Page 58 of Accidental Baby With My Brother's Best Friend

“Lily.”He tries to stop me by placing a gentle hand over my mouth. He takes off the hand, leaving a trail of soft kisses down my cheek, along my jawline, and onto my neck, trailing downwards, stopping at the hollow where my neck meets my shoulder. I push his hand away and stand up. All the hurt I felt has now been replaced by anger. I feel like a damn fool–again.

Another man with sweet gestures and sweet words who gets what he wants from me and that’s it. No desire for commitment. It feels all too familiar already. Maybe I’m cursed really. Maybe I’m never gonna have someone to truly love me. Someone faithful and committed. Someone who will choose me, and who wants me just as much as I want him.

“It’s fine. You don’t need to say anything. You have explained everything clearly. Have a nice life, Liam.”I state, my voice cold and sharp. I give him a small nod and turn away but he stops me by grabbing my wrist firmly.

“What?”I ask, turning around to face him.

“Just give me some time, Lily. This is happening too fast. Please.”

“You have all the time in the world, Liam… but I don’t. Time is a luxury that I simply can’t afford.”

I yank my hand away from his grasp and leave his office, tears falling freely down my cheeks.

“Lily, wait. Are you really going to keep the baby? Is this a good idea right now? Look, I could pay you whatever amount you want. Anything at all. I know it’s not ideal, but this wasn’t planned. We need more time, Lily. We need to think this through.

A bitter chuckle escapes me as I shake my head. Now, I feel ashamed—Not for him, but for myself. My taste in men really needs to be checked, because how on earth do I keep falling for men of his kind? Men so manipulative and deceitful. I laugh sarcastically at that and turn around to face him.

I would say that I’m disappointed but I’m not. I should have seen this coming.

“Thanks for the memories, Liam. I don’t want to see you ever again…oh..and I quit!”With that, I spin on my heel and walk down the corridor until I am out of his sight.

“Lily! Wait!” He calls me in the distance, but I start bolting towards the front door, tears continue to fall down my face. I will not give him the satisfaction of seeing me fall apart. I need to get far away from him, as soon as possible.

Chapter26

Liam

“Lily! Wait!” I yell out to her as she storms out of my office. I want to run after her, but my feet won't let me. I am still in some sort of shock. Even if I chase after her, this isn’t a damn romantic comedy. I don’t have anything witty or charming to say, nor will I be able to rescue or sweep her off of her feet in this instance.

I continue pacing around my office. The walls are closing in and it feelslikeI’m running out of air, literally. I tend not to have regrets about my actions, but this is a disaster. What began as a fling with the utmost of possibilities, has quickly turned into a full-blownnightmare. I can’t believe she’s pregnant? She told me numerous times she was on birth control. Or at least she said she was. Or could she have lied? And if she did, why would she do that?Why didn’t I use a condom every single time? All the women I have had in my bed, and I am always careful. I know better. Such an amateur move. You’re a fucking idiot, Liam!I say to myself.

* * *

It’s been three days since Lily told me about the pregnancy. I have not reached out to her, and she has not called or texted me either–I don’t expect her to, with how I treated her. The pain of that conversation is still fresh, and I feel horrible. I am completely numb, and I just don’t know what to do next.

A million questions and maybe more continue to plague me, as I pace through the full expanse of my office. The throbbing in my temples only worsens with every step I take, and my eyes feel gritty from lack of sleep. Despite the air conditioning, sweat drips down my brow and onto my shirt collar. I feel sick just looking at myself in the mirror. The dark circles under my eyes stand out starkly against my skin.

It’s a safe bet that Dean is also aware; aware of the fact that his best friendseeminglytook advantage of his only sister, and betrayed his trust. To make it even worse, he’s been dead quiet. I know he’s back in town, and there’s not been one message or call from him over the last three days, and that worries me.

Knowing Dean, the longer he refrains himself from acting, the more dangerous his eventual actions will be. Now the throbbing in my head has escalated to an all-timehigh, and it’s hard enough to think. I walk over to the refrigerator in the corner and pull out a bottle of rum from it, tossing back a mouthful before chugging the rest. It burns going down, but it does little to ease the tension in my chest. It calms me enough for me to return to my seat behind my desk, even though my mind is anything but calm.

Later that afternoon, the door buzzer at the front of the gallery rings. I pause in my drinking for a few moments to ponder who would be dropping by unannounced. I’ve had my schedule cleared for the rest of the week and told Brielle, the receptionist, to inform any customers or guests that I am not in the office.

I can hear some raised voices outside in the lobby, followed by footsteps coming down the hall. The door to my office suddenly flies open before I can brace myself. I turn around, nearly choking on my own spit when I spot the man in front of me. Brielle is running behind him in a desperate attempt to control the situation, but he shrugs her off angrily and pushes past her. She steps backward, nearly falling flat on her ass while glaring at him venomously. He continues marching toward me until he reaches the foot of my desk. His face is a mask of fury. I swallow nervously as he comes within inches of me.

“You shouldn’t be here sir. This is your last chance before I call security!”Brielle, my receptionist says shakily standing at a distance behind him.

He snarls something in a language I don’t understand before turning back to me, his eyes seething with barely contained rage.

“It’s alright, Brielle. He’s a friend.”I say slowly stepping around my desk to stand in front of Dean. His eyes are still burning holes in my skull, I can feel it but I keep my gaze on Brielle.

“Are you sure sir? I could call security or the police if you want me to.”

I force a smile to calm her worries. “No thank you, Brielle. That won’t be necessary.”

“Are you certain sir?”

“Yes. You can return to your desk now. Thanks.”

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