My mother pinned her stare on the blonde standing next to my father. “Is this the latest? I should have known. When you disappear, it’s usually with a tram—”

I stepped in before she could finish her sentence. “Mother, walk with me, will you?”

“And leave him alone with his bi—”

My father cut her off this time. “It’s okay, Hudson. Of course you won’t be leaving me, sweetheart. I’m going with you.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and began escorting her toward the exit.

While my mother has been known for false accusations, the glance he threw back at the blonde gave him away. Not to my mother—she already knew. But now I knew too that the woman at his side was not just an acquaintance. The look he gave her said he’d be back later for her. In other words, he was just putting my mother in a car before returning.

No wonder Sophia Pierce felt the need to get a little too drunk at her husband’s company party. Fucking asshole.

I rubbed my hand across my jaw and considered whether I wanted to stay any longer myself. Though there was plenty of room for me at the penthouse where my parents lived, I’d been staying at the Plaza, so if I left, I wouldn’t have to deal with my mother. But maybe I should go to the penthouse anyway. It wasn’t the newest nanny’s job to take care of a drunken employer. And Sophia might get to keep a shred of dignity if I were the one to attend to her.

I was already at the coatroom when I’d made my decision to leave. The clerk had just handed me my coat when I found a reason to stay. Celia Werner had just walked in, hands thrust in her jacket pockets, her attire nowhere near formal.

She walked toward me. My surprise at seeing her kept me glued to my spot, my mouth slack as I looked her over. Though she wasn’t dressed for the event, she didn’t like the mess that Christina had suggested. Either Celia had cleaned up in the last couple of months or the rumors about her had been exaggerated.

I couldn’t decide if that made me happy or disappointed.

“Do you want to check your coat?” the clerk asked when Celia reached us.

She shook her head and fixed her gaze on me.

I’d had enough time now to gather my wits. “You’re too late, Celia. My father just left. But if you want to wait, I think he’s coming back. He already has a leggy blonde picked out for the evening, though. Do you mind threesomes?”

“I’m not here for Jack, asshole.”

I tensed at the familiar use of my father’s name. “That’s too bad. No one else is going to look at you dressed like that.”

“You want to stand around and throw insults at me all night? Or can you zip it a minute so I can talk to you?”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

“Awesome. Then you can shut the fuck up and listen while I talk.”

I hesitated, wondering what her angle was. Then I decided I didn’t care enough to find out. “While that sounds like a whole hell of a lot of fun, Celia, I think I’ll pass.” I tipped the clerk and started out.

“Hudson.” Her tone was more commanding than was typical for her. Still, I kept walking. “Fine,” she said, running to catch up to me. “I’ll find your father then.”

That stopped me. Though they’d already been together, I detested the idea of a repeat performance. I’d rather imagine my father fucking anyone else—the blonde waiting for him in the event room, even. Just not Celia.

I’d never let on how much it bothered me, but I would try to prevent it any way I could. “What is it you want, Celia?”

Her eyes darted toward the clerk. “Not here. We need to be in private.”

“I’m not—” A noise at the door down the hall stole my attention. It was my father returning from “taking care” of my mother. He hadn’t seen us yet, so I grabbed Celia’s arm and tugged her toward the men’s room. At the door, I said, “Stay.” I went in and checked to make sure the room was empty then I pulled Celia inside.

As I locked the door behind us, there was a brief moment where I considered how different our lives could have been if it hadn’t been for my experiment that summer. How I could have been sneaking away with Celia for a bang in a stall instead of hiding her from my slut of a father. Or maybe not that. I hadn’t ever wanted that, had I?

Something different, though. Not this.

But as Thoreau said, “Never look back unless you’re planning to go that way.” And I was not going that way. Come to think of it, Celia was the one who’d told me that.

I turned back to face her. “You have three minutes. Then I’m taking you out to the curb and putting you in a cab. I’ll even give you some cash, if that’s how you’re used to getting paid.”

Her eyes blazed with the heat of my insult. “Did I mention fuck you, Hudson?”

“I don’t get off on my father’s sloppy seconds. Sorry.” I looked at my watch for effect. “And now you’re at two minutes forty-five.”

She crossed her arms and leaned back against the counter, her eyes narrow with challenge. “I’m willing to bet that I’ll have your attention for longer than that.”

Again, a glance at my watch. “Two minutes forty.”

“I knew I should have talked to Jack instead.”

She’d realized that mentioning my father was her power card. She’d laid it down several times now. Each time it worked.

But I was losing patience. This was the last time I’d ask and my tone let her know that. “What the fuck is it, Celia?”

She brushed the hair off her face and swallowed. “I’m pregnant.”

I opened my mouth to make some smartass remark—it wasn’t my kid after all—and then I realized whose kid it was. I did the math as I glanced at her belly. It had been three months. Would she be showing? Did she look rounder than she had before or was I making it up?

Or was she making it up? All of it could be a lie.

“Are you trying to figure out if I’m lying? Oh, my God. I can prove it if you need me to. Trust me, pregnancy is not something I’d be able to lie about for long.”

While my trust in people was limited, I knew Celia well enough to believe she told the truth. I didn’t like what she had to say, but I believed her.

I ran a hand through my hair. “You’re sure it’s his?”

She shot me an ice-cold glare. “I didn’t sleep around, Hudson.”

“That’s not what I heard.” I tilted my head, recalling Christina’s earlier tales of a Celia gone wild. “Actually heard you were quite the slut these days.”

“From who? From Christina? And you believed that fucking whore cunt?” She closed her eyes, cursing more under her breath. “Whatever. Fine. Yes, I was a little wild this semester. Before I found out I was pregnant. After you.” It was a slip—what she meant, but not what she meant to say. She quickly corrected. “After Jack, rather. But the timing is… It’s your father’s, Hudson. There’s no one else that fits the time frame. And the condom broke.”

“I don’t want to hear that.” I covered my eyes with my hand. As if that could hide me from what she was saying. Not just the condom talk, but the whole conversation—I would have preferred to not have it continue.

“I’m sure you don’t.” A trace of regret laced her words. “But you get to hear it because I blame you.”

Now I was incensed. “For faulty birth control? Or for your bad decision?”

“Oh, don’t even play like you have no comprehension of your culpability. You drove me to him. You gave me no choice.”

“Pathetic, Celia. Take responsibility for your own actions.”

“I am. That’s why I’m here. Now it’s your turn to take responsibility for your actions.” She pointed a finger at me. “And tell me what we’re going to do.”

“What we’re going to do? This is not my problem.” But I already knew it was. Not just because of the reason she’d given, but because this affected my family. Affected my life. It didn’t mean I knew what should be done about it.

Celia straightened. “Then I’ll take it to your father. I’m sure he’ll step up. He’ll have no choice when I get a DNA test.” Again laying her power card. She straightened and started toward the door.

I could have let her go. It would serve Jack right.

But Jack wasn’t the only person who would suffer from this. And Celia knew it.

I pounded the wall behind me with a fist. “Fuck.” Forget Christina as a good partner. Celia had manipulation down to a science. “What do you want from me?”

She flung her arms out to the side in exasperation. “I want you to tell me what to do!”

It was almost funny. As if we were a real couple discussing their unplanned pregnancy. The situation had much that would intrigue me under normal circumstances.

I banged my head against the wall behind me. “What are our options?” I scolded myself for using the word our. It gave her too much power, thinking of us as a partnership.

“Well.” She returned to lean against the counter again. She needed the support, I realized. The conversation was tough. I’d give her that. “I’m not having an abortion. I might have been able to, but I saw the ultrasound. I saw its heartbeat. I can’t do that.”

“So no abortion.” I was glad for that, actually. It didn’t feel right sentencing my unborn sibling to death.

My sibling. Jesus, was this really happening?

“I’m not opposed to adoption.” She talked as if she’d already been through all of this on her own—and she probably had. For me, though, it was new and there was a lot to take in. A lot of different aspects of the situation to absorb.

“My mom will want to keep it.” She let out a single chortle. “Can you just see my mother as a doting grandmother? Either way, my parents will want to know who the father is. My father would kill me if he knew.”

“More like he’d kill my father if he knew.” My father was Warren’s friend. And he’d knocked up his daughter.

Celia sighed. “Let’s just say it wouldn’t be good for either one of us.”

“It would destroy my mother.” Not just my mother. “And my brother and sister.”

She nodded, biting her lip. “I can’t tell him it’s Jack.”

She was right. That much was clear.

And there was only one thing I could think of to make sure that information never came out. “You’ll tell him it’s me.” I set my jaw. “Tell him I’m the father.”

“What?” She lifted her head as if in surprise, but something about her tone was false. “Are you really…would you really do that?” It was more gleeful than hopeful. More triumphant than incredulous.

“Now you’re the one pretending.” I could read her like a book. “You came to me because you knew I’d offer. Don’t even fucking try to convince me you didn’t plan this.”

“I hoped,” she whispered. “Not that I’d get pregnant. But after I did, I hoped you’d offer.”

“Finally we’re getting somewhere.” I leaned back, bracing myself on the wall as I rocked back on my heels. “Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll say it’s mine.” I worked it out as I spoke. “You can finish this semester. Come back at Christmas and I’ll go with you to the parenting classes or whatever. I’ll play the supportive sperm donor. If you choose to keep it, I’ll set up a trust fund or something. Dad’s money will be my money anyway when I take over the company.”

“Okay.” She took a deep breath. “What about fathering?”

“You want me to have a relationship with it?”

“Don’t talk like it’s a stranger. It will be your brother or sister.”

“Right.” I’d already realized that, but my stomach dropped at the reminder. And since it really was my sibling, could I just abandon any contact with it? If it were Chandler or Mirabelle, I would want to be involved. Even in my own cold, stoic way. “Sure. Fine. Minimal relationship though. I don’t want custody. But that also means I get to help make parenting decisions. Are you going to be okay with that?”

She shrugged as she shook her head. Then said, “I’ll be okay with whatever.” Her eyes glazed like she was overwhelmed. “I don’t even know if I’m keeping it yet.”

Another thought crossed my mind. “I’m not marrying you, Celia.” I straightened to show my seriousness. “This in no way makes us a couple.”

She looked at me with stark unbelief. “I never thought for a moment it did.” But her tone was layered with the subtext of our past. Of a time when she would have wanted exactly that from me. “Nor would I ever expect it. You, I’ve discovered, are incapable of anything remotely like a relationship.”

Perhaps she’d meant to hurt me with her statement. She didn’t. She’d made our new situation easier. I looked her straight in the eye. “I’m glad you know.”