Chapter 5: Alex Surprises Amelia

“Wait,” Alex said.

Amelia didn’t need to stay here and take more abuse and suspicion from him. She hadn’t come here to ask for his help, though she could use it. She was behind on her rent because two clients hadn’t paid her. That had taken a back seat in her mind when she found out she was pregnant.

“Amelia,” Alex said, his voice softer.

She remembered that voice from their time together. He’d talked dirty to her in that bedroom voice. It was as if someone was pouring whiskey over sandpaper. It went right to her soul. That’s probably why she’d slept with him that night.

That voice had touched something deep inside of her.

She crossed her arm as she turned to look at him. She wasn’t going to be swayed from the fact that she now didn’t like this person. At all.

He’d been charming and attractive. Now he thought she was a gold digger. She’d done the responsible thing and told him he was a father. She didn’t care now what he did with that information. She was out.

He placed his hands flat on his desk. “You’re sure you’re pregnant?”

“Yes. I took two tests.”

She’d taken another one this morning.

He nodded as if finally believing her. “And you’re sure it’s mine?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll ask you to take a paternity test.”

She blinked. “Why? I’m not asking you for anything.”

His mouth dropped open. “Then why come here?”

“Because you had a right to know that you had a child running around in the world.”

Another child, but she wasn’t ready to talk about her friendship with Isabel. That was another situation she wasn’t ready to deal with. It was a new friendship, and she doubted Isabel knew her well enough to know she hadn’t done it on purpose.

“That’s it?” he asked.

The disbelief dripped off of his words. How many women had stood in this office and professed they were carrying his child? Did they all ask for money? What a screwed-up world he lived in. “What else would there be?”

“You don’t want a check to go off and leave me alone?”

She blinked again. “Uh, no.”

“You’re just going to go off and have this baby. By yourself?”

“If that’s what has to be done, yes. I’ve already decided to keep the baby. He or she is mine and she’s my responsibility,” Amelia said.

What else would she do? She’d never been one to take the easy way out.

He nodded, but he seemed to have made some decision. “Then I’m going to help you.”

She cocked her head. “Nothing is free. I know that. What does your help entail? What do I have to give up to get your help?”

“You’re awfully suspicious.”

“That’s ripe coming from someone who was ready to write me a check because you thought that’s why I came here,” Amelia said.

“Touche.”

“I call things how I see them.”

“Would you sit down so we can talk this through?”

“What is there to talk about? I’m sure you have terms for your help,” Amelia said.

She’d done the right thing by telling Alex about the baby, but maybe she shouldn’t have done it face-to-face. Would he have believed her on a phone call? She doubted it, but now she was in some kind of web of his making.

He probably wanted to call some shots here. She’d been on her own since she was twenty. The idea of someone else deciding her life didn’t sit well with her.

“I do have terms. It’s only fair, but we’re two adults who have made a baby. I think we can discuss the future of that child like two adults.”

Maybe her posture was a little petulant, so she uncrossed her arms. She sat on the chair he pointed to, but only on the edge. She was ready to leave if she didn’t like what she heard.

She waited.

“You’re pregnant and I’m the father.”

“We’ve established that.”

“Well, you’ve established that, Amelia.”

“Fine. I’ve established that. If I didn’t come here to ask you for money, then why would I lie about being pregnant?”

He nodded. “Okay. Fair enough. We’ll assume that you are pregnant and the child is mine.”

She swallowed. At least her stomach wasn’t revolting against her. She’d kept down the crackers that Kalia had brought her. She was hungry again and suspected she’d be that way for the next months.

“You’ll assume that?”

He waved a hand. “For now. For logistics. I don’t see why you would lie, but then again I don’t know who else you’ve slept with. I might be the best prospect to get money from.”

“Which, once again, I haven’t asked for.”

He sighed. “Okay. I get it. You haven’t asked for money. I should believe you.”

He was a cynical man. Who had he encountered in his life that made him that way?

“All I wanted to do was to let you know that you had a child. You’ve made this more complicated. Why not just outline your terms and then I can get out of here.”

From the look on his face, she could tell that people didn’t often talk to him that way. He was used to people obeying his orders. That was going to be a problem for her.

“Okay then.”

She braced for what he was going to say.

“It isn’t a death sentence, Amelia. I promise. I’m not going to snatch the baby away the minute you push him or her out. I want to be a part of this baby’s life. I also want to make sure that you have a healthy pregnancy.

“I take care of myself.”

“That’s good, but I want you to move in with me.”

She blinked. Had she heard him right? “Move in with you? Now, wait a minute. You can’t make me do that.”

“No, I can’t.”

“What is going on here?” a familiar voice said from the doorway.