Page 61 of Accidental Baby With My Brother's Best Friend

“Alright then. I really hope he comes to his senses.”

“I hope so too.”

He has to..and it’s up to me to make sure of it.

Chapter28

Lily

All of the confidence I had gathered on my way here dissipates as I stand in front of Liam’s office. My hand fumbles with the doorknob as a million and one possible outcomes swirl through my mind. It’s near impossible for my world to crumble any further should he choose to reject me and this baby, which looks like the most likely outcome. If he had changed his mind, he would have reached out already. The dead-end silence between us is more than enough proof of his continued rejection. It can’t get any worse, can it?

If there’s a slim chance, even a one in ten thousand chance, that Liam feels for me what I feel for him—which until the pregnancy felt like a certainty—then I’d take it. I’d give it one last try. One last chance to try and talk some sense into him. Blowing a breath through my teeth, I push open the door and step inside.

I find him standing behind his desk looking out the window at the city streets below. I stand quietly for a moment watching him as he watches the traffic, before clearing my throat and speaking up. “Liam?” He doesn’t respond or turn around. “Can we talk? Please?” Still nothing.

This isn’t going well at all. I had imagined so many responses in my head and this wasn’t one of them. Does he hate me so much now that he can’t stand the sight of me? A lump forms in my throat and I try to swallow past it, but only manage a slight rasp. No tears come either, which is a little odd, since I have done nothing else but cry for the last three days. Maybe I’ve run out of tears.

“Please look at me. Just… please?” I beg, taking an anxious step toward him only to freeze in my place when he whirls on his heel and faces me. His expression, though still unreadable, is not unkind nor does it appear to hold any ill will. Instead, there is something… familiar about the way he stares at me with eyes filled with a mix of emotions I’m not sure how to interpret. Like he’s just as unsure as I am about how to proceed. “Can I sit?”

“Lily, can we not do this? I’m in just as much pain as you are. Please. This will break me even further.”

I don’t get it. If he’s in as much pain then why not put an end to it? Why doesn’t he choose to accept the pregnancy and give us a chance? Why? This hurts. No, it sucks. So much that I want to just drop to my knees and scream and cry until everything hurts less. But if I’m going to get anywhere with him right now, I need to be calm and rational. That means acting as though everything is normal, even if every part of my being screams otherwise. I grace another sigh and take another step forward, trying to smile reassuringly when I know it looks painfully forced. “I get it. But can I at least sit? At least for old times sake?”

He nods slightly and gestures towards the sofa. After sitting down, he folds his hands together and rests them against his belly. He continues to stare at the street outside, his gaze never wavering from the scene below. “You must hate me so much now.” A bitter laugh escapes me and I wipe away my newly formed tears. “You can’t even stand the sight of me anymore.”

His jaw clenches and he turns his head away from me. “We both know that’s not true. I’m just scared.”

My heart skips a beat and I blink rapidly, trying to clear the blurriness from my vision. “Of what?”

“Looking at you. I fear that the pain in your eyes would break me to pieces.”

He closes his eyes and exhales softly before turning back to face me. His lips curl into a faint, barely noticeable grimace and he says, “And that I might never recover from.”

“Why do you choose to hurt us both? We were doing just fine before this pregnancy came into the picture. Surely, if things had gone well between us, then a baby would have happened down the line. Would you have abandoned me and our baby then?”

“Lily…” He trails off. A pained expression crosses his features before he averts his eyes again. He bows his head slightly and rubs his temple. Finally after what seems like a lifetime, he lifts his chin and says, “The truth is, I love you Lily. I love you more than life itself. And it scares me—“

The door bursts open, cutting him off and we both turn in its direction, startled by the sudden intrusion. Dean stands in the doorway, a furious expression set on his features. He steps in and gives a brief glance to each of us before setting his focus on Liam. “Long time no see, my friend.”

There’s a hint of a sneer on his face and a dark glint in his eye as he takes a menacing step toward Liam’s desk. For a split second, Liam stiffens, as if preparing for the worst before his shoulders sag and he shakes his head. “Hi.” He manages to say.

Dean stops short of the desk and regards him with a scrutinizing glare. “Just hi? That’s how you greet your old buddy now?”

“Dean. I don’t want any trouble.”

“Neither do I. But we had an agreement. You had three days to get your shit together and guess what?” He glances at his watch and scoffs, “It’s been three days already.”

I stand up and walk over to him. “Dean, let me talk to Liam alone. Give us a little privacy, please.” I plead, reaching out and grasping his wrist.

Dean pulls his arm free and glares at Liam. “There’s no need for that. He looks like he’s got his mind made up already and nothing you say or do is gonna change that. So let’s hear it, Liam. What’s it gonna be?”

“Dean!” I shriek. “Please.”

Dean ignores me completely, his gaze still locked firmly on Liam. “No. I’m sorry, Lily. But I’m not leaving until I get an answer from him.”

Liam stays mute and his silence angers Dean even more. From the look on Dean’s face, he just might snap any second. And having witnessed Dean’s anger firsthand many times, it terrifies me.

“Say something, Liam. Don’t play dumb with me!” Dean yells, slamming his fist into the table.

---