Page 29 of The Grumpy Billionaire Baby Daddy

"What is your deal? Do you have a problem with me?"

His breathing is noisy, and his face goes red.

"You don't get to be an asshole because I'm under your roof!"

"Then stop acting like one!"

He grunts, opens the door to his suite, and bangs it behind him.

What the actual fuck!

This is unreal. How can a grown man act like a teenager? I walk back and step into my suite. Me? Acting like an asshole? Wow.

Every encounter I've had with thisrealasshole has been unpleasant; this is the man who'll raise this baby? I plop down on the sofa in the living room as heat flushes through my body. I run my hands over my stomach; there's an almost significant bump now. My mind goes to El. I won't see her for a year too. My throat locks up, and I pick up my cell phone. There's a missed call from Mom. I sink into the ground, my shoulders shaking. The sobs come out chipped, and I dial El's number. It rings, but there's no response. I try again. Nothing. Just then, my phone rings. She's calling back.

"Now, I know I told you I was here to torture you, but that doesn't include talking multiple times a day."

My throat locks up.

"Uhh... Fifi, are you there?"

"Yeah." My voice is shrill.

"Fiona! What's wrong?"

The sobs follow, and Eleanor stays quiet. She's always done that. She'd stay silent whenever I needed to talk and let me cry. She always knew I'd speak after that.

"I hate this place, El. Jason makes it so difficult to breathe. He's an asshole, teenage jock kind of asshole. It just makes no sense at all. I get that we both made a mistake, but shouldn't we both bear the consequences? Why does he have to take it out on me like I'm his enemy? I'm suffering here too."

"It's okay, Fiona. You're okay. Breathe in. Breathe out. You're okay. I'm guessing I won't be visiting any time soon."

Suppressing my emotions, I tightly clamp my lips together and remain silent. The mere idea of not seeing her for fifteen months sends shivers down my spine, but I am determined to discover a solution. Failure is not an option.

Chapter 10

Jason

AsIdrawnearerto Fiona's room, a sense of emptiness within me intensifies. I wish to reject the culpability that weighs heavily on my chest for the way I berated her. Yet, I cannot bring myself to apologize, as she has grown close to Richard, and I deem it impolite to conduct such actions in my home. It shouldn’t happen in my house. But was it really necessary to call her an asshole over it? I frown. She called me that first.

Whatever!

I straighten my brown long-sleeve T-shirt and knock on the door. A faint reply comes from the other end.

“Coming!”

My chest tightens. I’ve only seen her twice in almost three weeks, partly because I’m busy but also partly because something about her is starting to get under my skin, and I don’t like it. This should never have happened.Sheshould never have happened.

The door opens slightly, and she peeks through, a puzzled expression on her face. I’ve never ever come to her room; I’ve never had a reason to. The door opens fully, and she steps aside, silent.

“I’m having a couple of business associates over for a party. No one knows about you and we need it to stay that way. That means you can’t come out or else someone might see you. Just stay here until I tell you it’s safe to come out. Gotten?”

She stays still, unmoving. My eyes waver before landing on her stomach. I swallow. It’s starting to protrude. There’s a baby in there—my baby.My heart starts to race as the thought catches me off guard, almost throwing me off. I glance around the room, noting how lonely it must be for her. “Hello? I asked if you got it.”

“Yes,” she says, avoiding my eyes.

I hesitate for a second before turning to step out. Maybe I should let her best friend come by so she’ll be less lonely. But that means her best friend will know this house. I don’t need that kind of attention.

The loud doorbell distracts me from my thoughts, and I step out of her room, making my way downstairs. Mom’s been cooking all afternoon for the party, even though I specifically told her she didn’t have to. I was fine with ordering food, but in her words, “I’m bored out of my mind. I need the challenge.” Sometimes, she exerts herself when she should be resting. Today is one of those days. Maybe I shouldn’t have retired her as early as I did.

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