Page 6 of Finding You

But this? That amazing night supposedly had created two kids.

“God,” he breathed and leaped from his seat, unable to sit still. Instead, he paced the middle of the floor as if that would organize the fifty-million questions clogging his mind. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t wrap his brain around any of this.

“There’s no way,” he murmured to himself while he stomped back and forth on the carpeted floor. “I used protection.”

“Except for when we didn’t,” Raven said, and his gaze snapped to hers. Just that quickly, he’d momentarily forgotten she was sitting there. Yeah, he was definitely going to need that beer, and maybe something even stronger.

“We used protection every time,” he insisted, shocked he was even having this conversation. He never screwed up when it came to sex, even mind-blowing, out of this world, can’t wait to do it again, kind of sex. Which was what they’d had, over and over again, and each time he had sheathed himself.

“Let me refresh your memory,” Raven’s soft voice crackled through the room and jerked him out of his thoughts. “Remember the time after we’d ordered room service and before it arrived? Things moved quickly, and you backed me to a wall, and—”

“Oh, shit,” he mumbled and slammed his eyes shut as the moment came to him like an EF5 tornado, knocking him on his ass.

He remembered. Oh, how he remembered. Raven had felt so good. Too damn good, and he’d been buried deep inside of her before they realized he hadn’t put on a condom. But still, it had only been a second or maybe ten and he pulled out immediately.

“No way you got pregnant because of that slip up. I pulled out the moment we realized what happened.”

She shot out of her seat and glared at him. “So you think I’m lying? I wasn’t with anyone before you came along, and I haven’t been with anyone since!” Her whisper-shouting might’ve been quiet, but there was so much force behind her words that if they’d been bullets, he’d be dead.

“I don’t know you,” he ground out and got in her face. “For all I know, you can be lying. I haven’t seen you in months. You could’ve been with anyone during that time.” “Listen, jerk-face!”

Jerk-face? Seriously?

She jabbed him in the chest with her pointy finger, hard enough to leave a mark. “I’m telling you the truth! I’m not sure what type of women you’re used to being with, but Idon’tlie. I wouldneverlie about something this serious. Those are your kids whether you believe it or not.”

Zion was six-feet tall and two hundred and twenty pounds. Though Raven was tall for a woman, she couldn’t have been more than 5’7”. She came up to his chin and might’ve been a hundred and twenty or thirty pounds. Yet, the anger radiatingoff her—and the murderous glare she was giving him—had her looking fierce enough to have a man shaking in his boots.

And damn if it wasn’t a turn on. Yeah, he was a jerk-face, considering that’s what he was thinking about during a serious conversation. A conversation that might be changing his whole life.

“Listen, I’m not trying to piss you off, but what were you expecting?” he asked. “That I would just take your word that your kids are mine?”

“God, I had no idea that you were such an unamenable louse! First of all, I wasn’t expecting anything because Ineverthought I’d see you again. Especially since you insisted we only use first names when we met, and you made it clear that the night was a one and done situation. Which, in your defense, I agreed to like an idiot, but that was a mistake, one of many that night. I blame myself for ever hooking up with your trifling butt in the first place. Then we wouldn’t be having this conversation aboutourchildren.

“But now that I’ve run into you, I want you to take a paternity test as soon as possible. Not because I want to squeeze you for child support, because I don’t need anything from you. I just want it on record so our babies will know you’re their father. Even if you are turning out to be a bigbutthead. Get the test done, get the results, and then if you want, you never have to see me or them again.”

She started to stomp away, but Zion reached out and gently grabbed her arm. She snatched out of his grasp and glared even harder than before, if that were possible.

“Don’t ever put your hands on me again,” she growled, a lethalness in her tone.

He liked this fiery side of her, but he hadn’t meant to upset her. Yeah, he was being a dick, but what man wouldn’t be in this instance?

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I’m sorry for everything. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that, but you have to understand, this is…”

“Crazy? Shocking? Mind-blowing and scary? Yeah, I know. Imagine my surprise when I found out I was pregnant, then imagine what it was like when I learned I was not only carrying one baby, buttwo. Oh, and if that weren’t enough, imagine going into labor, scared to death because Andrew decided he wanted out immediately. By the time I arrived at the hospital, they barely had me in a bed before he made his appearance. Andthenimagine how terrifying it was when I brought them home to my little two-bedroom apartment that was barely big enough for me. Oh, and did I mention I had to do most of that alone?

“So yeah, I understand how unbelievable all this is, and I’m sorry you found out like this. But forgive me for not feeling sympathetic at the moment. As soon as you get the paternity test done, you’ll know for certain that you and I have a son and a daughter—Andrew and Zanaya.”

It was still shocking that she named her son, maybetheirson, after him.

“Damn,” he whispered and wiped his hand over his mouth. He had no intention of meeting the guys at the bar, but there was no way he wasn’t going home and having a stiff drink, or ten.

“We’ll have the paternity test done tomorrow and get it expedited,” he said. “And I really am sorry about how I responded.”

“Yeah, me too. Andrew… I mean, Zion, I would’ve reached out to you the moment I found out if I’d known how to get in contact with you. Needless to say, it’s been a tough year, but still, I would love for the kids to get to know you.”

He nodded. He wasn’t conceding just yet, but there was no reason to keep going back and forth on this. He’d pull some strings and get the paternity test results back in a few days. Untilthen, he needed to prepare himself in case he was the father. Meaning, he needed to make things right with Raven because, if those were his kids, he’d be all in. No way would he abandon them or her.

Raven moved away from him and wrapped her arms around herself. He felt like a jerk talking to her like that, especially since she looked as if she was going to crumble at any moment. He didn’t think it was because of him, though, at least not completely. She really did look exhausted, and he was sure it didn’t help that he was questioning her integrity.

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