Page 68 of Billionaire and the Barista

GABRIELLA

Robbie sat on my lap as we watched TV. It was a quiet moment where I didn’t have to do anything, let alone think. I had let him choose the show since he had another good day at school. I wasn’t worried about the café, Miguel and Ricky could close up shop without me. I let myself not worry about any of the big decisions that had been pressing down on me. It was me and my boy, and I loved it.

A loud banging on the door startled me. Robbie was off my lap and running to our small entryway. I followed behind, with slightly less urgency.

“Ask—” I started to tell him to ask who it was before he yanked open the door.

The door was open, and on one side was Nathan. He loomed, he looked tired with his wavy hair a mess. There were dark bags under his eyes, and it looked as if he hadn’t shaved for days. His dark eyes flashed as he looked down at Robbie. My stomach was instantly in knots.

“Who are you?” Robbie asked. He didn’t give Nathan a chance to say anything.

Nathan opened his mouth, but Robbie was already tackling him around his knees. My heart jumped to my throat. There were so many ways this could go wrong.

“Are you, my daddy?”

Nathan looked stunned. He knelt down and gently eased Robbie back. He held onto his arms, and his gaze searched Robbie’s face. “Go get you mom,” was all he said.

Robbie tore off through the kitchen, arms waving maniacally over his head. “My daddy’s here, my daddy’s here!”

Nathan looked up, and our eyes locked. I prayed he couldn’t see the panic and nerves that I felt all over my face.

The apartment was a giant circle. The entryway was located between the TV room and the kitchen. The bedrooms were off a small back hall that connected on either end to the kitchen and the TV room. I was still leaning against the open archway between the TV room and the entry when Robbie completed his circuit and crashed into my hip.

“Is he, my daddy?”

I ran a hand through Robbie’s hair and looked down at him. I wanted so much to tell him that Nathan was his father. I also really needed to talk to Nathan alone before I said something dumb. I tried to be as calm and collected as I needed to be to get through this.

“Give me a second,” I said to the room in general. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and texted Lacey.

“Sending Robbie, ok?” I quickly asked. I didn’t type help or emergency, I didn’t want to have Lacey crashing into the mix, even though I felt like shouting ‘SOS, call 9-1-1.’

All I got was a single K in reply.

“Go on up and see Lacey,” I told Robbie.

“But—” he started, and I held up my hand to stop him.

“I need to talk to Nathan alone.”

Robbie’s entire little body slumped as he walked out the door.

“Will you watch to see if he gets in?” I asked. I didn’t want to have to wiggle past Nathan right now, and all he needed to do was turn his head and watch the stairs.

“He’s in,” Nathan said.

“Come on in,” I said with the wave of my hand.

“You aren’t even going to ask me why I’m here?” He said as he closed the door behind him.

“Coffee?” I stepped into the kitchen and began making myself a fresh pot, anything to keep up the pretense of being calm. “It’s pretty obvious.”

“Who is the boy’s father? Why does he think I’m his father?”

“You’re kidding me, right? Did you look at him? I mean, really look at him. He’s yours, Nathan.”

“Are you certain? I want a paternity test.”

The laughter bubbled out of me, completely beyond my control.

---