Mom swirls her glass of wine and finishes the last few drops. “I love you, kiddos, but I think we ought to call it a night. You all have early days tomorrow.”
I send her a telepathic thank you and stand up eagerly.
As we all say our goodbyes for the night, I hug each of my brothers and remind myself that they’re protective and supportive, and they do have my best interests in mind. I know I can confide in them when I need to. Especially Noah.
I walk outside to my black Mercedes, clicking the unlock button and feeling the warmth of the Florida humidity wrap around me like a sticky, tropical blanket.
Thoughts race through my mind as I drive back to the hotel. What are they going to say when they do find out who the father is? Will they disown me? No, definitely not. But I don’t think I can fully fathom the wrath of Christopher Vice if he finds out the whole ordeal happened because of his function with his NFL team.
I shake my hair out and puff out a breath as I pull into the parking lot and whip the car into the VIP section of the garage.
I shove the gearshift into park and sit in the car for an extra minute, taking in the total silence and solitude of the moment. I place my hand on my stomach.
“I know you’re still tiny. You’re barely even a thing right now,” I whisper, squeezing my eyes shut. “But I’m gonna figure this out. For you.”
I listen to my heart pound in my head and let emotion tighten my chest. After what feels like a long while, I open my eyes and inhale slowly. I know I need to shake off the fear of failure and the even bigger fear of disappointing my family. Because tonight I realized that their love is unbreakable. Even my asshole brothers’.
A hint of a smile pulls at my cheeks, and I finally find the strength to grab my purse off the passenger’s seat and get out of the car.
The AC blasts my skin as I walk into the hallway and step onto the elevator to go up to the penthouse suite. My hand is still on my stomach.
My heels click on the marble tile floor as I head down to the very end of the building to my suite, my whole body twisting and turning with a confusing cocktail of emotions.
As I get closer to the suite, I notice someone sitting in front of the door. I squint to try to make out who it could be, and curiosity and concern pick up my pace.
In a split second, my brain makes out the strikingly handsome face of Matt McKenzie. Sitting in front of my door.
“Ellie.” He stands up and brushes off his pants. He looks like he’s been sitting there for a while.
“Matt, what are you…” I look around and laugh in disbelief. I notice my heart is beating double time, and warm joy tickles my chest at the sight of him. “Why are you—”
“Listen.” He places his strong hands on my shoulders and meets my gaze. His chest rises and falls in a thin linen button-down, and I can’t help but admire the visible lines of his muscles.
His hands on me send familiar waves of electricity jolting through me. I try not to react too obviously.
“Ellie, I know these circumstances are super freaking weird. And I know we don’t know each other at all, really. But this happened, and…” He runs a hand through his hair and looks off to the side, searching for words.
“What is it?” I whisper, resenting the way I melt under his touch like a schoolgirl with a crush.
“I don’t want to be off the hook.” Those ocean-blue eyes captivate me, and everything in him is burning with passion and certainty. “I want to be on the hook. So, completely, all the way on that damn hook.”
I let out a breath and look down at the ground, then back up at him. “Matt, you have so much to accomplish. So much potential. I have more than enough help to do this on my own. There’s a million single girls lined up, waiting for you. You don’t want to give all that up.”
He shakes his head, dirty-blond waves flopping in slow motion. “I don’t care. I have to be a father to my kid.” He softly places a hand on my stomach,