The Billionaire's Unexpected Baby(36)

She didn't bother protesting any more. Just signed on the dotted line.

"Excellent. All right, my beautiful girls." He leaned over and gave them both a kiss. "I shall return later."

Leah smiled and waved as he left, and then slumped back against the  couch, cradling her baby and waiting for Brooks to come out and start  bitching about Marcus like he always did.

What in the world was she going to do with all the baby daddy drama?





Chapter Twenty-Two

Brooks sat in his armchair and leaned his head back, trying to process  everything. He'd heard every word. The wine room had a door, but the  walls cordoning off the room didn't reach all the way to the ceiling.  Sound had no problem carrying. Brooks had never really paid attention to  it before. He wished he had or he'd have excused himself and gone  outside. Where he couldn't hear Marcus the Hero marching in to save the  day, offering his undying support. Money, insurance, nannies, anything  she needed.

It was only right for him to do so and Brooks should be glad he was a  stand-up guy. Instead, all he could think of was how badly he'd love to  plant his fist in Marcus's face. The more rational part knew that was  petty, and unfair. But he didn't really care. The man had walked in and  taken everything from Brooks. But that wasn't fair, either. You couldn't  take something you never had to start with. And like it or not, that  was Marcus's daughter in there.

Not his.

How the hell was he supposed to live with Marcus throwing that in his  face for the rest of their lives? How was he supposed to deal with  Marcus period for the rest of their lives? The best part of Marcus  stealing their app idea was that he'd disappeared. He'd screwed Brooks  and Cole over, but then he'd left. They hadn't had to deal with the  weasel anymore. And now he'd have to deal with Marcus … forever.

The really shit part was that Marcus wasn't a total dickwad. At least  when it came to Leah and the baby, which was a good thing. Marcus seemed  like he knew what he was doing. Hell, having insurance had never even  occurred to Brooks. If he got sick, he just called a doctor friend he  knew and got it taken care of. But babies had to go to doctors for all  kinds of things. Shots and stuff. And checkups. He knew nothing about  babies. She'd been in his house not even a week and Brooks was sure she  was already scarred for life. He didn't want that kind of  responsibility. Everything would change. He'd need a new place, for  sure, and he didn't want one. He liked his apartment. He liked his life.       

   





Leah …

Brooks shut that down immediately. Dwelling on her and whatever idiotic  fantasies he might have briefly entertained did no one any good. He was  an irresponsible asshole and always would be. She and the baby were both  better off with a guy like Marcus, no matter how irritating the guy  was. Hell, he'd probably treat them both like queens every day of their  lives just to prove to everyone he was a better guy than Brooks.

Brooks, on the other hand, might make everyone laugh for a few minutes,  but no one went to him with serious problems. He wasn't the guy you  turned to when shit hit the fan. He was the guy throwing the shit at the  blades in the first place. He had no business around a new mother and  an innocent baby.

It probably would have been better for them all if he'd kept driving  when he'd left the hospital that night. But there was no way he could  have just left her there. So he'd gone back. And brought them home.  Because there was really nothing else he could do at that moment. And  maybe he wanted to steal a few final days with her. With them. But he  knew it couldn't last.

It's what they'd planned to do from the start anyway. Things may have  gotten a little muddled over the last few months, but neither of them  had ever intended to stay together. And now with Marcus in the picture,  it would be better for everyone if Brooks bowed out gracefully. And it  should be easy. Bowing out was what he did.

He took a minute to compose himself. No one had ever seen through him  the way Leah did. He didn't want her reading anything that wasn't there.  Or shouldn't be there. Wouldn't be there once he got his life back.

Finally, he took a deep breath and opened the door.

Leah glanced up. When she saw him, her eyes lit up and for a second he  savored that sweet addicting warmth that always flowed through him when  they were together. She finished laying the baby in her bassinet and  then sat back on the couch, one leg tucked under the other.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey." She took a deep breath. "Do you think you and Marcus will ever get along?"

Brooks straightened, stung that the first words out of her mouth would  be about the other man. "Yeah, that's what we need to talk about. I  don't think that's ever going to happen."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why? What happened with you guys before … that's all in the past, isn't it? Marcus is a good guy."

Brooks swallowed hard. "Yes, he is. When he's not around me. We don't bring out the best in each other."

She snorted. "I've noticed."

He rubbed his hand over his face. "Look, I know this whole thing is one  big complicated mess. But Marcus is here and seems to be planning on  staying and he is the baby's father." Saying those words was like  spitting out acid, but it didn't change the truth of them. "Seems to me  like we've got one extra person in the mix here. I think you've got your  job at the school pretty secure now. They love you, and we'd always  said that I traveled a lot so I don't think they'll notice if I'm not  there. And with Marcus and I having issues that don't seem like they are  going to be resolved anytime soon … "

Her eyes looked a bit brighter but if she was on the verge of tears, she  thankfully held it together. "So what?" she asked. "Now that he's here  you're going to bail?"

"Bail on what, Leah? Our fake marriage that wasn't supposed to last more  than a few months? Isn't it time we both got back to our real lives? I  know staying with me wasn't something you were planning on. Do you want  to be tied to some irresponsible idiot for the rest of your life because  I couldn't keep my mouth shut around your boss?"

"You're not an irresponsible idiot, Brooks. I mean, yes, you have your  moments, like this one. But there is more to you than that."

"Not really."

"Oh, come on, Brooks. At least give me the real reason you're doing this."

"That is the real reason. I care about you, Leah. A lot. And I care  about the baby. And you deserve a hell of a lot better than what I can  give you. And I'm sorry, but there's no way I can deal with Marcus being  in my face trying to get under my skin day in and day out. He'll drive  me insane. We're already barely speaking and the baby is only a week  old. What kind of environment is that to raise a kid in?"       

   





"Can't you just let bygones be bygones and move on?"

"It's not that easy, Leah. It's kind of hard to let bygones be bygones  when the same shit keeps happening. I didn't plan on anything ever  happening between us, and I'm sorry if that makes all this harder. But I  really am trying to do what's best for everyone. I can't give you what  you need."

"You don't know what I need. You've never even asked me."

"You've never asked me, either."

She looked like she was going to argue that point, but then dropped her  gaze. The fact that he was hurting her tore him apart. But it was for  the best. She'd see that eventually.

"I'm no good in relationships. The fact that I've never been in one long term should have been a good clue."

"That's just an excuse."

He shook his head. "You don't have to believe me. But I am doing what's  best for everyone. You deserve better than me. And so does she," he  said, nodding at the baby. "And I deserve a life where I don't have to  constantly deal with someone who tries his hardest to undermine  everything I do. Can you imagine me being the stepfather to his child?  How is that ever going to work?"

She folded her arms and looked down at her feet. "It won't."

He paused for a few seconds, trying to force out the rest of it,  reminding himself that this was what was best for her. Best for the  baby. Best for him. Hell, even best for Marcus. They'd all be happier if  he was out of the picture.

"I have to leave for a few weeks," he said.

"What?"

Her eyes grew wide with what looked like unshed tears. The sudden urge  to drop to his knees and beg her to choose him washed over him and he  choked it back. That wasn't in anyone's best interest. Marcus was an ass  to Brooks, but in general, he was a stand-up guy, as much as Brooks  hated to admit it. And he was the baby's real father. He was someone  they could both depend on. Not a screwup goofball that people only kept  around for laughs.

"There's a conference in Vienna. Cole doesn't want to travel yet with  Piper being so small. One of us needs to go. I had planned on going  anyway. Our … your baby wasn't supposed to be here for a few more weeks so  I thought I had time. And … Marcus will be here if you need anything."