"Alright, let’s cut to the chase," Stacey said, her voice as sharp as the black eyeliner she always wore. "Why now, Megan? You’re what—four months pregnant? Why wait until now to drop this bomb on Brent?"
Megan sat stiffly in her chair her fingers playing with the edge of her napkin. She looked tired, her face drawn though she tried to hold Stacey’s gaze. "It wasn’t an easy decision."
"An easy decision," Stacey repeated. She leaned forward her eyes narrowing. "You’ve had months, Megan. Months. So what’s changed? What do you need?"
n "I need the father of my baby.That’s it."
"Oh, please. We both know you want more than that. What is it? Money?"
Megan’s head snapped up, her brown eyes flashing with indignation. "No,I don’t want his money."
"Then what?" Stacey pressed, her arms still crossed.
For a moment, Megan didn’t answer. Her lips parted, but the words caught in her throat. When she finally spoke, her voice cracked. "I love him."
Stacey froze, the admission taking her off guard. For a brief second she almost felt bad for Megan.
"Right.And what about your boyfriend? The one you were already with when you slept with Brent?"
Megan wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, taking a steadying breath. "I left him.For Brent."
The words hung in the air, heavy with implication.
"You’re telling me you blew up your whole relationship, your life, for Brent?" Stacey asked, disbelief lacing her tone.
"Yes. Brent was my first…" Megan said simply.
Stacey stared at her trying to process this. She had expected Megan to be a manipulator. Someone who saw Brent as a meal ticket or a convenient fallback.
"Okay," Stacey said finally, her voice quieter. "Let’s say I believe you. What’s your plan, then? Show up, declare your love and hope Brent magically feels the same?"
Megan’s expression faltered, her confidence wavering. "I don’t know,but I had to try. I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing."
Stacey leaned back drumming her fingers against the table. She studied Megan for a long moment weighing her next move. On one hand, she wanted to protect Brent—he was already spiraling and the last thing he needed was more chaos.
"Here’s the thing.Brent doesn’t love you. He’s got enough on his plate without you swooping in and turning his life upside down. But..."
"But what?"
"But if you’re serious about this—about Brent, about the baby—you’d better come clean with him. Completely. No half-truths and no drama. You’d better be damn sure this is what’s best for him, not just for you."
Megan nodded, her hands gripping the edge of the table like a lifeline. "I will."
Stacey didn’t reply immediately.
"You’ve got one shot at this, Megan.Don’t screw it up."