Redeem Me (Kin #6)(28)
Author: Jennifer Foor

In every book I’d ever read love prevailed, bringing happy endings to those who deserved them. I needed a storybook ending or else my whole life was going to fall apart.

I’d worked so hard to get the best grades, and stay focused with my studies. How was I going to be able to manage school, and a newborn? How was I going to deal with Parker if he left to travel with football? Would he even want to come back to his college girlfriend who got knocked up by accident? I couldn’t stop worrying about everything surrounding this predicament. I wondered if I could ever make a choice like abortion, and if it would make all of these issues go away.

More than anything I knew I needed to talk to Parker. His opinion mattered to me, and without it I didn’t know what I was going to do. I knew enough about science to be aware that terminating a pregnancy after the first trimester was dangerous.

Why was I even considering this to be an option?

While still having my freak out, a nurse came in and asked if I needed anything. The only thing I asked for was a phone. I had to make a phone call, even if I didn’t want to.

My parents would still be at the office, so I called the main number and asked the secretary to patch me in to my mother’s line. This wasn’t something I wanted to discuss with my dad on the phone.

“Catherine Hynson.”

“Mom, it’s me.”

“Cameron, are you crying? What’s wrong?”

I hated having to say it out loud, especially after how I’d acted toward my dad. “I’m in the hospital.”

“Oh my God, are you hurt? What happened?”

“I’m okay, but they’re keeping me for a while. Can you just come here? I don’t want to be alone right now.”

“You’re scaring me, darling. Tell me what’s going on.” She paused and yelled for my father, which was very unlike her. It told me that she was worried, and frantic to get to me. It was the kind of support I needed, especially after Parker had walked out. “We’ll be there in ten minutes, Cameron. I’m just going to get your father and we’ll be on our way.”

When she hung up I sat there with the phone still in my hands. More than anything I wanted to talk to Parker. He’d been gone for a long time, and all I could assume was that he’d left and gone somewhere to be alone. It hurt me thinking about him abandoning me in a hospital. That’s the main reason that I’d decided to call my parents. I knew I couldn’t depend on Parker, since I had no clue where he was or what he was even thinking. It was important to give him space, at least for a little while, so he could come to grips with the news.

In a short amount of time my parents, whose office was extremely close to the hospital, arrived. Now I had to just find a way to tell them that I’d screwed up my life, and that I was pregnant by a guy they didn’t want me with in the first place.

Chapter 19

Parker

I’d been gone too long. As I turned the corner to enter her room I saw two people entering from the opposite direction. Their focus was on their daughter, instead of me. Before I got the nerve to walk inside the room and face her father, I stood and listened to what they were saying.

Cameron was a basket case, crying so hard that I could barely make out what she was saying. Her father’s response was clear.

“This isn’t going to happen, Cameron. Do you understand me? You’re not having this child and ruining your life. Your mother will call and schedule the appointment. Until this is resolved you’re coming home to stay with us. I won’t have that kid causing you any more stress than he already has.”

I was clenching my fists, trying so hard to hold in my anger. That was the woman that I loved. She was carrying MY child. There was no way in hell that I was going to stand by and let him make the decision for us.

“Dad, please. It’s my choice,” she argued.

“This again? Your call earlier was his idea wasn’t it? He’s been feeding you hogwash to convince you to give up on what you’ve worked so hard for. Now this?”

“You can’t control me anymore. This has nothing to do with Parker. It’s my life. This is my baby.” Hearing her say that was like a kick in the gut. There was a baby growing inside of her that we’d made out of love. This wasn’t the result of an accidental one-night stand. How dare this guy treat her like it was.

I took a step to walk inside, just as her mother was coming out. She grabbed me by the arm and pulled me away. “It’s not a good time, Parker.”

She’d never been my friend before, or treated me respectfully. One look into her eyes let me know that she was very emotional. “What are you sayin’? It’s the perfect time. I need to be there for Cameron. She needs me.”

The woman shook her head. “No, you’ve done enough. Please, just walk away from this. Let us handle things from here on out. It’s for the best.”

“The best for who? For you? That’s my girlfriend in there. I’ll be damned if I’m goin’ to abandon her.”

Her facial expression changed. This was an angry woman standing in front of me. “You don’t want to cross my husband. He’ll make it his life’s mission to ruin you, Parker. I’ve never seen him so upset. You’ve got to walk away for your own good.”

I sank down to the floor and covered my face with my hands. “You can’t ask me to do this. You can’t stand here and make threats. Cameron is an adult. She can make her own decisions.”

“You don’t understand. You couldn’t even begin to know what it’s like. She’s all he has, and he won’t stop. If you know what’s best for you, you’ll walk away.”

I looked up to see her reaching inside of her purse. She pulled out a check book, drawing my attention immediately. “What are you doing?” I stood up and watched her writing down my name on the first line. “Seriously, what is that for?”

I think I already knew what she was going to say even before she started explaining. “This buys you your freedom. Take this check and walk away from my daughter. Live your life to the fullest. Just disappear, please. You’ve done enough.”

I crumbled up the paper and tossed it in her face. She wasn’t going to f**king buy me. Her attempts to rid me of her daughter’s life were only pissing me off more. “Fuck you! I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

She reached down and picked up the balled check. “Just take the check, Parker. At least go sleep on it. If you still want to be with Cameron, then I won’t be able to stop you.”