Page 45 of CEO's Baby Scandal
“Yes, Mr. Jacobs,” he said calmly and pulled into traffic. The midmorning rush was worse than normal. If it were mebehind the wheel, I’d have laid on my horn a billion times. My foot pressed into the carpet beneath it, unconsciously imagining pressing the gas pedal. I needed to get there faster. If traffic would just clear, I could beat her home. Or maybe she wasn’t going home, but I had a good feeling that she was.
When the car was only a few blocks away, still only rolling a few miles an hour, I snapped, “Stop. I’ll walk.”
The driver obediently stopped the car, and I climbed out, running as fast as I could the last few blocks. I must have looked strange running through the worst neighborhood in Chicago dressed in an Armani suit, but I didn’t care. The only thing on my mind was getting to her, convincing her that Michael didn’t speak for me. That he didn’t know what I wanted. I had to know if what Evelyn said was true. Why would Emily come to work if she planned to sue me? Why had Grace and Michael not thought of that? This was all just some huge miscommunication.
The elevator was waiting on me when I entered her building. I pressed the button for her floor repeatedly until the doors shut and it began its ascent. It stopped at every floor, worsening my agony. I paced the tiny space like a lion in a cage. There was so much emotion pent up in my chest, I thought my heart would explode.
The second the doors opened, I ran to her door and pounded. “Emily! Open the door.” I pounded so hard my hand hurt. Emily’s neighbor popped her head out the door and watched me. “Emily, please open up.”
There was no response from the other side, not a sound. I turned to the neighbor who was staring. “Is she home? Did she come home a bit ago?”
The woman nodded. “Yeah. I heard her crying.” She jerked her chin upward. “Is she crying over you?” the woman asked, looking at me as if I were a snake in the grass.
“Yes…” I turned back to the door and pounded harder. “Emily, please, it’s Dan. I know you’re home. Let me explain.”
I felt my own eyes welling up at the thought that she was refusing to open the door. I was about to start shouting my apologies and questions when the door opened a crack. The chain was on. All I could see was one eye, and the mascara streaking down her cheek.
“Emily, please let me in. There has been a huge misunderstanding.”
“I don’t know, Dan…” Her voice was small, timid.
“Please,” I begged, praying she’d give me a chance.
The door shut. I heard the chain being removed, then the door opened again. Emily stood there with a bathrobe on, hanging open in front. She wore only a bra and panties. Her creamy skin… God, I missed that. And her stomach bulged just above the waistband of her panties. So it was true.
She caught me looking at her stomach as she shut the door, and tears cascaded down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I’m sorry that Evelyn did what she did. I’m sorry that you had to see me like this, that I hurt you so badly that you had me fired. Dan, I’m sorry. I?—”
I gripped her face in my hands and covered her mouth with mine. I didn’t care that she hadn’t told me or that she had left and not spoken to me in days. I didn’t care if she wanted to sue me or even if she wanted nothing to do with me ever again. She stood in front of me as beautiful as she’d ever been. I loved her enough that I’d give up my whole world to have her, even if it was only for the next five minutes before she kicked me out.
“God… I’m so sorry,” she mumbled as soon as I pulled away, so I kissed her again, harder this time, until she relented. She kissed me back and ran her hands through my hair. When she was calm, no longer apologizing, just crying, I picked her up and carried her to the couch. I didn’t even care that the cushion wasbroken. I sat and held her to my chest while she sobbed. Her body was so frail in my arms. Despite her protruding belly, it felt like she’d lost weight. Guilt plagued me over why she hadn’t told me, as if I’d done something to make her think I wouldn’t be thrilled over this news.
Her head was down, chin tucked to her chest, hair covering her face. I pushed the hair back, curling it around her ear as she spoke.
“Evelyn… whatever she told you was a lie. I don’t want to sue you.” Emily sniffled and rubbed her nose.
“So, you’re not pregnant?” I asked, confused.
She sat up and shook her head, shrugging her shoulders at the same time. “No, I am pregnant. I just—she told you that too?”
“Yes, she did. Yesterday.” I pushed more hair out of her face, and she grimaced.
“God, I hate her. I’m so sorry you had to find out like that. I was so scared you’d think I just wanted your money. I didn’t try to get pregnant… And then you said you didn’t see yourself being a father, and I panicked when I found out. I was so afraid you’d?—”
“Oh, fuck, Em.” I pulled her lips to mine and kissed her again. She pressed her hands against my chest, and I let her go. “I meant, I didn’t know if I’d be any good at it. I never meant that I didn’t want children.” I touched her stomach where it bulged. “I want to put so many babies in your belly, you’ll never have time to work again. You can’t believe how happy I am to be a dad.”
She chuckled, and the strange combination of tears and laughter made me grin. “Well, I’m glad you feel that way.” Her eyes sparkled.
“Yeah?” Hope filled my chest.
“Yeah, because you’re having twins.”
As if I weren’t shocked enough to be seated here with her on my lap, the news overwhelmed me again. “I’m what?”
“Yeah, two babies. I’m having twins.”
“Oh, no way. Seriously?” I asked, rubbing her belly. “You’re being serious?”