Free Seduce Me by Ryan Michele Page B

just don’t know if I can talk to Harlow. Does it make me a horrible person to not want to hear about how perfect her family is?”
    Bella puts the spoon down and sits next to me at the island. “You need to tell her what happened Casey.” I gasp and she reaches for my hand squeezing it softly. “No, really. You need to tell her. She’s been your best friend for years and from what you’ve told me she sounds like an understanding woman. You also need to tell the baby’s father.”
    “I had every intention of telling them both. I wanted to wait until I knew if it was a boy or a girl. Harlow was just going through so much I didn’t want to add to her problems. And G.T., he wanted nothing to do with me.” I look down at the shredded napkin in front of me. “I’ve known him my whole life and part of me was so terrified that he’d reject the baby, now it just doesn’t matter.” Bella squeezes harder.
    “It does matter.”
    “He sees me as just another piece of ass and I can’t do that to myself. It kills me. I’ve been in love with him for so long that the thought of having a part of him growing inside of me made me stronger. How pathetic is that?” I shake my head.
    “It’s not pathetic. You are strong with or without the baby. You have to know that.”
    I give her a small smile, not totally believing her words. “I came to school to make something of myself for Mia and me. Now, I don’t know what I need to do. I’m kinda lost.”
    “It’s okay to not know. You put one foot in front of the other and move. That’s all you can do right now.”
    I look over at the phone. “How many times did it go off?” I ask.
    “Probably ten or more.”
    I jump from my seat. There is no way that Harlow would call that many times in a row unless something is wrong. Grabbing the phone, I look and there are thirteen missed calls and the voicemail button is flashing. I don’t bother checking the messages, I just call her back.
    Harlow answers on the first ring.
    “What’s wrong?” I ask immediately.
    “Get your shit and get home now.” Harlow’s voice is panicked.
    “What’s going on Low?” I ask using the nickname I gave her when we were kids.
    “Diamond’s dead.” Everything stops. I grab the closest chair I can find and sit down, hard on it. The air in my body gushes out of me while I try to process the words that just came out of her mouth. He was getting up there in age, but he was still so full of life.
    “How?” I whisper into the phone as my trembling hand tried to hold it steady.
    “Shot.”
    “Oh. God.” I clutch my chest the ache coming hard and fast. Diamond has always kept his eye on me since Bam died. He’d come to the shop and ask me how I was doing, but never in that overprotective sort of way. Just in a casual grandfather way.
    They’re all gone. Dad, Mia and Diamond. The dark cloud of sadness I’ve felt over the last couple of weeks gets darker and I feel myself getting more lost in it.
    “There’s more.” Her voice cracks at her words.
    “Shit. Who else?” I ask not knowing if I can handle the answer, but needing to know.
    “G.T.” All-encompassing panic floods through my body eating every cell it can find. Somehow my body left the chair, falling to the floor with a loud thunk, the phone in my hand begins to shake and I clutch it trying not to drop it. Immediately, Bella comes rushing to my side.
    “Are you okay?” Bella asks and I shake my head, but can’t move from this spot.
    “Casey!” I hear Harlow scream into the phone, but I cannot seem to formulate words. “Casey! Answer me dammit. He’s not dead!” She screams louder.
    Not dead. She just said not dead, right? “What?” My voice mutters.
    “Shit. Don’t fucking do that! Do you know how much shit I’m under and you not answering scared the living hell out of me.”
    “What about G.T., Harlow?” I bite out quickly.
    “He was shot twice. Once in the shoulder and once in the chest. Doc sewed him up, said