Sacha
Relief washed over me like a cleansing rain the moment I told Gib about the baby, but something in his eyes made me wary. I had expected him to back off when I said I'd raise it alone, but now he was asking too many questions.
"So how do you plan to support the child? Where will you live?"
I didn't want to mention Alabama, since it wasn't set in stone. Yet. This was precisely what I feared-him wanting to take control of the situation and my life.
"I told you, I live in Kennesaw. It's north of Atlanta. I have an apartment, and I make decent money, because I'm damn good at my job."
"I'm sure you are. But I'm wondering how we're going to work this out."
"Work what out? I told you, you're off the hook. I'm raising the baby. Alone."
He placed both palms on the wooden table and leaned forward. His voice had lowered, but the tone was lethal. "You don't get to take me 'off the hook.' This is my child too."
We stared at each other for an intense moment. I had done some research, and in Georgia, all parental rights went to the unwed mother automatically. It would be up to him to establish paternity and legitimate the child, which might be difficult given his finances or lack thereof. Plus, the fact he lived in a remote area. I was counting on these factors to dissuade him from taking legal action. But to be safe, and fair, I offered a solution.
"Look. I'm not saying you will never see the child. We'll work something out. But let's be realistic. We aren't in a relationship. This was just a one-night thing, right?"
The skin above his beard reddened. He looked down at the table. "Right."
"We live hours away from each other. So logistically, it won't be easy. Bottom line, I think we have some time to figure things out. I'm not due until May. So, let's take it one step at a time."
I had no intention of giving him too much leeway. He was simply in shock and would probably calm down as time went on and the real responsibilities of parenthood began. Until I got to know him better, I wasn't going to commit to anything specific.
He could be a serial killer or some kind of nut. Only time would tell.
He sat back and sighed, his tension visibly easing. "You're right. This is all quite a shock. Not what I expected when you showed up in town."
I smiled for the first time that day. "What did you think I was here for? Round two?"
His grin was absolutely adorable, and I had to remind myself not to be influenced by his charm.
"You can't blame a guy for hoping. Especially since I don't recall much of round one."
"Fair enough. But I don't even know your full name."
The way he hesitated caused a prickle of fear up my spine. Was he hiding something?
"Gibson Cole-Colebank. And yours is?"
"Sacha Rowan."
I pulled my phone out of my purse to enter him as a contact. We exchanged numbers, and I promised to keep him updated on my progress. At least that put me back in control.
"I'm sorry I shocked you, Gib. I was shocked myself when I found out."
"Thank you for coming up here to tell me in person. That wasn't easy, I'm sure."
"No, it wasn't." I hesitated, as questions of my own began piling up. "So, you mentioned you weren't originally from Tilly. Do you have family here?"
Again, his gaze shifted away. When he looked back, his eyes were storm-cloud blue.
"No, they live near Atlanta. But I won't be telling them about this until we figure things out."
A sudden breeze made me shiver. It was getting late and I had a long drive home. "I haven't told my family yet, either. I'm still coming to grips with the idea myself, you know?"
He nodded and smiled. "Yeah, and you've had a head start on me."
We parted on what I thought were good terms, under the circumstances. We didn't hug, shake hands, or touch in any way. There was a distance between us, though we were forever connected now. All because we gave in to our reckless desires. In a perfect world, it wasn't supposed to happen this way, but it had.
As I drove away, I couldn't help but shudder with relief. The worst part was over. I hoped.