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Prologue
Aiden
Of all the nights to ruin, she had to ruin this one–the night I asked Addison to be my wife. I can’t believe it. My chest tightens as confusion and anger wage a war inside me. I pace my apartment, practically pulling my hair out. Why is Jessie doing this to me?
Addison won’t answer my fucking calls, and I can only imagine what she must think. Five sets of eyes watch me wear a hole in my floor as I walk back and forth. Cuss words fly out of my mouth as my feet drag across the hardwood floor.
“Aiden …” Ryan clears his throat from the couch and leans forward on his knees. “Are you sure you didn’t—”
“What the fuck kind of question is that? I think I know where I dipped my stick,” I grit through my clenched teeth. He knows what Addison means to me. I would never have cheated on her.
His eyes bore into me like he knows something. Clue me in, asshole, because I don’t know where you’re going with this.
“Aiden, you saw Jessie eight months ago.”
“I fucking did not,” I bark, crossing my arms over my chest.
He stands up, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “When I came to the beach house, when you decided to use the walls as a punching bag…when I got there, Jessie was leaving the house and she made it pretty clear you two had just finished fucking.”
“What the hell? I don’t even remember seeing her.”
Ryan shrugs one shoulder. “You were so shitfaced when I got there, I’m surprised you remember anything.”
“If I was that bad, I’m positive I wouldn’t have been able to fuck anyone.” I drop onto the couch and slouch back against the cushion, rubbing my hands over my face. A bitter laugh escapes my lips. “Back when Addison first met Jessie, she said she wouldn’t be surprised if Jessie showed up one day saying she had my child. I was mortified. I never thought Jessie would do something like that.” I stare up at the ceiling, shaking my head. “Fuck, was I wrong.”
Addison
“I warned him she’d end up doing something like this…” I walk into my apartment, pull my shoes off, and chuck them across the room. “I knew something was off with her. She was up to something.” A deep growl comes out as I stomp around. Harper, Sydney, and Bryn sit down in the living room.
“Do you think there’s any way she’s telling the truth?” Bryn asks.
I stop pacing and look at all of them. Tilting my head, I think about it for a minute. I guess I hadn’t thought that it might actually be a possibility. She certainly looked pregnant. I remember Ryan saying she left town around the time I was kidnapped, but Aiden told me he didn’t see her when he was at the beach house.
“I think she’s lying.” I cross my arms over my chest. “I mean, she’s obviously not lying about being pregnant, but I don’t think it’s Aiden’s.”
“Are you sure?” Harper asks hesitantly, biting her lip.
“Do you know something I don’t?”
“Well…when Jessie made her announcement I was standing next to…” she pauses, trying to remember a name, “…Jessie’s best friend, I think.”
“Macie.”
“Yes, Macie. Right after the announcement, I said, ‘There’s no way Aiden cheated on Addison…’” she winces, “…and her reply was, ‘Well, it could be…they did get together at the beach house before she took off.’”
My eyes bulge out, and I clench my hands into fists. “What!” I snap. My gaze darts around the room. When I spot my purse on the floor by the door, I scurry over and frantically dig through it. “Where the hell is my phone?” I glance around the room and everyone shrugs. “Can this night get any worse?” I scream, falling to the floor. “I need someone’s phone.”
Syd walks over and hands me her phone, looking apologetic. I take a few breaths before dialing his number. There has to be an explanation. Jessie is lying; I just need to prove it.
“Syd, where is Addison?” Aiden answers right away.
“It’s me. We need to talk.”
Chapter one
Living in limbo somehow makes the world slow down. Every day feels like it’s never going to end and when it finally does, the next day you wake up just to start all over again. Sitting at my dining table, I bring a spoonful of warm, cinnamon raisin oatmeal to my mouth and mull over the night two weeks ago that changed everything.
Aiden swears he didn’t see Jessie, but Ryan says she was there; he actually physically saw her. Is there a possibility the child is his? Aiden’s not sure. His uncertainty is driving a wedge between us. Although, I’m not the one backing away this time. It’s him. I place my hand flat on the wood table and stare at my gorgeous ring.
