“We need to talk,” he says, his voice low but firm. “Because I don’t want any issues with your dad. He’s my new GM and he can’t know about us.”
I fold my arms, meeting his gaze. “You’re right. We do need to talk.” I pause before blurting out, “Because I’m pregnant, and it’s yours. Surprise!”
10
WHAT CAN GO WRONG WITH TWO STRANGERS RAISING A BABY TOGETHER ANYWAY?
HAISLEY
My first thought following the words that changed everything between us is how there’s no turning back now. That alone causes a massive wave of relief to go through me. I didn’t realize how much I’d been holding my breath, waiting for the truth to come out.
“You’re what?” he asks, his voice wavering as his round eyes stare at me.
“I’m pregnant, Rasmus. It’s yours.” I repeat, watching the color drain from his face.
His mouth opens slightly, but no words come out. His gaze flickers between my face and my stomach, suggesting he’s expecting to suddenly see proof right in front of him. But there’s no neon sign flashingBABY ON BOARDacross my torso.
He blinks rapidly, his gaze darting around the room. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows hard. “We can’t talk here.”
“That door right there leads to my dad’s home office. We can go there.” I point to the door on our left, hearing my heartbeat in my ears.
Rasmus doesn’t hesitate. He takes my hand, his grip firm, and leads me to the office. The tension radiates off him, his fingers twitching against mine.
As the door clicks shut behind us, he spins to face me.
“How’s this possible?” he demands loudly and paces across the room.
“Well, when someone with a penis and a person with a vagina get naked and put their private parts?—”
He stops mid-stride, shooting me a glare. “Iunderstandthe science behind how people get pregnant! But how did it happen tous?”
“There’s always a risk of pregnancy when having sex,” I point out, crossing my arms defensively.
“But we used condoms, and when that one broke, you said you had it covered.” His voice rises slightly at the end, his expression tightening. He’s breathing a little too fast, his chest rising and falling at a rapid pace. “You had it all covered.” His voice comes out quiet, repeating his earlier words.
Laughing dryly, I shake my head. Of course, he would latch onto that little tidbit. “As they taught us in high school, abstinence is the only way to prevent pregnancy completely.”
”And anal,” Rasmus quips, a corner of his mouth twitching, even if the situation didn’t need a poorly timed joke about butt sex.
“I’m pretty sure there’s at least one baby who was conceived during anal sex gone wrong.” I laugh at my own joke before mymind sobers. The humor barely masks the importance of the conversation. “But back to us. Here’s everything in a nutshell: I’m pregnant. Yes, I’m sure it’s yours. I haven’t slept with anyone else in over a year. I’m going to keep the baby, and you can decide whether you want to be involved or not. It’s all up to you.”
His fingers grip his hair as he exhales through his nose. “Fuck,” he mutters under his breath, resuming to pace like a caged animal. “I…This is…This is so fucking huge.”
He stops and looks at me, his brown eyes intense. The kind of intensity that makes my stomach flip for the wrong reasons.
“Haisley, this is not what I expected tonight. Hell, I never even thought of having kids. But now that we’re having one—or maybe two—let me help.”
Wait, what?“What do you mean by two babies?”
“There are twins on the Spanish side of the family,” he explains.
I shake my head. “I already had my first appointment, and there’s only one baby.”
“Oh, cool.” He exhales, visibly relaxing. “One is manageable.”
Manageable. The word sticks with me. It’s as if Rasmus is already making a list in his head of what he can and can’t handle regarding this pregnancy. How brilliant.
“Wait,” I say, narrowing my eyes at him. “Aren’t you Swedish? Where’s this Spanish side coming from?”
