Page 59 of Surprise Baby for Daddy's Best Friend

I slumped on the couch and put a hand on my stomach. I couldn't feel the baby in there, but I knew the baby was there, growing and thriving despite my body attacking it. I refused to let myself fail the child. I was going to make sure I did my best to prove to everyone that I was worthy of raising the child.

It didn't matter if after everything, Jared chose to leave. I wouldn't blame him. We weren't exactly official and with him being who he was, it would probably be a bad look to have a child out of wedlock, especially with someone so much younger than him.

"So..." Jared sat across from me and folded his hands in front of himself. "You said you wanted to talk." His voice was calm and collected with a hint of seriousness to it.

I groaned and sat up a little, "We do, and I don't care what you have to say about that matter."

He raised a brow as if challenging my statement, but remained silent.

"If I can, I'm keeping this baby. I don't expect you to support it. And I'll sign whatever paperwork you need me to sign, to keep quiet about it too," I let out a heavy sigh. "I want this baby, Jared."

He chuckled and shook his head, "You expect me to accept that?"

I stiffened, "Of course, I do. You're not going to change my mind about that."

"And what if I tell you I disagree?"

"You don't get that choice," I was ready to kick him out of the apartment. He could claim to pay for any of the bills, but I wasn't going to get rid of the baby.

He shook his head, "You don't get it."

"Get what? Just because you like getting your way with money doesn't mean--"

"I'm not against you keeping the baby."

Every ounce of anger I had in my body evaporated in an instant, "What?"

"I'm excited for you," he stood up and walked over to me and hooked my chin with his hand. "You're going to keep our child."

My stomach twisted at the sound of it being calledourchild and not justmychild.

"Really?"

He leaned closer so I could feel his breath on my skin, "Would I ever lie to you?"

I let out a sigh of relief, and leaned closer to kiss him, but he pulled away before I reached him.

"Be a good girl. You need to rest. Don’t get yourself all excited."

I wanted to cuss at him for denying me but bit my tongue. There was no point in arguing about it right now.

"So, then what?" I asked.

He sat back in his chair and crossed his legs, "We have two options." He held up two fingers, "Option one: we don't tell anyone who I am. You can choose if I support you monetarily."

"And option two?" I wasn't sure I was excited about that one.

"Option two: we let everyone know I exist and I help support you publicly."

"I assume you want to keep things quiet?"

He shrugged and tapped his fingers on his knee, "Either option works for me." A smile crept across his face, "Though if we tell everyone, that makes it easier for me to see you. They can't say anything about it or then they're denying a child its father."

I sat on what he said and pondered it for a moment. He wasn't wrong. It was easier to tell them about Jared if it was something stronger than just a fling during a vacation. But that wasn't true. It was beyond infatuation or simply liking him. There wasn't a single guy I had met between then and now that could equal even a quarter of who Jared was. I wanted to stay with him.

"Thank you for not wanting me to get rid of the baby," I sucked in a deep breath. "I know you don't have to do any of this. I'm ready to do this on my own since it was my fault."

He smiled and leaned on his elbow, "I'm not that much of an asshole, am I?"

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