Page 135 of Extra Dirty
I jump up from my chair and usher him into the room. “Shh,” I hiss, shutting the door. “Keep your voice down.”
Carter glares at me. “You married Hanson.”
Searching the ceiling for patience, I count to ten. It’s been weeks since I’ve seen my brother, and he’s yet to apologize for the way he spoke to me last time. “It’s really none of your business. Is that all you came for?”
“Fuck, Cat.” Carter slumps in his chair and drops his head in his hands. “Chloe’s your daughter, isn’t she?”
My heart drops to the floor, and I sway. In all the years my brothers have known Chloe, they’ve never asked. Honestly, they’d have to be blind not to realize. She looks more and more like our mother every day.
Jaw tight, I nod.
“And Hanson’s her father.”
“You can’t tell anyone,” I plead.
“Why? Why all the secrets? And why did you marry him? Is he blackmailing you? Has he threatened to take Chloe away? Because we’ll fight him, Cat. We’ll protect you both.” Carter pulls at his hair.
The look of desperation on his face has my walls crumbling around my feet. I settle in the seat next to him and pull on his knee, forcing him to face me. “No. I love Jay, and he loves me. And Chloe. We’re happy, Carter. Happier than I ever thought possible.”
Carter’s face pinches like he’s in pain. “But how? He’s…fuck, Cat, you don’t know what he did back then.”
I settle back in my chair. “I do. I know everything.”
“So then you know he used you. That he got Mia pregnant and threatened to—.”
Shaking my head, I let out a loud sigh. “He didn’t do those things. Carter, Mia hadyourbaby. Her child is your mystery child.”
My brother’s mouth drops open, and his eyes go wide. “I—fuck—seriously? You’ve known?”
Biting my cheek, I rack my brain for a way to explain who Mia was to me. And why it’s taken me so long to come to terms with the knowledge that my brother had sex with her. Even if he didn’t know who she was to me.
There’s no delicate way to word the truth, so I jump in with both feet. “Mia…well, she was my Mia before she was yours.”
Carter scowls. “She was nevermyMia. We hooked up once.” He drops his chin and shakes his head. “And we have a kid,” he whispers. “Fuck. Do you know where my child is?”
“I’m sure Jay can find out.” I shrug. “That’s not really the point.”
Carter glares at me. “I’ve got a kid out there—”
I hold up my hand. “I get it. You want to know your child. And learning about him or her years later has been painful. Jay and I went through the same thing. So I’m not discounting that. But can you let me get through this?”
Carter huffs, but he sits back quietly, signaling for me to continue.
“Mia was my best friend in high school—”
“She wasthatMia?”
“Yeah.”
“Fuck,” he mutters, running his hand through his hair again. “Cat, I never would have—”
“I know. I just…it took me a minute to wrap my brain around what she did. Back then, she was a user. She was great at manipulating people. And I have no idea what went down between you two. But I’m sorry I didn’t tell you as soon as I found out. I was just—”
“Pissed,” my brother answers for me.
I let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, pissed.”
“I was an asshole. I’m really sorry, Cat. I just—fuck, I fucked up.”