Unlocking my Boss’s Heart (Romance in Sweet Comedy #4)

14. Anton

Chapter fourteen

Anton

A week after another date with Celia, the doorbell jolted me awake. I’d finally made myself go to sleep early for once.

I sat up in bed, brain foggy as I tried to process whether the sound was part of a dream or reality. The room was dark and silent, except for the hum of the air vents. Just as I settled back down, the doorbell rang again.

Who could it be? My first thought raced to an emergency in the building, and no one could reach me. Or was it my dad again and no one could reach me?

With that possibility gripping me, I hurriedly got up, threw on a T-shirt and shorts, and left my bedroom.

At the front door, I cautiously peeked through the peephole and immediately jerked back. A familiar blonde figure stood outside in a light spring coat, her hair pulled back, revealing a face I didn’t expect to see at my doorstep. What was Reeva doing here?

I felt irritation simmering in my chest. Her showing up here, attempting to “surprise” me, brought back a part of my life I thought was over. It had been a while since I last heard from her, and I certainly didn’t wish to see her now.

How did she even get up here? The building had around-the-clock doormen whose job was to screen visitors in the lobby. I had made sure weeks ago that her name was removed from the approved list. The thought that Reeva might have bribed someone to get up here made me uneasy; that person could lose their job for this.

She pressed the doorbell again, adding fuel to the fire in my chest.

“What do you want?” I snapped as I unlocked the door.

“I need to talk to you,” she said when I pulled the door open.

Stepping back, she folded her arms in her signature stance—a sign of her cockiness. While we were dating, if I ever confronted her, I had to repeat my question at least twice before she would bother to answer. But those days were over, and I had no intention of playing her games.

“What do you want to talk about?” I waited a few seconds, then added, “You being here is totally inappropriate.”

“Wait!” she called out as I moved to shut the door, a hint of panic in her tone.

She started unfastening the buttons of her coat. For a moment, I thought she was about to strip right there in the hallway, but underneath the coat was a black cotton dress.

Her hands rubbed her stomach. “I’m pregnant, and it’s yours.”

“ What? ”

My heart thudded in my chest, and I was sure my lungs had stopped working. If it weren’t for the small swell of her stomach, I would have thought it was some sort of joke.

But she must be lying. She had to be.

Logic kicked in, and I tried to rationalize the situation. Even if she was pregnant, the baby couldn’t be mine. I couldn't help but think that way because I knew the kind of person Reeva was.

“You expect me to believe that you’re carrying my child?”

“I didn’t believe it, either, at first. But look, Anton.” She stepped back from the door and turned to the side, her slightly rounded belly more noticeable from this angle. “I’m three months pregnant.”

Three months ago, we were nearing the end of our relationship. We broke up two months ago. Why would she get pregnant right then? Was it possible? A baby?

Rattled, I took a step forward to get a better look at her.

“Do you expect me to believe that?” I said, folding my arms and making no effort to hide my displeasure at seeing her again.

She sighed. “I know this news must be a shock to you. I’ve been trying to contact you for weeks, ever since I found out I’m pregnant.”

“Reeva, I don’t appreciate you coming here like this. You should leave.”

“You think I’m lying to you, don’t you? I’m not. And if you hadn’t blocked me, I wouldn’t be here, sneaking into your building to tell you you’re going to be a father.”

I glanced down at her hand resting on her stomach.

“How is this even possible? I always used protection, and I was always careful.”

“If you let me move in with you, we could figure it out together,” she said, ignoring my questions.

I blanched at that suggestion. It was what she wanted; now, she was using this baby as a means to an end.

“Unless you have proof that the baby is mine, I’m done talking,” I said, certain that would bring an end to the conversation.

As if anticipating this moment, she pulled an envelope from her purse and shoved toward me. When I didn’t reach for it, she shook it in front of my face. Reluctantly, I took it, opened it, and unfolded the paper inside. It was a lab result.

“I already got the paternity test done,” she explained.

“How—?”

She cut me off, pointing to the results at the bottom of the paper. “Look, this is real. Let's sit down and talk about it, and figure things out.”

This time, I looked at the slight bulge of her stomach again and thought about the tiny human growing inside. I couldn’t ignore the sudden tightness in my throat at the possibility of this reality.

A baby—an actual tiny human that could be mine.

My mind raced, and my ears rang.

If what Reeva said was true, not only would I have a son or daughter depending on me, but my ex-girlfriend would also become entangled in my life again as the mother of my child. I despised the very thought of being linked to Reeva. She, on the other hand, looked the exact opposite.

Her eyes gleamed with a mixture of triumph and doubt, not the turmoil I felt.

“Anton, I know you’ll do the right thing.”

Her words echoed in my brain like a ricocheting bullet— the right thing .

“My family is conservative, and I can’t have a baby if I’m not married,” she continued, her voice pleading.

A sharp mirthless laugh suddenly escaped me. Of course, this was her plan all along. How could I not see the big picture? Date, move in, have a baby. But the biggest prize of all was marriage to me.

“Our relationship has been over for months, Reeva. If the baby is truly mine, I will take care of him or her, but we’re not getting back together.”

Her face fell. “But—”

“Goodbye.” I backed into my apartment and shut the door.

I was surprised she didn’t immediately start ringing my doorbell again. I leaned my forehead against the door, suddenly drained of all energy.

A baby?

I had just started getting back to feeling normal after the scare with my father. I was even contemplating a future with someone for the first time. Oh, heck…what would this mean for my growing relationship with Celia if Reeva was actually telling the truth?

How could Reeva have gotten a hold of my DNA to have a lab run any tests?

I staggered to the living room and sank onto the couch, silently praying that this was all an elaborate scheme plotted by Reeva, one that would soon unravel and reveal her lies. I had never been very religious, but now, I needed God to hear me. I wasn't ready for a child, especially not a child with Reeva.

I took a deep, calming breath. It didn’t help. I doubted I would be able to go back to sleep with this untenable situation plaguing my mind. This was the last thing I could ever wish for anyone, especially when they were finally getting to know someone they were interested in.