My Step-Dad's Brother(37)

The room started spinning and I lost my balance, my ass hitting the ground hard, the bottle rattling in my hand.

Prenatal Vitamins.

It didn’t take a genius to know what those were for. Was Jade pregnant? With another man’s baby? A slow burn started in my belly and I felt fury building. But another part of me knew it was more likely the baby was mine. Was it? No, we’d worn condoms. Every—oh fuck. I’d gotten carried away and fucked her bare in the shower.

The room stopped spinning, in fact, the world stopped rotating, time halted, and I’m pretty sure even the angels in heaven stopped singing. I’ve never experienced such utter stillness and quiet. All the better to hear the screaming in my head. One part howling with anger and one part a caveman beating on his chest in triumph.

I was torn, still struggling with my belief that she was using me for my money and position as owner of the gallery. Yet, the signs indicating I’d been wrong were piling up. Why hadn’t she asked about the gallery showing?

My mind played over her reactions at the lawyer’s office, once again. Could her shock have been genuine? Then she’d bought groceries and made us dinner, without being asked, or demanding reimbursement. Of course, it’s not like she needs the money anymore, right? She’s gotten exactly what she wanted. I think. I sighed and scratched my head, the whole situation was like a rollercoaster and I couldn’t figure out which way was up.

I emptied her other bag to find books about pregnancy, but looking at them was making me nauseous. I’m aware of the irony. Putting everything back in the bags, I clutched them tight, not ready to let them go, as though if I did, it would cease to be real. Moving my pacing to the front hall, I anxiously waited for the doctor to arrive.

An hour later, I’d worn a hole in the damn floor waiting for Dr. Morgan. I asked him to wait in the informal family room located through another arched doorway near the stairwell, while I checked on Jade. Realizing I was still holding the books and medicine, I dropped the items on a table in the entryway and jogged up the stairs to her room. I knocked softly and listened for any sound indicating she was awake.

I heard shuffling and the door opened revealing a deliciously mussed Jade. Damn, she looked adorable and so fuckable at the same time. She looked a little green and had a hand over her flat stomach. A vision of Jade with her hand resting on a swollen belly flashed before my eyes. She looked beautiful.

“Have you seen the, um, bags I brought home with me?” she asked, breaking me out of my daydream. Her voice was hesitant, but her green eyes were flared with worry. Was she ever intending to tell me? I was becoming rather confused. Why wouldn’t she have announced it right away and demanded I marry her? I couldn’t let her take all of the blame for her condition, but I was shocked she wasn’t trying to use it as leverage to trap me.

It suddenly occurred to me, was it because I was technically her step-brother? Tension wrapped itself around my heart as I considered the possibility she might fight for me to not be a part of my child’s life. No. That wasn’t going to happen. As soon as I could get control away from the current board at work, I’d be marrying her ass if I had to drag her to the courthouse, kicking and screaming. Until then, we’d have to keep it a secret and stay under the radar.

“I left them on the table in the foyer.” I held my hand out to her, “Come, my family doctor, Dr. Morgan, is waiting for you downstairs. I want him to have a look at you.”

Her green eyes grew impossibly wide, “What?” she shrieked. “Bu—but, I already saw a doctor!”

I huffed in annoyance, “Your doctor obviously didn’t know what the fuck they were doing. They sent you home and you fainted. Not to mention, you look as though you’re about to lose your stomach again.”

I took her hand instead of waiting for her to reach for mine and started towing her behind me, intent on getting her to Dr. Morgan.

She tugged weakly, trying to get me to release her, but I disregarded her efforts.

“My doctor is fine. She sent me home with medicine, I just need my pills, not to see another physician.”

We reached the stairs and I immediately started to worry about her fainting again and taking a spill, possibly hurting herself or the baby. I swung her up into my arms, ignoring her when she protested.

“Jade,” I said, my voice a little patronizing. “The sooner you stop arguing and let Dr. Morgan look you over, the sooner I’ll stop harassing you about it.”

Her eyes narrowed and she gave me a glacial stare, until it once again caved under the weight of my stubbornness.

“Fine, but no blood tests or anything invasive. Just a standard checkup,” she finished as I crossed the threshold into the room where Dr. Morgan had set out his instruments.