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“Excuse me?” His face pales in horror.
“I’m not saying I am, alright,” I amend quickly, “but it’s a possibility.”
He looks around to ensure we’re not being overheard, then pulls me to the corner.
“Ryan, wait. I should get back to Bonnie.” He doesn’t seem to hear me.
Once he’s satisfied we’re out of earshot, he whispers, “Are you serious?”
I scan his face. His initial response was shock, which I could deal with, but now it’s just mild curiosity. I shrug.
“How do you know? Miss a period? Did you take a test? “
“No, not yet.”
“I used a condom.”
“And I’m sure you don’t need a lecture on the failure rates of those.”
“So, take a test!”
“It may be too early to tell as I haven’t missed a period yet. What if you go on and marry her next week, and then, a month later, bam, I find I’m pregnant—”
“It’s been three weeks since I fucked you, Stella. It’s not too early to know if you’re carrying my baby using an early response kit.”
“Hmm. Is it a little strange that you know so much about a woman’s cycle? Why do I feel like you’ve been in this situation many other times—”
He simply scoffs, then spins on his heels.
What did I say now?
“Ryan!” Where is he going?
He stops but doesn’t turn back. I go to him, suddenly unable to take his coldness.
“Take a test, and let me know.” He clips.
“And if it’s positive?”
He turns to look at me, his playful smirk now returning. “Well, if it turns out you’re pregnant with my child, Stella, you’re fucking marrying me.” He leaves me standing in the middle of the lobby.
Oh, shit. Okay. I better be pregnant then.
Chapter Fourteen
Ryan
“You okay, Ryan?” Vanessa’s lilting voice floats toward me, and in seconds I feel her hand on my shoulder. I resist the urge to shrug off her hand and make myself accept her comfort.
I open my mouth to respond, but Xavier beats me to it.
“He’s not okay, Vanessa,” he scoffs. “He’s getting hitched.”
Vanessa knows she’ll be paid ten million for marrying me and the remaining ten after our contract ends. She also knows I don’t want to be married. Plenty, in my opinion; she doesn’t need to know the rest of it.
It was only Stella I told everything about my family and company policy. And if she asked me for more, I would tell her.
“Yes, I know, poor baby,” Vanessa smiles. “Since the Reverend arrived, you’ve been as jumpy as a cat. Think about how much more credible you’d be as the head of Ocean Gate once we’re married.”
