Chapter 14

The office was completely silent as Caleb stared at the wall, unmoving and barely breathing. Is he okay? "Caleb?" I said quietly.

I waved my hand in front of his face slowly, "Caleb?" I asked again.

All of a sudden, he started laughing. This wasn't an ordinary laugh either, it sounded almost like cackling. Caleb doubled over and clutched his stomach as the laughter racked his body. Should I be worried? Is this even normal?

"Caleb, are you okay?" I asked hesitantly.

"I get on this guy that he should live a little and enjoy life, I tell him he has to let loose and do something dangerous and the man got someone pregnant."

He was laughing as he paced the floor and my stomach twisted in knots as he continued to speak. "My brother maybe the father of your kids and your kids could be my nieces. Holy shit."

He started laughing again. "Should I be afraid?" I asked.

At that, Caleb faced me quickly. I was having a hard time reading his expression, he looked happy, yet nervous and a bit overwhelmed.

"Sit down, Ava, tell me everything." He said.

"Geez, where to begin? You already know what happened. I got drunk and I slept with a stranger. I was so embarrassed because that was completely out of character and at that time, Royce was away to flight school. When I woke up, the only thing I could think of was getting the hell out of there." I said.

"Did you try to look for him?"

"Of course, but I didn't have a lot to work with. He was wearing a mask, I was drunk and he was in the shower when I got up. I went to get a plan B pill which didn't work, got tested and found out I was pregnant. Cat and I went back to the hotel twice but it's not like the front desk can give out information on their guests."

He nodded, "This was why you were so distraught when you told me you were pregnant."

I nodded, "I felt like my world was crashing down."

"You knew this for a while, why didn't you tell me right away?"

"How do I tell my boss that his brother is the father of my children? I was embarrassed and afraid. I didn't tell anyone except Catherine and my mother." I said.

Caleb stood up from the chair and looked thoughtful as he began to pace again. "You took the news a lot better than I anticipated." I said.

"Well that's because I'm not exactly surprised. I knew there was a reason I was so drawn to your children."

"So, you believe me?" I asked hopeful.

"Of course, I do Ava, I mean come on, those eyes, that hair, it's like looking at Mason as a kid."

"So, you noticed that too."

"Yes, I did. The eyes and hair alone are the exact replica of my mother's and Mason’s features." He said.

"What should I do?"

"You tell him." He said.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" I said worried.

He scoffed, "no, it's a bad idea."

My worries increased drastically, and I started to panic. Caleb sat back down in front of me and took one of my hands in one of his.

"Ava there's a reason I'm not around my family anymore. They can be judgemental, rude and cold, especially my father. I don't want to worry you, but you must realize what you and those girls are walking into."

My mouth quivered, "It's not about your family, right? It's about Mason and I."

"Logically yes, but Mason is very close to my family and my father has him in the palm of his hand. You may think it's only about you, but our family is so much in the media and it will affect all of us."

"So, it's best to not tell him?" My heart sunk.

"No, I didn't say that. I want to know my nieces, I want to be a part of their lives and it's only fair that Mason knows he has kids. It's not fair to keep this away from him."

"So..."

"So, I want you to know what you are getting yourself into. The minute you prove that your children are his, it's going to be a circus, and someone will get hurt."

"As long as it's not my daughters then I don't care. I don't want to keep their father from them."

"Agreed."

"So, what do we do now?"

"You said you want to tell him so that's what we will do. We're going to Seattle on Monday and I can give him a call to meet up."

"Monday?!" I gasped standing up.

Caleb stood up with me, "You said you wanted to do this."

"Well, yes in a few weeks or months, not in three days!" I said.

I began hyperventilating and started to walk around the office. Caleb grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to stop. "Ava you can't sit on this. He's already missed almost two years of their lives. You want to do this, then we do this right away."

"What....what if he doesn't want to be in their lives?" I mumbled.

"Mason is a lot of things but he's not a deadbeat. I promise, the minute you prove that they're his, he will suck it up and be there." Caleb's eyes were firm and so sure.

Realizing his confidence helped me to relax just a bit. I hadn't expected that Caleb would suggest it so soon, but this again, what am I waiting for?

"Okay....okay, so Monday I will meet him."

"Yes. I will call him once we're there and you two can talk face to face in private."

"Thank you." I said.

"No problem, I also think it's best if I drive."

I nodded, "That's fine."

"How will your boyfriend feel about this?" He asked.

I swallowed, "my boyfriend?"

"Well yea, he can't be too thrilled that you're going to meet up with the girls father."

I tried to control my breathing once again, just the thought of telling Royce was making me feel uneasy. He will not react to this good. I know it. "He'll get over it." I said.

The rest of the day I tried my best to focus on my work and keep my mind off of Monday. The thought of going to face Mason again had me in complete knots. What if I have another panic attack? He will definitely think there's something wrong with me. Throughout the day I noticed Caleb kept checking in on me. Every hour or so his head would stick out of his office to ask if I was okay. He was treating me like a ticking bomb, and I guess I don't blame him. It was almost time for lunch when a video call from my mother came through my phone. The first faces I saw when I answered were the messy faces of my little ones.

I gasped in fake shock, "Lilly, Peppa is that youu?" I smiled.

"Momma momma" They chanted together.

"Hi babies, mommy miss you." I said.

They were grabbing at the phone and pressing their little bodies closer. Lily was giving the phone kisses and Peppa was pressing her eye against the camera. Their faces were covered in ice cream so I knew my mom's phone looked a mess. I laughed at their silliness.

"How are you guys? Whatcha doing?"

"Nana! Jhdygevaosnyd"

"What?" I laughed.

"They are saying that they're with their Nana and she bought them ice cream!" My mom said.

She adjusted the phone so that she was now in the camera's view. "Hey mom, when did Royce drop them off?"

"A few minutes ago. He said he has something planned for you tonight." She wiggled her brows and I laughed.

"I hope it's not something big." I said.

"Knowing Royce, probably not. How is work going so far?"

"Very eventful." I said.

"Oooo, sounds interesting."

"Yea, I'll fill you in on it later."

"You better. I'm gonna go and get them cleaned up."

"Okay mom. See ya later babies." I said.

I waved my hands and smiled as they waved their little fingers back. "Bye bye momma" Peppa said. "Momma bye!" giggled Lily.

"Mwuahhh, mommy loves youuu."

I ended the call laughing and was surprised to see Caleb standing at my desk with a soft smile on his lips.

"They are so adorable." He said.

"Thank you." I replied.

"I'd like to see the look on Mason's face when you tell him."

"You think he will react badly?" My nerves were spiking again.

"Honestly, I think he'd be in total shock."

"I'm scared."

"I know you are, and I promise I won't feed you to the sharks called the Reynolds. I'll be right there." He promised.

I find myself thanking God every day that I had such a cool and understanding boss. It was finally time for my lunch break and after making sure that Caleb was arranged with his lunch, I went to the break room. Julia was already sitting down at the table when I came in. She smiled and waved her hand towards the bag what I assumed was my lunch.

"Hey, thanks." I said grabbing the bag.

"You're welcome."

"What is it?" I pulled the hot plate from the bag and the smell awakened all of my senses.

"Seafood fettuccine." Julia said.

"Yum."

The table was silent for a moment as we ate our lunches. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until most of my fettuccine was gone. Julia looked a bit nervous but before I could ask her what was wrong, she began to speak.

"So....I slept with Steven."

I gasped instantly forgetting I still had some food in my mouth. I started coughing uncontrollably and Julia handed me a bottle of water. I sipped on the water, trying to clear my throat.

Julia rolled her eyes, "dramatic much."

"Dramatic? You can't drop a bombshell like that on me while I'm eating and expect me not to react." I said.

"Well you were the one pushing me on him, I thought you'd be expectant."

"Not really, I know how stubborn you are. It happened faster than I anticipated." I chuckled.

"It's not funny."

"Of course, it isn't, how did it happen? When did it happen?" I asked eagerly.

"Two weeks ago. I went out with my cousin for a few drinks. She was only visiting so I decided to take her to a bar. Steven was there obviously, and we were drinking, flirting and one thing led to the next."

"Meaning?" I asked.

"We screwed in the bathroom at the bar." She groaned.

My eyes widened, "how was it?"

"Incredible." She sighed. I threw my head back and laughed hysterically.

"You make it sound like a bad thing."

"It is! Who would've thought that Silly Steven would be packing so much equipment and know how to utilize it? It was good and it's embarrassing. I'm doomed, aren't I?"

"Do you like him?"

"No." She said too quickly.

I narrowed my eyes. "Do you want to do it again?"

"Yes." She mumbled.

"Yea then you're doomed." I laughed.

"Well while you're over there enjoying my confession, when are you going to tell me yours?"

"What do you mean?"

"You don't think I know you've been hiding something from me? Something big."

"I know that you know, you're not stupid."

"So, when are you going to come out with it? I told you something I didn't tell a soul."

"First of all, just because you are confiding in me with something doesn't mean I have to automatically confide in you. We're not in elementary school trading secrets."

"On the contrary as your friend and colleague, it is your duty to fill me in on the inner workings of your life." She laughed.

"Secondly," I continued, "I already told you that I will fill you in on my own time. Maybe someplace that's NOT work."

"Alright, I give up for good this time. Just talk to me when you're ready, you know I'm here for you."

I smiled, "I know Julia. Now tell me every juicy detail with Steven." I smirked.

While driving home from work later that day my emotions were everywhere. A part of me was eager to see what romantic night that Royce planned and there was a bigger part of me that was afraid to tell him the truth. This isn't something I can keep from him, I just can't. I took a deep breath as I parked outside the house before exiting the car with my things. I cautiously made my way to the front door and opened it. I didn't know what to expect when I got inside, but this wasn't it. The smell of vanilla assaulted my nostrils. I breathed deeply as I slowly stepped inside and noticed that Royce was leaning against the wall across from me. He held a single rose in his hand, with a small smile on his lips.

"Welcome home." He whispered.

He moved away from the wall and came to stand in front of me. He handed me the rose and I took it from him shyly. "Thank you." I said.

"How was work?"

"Uneventful."

"Good, because I plan for tonight to be full of events. Why don't you go upstairs and take a shower, I'll have dinner ready when you get out." He pressed his lips gently to mine and for the moment, everything was okay. I smiled when he pulled away and slowly made my way upstairs. I grew more excited by the minute as I got into the shower. As the hot water beat gently against my back, I was finding it harder and harder to remember why I needed to talk to Royce. I wanted to tell him everything, but maybe I can allow us to have one more night of romance before I ruin it. Moments like this one have been rare and I'd hate to take that away from us. I threw on a simple, black, strapless dress, deciding to let my hair air dry as I made my way downstairs. Royce had a romantic candlelit dinner waiting for me when I walked in. I smiled gently, touched by his gesture.

"I know you didn't want a big fuss over your birthday this year, so I figure something small and meaningful between us is the best way to go." He winked.

"Yes, it is."

We sat at the table quietly and slowly ate our meals. Royce made stuffed chicken breasts with steamed veggies, which surprised me. He very rarely cooked so the fact that he could put something like this together was impressive.

"You cooked this all by yourself?" I asked.

"Yes, well with the help of your mother of course."

I laughed, "it’s delicious."

"Good because it wasn't easy."

"I almost expected take-out."

"I would never. Not on my baby's special day."

I smiled looking away, "you're very sweet tonight."

"Yea I read the romantic guy handbook."

"Sounds like you're quoting the book from underneath the table."

"Ugh don't insult me, I memorized it." We laughed gently.

"I just wanted to make it a night to remember."

"Why?" I asked curious.

"Things haven't always been easy for us over the last few years."

"That's an understatement." I mumbled.

"I know it is and tonight I just want to start fresh."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

I placed my fork down so he can have my full attention. "A new beginning, a new us and so much more."

"How are we going to do that?"

"I've decided to put the past behind us completely."

I gasped softly, "Really?"

"I told you I forgave you and I do, but it was so hard to forget Ava. It was hard to push it away and pretend it never happened."

"I know." I whispered.

I played with my fingers underneath the table nervously. "I don't want to pretend anymore, because although you hurt me, I love Lily and Peppa and I love their momma."

Tears began building in my eyes. "I know it won't just go away in one night, but I don't want this to come between us anymore, I want us to take a new step."

"What step?"

He slowly stood up from the table and came to stand next to me. I stared up at him curiously, waiting for him to continue. Royce dropped to one knee slowly and I almost sprung out of my chair. I gasped as he presented a beautiful oval diamond ring.

"Royce..."

"I want you to be my wife Ava. We are not perfect in the slightest, but I rather spend the rest of my life trying to be perfect than to not have you in my life at all. Marry me?" His dark eyes stared deeply into mine, full of love and admiration as he waited for my answer. My mouth quivered in complete shock. A part of me wanted to say yes, to forget about what happened today and what will happen on Monday. I wanted to say yes in this moment and pretend that things were okay, but I knew that I couldn't.

"I have ....I have to tell you something." I whispered.

The smile on his lips slowly slipped away as he stared at me. "Royce I want to marry you, I do, but I can't. I can't pretend that everything is okay. I don't want any secrets between us when I accept this."

"What's wrong?" He asked hurt and wary.

"Just please don't get angry."

"Ava you're scaring me." He said.

"I met Lily and Peppa's father."