Baby Daddies - Tara Brown Page 0,30
was a soul-sucking experience. And now, you don’t have to freeze your eggs. So no one feels sorry for you.”
I laugh loudly, stifling it before he hears me.
“Trust me, Jenny, Lawrence is the lucky one. And I bet I wouldn’t even have to tell him that. I bet he knows it. And while I’m Team Lawrence already, I will hold my excitement and judgment of him until he finds out about the baby.”
She pauses and I wait for the rest of her inspirational speech.
“If he doesn’t want to have a relationship after he finds out about the baby, screw him. You don’t need him. You never did. And at least this time you’ll know what his worth is right away, and you’re not wasting three years of your life again.”
“I love you,” I say with a deep breath. She is the first person to lift a girl up every time. “I’m the lucky one, to have a friend like you.”
“I know it. Which is why I know you’ll still come with me to freeze my eggs.” She laughs. “I love you too, now you go and have an amazing time.”
“Okay.”
“Babies and Billionaires. That’s the title of the book. Bye.” She ends the call and leaves me smiling to myself in the bathroom.
It’s the pep talk I needed to get me through the next four days.
And now, Sunday, the day I tell him about the baby, can’t come fast enough. I want the secret that weighs more than I can carry to be gone. Even if I’m scared he won’t want to be together when he finds out.
Because Claire’s right, I don’t need him. I want him.
I leave the bathroom, smiling and feeling okay.
“There you are,” he says as he walks over to me from the living room where he was sitting with Simon. An older lady is with him, smiling at me. “This is Millie, my cat sitter. Millie, this is Jenny, my girlfriend.”
“Lovely to meet you.” Millie stands and offers me her hand.
“You too.” I take it and delicately shake, leaning in to murmur, “So you make the food and clean, and he calls you a cat sitter to not feel bad about having a housekeeper?”
“Indeed.” She winks at me. There’s a sparkle in her eyes that reminds me of my mom. “I have to admit, I’m a bit of a fan.”
“Oh.” I’m taken aback, unprepared for her to like women’s hockey.
“I haven’t seen him like this before. I’ve known his family since he was a boy and never has a woman caught his eye and brought him to task as you have.” She nods in approval.
“What?” Lori stands and scowls at us.
“Just saying how much I love her relish on the sandwiches,” I lie.
His eyes narrow. “Why do I feel outnumbered suddenly?”
We laugh.
“You best get finished packing,” Millie offers with a smile. “I’ll make some food for the trip.” She winks at me, as if we’re co-conspirators, and moseys off in the opposite direction we walk.
“Whatever that was, I’m not digging it.” He points between Millie and me and walks to the bedroom with me on his heels and Simon on mine. The cat’s growing on me.
I scoop him up and carry him to the bed to watch Lori pack.
“You’re all packed then?” he shouts from the closet that might as well be a mile away.
“Yeah,” I lie again. My bag is packed but it’s not what I would have brought to the wedding. It will have to do since the rest of my clothes have been packed into boxes for storage. The moving company should be meeting my super at the apartment tomorrow to put everything into the unit I’ve rented.
My phone buzzes with a message from my brother.
Did you tell him?
I wince and swipe to message back without opening my phone.
No, Sunday after the wedding.
Even texting it feels wrong. This lie is huge and keeping it from him has made a permanent lump in my throat.
Don’t chicken out. Text me when it’s done.
He sends a heart but I click the phone off.
We haven’t spoken about his ultimate betrayal yet, mostly because I’ve avoided talking about Mom. I curl around the cat and run my hand over his fur. It lulls me and I yawn, fighting the sudden onset of sleepiness.
“How many swimsuits do you have?” Lori asks, jolting me awake.
“One,” I answer and start petting Simon’s soft, fluffy belly again.
“One?” He walks into the bedroom. “Just one?”
“Yeah,” I say with a heavy exhale. He’s talking but