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Chapter 9 - The Truth Hurts

The minute I saw the words on the paper—"99.9% match"—the world seemed to stop. My heart pounded in my chest, my vision blurring as I stared at the result, over and over. Justin. Justin was the father.

I knew this moment was coming, but seeing it spelled out in black and white made everything feel terrifyingly real. No more guessing, no more wondering if it might be Ethan after all. It was Justin. The guy I barely knew. The guy who laughed and flirted but never seemed to take anything seriously.

I sat there in the clinic's parking lot, staring at the paper, my mind racing. What the hell was I supposed to do now?

Later that day, I texted Ethan, my hands trembling as I typed the message.

"It's Justin. The test came back. You're not the dad."

His response was almost instant.

"I figured. You okay?"

I hesitated before replying.

"I don't know. I'm scared."

A few minutes passed before his next message popped up.

"Listen, Mia. I know you feel like you have to tell him, and you probably do, but... Justin's an asshole. He's not gonna take this well. Just be careful, okay?"

I stared at the screen, my stomach twisting into knots. Ethan had always been more level-headed than Justin, and even though we weren't together anymore, his concern felt genuine. But I couldn't not tell Justin. As much as it terrified me, he deserved to know. I had to give him a chance, even if he didn't want it.

I found Justin after school the next day, hanging out near the basketball court with a group of his friends. My heart was pounding in my chest as I walked up, and I could feel my palms start to sweat. My hands were shaking, and I clenched them into fists, trying to keep my nerves in check.

Justin spotted me and broke away from his group, a grin on his face. "Hey, Mia! What's up?" He sauntered over, that familiar carefree smirk plastered on his face. God, he had no idea what was coming.

"We need to talk," I said, my voice firmer than I felt inside.

He raised an eyebrow, his smile faltering just a little. "Uh-oh. Sounds serious."

"It is."

I led him to a quieter spot, away from his friends. The second we were alone, I pulled out the folded-up results from my jacket pocket. My hands trembled as I handed it to him, unable to look him in the eye.

"What's this?" Justin asked, his tone playful at first. But when he saw the clinic logo at the top of the page, his face changed. He unfolded the paper and scanned the contents, his expression hardening as he read.

Silence hung between us for a long, agonizing moment.

Finally, he looked up, his eyes blazing with anger. "What the fuck, Mia?"

I flinched at the intensity in his voice. "I... I told you there was a chance. We talked about this."

"A chance? You said there was a chance! You didn't say I was actually the fucking father!" He crumpled the paper in his fist, his face twisted with fury. "How the hell did this even happen? We hooked up once! Once!"

"I don't know!" I snapped, my own frustration boiling over. "You think I planned this? You think I wanted any of this to happen?"

He shook his head, pacing in front of me, running a hand through his hair in agitation. "Fuck, fuck, fuck. This can't be happening." He stopped suddenly and turned to face me, his voice low and angry. "So what? You expect me to just step up? Be a dad? That's not me, Mia. I'm not fucking ready for this!"

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm not asking you to make a decision right now, but you needed to know. I'm carrying your baby, Justin. And you deserve to know the truth."

Justin laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "You think you're doing me a favor by telling me? What am I supposed to do with this? My whole life is ahead of me, Mia. Basketball, college... and now you're telling me I have to throw all that away because of one stupid night?"

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I had expected anger, but hearing it spelled out like that... hearing him reduce everything to a "stupid night"... it stung worse than I thought it would.

"You're not the only one with a future!" I snapped, tears burning at the back of my eyes. "Do you think this is easy for me? Do you think I don't lie awake at night, terrified about how my life is about to change? But I'm still here. I'm dealing with it."

"I didn't fucking sign up for this!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the nearby lockers. "I'm not some deadbeat who's gonna give up everything for a kid I didn't even want!"

I couldn't hold back anymore. "You think I wanted this? You think I'm excited about my life being turned upside down? But guess what, Justin? It's happening. It's real. And you can't just walk away from it."

"I never asked for any of this!" he yelled, his voice shaking with anger.

"Well, neither did I!" I screamed back, my tears spilling over. "But here we are!"

He stood there, his chest heaving, his fists clenched at his sides. The tension between us was suffocating. I could see the panic in his eyes, the fear he was trying so hard to cover with anger.

After what felt like an eternity, Justin finally spoke, his voice quieter but still laced with bitterness. "I can't do this, Mia. I can't. I'm not... I'm not cut out for this shit."

His words cut through me like a knife. I had known this was a possibility, that Justin might react this way. But hearing him say it out loud, seeing the anger and fear in his eyes... it felt like the floor was crumbling beneath me.

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, trying to steady my voice. "You don't have to make any decisions right now. But you're the father, Justin. Whether you like it or not, that's the reality. You can't run from it forever."

He stared at me for a long moment, his jaw tight, before turning away, running a hand through his hair again. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath. "Fuck."

I waited, hoping he would say something else, anything to show that he understood what was happening. But he didn't. He just stood there, his back to me, silent and seething.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I turned and walked away, my heart shattered, tears streaming down my face. I had done what I needed to do. I had told him the truth. But it didn't feel like a victory. It felt like another door slamming shut.

As I walked away, Justin's voice called after me, cold and distant. "Don't expect me to be fucking happy about this, Mia."

I didn't turn around. I didn't say anything. Because at that moment, I didn't have the strength.