AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“As many as you can.”
I look up at him, surprise hitting me like a rock. He’s staring at the screen with a look I’ve never seen on him.
He looks…enraptured. Like he is going through the same thing I am.
“Alrighty,” Dr. Ross says with an even wider grin. I wipe my tears as I turn to Bran, shocking myself by not feeling the slightest bit self-conscious. I can’t even bring myself to think of how much I should loathe Bran. All I care about is my baby.
Ourbaby.
I’m willing to let go of all the resentment, if it means I get to have someone who understands the intensity of this magical moment as much as I do.
“So,” Bran says, his voice free and happy, “we arehaving a baby.”
I want to leap with joy and squeeze his hand before I’m able to help it. “Yes, we are.”
He squats till he’s at eye level with me. “Thank you,” he mutters.
“Why?” I ask, almost confused.
“Because I’ve spent the last forty-four years of my life convinced that anyone who would ever have kids is out of their minds, and you managed to change that in a minute.”
A grin spreads across my face, and an unusual fondness zaps through my heart. Not just for the baby we’re about to have, but for Bran.I spent a lot of my adult life hating his guts, but I’ve seen enough about the way he runs his businesses to know that he’ll be a capable father.
“Ditto,” I reply.
“I know these are not ideal circumstances,” he says. “We were both manipulative shitheads who tried our hardest to get back at each other. But I think that thisis the one thing we can agree on.”
My grin widens. “Yes,” I say simply.
“I think we should let go of trying to impress the press,” he says.
“But what about Theodore’s election?” I ask, surprising myself by not thinking of myselffirst. Even the thought of repairing my shot-to-hell reputation isn’t a priority anymore.
Bran seems to feel the same way.
“He’ll figure it out,” he says. “I don’t know how, but he will. Right now, I’m only interested in the baby.”
I nod, feeling a new wave of tears in my eyes. “Me too,” I say.
He squeezes my hand, and I squeeze back, basking in the awe of finallyhaving a conversation with Bran where no one was trying to one-up the other person.
Because Bran is no longer the annoying billionaire I hated or the guy that I couldn’t help feeling attracted to.
He’s my baby’s father.I have to care for him, depend on him, and get used to him.
And thatalmostdoes not scare me.
CHAPTER22
BRAN
The paparazzi are shooting ferociously from the moment we pull into the restaurant. I restrain the urge to go right at them and knock the cameras out of their hands. As much as I want to stop visiting paparazzi-lined restaurants with Gigi in tow,Theodore’s team balked at the idea.
“They are finally looking at you two as the perfect little couple!” Pam had gushed. “Look, a new article was released where one of Gigi’s coworkers talks about the beginning of your love story, claiming it started right after you sent her flowers. They finallybelieve that this is not a publicity stunt. We now need to knock it in harder.”
Theodore silently stared at me, his eyes filled with confusion and revulsion. Even though I already filled him in on the doctor’s visit with Gigi and how we plan on raising the baby together, he still could not understand.
And honestly, I couldn’t either.
