NINE MONTHS LATER
Things never seem to turn out quite like we think they will. I never expected to lose my parents. I never expected to be out on my own at such a young age. I never expected to work at a sex club for charity. I never expected to meet a kind, handsome billionaire and fall in love. I never expected that my brother would commit suicide. I definitely never expected this.
I'm sitting in the bathroom looking at the pink cross on the pregnancy test that I just took. After months of being meticulously careful, I don't understand how this happened. God must hate me. That's the only logical answer.
Croix and I have used so many condoms that we're practically the poster children for Trojan. The one fucking time that a condom breaks on us, this happens.
Now that I think about it, he must be extra fertile. He has sex with his best friend once and knocks her up. A condom breaks on us once, and he knocks me up.
Maybe it's a mistake.
I go about my day trying not to fret. That's kind of difficult, though, when all I can think about is how positive results are rarely wrong.
After work, I stop by the drug store to pick up another test. The next morning, my worst fears are confirmed. I'm pregnant. Definitely, 100%, without a doubt pregnant.
Holy fuck, what am I going to do now?
Oddly, my first inclination is not to speed to the nearest abortion clinic and dispose of the little monster inside of me. That is a stark difference to how I felt when Derrick knocked me up.
I cradle my stomach while I sit on the commode, screwing my face. Inside of me is a part of Croix. Happy memories of Croix and Beverly and I together flip through my mind. Over these past several months, the three of us have gotten very close. I definitely feel motherly affection for her. We've baked cookies together, and I read her her bedtime story sometimes. It feels almost like she's mine. More than that, it feels like I'm ready to have a child of my own. Sometimes, I've even wanted one, though I've been a bit too afraid to admit it to myself until now.
Having children is a big responsibility, and I've definitely never wanted them out of wedlock. Croix hasn't proposed to me yet, though. In fact, he hasn't even hinted that he's going to in the near future. It's a disconcerting thought that I'd want to keep this child when there's no rock solid commitment between us.
I sigh as I place the pregnancy test back in its box and hide it in one of my dresser drawers. The one from yesterday got buried in the trash so that Croix wouldn't find it. I didn't want him to know that I was paranoid about the condom breaking in the first place. To be honest, I'm not sure how he'd react if he found out I was pregnant. I'd rather wait until the opportune time to bring it up.
After taking a few days to mull things over, I decide that that time will be on our one year anniversary. The day before, I check the pregnancy test to make sure that the plus sign is still there. Then I place it in a gift box and stick it in my purse to present to him that night.
We both get dressed up to the nines. I wear a long white gown with silver flowers embroidered on it and peek-a-boo mesh down the cleavage. Croix is dapper in a classic tuxedo. I straighten his bow tie before we leave the house, hoping that I don't look fat in my white dress. Knowing that I'm pregnant makes me paranoid that I'm already showing, even though it's only been a month since I conceived.
We arrive at the restaurant and make idle conversation. Everything at The Billionaires Club has been going well. Mary Carmen retired, and I've taken over all of my assigned job duties at Hudson Paragon Solutions. Croix has been spending a lot of time lately flying back and forth from Florida to New York to take care of things at his investment firm. Though I don't make anywhere near as much money as he does, I feel like we're pretty close to equal on a professional level. We're definitely what I would consider a power couple. Financially, having a child together would be no issue for either one of us.
“I got you an anniversary present,” I tell him when we've finished our meal and are waiting for the dessert that we ordered.
“Oh?” Croix props his elbows up on the table and steeples his hands, looking amused.
“Mhm.” I fish the box out of my purse before handing it across to him.
“Let me guess.” He takes it with a casual smile. “It's a watch.”
My shoulders slump as I give him a sarcastic look. “Do you really think I'd buy you another watch?”
He rarely wears the one I bought him for his birthday, and when he does, he never looks at it, preferring to use his phone to tell the time. Tonight, it's an accessory to his outfit, but I know he's only got it on because it's a special night for us.
“Then it's a stack of gift cards to the coffee shop down the street.” His face lights up.
“Just open it.” I roll my eyes at him.
That smirk is going to melt straight off of him when he sees what's actually inside the box. Now that I've passed it over to him, I'm beginning to think that now isn't the best time to discuss this. If it puts him in a bad mood, it will completely ruin our anniversary.
My stomach turns as he pulls the ribbon on the bow and then starts to lift the lid off of the box. My hand flies to my stomach, as if both me and the baby are holding our breath for his reaction.
He doesn't take the pregnancy test out of the box. He simply looks at it, his expression deadpan. He drags his tongue over his bottom lip before his eyes meet mine.
“Is this what I think it is?” He points inside of the box.
“It is.” I inhale deeply.
Finally, his hard exterior cracks. The smile that spreads across his face makes relief flood through every part of me. I can feel my body relax as I realize that he's not angry.
He nods before gently putting the lid back on the box, his eyes brimming with tears.
“Are you alright?” I ask, not really sure what to make of his reaction.
“I'm happy is all. I'm happy that we're going to have a family.” He reaches across the table for my hands.
His fingers are warm as I slide mine on top of his before he clasps our hands together firmly. “Are you sure you're okay with this? Is this what you really want?”
“It is what I want,” he replies without hesitation.
For several minutes, we sit there in silence staring at each other. I can tell by the glimmer in his eyes that he's sincere. He wants this baby, and that makes me want it more too. We're in this together. We both want this.
“Here you are, sir. Madame.” The waiter finally arrives and slides a piece of chocolate cake between us.
“It's all yours.” Croix pushes it towards me. “You're eating for two now.”
“I may be eating for two, but I don't think I can handle this whole cake on my own.” I pick up my fork.
“Fine. I'll take a bite.” Croix clips a piece from the end of the cake.
I follow suit, taking in the rich chocolatey goodness. It tastes like heaven.
Croix barely picks at the cake, leaving the majority of it for me. About halfway through, I bite into something hard, and pain surges through my mouth. I immediately spit out blood, cake, what appears to be a tooth, and something metal.
“Oh my God!” Croix is by my side in an instant. “Are you okay?”
“What in the hell was that? I think I need to go to the hospital.”
“It was an engagement ring. I was trying to propose to you.” He cringes.
If I weren't in so much pain, I'd laugh. Right now, all I can think about is my broken tooth and wanting the throbbing in my jaw to stop. That and the torrents of blood that seem to be pouring out from the wound.
Croix throws a wad of cash on the table before leading me out to the limo and making the driver speed to the hospital. Several hours and some pain killers later, I'm back home with a temporary implant in the molar that shattered from biting into the ring.
Croix strokes my hair as we lie in bed together. “Raven, I'm so sorry. I totally didn't see that coming.”
“I want to be mad at you, but I can't be.” I close my eyes, trying to be soothed by his touch.
He holds the ring up to me. The large princess cut diamond glitters in the dim lighting. I swear I can still see some of my blood on the gold band, but I'm probably imagining it. Croix washed the ring thoroughly as soon as we got home and he had me settled in.
“I'm guessing you're going to reject my proposal now that I've broken your tooth and made you almost choke to death on your own blood.” He fights back a grin.
“If I wouldn't have broken my tooth, I might have choked to death on the ring.” I nod towards it with a look of apprehension.
“Rings in cakes...not such a great idea.” He wrinkles his nose.
“Oh, I'm sure it was a marvelous idea. Only I have the talent to fuck something like that up.” I chuckle lightly.
“Well, at least we'll have an interesting story to tell our child.” He rests his hand on my stomach. “That is, if you say yes.”
This will definitely be a night to go down in the memory books.
I think about how tumultuous our relationship has been. How everything that has gone right with us has started with something wrong. While I can't be sure that this will be any different, I am sure of one thing. I want to spend the rest of my life with Croix Philbrook. For better or worse. Till death do us part.
“Yes, Croix. I'll marry you.”