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All while Felicity stared across the room from him with hurt and disbelief scored on her face. “Are you kidding me? Did you really just answer your phone after I just told you what I did?”

“I love you and I’m leaving this city. I want you to come with me. I’m begging you.”

He couldn’t even process what Felicity had said with Elena weeping on the other end of the line.

“Elena, what’s going on?”

“I need you,” she begged again.

“Are you hurt?”

The breath she exhaled was ragged, and he knew down to his soul that she was in trouble.

Alarm fired through his system, and his heart rate spiked.

“Are you even listening to me?” Felicity demanded.

“Where are you?” he said into the phone instead.

“I…I’m…” Elena stumbled over the slog of words, and he knew she was in shock.

“Just tell me where you are. I’m coming.”

She whispered the name of the park just outside the city.

Fuck. What was she thinking, going there?

But he knew she’d been sneaking out for weeks.

Had toiled with the truth of it. With the secret that he was keeping. Knowing she was putting herself in danger, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop her.

“Okay. Just hang tight. I’m on my way.”

He ended the call. “I have to go.”

Felicity choked over her own cry. “Are you serious?”

“Elena is in trouble,” he gritted.

“It’s always Elena, isn’t it?”

“I already told you, she’s my family.”

“No, your family is right here.” She spread her palms out over her flat stomach.

The action hit him like the spray of bullets. For a beat, his knees went weak.

She’d told him they needed to talk. He’d hoped it would be so she could end things.

His head spun in a wash of dizziness. “I can’t talk about this right now, Felicity. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

He stormed toward the exit of her house, and his hand was on the handle when she whispered, “If you walk out that door, you’ll never see me again. Neither of us. It’s us or them.”

His brows slashed with the ultimatum. With the torment that cut him through. His insides ripped in every direction.

“You don’t get to make that choice if you’re having my kid.”

He felt her fold her arms over her chest. Hugging herself. “And I won’t let him be raised here. Not with these people. Not with you in this world. You’re not worthy of that.”