She turned on her heel and sauntered toward the kitchen.
“Mariah!”
“What?” she replied, without bothering to stop.
“What was that about?”
“Figure it out.”
Her stride didn’t falter as she turned the corner and disappeared.
“I found a place to stay for the next six weeks.” Brooke rotated in a slow circle, aiming her phone around the room to show her sister her new abode. She was proud of her find, especially since she’d managed to make all the arrangements online during her lunch break. “It’s not great, but it’s affordable. There’s a mini-fridge and a microwave, and I pay by the week.”
“I forbid you to stay there unless you buy your own sheets,” said Harper in a horrified voice, obviously not impressed with her choice. “And you’d better not walk barefoot on that carpet. It looks like something died on it.”
“Could be. There was yellow police tape all over the room when I checked in.”
“Brooke! Get out of there, right now!”
“I’m just kidding.” She was too drained to laugh at her own joke. “I went by Walmart and bought a set of sheets and some clothes.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” said Harper. “Speaking of clothes, your husband is pretty ticked that you didn’t take yours with you. Have you talked to Mr. Soul Killer yet?”
Brooke rolled her eyes at Harper’s new pet name for Cole. “I blocked him. It’ll be too hard if I talk to him. It’s better to make a clean break.”
The sigh that blasted her ear lasted for twenty seconds. “He called an hour ago and made me promise to give you a message.”
“I’d rather not hear it.” Brooke paced from one side of the tiny room to the other and back again.
“It’s about Nathan.”
She stopped in mid-step, as her stomach revolted, almost sending back her recently-consumed microwave dinner. “Fine. I’m listening.”
“Evidently Nathan knows you’re pregnant. He must’ve seen pictures and figured out he might be the father.”
Sinking onto the chair, she propped the phone up on the nightstand, noting the peeling wood veneer. “I was hoping he’d assume it was Cole’s.”
“Soul Killer’s attorney told him Nathan’s talking about his parental rights, although I can’t see him doing anything about it. He’s not going to want to pay child support.”
“He’s probably mad that I got pregnant when he swore I was sterile.”
“Maybe he thinks you were secretly using birth control all along.”
“He could be trying to blackmail Cole, hoping to get some money out of him.”
“Whatever Nathan’s up to, your husband said that’s why he was talking about delaying the divorce.”
Her paper house was falling down around her. But what had she expected?
“I’ve been hiding from my problems long enough. I need to grow up and take responsibility.” She gritted her teeth in determination. “I’ll call Nathan and tell him the truth. If I need to, I’ll have a press conference and announce I’m filing for divorce and Cole isn’t the father.”
“What about your job?”
“If they fire me now, I’ll find some way to finish my hours after the baby comes. I won’t give up. Even if it takes another year to get them done.”
“That’s the spirit, sister! But aren’t you worried you’ll hurt Soul Killer’s public image?” Harper asked, with enough sarcasm to indicate she hoped it would happen.
“If I look despicable enough, he should get plenty of public sympathy.” She felt her salivary glands working, the way they’d done in early pregnancy when she was about to throw up. “Your job is to keep me from finding out what they’re saying about me on social media. I’m going to file those divorce papers, and I know the fans are going to start hating on me.”
Harper chuckled. “That’s nothing new. They’ve been hating on you ever since you stole their man away, along with their chance to watch him every week on Millionaire Matchup.”
“You’re not helping,” Brooke said. “It’s a good thing I don’t watch television, since everyone despises me now.”
“Not everyone. Some of us despise Soul Killer instead. I can’t believe I used to crush on that guy.”
“I know you’re trying to be supportive, but I wish you wouldn’t be so upset with Cole. He’s been nothing but sweet to me. He didn’t even desert me like I thought he had.”
“He still broke your heart.”
“Not on purpose. He’s been the perfect gentleman.”
“You’re doing it again.” Harper used her accusing tone. “You’re taking all the blame, just like you did when you were married to Nathan.”
“The blame for what? For the fact that I fell for him when I knew better? Is that his fault?”
“Maybe not, but I’m mad at him anyway.”
