The man named Neal tore his gaze from Conner and looked to Jake.
“We gotta talk,” he bit out. “Private.”
Jake studied him only a moment but did it closely. He then nodded and held out a hand to the living room, which was a room that had a door, unlike the others on the bottom floor.
We trundled in, me holding back which meant Conner had to hold back and this meant I maneuvered it so that Conner and I were the last to enter the room.
I kept him well removed from Mia and her father and twisted to ask him quietly, “Please close the door, sweetheart.”
I could see by his face he was confused, perhaps a bit angry, and also very wary.
He closed the door.
When he turned back to the room, so did I.
“What’s this about?” Jake asked.
Neal didn’t delay in laying it out.
“Mia’s pregnant.”
Oh my.
He wasn’t done.
“Your boy got my girl pregnant.”
The room became stifling. I felt it coming from all directions as I watched Jake’s face turn to marble.
But I heard Conner clip, “That’s complete bullshit.”
“Mind your boy, Jake,” Neal instantly demanded in an irate rumble.
Jake turned to Conner but said nothing when Conner repeated, “It’s total bullshit, Dad.”
“I can’t believe you,” Mia hissed at this point and I looked to her.
And it was then I knew that if she was going to instigate this kind of drama in order to salvage her wounded pride and inflict pain on the one who wounded it, she should be a much better actress.
“And I can’t believe you,” Conner shot back. “You know that’s totally whacked.”
“It is not!” she snapped.
“If you’re pregnant, whose is it? ‘Cause it sure isn’t mine,” Conner returned and the air in the room grew even heavier.
“Con,” Jake said in a warning tone.
“You need to be real careful, son,” Neal just warned.
“May I ask how you know you’re pregnant, Mia?” I queried at this juncture and I saw her eyes come to me but felt her father’s do it.
“Can I ask who you are?” her father inquired.
I looked to him but Jake answered. “Neal, this is Josie Malone. She’s close to the family.”
“I wish it was better circumstances, Neal,” I said quickly but softly. “But really, it’s rather important to know the basics of what’s happening here so we can have a constructive discussion.”
“I took a pregnancy test,” Mia stated before her father could reply.
I looked to her.
“A drugstore one?” I asked quietly.
“Yes,” she answered.
“Do you have the results with you?”
Her face got hard but I noted it did this to hide the shifty. “I freaked when I got a positive and threw it away.”
“I bet you did,” Conner muttered and the air shifted again so I turned to him.
“Please, sweetheart,” was all I said.
He held my eyes and shut his mouth, his jaw going hard.
I turned back to the room and looked at Mia’s father. “I’m very sorry, Neal. I know this is extremely upsetting for everyone but I hope you can understand that if this news is indeed true, much needs to be discussed as much may change. Indeed, entire courses of the lives of very young people. We’ll have to ask for Mia to take another test so we know what we’re dealing with.”
“She says she’s pregnant,” Neal returned.
“She’s also recently sustained a break up with our Conner and I myself witnessed her behavior at the game so I know that she was understandably upset about that,” I told him and his eyes narrowed.
“Are you sayin’ my girl would make shit like this up?”
I shook my head but held his eyes.
“I’m saying that this is a volatile situation but in the end what may come of it affects all parties and thus all parties should be involved in every step of the process.” I looked to Mia. “I’m happy to go get a test right now. I’m of the understanding it takes little time to take them. You can do it here and then we can resume this discussion.”
Her face got harder but I saw her mouth move in a telling way before she stated, “I’m not takin’ another test. Taking the first one was bad enough.”
“Alas, young Mia,” I said, forcing my tone to be gentle. “With pregnancy, much will be unpleasant in the coming months. But Conner deserves to see the results.”
She tossed her hair and crossed her arms on her chest. “He doesn’t deserve anything. Playing me, knocking me up and then dumping me. He doesn’t deserve crap.”
Conner had done well with being silent and not escalating matters, but with that, he was just done.
“Not sure how I could knock you up since we haven’t had sex, Mia.”
I found this interesting and a huge relief.
Because I believed him.
Completely.
“Neal,” Jake quickly put in at this juncture. “Unfortunately we got a he said, she said situation goin’ on here and there may be an easy, quick fix. I’ll go get the test. Josie can stay here with you and Mia. Conner can go in the other room. To get to town and back, Mia takes the test, we’ll know what we’re dealing with in less than twenty minutes.”
Jake said this but Neal was staring at Conner and he wasn’t exactly furious anymore (or at least, not entirely). However, I knew him not at all. Therefore, I didn’t know what he was.
Then he looked to his daughter and his face gentled. “Just take the test, honey.”
It was then I knew what he was. He was a man who was simply a man therefore was once a teenaged boy so he knew how he’d feel if a girl’s father showed up at his doorstep with this news.
Her back shot straight as her face started to pale and she snapped, “I’m not takin’ another test.”
“It’ll take no time at all and—” Neal began.
She leaned into her father, her face twisting. “I’m not takin’ another test, Dad.”
“Mia—”
Her eyes shifted around the room and she interrupted her father to announce, “I’ll take it at home.”
“I must insist you take it here,” I stated.
“Don’t know how you can insist on anything. It’s my pee. It’s my body. And you aren’t even family,” Mia fired back.
I held her eyes and, unperturbed, replied quietly, “You know why I can insist.”
“Respect, Josie, but I’m not real big on you standin’ there callin’ my daughter a liar,” Neal said with forced calm.
Before I could say anything, Conner did.
“She’s pregnant, she shouldn’t have any problem takin’ a test. Why do you have a problem with it, Mia?”
“Because you’re a dick and I can barely stand bein’ in the same room with you. I’m not gonna hang around for twenty minutes doin’ it,” she retorted.
“Now, Neal, I’m gonna have to ask you to ask your daughter to be careful,” Jake said in his quiet, angry voice.
Neal turned to his daughter. “This isn’t easy for any of us, honey. Don’t make it harder.”
“It’s hardest for me.” She leaned toward her father and jerked her thumb to herself at her last two words.
“Actually, it’s hardest for me,” Conner stated firmly and angrily and I looked to him to see his eyes slice to Mia’s father. “Mr. Earhart, I have not had sex with your daughter. I broke things off with her and she wasn’t happy about it. Josie saw her make a scene at the game and so did my sister and her friends and probably a bunch of other people. Pretty much anyone will tell you she’s made threats to the girl I’m seein’ and made more scenes than just the one at the game. But bottom line, no lie, if she’s pregnant, it’s absolutely not mine.”