of pain through me. She tossed her hands into the air, like she was giving up. “Fine, keep your fucking secrets, Kellan.” The swear was jarring coming from her, but I didn’t let it—or her tears—weaken my resolve. She didn’t get to know about Gavin. Not anymore. She didn’t get to know anything about me anymore.

Kiera twisted to the front door, finally fucking leaving. She opened it, then paused. Half turning her head to me, she said, “And just so you know, I’m not pregnant, asshole. Anna is. Griffin knocked her up in Boise and she’s freaking out about it.” Then she stepped outside and slammed the door shut behind her.

All the air left me in a rush, and I couldn’t fucking breathe. Anna was pregnant? Anna? That thought had never once occurred to me, but it made perfect fucking sense. It matched all of Kiera’s objections, it fit the timeline, it completely evaporated all of the cruelty that had seemed so incomprehensible coming from Kiera. It completely altered our fight, completely changed the narrative. It made me seem completely…

Oh my fucking god…I was wrong. I was fucking wrong, and I just…