“If that baby’s mine, I have a right to know,” he retorted, his voice starting to climb.

“I was under the impression that you already know the answer to that. You certainly carried on as if you did when you dropped in on my parents last night.”

He didn’t look even vaguely chagrined by the reminder of his outrageous behavior on her parents’ doorstep. “I want to hear it from you,” he snapped. “I want to hear why you kept it from me. If I am that child’s father, I should have been told about her way back when you first discovered you were pregnant. I had a right to know. We should have been making decisions together.”

Melissa met his gaze unflinchingly. “You gave up any rights the day you left town without so much as a goodbye. You never got in touch. I didn’t know where you were. How was I supposed to let you know?”

“Jordan knew where I was, but you made damned sure he wouldn’t tell me, didn’t you?”

“Because your leaving town the way you did told me everything I needed to know about how you felt about me. What was the point of dragging you back so you could tell me to kiss off?”

She could almost see his patience visibly snap.

“Dammit, Melissa, you know that I had more than enough cause to go,” he practically shouted, slamming his fist into a box and sending it crashing to the floor. Judging from the shattering noise it made, it was the glasses Eli had bought to replace the supply she’d broken only the day before.

Eli opened the door a crack and peered inside, his expression anxious. “Everything okay back here?”

“Fine,” Cody and Melissa said in unison. The response wasn’t very heartfelt from either of them.

Eli glanced at the box on the floor and shook his head wearily. He backed away without comment and shut the door.

Throughout the interruption, Cody had kept his gaze fastened on her face, sending color flooding into her cheeks. “You know I’m right,” he said more quietly the instant they were alone again. “You cheated on me.”

She had known from the beginning that that was what he believed. She had even wanted him to believe it...up to a point. Even so, it hurt to hear him say it. “Still jumping to conclusions, I see. That was always one of your worst habits, Cody.”

He shoved his fingers through his thick hair again. “Jumping to conclusions,” he repeated incredulously. “Did you or did you not sleep with my best friend?”