He blinked, looking down at where he was holding her hands. They were so small in his own hands, but what killed him was he hadn’t even noticed. He’d seen this girl plenty of times recently, and he’d never noticed she was with child. How? How did that happen? And why was she hiding it? “Jenny, can you go to your seat? People are staring, and all I want to do is hug you, which would probably make me cry because I’m an emotional mess.”
Ignoring her wish, he stood, pulling her out of her chair and into his arms. She went more willingly than he expected before she wrapped her arms around his ribs, her head digging into his chest. Leaning his chin on top of her head, he closed his eyes as he held her tight. He wasn’t sure how this had happened—well, he knew how it happened—but it wasn’t like Wren. Of course, she fooled around, everyone knew that. But she wasn’t the type to get pregnant. He was pretty sure when they had all talked about one day having kids, she had been the one who said she didn’t want any.
So he was a little confused and a lot pissed at whoever the douche was who’d knocked her up. Where was he? Why wasn’t he with her, being the father, or hell, her husband. Because if Jensen had knocked her up, he’d be right there, right beside her.
But that would never happen, he guessed.
Pulling away, she looked up at him with those beautiful green eyes and smiled. “I’m okay.”
“You sure? I’ve got all the time in the world.”
She smiled before patting his chest. “You don’t know how much I needed just that. Really. Sit down.”
He squeezed her biceps before going back to his chair, sitting down and running his hands down his face before looking over at her. “So, where is the guy?”
She shook her head curtly, her eyes blazing with fire. “He isn’t involved.”
“Why?”
“He didn’t want it. Told me to get an abortion.”
His veins caught on fire. “Excuse me?”
“Exactly. He’s a fucker, so fuck him.”
“Who is it? Do I know him?”
“No.”
“Well, let me know him, so I can kill him.”
“No. I don’t want to bring him up. He isn’t a part of my kid’s life, he is dead to me and my child. In my eyes, my child doesn’t have a father.”
His blood was boiling. “That’s not right, Wren. He needs to own up to his fucking responsibilities.”
“No, he’s a douche. Fuck him, I’m fine without him. Well, not really, because obviously, I’m here asking you to marry me and act like the father.”
He didn’t like that, not one bit, but before he could tell her that, her last sentence hit him full force, and he muttered, “Oh, so you did say that.”
She nodded sullenly. “Yes, and I know it’s a lot to ask. We’ll have to lie to everyone, tell them that we had a one-night stand back in like December. That we both decided it was just a silly night, thought nothing of it, but then I popped up pregnant and didn’t tell you until now.”
Again with the Thor hammer in his chest. Gasping, he took in a needed breath. “You’ve thought this out.”
“Yeah, well, I had this plan with Vaughn, but he was in love with Brie, and it didn’t work out.”
He glanced up at her, his eyes narrowing a bit. “You asked Vaughn?”
He loved his best friend. He did, but man, why would she ask him first?
She must not have noticed the annoyance in his eyes because she waved him off. “Yeah, he would be easy, and everyone would believe that he slept with me. It’s Vaughn. Plus, he would lie and have no cares in the world about doing it, you know? But you’re a good dude, and you love my parents. I know it will be hard for you to lie to them, and it’s unlike you to sleep with people without wanting something more.”
Oh. Well, that made sense. She was right, it would be something Vaughn would do. “Yeah, I mean, it makes sense. But will they believe that we did this?”
She chewed on her lip as she shrugged. “I think if we sell it, yeah, which is why I have no issue paying you for your time and your effort. I think five million would be good, right? Is that okay?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want your money, Wren.” Looking down at the table, he inhaled. “So it’s because of your inheritance, right? That you need me to do this?”
“I have to be married if I’m pregnant. The baby is due in September, and I turn thirty in October. There is no way I can hide this. I mean, I’m huge.”
He looked over at her. “No, you’re not.”
She smiled sheepishly before standing up and pulling her shirt back against her stomach so it clung to her extended abdomen. That fucking hammer hit him again as he drank her in. There were moments when they were younger when Jensen thought about putting his own child in her. Watching her belly grow, but he never got that.
And he never would.
“I am,” she laughed, letting her shirt go before she sat down, brushing her long, dark hair off her shoulders. “And because of that, I need to be married.”
Still breathless, he nodded. “But won’t Winston and Elaine be pissed you got married without them knowing?”
She nodded. “They’re gonna be pissed about a lot of things, but at least I’ll be married and to the ‘father’ of my child.”
Looking down once more, he tried to collect his thoughts, but it wasn’t fucking working. This was too much all at once, and he almost couldn’t believe it was happening. “Wells will kill me.”
“I won’t let that happen.” He looked up to meet her gaze, and she shrugged. “I know it’s a lot to ask, and I’m sorry, really I am. But Vaughn told me I can’t hire a male escort, and I’d rather it be someone who knows my family, knows me, because it will be easier. I’m comfortable with you, and we can act like we’re desperately in love.”
He wouldn’t have to act.
But he didn’t miss that she felt she would. Swallowing hard, he held her gaze as he asked, “And we’ll end it once the baby comes?” When she went to answer, he held up his hand to stop her. “Do you know what it is?”
She nodded, a little grin pulling at her lips. “A boy.”
He closed his eyes, looking down as he drew in a breath, his heart aching in his chest.
Ignoring her wish, he stood, pulling her out of her chair and into his arms. She went more willingly than he expected before she wrapped her arms around his ribs, her head digging into his chest. Leaning his chin on top of her head, he closed his eyes as he held her tight. He wasn’t sure how this had happened—well, he knew how it happened—but it wasn’t like Wren. Of course, she fooled around, everyone knew that. But she wasn’t the type to get pregnant. He was pretty sure when they had all talked about one day having kids, she had been the one who said she didn’t want any.
So he was a little confused and a lot pissed at whoever the douche was who’d knocked her up. Where was he? Why wasn’t he with her, being the father, or hell, her husband. Because if Jensen had knocked her up, he’d be right there, right beside her.
But that would never happen, he guessed.
Pulling away, she looked up at him with those beautiful green eyes and smiled. “I’m okay.”
“You sure? I’ve got all the time in the world.”
She smiled before patting his chest. “You don’t know how much I needed just that. Really. Sit down.”
He squeezed her biceps before going back to his chair, sitting down and running his hands down his face before looking over at her. “So, where is the guy?”
She shook her head curtly, her eyes blazing with fire. “He isn’t involved.”
“Why?”
“He didn’t want it. Told me to get an abortion.”
His veins caught on fire. “Excuse me?”
“Exactly. He’s a fucker, so fuck him.”
“Who is it? Do I know him?”
“No.”
“Well, let me know him, so I can kill him.”
“No. I don’t want to bring him up. He isn’t a part of my kid’s life, he is dead to me and my child. In my eyes, my child doesn’t have a father.”
His blood was boiling. “That’s not right, Wren. He needs to own up to his fucking responsibilities.”
“No, he’s a douche. Fuck him, I’m fine without him. Well, not really, because obviously, I’m here asking you to marry me and act like the father.”
He didn’t like that, not one bit, but before he could tell her that, her last sentence hit him full force, and he muttered, “Oh, so you did say that.”
She nodded sullenly. “Yes, and I know it’s a lot to ask. We’ll have to lie to everyone, tell them that we had a one-night stand back in like December. That we both decided it was just a silly night, thought nothing of it, but then I popped up pregnant and didn’t tell you until now.”
Again with the Thor hammer in his chest. Gasping, he took in a needed breath. “You’ve thought this out.”
“Yeah, well, I had this plan with Vaughn, but he was in love with Brie, and it didn’t work out.”
He glanced up at her, his eyes narrowing a bit. “You asked Vaughn?”
He loved his best friend. He did, but man, why would she ask him first?
She must not have noticed the annoyance in his eyes because she waved him off. “Yeah, he would be easy, and everyone would believe that he slept with me. It’s Vaughn. Plus, he would lie and have no cares in the world about doing it, you know? But you’re a good dude, and you love my parents. I know it will be hard for you to lie to them, and it’s unlike you to sleep with people without wanting something more.”
Oh. Well, that made sense. She was right, it would be something Vaughn would do. “Yeah, I mean, it makes sense. But will they believe that we did this?”
She chewed on her lip as she shrugged. “I think if we sell it, yeah, which is why I have no issue paying you for your time and your effort. I think five million would be good, right? Is that okay?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want your money, Wren.” Looking down at the table, he inhaled. “So it’s because of your inheritance, right? That you need me to do this?”
“I have to be married if I’m pregnant. The baby is due in September, and I turn thirty in October. There is no way I can hide this. I mean, I’m huge.”
He looked over at her. “No, you’re not.”
She smiled sheepishly before standing up and pulling her shirt back against her stomach so it clung to her extended abdomen. That fucking hammer hit him again as he drank her in. There were moments when they were younger when Jensen thought about putting his own child in her. Watching her belly grow, but he never got that.
And he never would.
“I am,” she laughed, letting her shirt go before she sat down, brushing her long, dark hair off her shoulders. “And because of that, I need to be married.”
Still breathless, he nodded. “But won’t Winston and Elaine be pissed you got married without them knowing?”
She nodded. “They’re gonna be pissed about a lot of things, but at least I’ll be married and to the ‘father’ of my child.”
Looking down once more, he tried to collect his thoughts, but it wasn’t fucking working. This was too much all at once, and he almost couldn’t believe it was happening. “Wells will kill me.”
“I won’t let that happen.” He looked up to meet her gaze, and she shrugged. “I know it’s a lot to ask, and I’m sorry, really I am. But Vaughn told me I can’t hire a male escort, and I’d rather it be someone who knows my family, knows me, because it will be easier. I’m comfortable with you, and we can act like we’re desperately in love.”
He wouldn’t have to act.
But he didn’t miss that she felt she would. Swallowing hard, he held her gaze as he asked, “And we’ll end it once the baby comes?” When she went to answer, he held up his hand to stop her. “Do you know what it is?”
She nodded, a little grin pulling at her lips. “A boy.”
He closed his eyes, looking down as he drew in a breath, his heart aching in his chest.
