Page 303 of The Grand Duel

She’d be better at it and tell meexactlyhow to do things.

It’ll be fine.

Everything is going to be fine.

My smile drops as my heartbeat catches up with my thoughts. And then my phone sounds, ringing throughout the car.

I frown at Emily’s name on my touchscreen, clicking to accept the call.

“Hello?”

“Hi. Good morning, Charlie.” She rushes out the words. “Sorry, I know you were going to come to the hospital, but I wanted to catch you before you left. It’s umm…it’s the results. They’ve been emailed to me already, and?—”

“You have the results already?”

“Yes,” she says, her voice shaking. “I have them.”

I pull my car over, closing my eyes the second I put the handbrake on. “Are you okay?” I ask, trying to slow my mind.

She hesitates for a second. Long enough to make my heart feel like it might explode. “Yeah, I’m okay…” A lie. She’s lying. “He’s, umm…oh god, sorry.” She sniffs, as if getting upset. “He’s not yours, Charlie. He’s Jack’s.”

The air in my lungs is sucked from me, leaving me seeing stars.

“I’m so, so sorry you’ve had to go through all of this. Lissie, too. You’ve been so kind to me the entire time, and I want to thank you for that.”

He’s not mine?

I’m not the dad.

I run my trembling hands over my face. “You don’t have to thank me,” I tell Emily, knowing she’ll hear the emotion in my voice and not caring. “I’m sorry that you had to go through this, too.”

“I think I was kind of hoping that it was going to be you. As messed up as that sounds.”

I need to tell her.

I need to tell my Lissie.

With adrenaline making my legs feel like jelly, I take a second, put the car into drive, and turn around in the road.

“It’s not messed up,” I say. “I hope for your sake Jack steps up now.”

“Me, too. I’m so sorry again. Take care, Charlie, and thank you.”

“Emily,” I blurt out, swallowing the lump in my throat.

“Yes?”

I frown, knowing in my gut it’s the right thing. “Lissie and I are always here if you need support.”

“You don’t?—”

“I know. But the offer will always be there. I can only imagine how daunting this must be for you right now.”

“I’m sure we’ll be okay.”

“You will be. You’ll do great. Goodbye, Emily.”

The call cuts out and I drive on auto pilot back to the cottage, sitting in my car for a solid five minutes once I arrive.