Replace Me (Kin #2)(10)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“Have you called Ashley?”

“I don’t have her damn number, man. Before that night, I’d barely said two words to her. Can’t we just give her money for an abortion? I mean, the shit with Ford is over, so she doesn’t have a reason to keep it, right?”

I put my hand on his shoulder, realizing that I was his only hope. “We’ll figure it out. Give me a couple days to talk to Ash. I think since she’s had some time for it all to sink in, she’ll change her mind about keepin’ the baby.”

Parker, in front of the whole courtyard, pulled me in for a hug. “Thank you.”

“I’m proud of you. You’re goin’ after your dreams and I envy that. We’ll figure things out. I promise.”

Parker’s face remained the same. “What if she won’t change her mind?”

“I’ll handle it. You stay here and focus on school. I’ll do whatever I have to. It’s all goin’ to work out for you.”

He smiled quickly and then shook his head. “I hope you’re right, bro. I can’t lose everythin’ that I’ve worked so hard for. Dad would f**kin’ kill me and I’d hate myself.”

“Just don’t tell anyone, especially Peyton.” We shook hands as I put on a fake smile and pretended that his life wasn’t about to change.

I couldn’t guarantee that, though. In fact, I had no idea how this was all going to play out. By putting my foot in my mouth, I was setting things into stone before I could even gather what was coming next. In order to protect my brother, I was digging myself into a deeper hole with my father.

I feared that this couldn’t possibly end well.

My family stayed and watched Parker play in his first college football game that weekend. I avoided my parents and pretended that everything was okay in the world, when inside I felt like it was all falling apart. This was no longer about me losing Lacey, or making mistakes.

I had to get Ashley to abort the pregnancy. Neither of them were capable of being parents at this point in their lives. Without Ford, I figured she wouldn’t want to continue with it anyway.

There was still a chance that she did, though. In that case, things would become even more complicated.

I waited until I got home to meet up with Ash. Instead of being in public, where people could see us, we met at an old abandoned farm on the outside of her town, since she wasn’t willing to come anywhere near where I lived.

I climbed into her passenger side and closed the door. “Thanks for meetin’ me.”

“What do you want, Shayne?”

“Clearly, I think we need to talk.”

“About what?”

I pulled an envelope of money out of my pocket. “This is enough for you to have an abortion. Take it and do the right thing. You know you don’t want this baby and neither does my brother.”

She shoved the envelope out of the way. “Screw you! I’m not gettin’ rid of my baby.”

I covered my face with one of my hands and rubbed my temples. “Ash, please reconsider. My brother can’t be there for you. He has a real chance at getting somewhere with his life. I won’t let you or that baby stand in his way.”

I was determined to protect Parker. She wasn’t going to use his accomplishments to her advantage. My brother wasn’t going to be her way of out town.

I looked over at her, almost pleading without saying another word. She raised her brow. “I’m keepin’ the baby, Shayne. There’s nothin’ you can do to change my mind.”

I had a decision to make and a brother that I clearly needed to protect. With little options, I knew what had to be done next and I hated that it had come down to this. I was the one who was strong enough to live with this problem. I could handle the judging the disappointment from my parents. I could deal with the scrutiny of sleeping with someone that my cousin had been with, because it was what everyone expected out of me anyway. I was the f**k-up.

No matter how old I was, or what I’d done to make things right, I was clearly the one that couldn’t get things right. Nobody would even question this, because it was what they said would happen all along.

Ashley had been a part of the family, since she’d dated Ford for years. There was a time when we were all pretty close. She knew she could trust me.

“Fine, you want to keep the baby, then you’re going to do it my way. From this day forward, as far as everyone is concerned, that’s my baby you’re havin’.”

She looked shocked. “What? You’re crazy!”

“I’m serious, Ash. I can’t let this destroy Parker and I sure as Hell don’t want my father findin’ out later. This is the only way I see things workin’ out.”

“Your plan will never work. Ford knows the truth.”

“I’ll handle Ford. Honestly, he’ll probably be happy that my life is so miserable after keepin’ your secret from him.”

“I’m not sleepin’ with you and we’re definitely not gettin’ married, if that’s what you’re thinkin’. I don’t need your help.”

“Save your drama. I wouldn’t marry your ass if my life depended on it. At some point you’re goin’ to want someone to take responsibility for that child and I’m offering to be that person. The child will grow up right. For someone that’s so sure of what she wants, I think that my offer would put your mind at ease. You’ve known me for years, Ash. I’ll help you.”

“Why would you do something like that? I know you hate me.”

I was realizing just what I was signing on to. I hated myself for it, but out of panic I’d sealed my fate. “I might not like you, but I love my brother. I promised my dad that I’d look out for him that night and I didn’t. You may not understand, but this is the only way I can make sure he never finds out what Parker did.”

“You’d rather take the blame for sleepin’ with me? As close as you were to Ford, do you honestly think anyone would believe it?”

I laughed. “My father thinks I’m a f**kin’ loser. Of course, he will believe it. Besides, Ford isn’t speakin’ to me, so it makes perfect sense to assume that I f**ked his woman and knocked her up.”

“What about your girlfriend?”

“We’re through. She wants nothin’ to do with me.”

“You really want to be a father to a child that ain’t even yours?”

“No. I’m not goin’ to lie to you. I don’t, at all, but I’m goin’ to do it because like it or not, that baby is my blood. I may not have knocked you up, but he or she is my family and I will take care of it, because it’s the right thing to do.”