“Why haven’t you told me you’re pregnant?” he asked without easing into it. He believed you should always get straight to the point in a conversation. Why waste time to beating around the bush, as the old saying went. If you wanted an answer, then you should ask the question.
She hesitated a few moments as she stared at him, seemingly shocked he knew about her pregnancy. How had he found out? Then, she realized he’d used her bathroom and she hadn’t yet emptied the trash can. How could she have made such a foolish mistake?
Well, it was easy to do when she didn’t think he’d ever step into her apartment. Had she known he lived in her building, she wouldn’t have left the kit anywhere it could’ve been spotted. The only visitor who’d been there in the months since she’d moved in had been Tom.
“I didn’t see that it was any of your business. My job performance hasn’t been affected by it and in this day and age it’s nobody’s business if you’re a single mother or not. You can’t fire me for being pregnant.” She finally sucked in enough air to reply to his question.
He stared at her open mouthed. None of his business? How the hell could she say that carrying his child was none of his business?
“You won’t be a single mother, Amy, and you know that. I won’t allow my child to be raised as a bastard. He’ll have my name.” His voice told her his way was the only way they were handling the situation. If she didn’t like it, then too bad.
“This isn’t your child.” Amy looked directly at him as she spoke those words. There was no emotion to her voice. He stared at her dumfounded. Not his child? What was she talking about? He knew she’d been a virgin when he’d had sex with her. The timeline fit. Of course it was his child.
“If it’s not my child, then whose is it?” he decided to see what she would say. He was watching every move she made. There was no way she’d be able to come up with some story out of the blue.
“I told you I was in a relationship. It progressed, but he didn’t want the baby so we split up,” she lied. She’d rehearsed the story many times over and said it with conviction. She wouldn’t even attempt to go into a custody battle with Lucas.
He saw the tiny flicker in her eyes as she lied. He knew she wasn’t telling him the truth. He knew the baby was his, but he couldn’t figure out why she’d tell him otherwise. What if he allowed her to convince him the baby wasn’t his? He couldn’t figure out what she would gain by that.
“What kind of game are you playing, Amy? I don’t get it. We both know the baby you carry is mine, so why would you lie to me about it?” In his confusion, he let down his guard and spoke to her puzzled instead of with anger.
“I’m not playing games with you, Lucas. This is my baby and no one will take him, or her, from me. I’m qualified to raise this child.” She said almost pleadingly. “I’m telling you the truth. The child isn’t yours,” she was trying to will him to believe her words.
He finally understood why she was denying he was the father. She thought he’d actually take the child from her. He was furious she thought so little of him, that he could rip a child from his mother. If she wanted to believe him a cold-hearted bastard, that’s what she’d get.
“Don’t worry, Amy, you’ll get to be a mother, and wife. We’ll be married Friday. I’ve already made the arrangements.”
Lucas suddenly leaned down, trapping her between the couch and his arms. “Don’t get me wrong, though, my dear fiancé, if you try to cross me, or run away with my child, you’ll never see him again. Do I make myself clear?” he whispered in a deathly calm voice.
Please, she screamed inside her own head, please don’t take away my child. “Lucas, I’m sorry, but she isn’t yours. That night we had together was great but I moved on. I don’t know what else to tell you…” she said with as much conviction in her voice as she could manage.
“Fine, if you say the child isn’t mine, we’ll have a DNA test done tomorrow. The procedure will be somewhat painful for you, but will cause no harm to our child,” he said, calling her bluff.
Amy turned stark white at his words. He could tell she had no idea such a test existed. She probably figured he’d have been glad not to be the father, and run as far as he could. She obviously didn’t know him at all.
She started to speak, and then just gave up.
Game.
Set.
Match.
He smiled without humor. He knew getting married wasn’t what either of them wanted, but there was no possible way he’d ever let another man raise his child, or that he’d be a weekend parent. She was carrying his baby; therefore, the only solution was for them to wed. He’d never understood how a man could walk away from his family.