Page 13 of The Grumpy Billionaire Baby Daddy

That'snotgreat. Mom hates bars because "people get drunk and there's lots of perversions. It's unbecoming of a well-behaved person." She said those exact words to my cousin, Stacey, who came over to spend last summer with us. I don't think Stacey anticipated how much friction she'd get for even suggesting a night out at a bar.

Mom walks out of the room, and my feet stay glued to the floor. She'll likely bring it up later. Jason has not stopped staring at me. Now’s the time to tell him about this pregnancy thing. It’s definitely going to throw him off his feet, but we need to come up with a solution fast. The universe didn’t bring him my way for me to cower and hide it from him. I’ll be damned if I go through this alone. I peer into his face; he’s still watching me.

“Are you in haste? We have to talk. It's urgent.”

He shifts his weight to his other leg and crosses his arms, revealing sculpted biceps that threaten to rip his t-shirt.

“I'm waiting.”

“What? No, not here. It's highly confidential.”

He presses his finger to his lips, his gaze still on me.

“So…you’re asking me out on a date then?”

I grimace.

“Are you usually an airhead? You have to check your items out and wait for me outside. I'll pretend to go get some food and meet you out there.”

He opens his mouth to say something but shuts it again and turns to leave.

“I'll go home if I don't see you in five minutes.”

When he leaves, I pace the room, chewing my nails. The real task is breaking the news to him and finding a way to come up with a solution together. What if he rejects the baby? A soft bark fills the room from one of the cages, but I ignore it. It’s most likely from Moon, but my mind is too hazy to pay attention. The room swirls, and I lower myself to the ground. It's now or never. I rub my palm over my chest in a bid to manage nausea. What happens now? Carrying the secret has been a heavy burden, and at this point, I just want someone else to know.

My heart slams in my chest as I contemplate how Jason will take the news. I know next to nothing about him except that he's wealthy and I'm carrying his child. Is he kind and understanding, or is he selfish and uncaring? It's a daunting unknown that fills me with anxiety.

I'll go home if I don't see you in five minutes.

I jump to my feet and walk out of the pet shelter, heading to the front desk.

"I'm going to get a burger, Mom. Do you want anything?"

Mom looks up from her book record, her glasses falling farther from her eyes. Two crow’s feet decorate her forehead and wrinkles form when her lips break in a smile.

"You could just place an ord —"

"No! I… I think I need a walk too. It might do me some good."

I turn and hurry off before she gets a chance to say something else. She’s been asking if I’ve been getting better, and even though I’ve told her I’m fine over and over, I don’t think she believes me. I’ve been secretly taking energy boosters to hide my weakness.

The black tundra outside looks like it could be his, but he's nowhere in sight. I scan the street to the left and the right. No sign of him. Maybe he left already, and the tundra isn't his. My mind goes blank. Now, what am I going to do?

"Over here!"

A deep voice calls out, and I turn to find him standing in front of George's open food cart. George runs a spectacular food cart serving hearty meals from his trailer with an open food court. As I approach the food cart, the smell of grilled meat assails my nostrils and my mouth waters.

"I almost left. What took you so long?"

I stroll towards a seat nestled on the distant right, settling down with a soft thud. Opposite me, he positions himself with an unyielding gaze.

"So what's so urgent you held me from going? You're going to have to be quick; I need to be somewhere else in less than two hours."

I clank my fingers and lean back, studying his features. Handsome but obnoxious.

"Hello?"

I snap out of my reverie and lean forward.

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