AllFreeNovel
Share Us
For the sake of my baby, I need to move on. I don’t need him. I don’t need his money. I just wanted to do the right thing and be honest with him, but he’s not ready to hear it. He’ll probably never be ready to hear it.
There are times I wish I wasn’t estranged from my parents. I could use my mother right now. She may not have been an emotionally supportive parent, but she always seemed to know what to do. If I had her, maybe I wouldn’t feel so lost.
Even if they weren’t the perfect parents, I miss having them around. After eight years, you’d think they would have forgiven me for my part in the breakup with my fiancé, Trent. Now that I’m unmarried and pregnant, I know they’ll never forgive me. They would never be able to accept what I’ve let happen.
Time to put on my big girl panties.
I don’t need my parents. I don’t need Ethan.
I can take care of this baby by myself.
Chapter 5
Ethan
I wake up early, feeling restless. Rampant thoughts of Liz and the hospital and what happened yesterday assail me. I can still see Liz’s face as the paramedics rushed her out of my home. I can still feel the tightness in my chest when I thought she was in real trouble.
I step out onto the sidewalk in front of my building. The office is only about a mile away, and a walk will do me good. After a restless night, the loud noises of the bustling streets are just what I need. Anything to drown out the noise in my head. The noise of Liz telling me that the baby is mine.
Maybe if I hadn’t seen her with the other man, I’d be at least tempted to believe her. She isn’t aware that I know about him.
I wonder what she’d say if I confronted her?
It doesn’t matter anyway. None of this matters.
The sun is barely making its way over the horizon, but it’s already warm and humid. It’s early enough that there aren’t many other peopleout, which is a rarity in Manhattan. As I make my way to the office, I pull out my phone.
Of course, a text from Jake. He wants me to meet him at the office this morning. I already told him I’d be there, and I’m annoyed that he feels the need to remind me.
Okay, maybe I deserve it after the disappearing act I pulled.
However, I’m not going to respond to his summons. Let him wonder if I’ll show up or not. Childish, yes. But at least it gives me a tiny bit of satisfaction.
I stifle a yawn as I approach a food truck and order a coffee. I’ve decided to take my time getting to the office. I take a sip of the hot liquid and revel in the feeling of it burning down my throat before I start walking again.
I wonder how Liz is doing. How is she getting to her doctor’s appointment this morning? I should call her.
Nope.
Not my business. She made it clear she didn’t want me to help her. And you know what? I’m a damn hero. I practically saved her life yesterday, and this is the thanks I get. She actually kicked me out of her hospital room.
So, why do I feel like shit right now?
The entry to my office building comes into view. I pick up the pace. All of a sudden, I’m determined to get this meeting with Jake over with. As I enter, I pass by the plaque on the interior wall of the building: The Anders Group. It’s a reminder that this is my parents’ company, their legacy to us. And I’ve spent the last several months squandering that gift.
My parents worked hard to build this company, and it shows in every inch of the building, from the marble floors to the ornately decoratedwalls. My parents have taken pride in the business they started many years ago. They sacrificed so they could build this empire for us, and I need to remember it.
As much as I dread the meeting with Jake, I know it’s a necessary step for me to take back my place in the company.
I keep that in mind as I open the door to Jake’s office.
He and Dax are seated at the chairs by his bar. They both look up as I walk in.
“Ah, so it’s to be a meeting of brothers,” I say jokingly. “What are you doing here, Dax?” As the middle brother and often mediator, I’m actually kinda glad to see him here.
Jake and Dax exchange glances. From the guilty looks, I can guess they were discussing me right before I came in.
“Come on over and have a seat, Ethan. Dax and I want to talk to you.” Jake indicates the chair next to him.
