Page 64 of Bossy Ex's Brother

“Sorry I left you guys hanging yesterday,” I said.

Brandon looked at me like I was crazy. “Are you kidding? You were sick. What were we supposed to do? Have you run around in between puking your guts out? Seriously, who does that?”

I almost told him that my previous place of employment made us do that and more but stopped myself.

He shook his head as he added, “And I’m pretty sure the boss understands that too.”

“Speaking of the boss, is he around?” I asked, feeling the nerves twist in my stomach.

“Yup.” Brandon nodded toward Luca’s office. I shot him a look of thanks and started on my way.

I felt more and more nervous as I approached the door. I knocked, pushed it open, and immediately froze.

Luca was staring right at me as if he could sense me from the other side of the door before I opened it.

I swallowed as I looked back at him.

I walked in, and he pushed away the folders in front of him. Neither of us said anything for a long while.

“Hi,” he said with a displeased frown. “What are you doing here?”

I knew he thought I would stay home today, but I couldn’t just stay home and do nothing. “I’m feeling a lot better.” I stepped in and shut the door behind me. Nerves had me shifting my weight around for some time before blurting it out.

“I’m keeping the baby.”

He didn’t say anything for what felt like endless seconds. And then he swallowed as though fierce emotion arced through him.

His expression did not change, but I got the feeling that I’d affected him.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes,” I stated firmly, knowing that the battle was about to begin. Before he could say anything else, I continued, “I know it’s not ideal, and you probably don’t want kids, but I want to keep the baby. I’m not telling you this because I want anything from you. I’m just letting you know what I’ve decided to do. I’m not going to seek any child support, and you can even sign away your parental rights if you want to. I won’t stop you nor hold it against you. I also won’t tell anyone the child is yours except my siblings, who already figured it out, but that’s beside the point. They won’t tell anyone either if I ask them not to. I’ll take care of the child and won’t have to bother you with anything, and you can continue living life as usual.”

“Like hell I will.” His snarl took me aback. I avoided looking him directly in the face as I spoke, but now that I looked into his face, I saw that he was more than just angry. His face was furious as he got up and walked to me, crowding into my space. I didn’t step back. I wasn’t scared of him, and my heart beat faster when he came closer.

“That child is mine,” he growled. “I made it with you. And if you think I’m going to let you take away my parental rights or go through it alone or whatever the fuck you were talking about, then you’ve got another thing coming.”

There was some relief that swam through me at his vehemence. He was being honest. I could tell from the look in his eyes and how offended he seemed at the mere suggestion that he give up his parental rights. And while I was happy that I wasn’t going to go through this alone, I was still somewhat cautious. Could I trust him?

“How can I be sure that you’re going to be a good father to the baby?” I probed. I had to ask because all this was still fresh. After all, some of my mother’s boyfriends had made her promises too. They swore they would be there after the pregnancy, then walked straight out of her life.

“I don’t want you to be in and out of my child’s life,” I told him. “We don’t have to be together, but I do want stability for him or her, and I don’t want their feelings hurt. If you say you’re in, that means you’re in for the long haul. I won’t have them be confused or doubt whether or not their father loves them.”

“Of course.” Luca’s voice was in an even harsher tone. His eyes were intense on my face, and his jaw clenched as he continued, “My son or daughter will want for nothing, including my affection. Every day they will know they are loved and cherished. And I will sign whatever you want if you don’t believe me. But make no mistakes. You and the child are now my responsibility. No matter what, I’ll take care of you.”

I looked away from him, unable to bear looking into his eyes any longer. “I wasn’t talking about myself. I was talking about the baby.”

“I know.” His hand went to my chin, shifting my eyes, so I looked at him, staring into those two-toned eyes.

My heart squeezed and tightened from the breadth of emotion that was displayed in their depths. His gaze was so soft and hard at the same time and so heavy with the words he wasn’t saying.

And then he leaned down, his forehead touching mine, and I swallowed again.

“I can’t do it,” he whispered suddenly, and my heart stopped for a second.

“Do what?” I asked, suddenly feeling afraid.

“Not be with you,” he said. “I can’t stay away from you, not even for your own good. I can’t parent our child from a distance.”

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