Noah

I’m finally here in Las Vegas. It took two years of working in Europe before Ryan was willing to trust me with designing things, but it’s paid off. I’m here.

Well, right now I’m at the Corrigan & Co. building, but it’s work related. Kind of. We’re going to be building a new building for Matt Corrigan, but first there’s a baby shower we have to attend. I mean, I don’t really have to be here, but Ryan invited me, and it gives me a chance to see my sister, and friends, so why not? I saw them all at a gala a couple months ago, when I escorted their friend, Harlow, but I’ve been too busy getting settled to really visit with them.

Once I’m checked in at the front desk, and cleared to the employee breakroom, I take the elevator up. There’s a huge crowd of people in the large room, and as I look for Ryan, Darcy, Brayden, or Jenysis, I’m instead faced with someone else.

“Jyn,” I say, staring wide-eyed at my former lover.

“Noah,” she replies, the blood draining from her face.

I look down at her obviously pregnant body, and ask the only question I need the answer to right now. “Is that mine?”

“Is what yours?” my sister asks, coming to stand next to me.

“I believe he’s referring to my baby as ‘that’. But yes, Noah, you are the biological father.”

“Son of a bitch.” The words are out before I can stop them, and I realize how bad they sound the minute they leave my mouth.

She shrugs, looking like she wants to kill me right now. “Might be a daughter of a bitch.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I-I’m just a little freaked out.”

“How are you the father, Noah?” Darcy asks me, holding her stomach, and looking like she might pass out.

“Um, the normal way.”

She turns to Jyn, an accusing look in her eyes. “You said you’d been in a casual relationship with father. You said you didn’t know how to reach him.”

“Yes. I don’t even know why he’s here now, or why you’re so upset.”

“You expect me to believe you had no idea he was my brother?”

Jyn rears back like she’s been slapped. “I didn’t. You’re her brother?”

“Yes. You really didn’t know? This isn’t some ploy to have a royal baby?”

“Royal? You’re a royal?”

“No, but I’m part of the royal court.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“It’s not okay, Jyn. None of this is okay.”

“You walked away from me, Noah. There was no way for me to contact you, and you know it.”

“I don’t like ultimatums.”

“I had no choice but to give you the one I did. I wouldn’t have survived any longer.”

“Did you know?”

“I was late, but I wasn’t sure.”

“You should’ve made sure before you made me choose to leave.”

“I was hoping you’d choose to stay.”

“I couldn’t.”

“That was your choice to make.”

“I don’t know what to do now. What am I supposed to do?”

“Right now, you’re going to leave,” Matt Corrigan says, standing next to Jyn.

“Matteo,” his wife, Reina, says, coming to stand next to Darcy.

“You’re in charge of the Foundation, Rei, but C&C is mine. Jyn is supposed to be having fun with her friends, and she won’t do that while Noah’s here.”

“You can’t kick my brother out, Matt,” Darcy tells him, her eyes on fire.

“Yes, I can.”

“It’s okay, Darce,” I tell her, and mean it.

I need to get away from here, and figure out what I’m going to do. I walked in here with a new job, and now I’m walking out as a father-to-be. It’s too much. Just seeing Jyn would be too much, but the baby is more than I can handle right now…or maybe ever.

* * *

Jyn

I let Matt lead me over to a chair, and take the water Aiden hands me. Darcy followed us, but Nate pulled her away before she could interrogate me any further. These guys are my tribe. My bosses, some of the sexiest men alive, and everything someone could want in a friend. Darcy is one of their best friends too, yet they’re taking care of me right now, and I’m so grateful, I start to cry.

“Deep breaths, Jyny,” Jake tells me, rubbing my back.

“Thank you.”

“Noah’s your monthly booty call, huh?” Aiden asks with a smirk.

“He was, until he wasn’t.”

“You never told us exactly what happened,” Matt reminds me.

“We agreed it was just sex, and then I fell in love with him. He didn’t love me back. Classic story, right?”

“Jyn?”

I turn to see Jenysis standing behind me. “Hi.”

“Noah is like a brother to me.”

“I didn’t know.”

“I believe you.”

“I’m glad someone does.”

“Darcy’s extra protective of him because of their past, but she’ll come around.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it since I don’t know anything about their past. I honestly only knew his first name, and that he was sweet, sexy, funny, and gorgeous.”

“Theirs isn’t my story to tell you, but just know he’s been hurt by almost every woman he’s ever had in his life. It doesn’t excuse any bad behavior he may have exhibited with you, but it is what it is.”

“He never behaved badly with me. It’s not his fault he doesn’t love me.”

“He’ll do right by the baby, no matter what else happens.”

“I don’t need anything from him, but I won’t keep him from his child.”

“Thank you.”

She realizes how awkward this is becoming, so she gives me a small smile and walks away. I lean my head back, and wish for things to be different. I never planned to see Noah again, and now he’s here, and everything I tried to keep hidden is coming out. The lies I told myself about being over him, the hurt of him leaving, and the love I can’t stop feeling for him.

“We’re here for you,” Nate says, squeezing my shoulder.

“I don’t want to cause problems for you guys.”

“You’re not causing any problems,” Reina says, coming over to sit next to me. “I just wish you’d had us try to track Noah down.”

“I wasn’t going to chase after a man who didn’t want more than sex from me.”

“He has a right to see his child.”

“I know. We’ll work something out.”

“He’s a good guy.”

“I never said he wasn’t. I don’t know why everyone keeps acting like I said that!”

It’s true. When anyone asked about the father of my baby, I said it was casual and I didn’t know how to reach him. I never talked about how he shredded my heart, because it wasn’t his fault. I agreed to nearly anonymous sex, and that’s what I got. It’s on me that I wanted more.

Reina ignores my mini rant, because that’s just who she is—a woman who looks past a crisis to the solution she can provide. “Please let me know if there’s anything you need.”

“I will.”

I stand up, ready to greet my guests, only to see everyone gone. “They left?”

“I think Reina cleared everyone out,” Matt says, looking annoyed.

“Oh.”

“We can do this again,” Aiden offers.

My tears start, and I wipe them away as fast as I can. “I don’t usually care about stuff like this, but I was looking forward to the shower. The stupid games, the presents, the cake.”

“We’ll play the games with you,” Jake says, and the other guys all nod, making me laugh.

“Just help me eat the cake?”

“You don’t have to ask twice for that. Drago Sisters can make anyone go off their diet,” Nate reminds me.

“Thank you. For everything,” I tell them.

“Always, Jyn. You’re one of us, and that means something,” Matt tells me.

We cut into the beautiful baby buggy cake, and each eat a couple of servings before we get our fill. I don’t open the gifts, because it doesn’t seem right to do it without Noah being here. I don’t know when I’ll be able to face him again, but I know I have to. Here’s hoping he wants this baby, because while I may have put up a brave face earlier, I really want him to be happy about being my baby’s daddy.