My BFF’s “Gift” for My Daughter? She’s Pregnant With MY Husband’s Baby! Chapter 08
I laughed.
“You think she needs a dad who’s never there?”
I used to picture us-normal family stuff. He’d kiss Annie goodbye before work. Bring me flowers coming home.
Weekends at the park with the stroller. He’d help her walk. I’d take pictures.
I really thought that’s how it’d go.
“Grayson, you really think you’re a good dad?”
He opened his mouth. Nothing.
“That night Annie got that crazy fever? I sat in the ER with her for four hours. Where were you?”
I crossed my arms.
“With Claire. Jumping off some bridge. Didn’t answer your phone once.”
“Annie cried all night for two weeks straight. I didn’t sleep. Not once. Where were you?”
My voice went flat. Didn’t sound like me.
“You said work was crazy. Then I see your Instagram-you’re in Miami with Claire.”
Beat.
“You forgot to block me.”
He’d held Annie plenty of times. But he never knew when she woke up. How much milk. How long to pat her back after.
All that hurt I’d been carrying-it just… wasn’t there anymore.
“All year long, every time we needed you? You weren’t there.”
I stepped up. “But Claire gets a scratch and you drop everything. You even hurt your own kid for her.”
His face went white.
I almost smiled. “You know when you two were in bed? Me and Annie were right next door.”
His jaw went tight.
“So when Annie’s older and she finds out what you really are-you think she’ll care if you stick around?”
“I…”
His mouth moved. Nothing came out.
He had no answer.
Claire getting knocked up killed any chance he had left.
And because of that, nearly killing Annie only got her two weeks locked up.
But what goes around comes around.
When word got out, both families lost it.
Grayson’s parents ended up in the hospital.
Grayson said no way the baby was his. Claire swore it was. Her family wanted the Harts to pay up.
“I’m not marrying you.”
Grayson stood in Claire’s living room. Voice rough but sure.
“Natalie’s my wife. Annie’s my daughter. They don’t want me? Fine. But I’m not marrying anybody else.”
He stopped. Looked at Claire like he wished he could take it all back.
“And I don’t wanna marry you.”
“What?!”
Claire screamed. Eyes turned red fast.
“After everything-you never even loved me?”
Nothing.
“That’s crap! If you didn’t love me, why’d you sleep with me? Why’d you sign those papers?”
Grayson tried to talk. She didn’t let him.
“I don’t care! I don’t want your ‘just friends’ excuse!”
Her voice cracked. “I’m keeping this baby. And you’re gonna marry me. End of story.”
She wasn’t backing off.
Grayson stepped back, opened his mouth-then his face twisted and he grabbed his head.
Before anyone moved, he dropped.
One disaster after another.
Grayson tested positive for HIV.
When the lab results came back, both families lost their minds. So did all his army buddies.
“You gave this to me. Didn’t you?”
Grayson’s eyes were bloodshot. Locked on Claire, who looked just as wrecked.
Claire’s voice shook. “That’s… that’s not possible. It wasn’t me.”
Grayson’s eyes closed. His whole body sagged.
Then something clicked.
Right after Claire got back from Paris-someone at a barbecue tried to warn him.
“Dude, Claire got real messy overseas. Watch yourself.”
He’d laughed. Called the guy jealous.
Wasn’t laughing now.
News traveled fast.
The Laurent-Hart scandal blew up base-wide in under twenty-four hours.
Walter Reed kicked them both out. Too much bad press.
Both sets of parents collapsed. Hospitalized within days.
Then Grayson and Claire disappeared.
Rumors started flying.
Some said their families quietly shipped them to Switzerland. New identities. New lives. Gone for good.
Others said Grayson snapped. Pushed Claire down the stairs outside her apartment. Killed her and the baby.
Then locked himself in a motel room and slit his wrists.
Stories kept changing. Different version every time someone told it.
But whatever really happened-didn’t matter to me anymore.
Time moved on.
Annie learned to walk.
She stumbled around the backyard chasing monarchs. Tiny feet unsteady on the grass. Like some drunk little rabbit.
Sunlight caught her cheek. Made her glow.
I crouched down. Held out my arms,
She squealed and ran straight into me.
I scooped her up. Pressed my face into her hair.
And smiled.
Turns out life without Grayson could be pretty damn good.
