Page 19 of Finding You
Raven still remembered how it had been when she first looked into their sweet faces. It made her want to find Zion for more reasons than one. She not only wanted him to know they had kids together, but she also wanted to thank him.
She squeezed his hand before pulling out of his light grip. “Thank you for saying that. It means a lot. I’ll admit, I thought I was just another soft body to you. I thought my feelings were irrational because I felt that same connection. I also thought maybe it was just in my head, and I had gotten caught up in the thrill of the evening.
“But after finding out I was pregnant, I won’t lie, I cursed you to hell and back.” She laughed, and he did too. “But then when NayNay and Drew were born, I can’t begin to explain how my heart swelled at the sight of them. Thank you for giving me the most precious gifts I’ve ever received. Those two are truly the best things that have ever happened to me.”
When he glanced away, Raven realized what she’d said.
“Wait. I’m sorry. I know you don’t think they are yours, and I shouldn’t have said—”
“No, it’s okay.” He opened his mouth to say more, but he closed it again and rubbed the back of his neck. “I…”
“Okay, here you go,” their server said as she and another server began setting several dishes in the middle of the table. Everything from dumplings, Chinese spareribs, egg rolls,to shrimp fried rice covered the tabletop.
Raven hadn’t realized just how much Zion had ordered. She was starving, but there was no way she’d be able to eat half the food that’s on the table.
“That’s a lot of food,” Raven said when the server walked away.
Zion chuckled. “I’m a big eater, and whatever we don’t finish, we can just take with us.”
They dug in and as they ate, silence fell between them. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, and once again, being with Zion felt normal. Spookishly so. She could honestly say she’d never felt this way with Maximus. It would’ve been the biggest mistake of her life if she’d said “yes” when he asked her to marry him.
“Tell me about your ex,” Zion said as if knowing she was thinking about Maximus. “And don’t say there’s nothing to tell. I have a feeling there’s a lot to say about him. How about we start with—how’d you meet him?”
Raven stared across the table, debating on what to tell him. Like earlier, she opted for the truth.
“His name is Maximus, and he used to be my boss.”
Zion’s brows lifted skyward, but he didn’t say anything, so she continued.
“Trust me, I had no intention of ever dating my boss. Lunches together turned into dinner and drinks, and within six months, we’d become an item. But when our relationship started getting serious, I asked to be moved to a different department.
“Surprisingly, Maximus agreed and gave me the administrative manager position that had recently opened up. I oversaw all support staff. The hiring, firing, training, monitoringexpenses, and the list went on. I loved my job, but about a year into our relationship, Maximus changed. Or maybe he was the same, and it took me that long to notice some troubling things about him.”
“Like what?” Zion asked, sipping his drink.
“Like how controlling and manipulative he was, and he could be mean while smiling in someone’s face. He wasn’t necessarily mean to me, but I didn’t miss the way he treated others, either at work or whenever we went out. He’s not a nice guy, and it took me awhile to see the real him. He lacked empathy, and he acted like just because he was wealthy, people should kiss his butt.”
“What type of business does he own?” Zion asked between bites.
“A petroleum company. The organization drills and produces oil.”
Zion nodded. Again, silence fell between them as they continued eating, and Raven welcomed it. She knew he had more questions. Or at least she sensed he did, but for whatever reason, he didn’t ask them. She wholly expected him to ask her why she was trying to get away from Maximus, but he didn’t.
She glanced up when he took a sip of his drink, and his unreadable gaze was steady on her. He set the glass down and then ran his hand over his mouth.
“So, are you sure this Maximus guy is not the father of your kids?”
Shocked by the question, all Raven could do was stare at him. She was a fool. Nothing had changed. Zion still didn’t believe her despite Andrew being a spitting image of him.
So, what was all this? What was the point of him asking her out? What was all that about when he helped her get Andrew situated before leaving for the restaurant?
“I’m positive the kids are yours,” she seethed, fighting back the emotion threatening to strangle her.
She was so tired of this. So tired of everything. Things that had to do with Zion, as well as her life in general. She just needed a break and probably some uninterrupted sleep. The last few months of going it alone was starting to catch up to her, and she was tired.
“I haven’t been with anyone but you,” she continued. “But you know what, Zion? You don’t have to believe me. You’ll find out soon enough. I’m done trying to convince you or anyone else for that matter.”
She struggled to hold back the stupid tears that were suddenly threatening to fall and wiped her mouth with the cloth napkin. After tossing it on the table, she gathered her purse and coat, then stood.
