Page 46 of Secret Baby for a Damaged Billionaire

She takes a deep breath, looking me in my eyes. “Lucas, I’m… I’m pregnant.”

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For a moment, the words don’t seem to register in my brain, as if they’re spoken in a foreign language I can’t quite understand. My heart begins to race, and I feel a cold sweat prickling at my brow. My hands tremble as I try to process the information. Is she really…? Are we going to have a baby?

I’m stunned as every emotion in the world attacks me at the same time. Elation. Terror. Love. Panic.

“Did you hear me?” she asks, her voice still trapped in my brain fog.

I clear my throat and shift my position on the couch to face her directly. “Yes,” I say. “I’m just, I’m, I’m shocked. When did you find out? How far along are you?”

I hear the fear in my own voice. The thought that she kept this from me for so long was a punch in the gut. Was the baby not mine? Did she not want to keep it? My mind tortures me with toxic scenarios instead of just allowing me to listen to her.

She lowers her gaze from mine. “A couple weeks ago. I’m eight weeks along.”

I swallow against the lump in my throat. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I wanted to. I was just….” She looks away, busying herself with Charlie’s collar tags. “I was worried. About how you might react.”

“Worried?” My heart begins to race. “Why?”

“Your PTSD.” Her voice is gentle. “I didn’t want this to trigger an episode. We have so much going on right now, with the Dubai expansion and everything else. I thought if I waited until after—”

“You thought I couldn’t handle it.” The words come out harsher than I intend, edged with hurt and her eyes jump to mine.

“No, not at all. I just wanted to protect you. To give you time.”

“Time for what? To prove I’m not fit to handle something like this?”

“Lucas, stop.” She reaches for my hand, and I pull it away. “That’s not what this is about at all. I can’t do this if you’re going to shut me out every time you feel threatened.”

Her words hit their mark. I’m overreacting, letting my doubts and insecurities get the better of me.

I sink into the couch, head in my hands. Charlie noses at my knee, offering me comfort. After a moment, I feel Emily’s hand on my back, her warmth seeping through my shirt.

I sit up taller and take a deep breath. Everything is okay. Emily is here with me. She isn’t leaving. And I realize I can handle this.

“Let’s take Charlie for a walk, Em. It might help us clear our heads,” I suggest gently, trying to offer her some relief from the tension that seems to have gripped her entire being.

“Okay,” she agrees with a small nod, her eyes still downcast.

I leash up Charlie and we head outside, the fresh air feeling like a much-needed reprieve from the stifling atmosphere of the apartment.

As we stroll along the shoreline of Castle Island, the salty ocean breeze brushes our cheeks and chases away the lingering heaviness in the air. Seagulls caw raucously overhead, their cries blending with the gentle lapping of waves against the rocks below. The sun dips lower in the sky, casting a warm glow over the coast.

“Emily, this doesn’t change how I feel about you, or us,” I say, my voice cracking under the weight of my emotions. “We’ll figure it out together.”

I guide us towards a nearby bench overlooking the water, feeling as though my legs might give way beneath me at any moment. As we sit down, Charlie hops up onto the seat beside me, his warm, furry body pressed reassuringly against mine. I stroke his fur, trying to ground myself in the present moment.

“Are you okay?” she asks cautiously, her hand finding its way to mine. “I know this is a lot to take in.”

“I’m not going to lie, Em, I’m scared,” I admit, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I just need to know where your head is at. But please know, I want this. I want you.”

“That means the world to me,” she replies, tears streaming down her face.

As we sit there, hands clasped and Charlie nestled between us, the weight of Emily’s words begins to settle in. My heart rate slows, and the trembling that had taken hold of my body starts to subside. Somehow, despite my initial fear, I feel excitement bubbling up within me as well.

“Em, I need you to know something,” I say earnestly, turning to face her. “It may have appeared as terror at first, ’cause it sure felt like it. But now… now it’s excitement, hope.”

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