I read the MySpace message from a dummy account, something striking a chord as odd. I quickly find her profile, messaging her and stop when I open the previous messages between Cassie and myself, one from a few months earlier saying she's fine and the next is from early this morning. Can you meet with me at HRC? 

What time? 

Nine tonight? 

Sure. 

I have something to tell you and it's important. 

I will hear you out. 

Please don't be mad for not telling you sooner. AJ is coming along. 

I pull up and spot his Durango, considering going back home and telling her I got sick. I swallow any nerves I may have and head in once my car is off, the keys are pocketed and it's locked up. I walk in and the hostess takes one look at me and quickly asks for my ID, which is strange, before leading me to the table she and AJ are seated at. I see them kiss and she giggles. "Switch hitting or what?" I joke, picking on her.  

"It's been six months," she defends. 

"So...?" 

"You're gonna wanna sit for what I need to tell you." She pats the seat a few inches away from her, the table covering her belly. 

I sit on the other side of her, leaving space between us to respect AJ. "What's this meeting about?" 

"You remember the day I left Josh?" 

I smirk, recalling that day clearly. "Yeah. Why is that day so important?" 

"The dates match with how far along I am." 

"You're telling me that you're pregnant?" I growl, anger making me see bright red. She slides from the booth and stands. Her stomach is outlined by the tight shirt and my heart jumps into my throat.  

"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask through clenched teeth. "You just up and left without a fucking word, Cassandrya!" I slammed my hands on the table and put a fist to my mouth to regain my composure. She cradled her stomach and looked down in shame, sitting back down, but across from me this time.  

"I'm sorry, Erik," she whispers, staring down at her nails in a pathetic attempt to hide her tears from me. For a moment I didn't say anything, watching them drip from her cheeks and onto the table.  

"You should be," I finally replied, my jaw still tight. "I wanna know why." She began to cry harder. 

"I was scared," she confessed. "I was scared that you were going to walk away and I would be doing this by myself. I'm going to be straight up honest with you. My plan was to not even go through with it. But I got to the clinic and I couldn't even go in. I just sat in my car and bawled until I was two hours late for my appointment. I got myself together, turned around and drove back to AJ's." 

"AJ?" I asked, more shocked than anything else. She looked ashamed again and I knew what that meant. He was back to being her bedwarmer. The thought made a pang go off in my chest. I stood to go. 

"No please don't go," she pleaded. "I can't do this without you, Erik. Please." I looked down at her tear stained face and just shook my head. I turned on my heel and strode from the dinner without even a single glance back at her.