Recognition dawned upon the nurse’s face. “Yes, she’s still in there, and so is the doctor. You haven’t missed much.”
He had no idea how he felt about that, but he followed the nurse inside, ducking to avoid hitting the top part. Darby swiveled to face him, a murderous look in her eyes, so he gave her a small wave, hoping she wouldn’t launch herself at him with all these people in the room.
He had to believe she wouldn’t, not with so many witnesses.
Yet, given the intensity of her stare, he wasn’t entirely sure. He shifted from one foot to the other and inched closer to the screen, curious about what was happening. The doctor sat on her chair, peering at the small monitor in front of her.
Darby tore her gaze away and turned her attention back to the screen, touching it with the tip of her index finger, reverently, a stunned look on her face. Phoenix frowned and moved closer, leaning over Darby’s body to see.
Finally, he was able to make out the form on the screen, a tiny thing with no discernible features that he could make out, but it was still clearly a baby. His heart did an odd little lurch, chipping away at the cynicism and doubt inside his heart.
It was his baby, a part of him, his own flesh and blood.
The realization descended upon him, the sun peeking out from behind the clouds, and he reeled back, surprised by the sudden ferocity of his emotions. Generally, Phoenix was a practical man, with very little use for sentiment, but he had no explanation for how he felt.
The fierce desire to protect and provide.
Was this some kind of paternal instinct he wasn’t aware of?
“I’ll get you a picture Ms. Enders,” the doctor said, brightly, the lights coming back on. “I’ll be right back.”
The doctor and nurse exited the room, leaving the two of them alone. Darby refused to look at him, peeling her shirt back down and clasping her hands in front of her.
“Sorry I’m late,” Phoenix offered, apologetically.
“You look like you’re dressed to be on the cover of GQ or something,” Darby commented, the undercurrent of anger clear in her voice. “Is that why you were late? You couldn’t decide what to wear?”
Phoenix sighed. “It’s because I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Six
Darby
Darby narrowed her eyes. “Oh, and I do? I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing either, by the way. There’s no self-help book for this kind of thing.”
This being the accidentally getting knocked up by a man who wanted nothing to do with her thing, and he acted like the baby had some kind of contagious disease. With the number of times it happened, it would’ve made sense to have some kind of instruction manual, but people preferred to sweep it under the rug, acting like it didn’t happen, as if that would make things easier.
Phoenix stood there, looking incredibly uncomfortable and out of his element in the examination room. In fact, his feet were pointed towards the door, as if all he needed was for someone to give him a slight shove, and he’d go running, leaving skid marks in his wake.
Yes, she wouldn’t be surprised if that happened.
All the evidence was stacked against him, proving that he wasn’t exactly the dependable sort, starting from his initial reaction to the news, with his demands of a paternity test all the way to this morning.
Fifteen minutes late.
She’d stared at the clock, willing the hands to go slower and hoping the doctor would be late. When she walked in ten minutes later, frazzled and harried, the strain evident on her face, Darby didn’t want to ask her to wait.
After all, Phoenix knew exactly when the appointment started, and he should’ve made more of an effort to make it on time instead of waltzing in late and looking like he walked off the cover of a men’s fashion magazine with his windswept hair and the mischievous glint in his eyes.
Both the doctor and the nurse had done a double-take, as if they could hardly believe that a man like that was in the same space as them, much less with someone like Darby, who felt inadequate in her yoga pants and an old t-shirt.
Self-consciously, she crossed her arms over her chest, angry at herself for even comparing. She was a waitress for heaven’s sake, and she wasn’t under any delusions about what that meant, but she wasn’t ashamed of it either.
Phoenix was a CEO and was dressed the part.
Their wardrobe choices offered a stark contrast, a reflection of their separate realities, and she would learn to be okay with it because it was a reminder of why they were here in the first place.
Opposites really did attract.
In the harsh light of day, she was hard-pressed to find the reason why she liked him to begin with. Sure, he was attractive in a clean-cut kind of way, but beyond that, she couldn’t see much else, and his personality left a lot to be desired.
“Why are you late, Phoenix?” Darby pressed. “If this is going to be your attitude moving forward, then I need to know because I can’t rely on you if you’re going to be like this.”
It was harsh, but it was the truth.
She needed to set her priorities straight, and she had enough going on in her life without having to worry about coddling Phoenix or coaxing him into doing the right thing. She was going to do her best to fight for the baby, to make sure both his parents were hands-on, but there was only so much she could do, and if this was the extent of Phoenix’s involvement then so be it.
She could lead the horse to the water, but she couldn’t make it drink.
Phoenix winced, a flicker of shame crossing his features before his mouth pressed into a thin line. “I had stuff to do, okay? I do run a company, in case you forgot.”
Darby crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed. “Is that supposed to impress me? Because I’ve already made it clear that I have no interest in your money.”
Phoenix raked his hands through his hair, making it stand up in tufts atop his head. “I already know that, Darby. You’ve made it crystal clear.”
“I expect you to be here for the baby,” Darby stressed. “Our baby is going to need you just as much as they’re going to need me, and you should be there, no excuses.”
Silence.
Phoenix looked away, using the heel of his shoe to draw circles on the floor, clearly unused to being lectured. Darby sat up straighter, raising an eyebrow as she stared at him, waiting for him to talk.
“Well?” Darby prompted.
Phoenix glanced up, eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Well, what?”
“You don’t have a response to what I said?”
Phoenix exhaled. “You’re right. I should’ve been here on time, and I’m sorry. I just really don’t know how to do this, and you’re so calm and collected, Darby. I don’t even know how you’re doing that.”
Surprised by his admission, her gaze softened, and she uncrossed her arms, something akin to pity bubbling up inside of her. Underneath the tough exterior, and the macho façade was a little boy who was freaking out, desperate for someone to tell him what to do.
“Honestly, I’m not sure how I’m doing it either,” Darby admitted, offering him a small smile, a peace offering of sorts.
Phoenix’s lips curved into a ghost of a smile, uncertain. “Really? I can’t tell at all.”
Darby laughed. “That’s because I hide it well. I have to, you know? I need to be strong for the baby.”
On cue, she glanced down, imagining the bump growing bigger, and all the challenges she would have to face, the road ahead was long, but she knew it would be worth it in the end.
It had to be.
“Yeah, I get that,” Phoenix agreed. “Marry me, Darby.”
She blinked and jerked back, as if she’d been slapped. “Excuse me?”
“I think we should get married. That way the baby can be born into a family, our family, and we can raise him or her together,” Phoenix suggested.
Darby squinted and studied his features carefully, looking for signs of any kind of discrepancy beca
use he couldn’t possibly be serious. They barely even liked each other, on a personal level, so it made zero sense for them to be raising a kid together.
About as much sense as it did for them to actually get together.
“Are you drunk?” Darby blurted out, leaning forward, so she could sniff him. He reeked of cologne, but she couldn’t detect a subtle undertone of alcohol, not in this room in any case. She pushed herself even closer and inhaled.
“I don’t think that’s appropriate behavior in a doctors’ office, Ms. Enders,” Phoenix teased, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Darby rolled her eyes. “Tale off your glasses, Phoenix. Why do you even have them on indoors?”
“Because it’s too bright in here.”
It sounded more like a question than a statement, so she narrowed eyes, growing more and more suspicious by the second. “Phoenix.”
“Yes?”
“Take off the glasses,” Darby demanded, impatient.
Phoenix exhaled and made a big show of removing them from his face, revealing bloodshot eyes. “There? See.”
Darby sighed. “You look like shit.”
“I thought I looked like I was going to some photoshoot or something,” Phoenix teased, clutching his shirt as if he was offended. “Make up your mind.”
Darby held up her hand. “Look, I understand that your offer of marriage comes from a good place, but I want to get married for the right reasons not so we can raise a baby together. Plenty of people can co-parent.”
“Do you think we can be like that?” Phoenix wondered, a vulnerable expression on his face. Darby cocked her head to the side and stared at him, really looking at his handsome and distinguishable features, committing them to memory.
His entire reaction was born out of fear and not knowing what to do.
Phoenix struck her as the sort of man who had his entire life mapped out, pretty much from the minute he opened his chocolate-colored eyes, and now for the first time in his entire existence, a wrench was in the middle of his plans, cutting a clear path down the middle.
There was no board to help him decide, no parents to hold his hand and encourage him. Instead, it was just her, and she hadn’t been doing a particularly good job of it. Then again, she wasn’t exactly qualified to help him, not in her current state.
“I think so yeah,” Darby replied, with more optimism than she had. “Why not? Besides, it’s better than the alternative.”
Phoenix frowned. “Being married to me wouldn’t be that bad.”
“We’d drive each other crazy,” Darby pointed out. “We can barely be around each other without bickering, and I don’t want our son or daughter to grow up around that. As much as possible, it should be a healthy household, full of love and respect.”
Phoenix considered her statement, a myriad of emotions playing out across his features, the forefront of which was confusion, mirroring exactly how she felt. The only thing they could do was muddle through it as best as they could.
“You’re right,” Phoenix admitted, his shoulders sagging slightly. She couldn’t tell if it was relief or defeat, but she had to believe it was the former rather than the latter. He didn’t really want to marry her; he just believed he did because of the overwhelming nature of the situation.
She got it, but she wasn’t about to get swept up in the moment.
No, one of them had to be thinking clearly, and for some godforsaken reason, it was her, the lady with the hormones, so it should at least be interesting. He offered her a small smile, mouth pulled back slightly.
“I just can’t believe you’re having my baby,” Phoenix murmured, glancing over at the monitor, a stupefied expression on his face, a mixture of awe and wonder. Then, it hit her.
Phoenix was finally realizing the truth, the fact that she was carrying their child was hitting him like a ton of bricks, and based on his current reaction, she’d say he was doing a little better the second time around, albeit slightly more impulsive.
Still, it was better than the cold detachment from earlier.
This was, by far, infinitely better.
“I can’t believe it,” Phoenix whispered, tears springing to his eyes. He coughed and cleared his throat, embarrassed at such a public display of emotion. She pretended not to notice, busying herself with a loose strand of thread on the sheet, twirling it round and round.
A few minutes later, the doctor came back in and asked if they would like to take a second look, the two of them together. Eagerly, Phoenix nodded, moving closer to Darby and leaning forward, the smell of him wafting over her.
Automatically, she reached for his hand, and his fingers curled around hers, grasping it tightly. She watched his expression, his mouth slightly agape then his eyes softening, a tender look stretched out across his features.
Yes, this was the man she wanted him to be, attentive and considerate, open to the full spectrum of human emotions not the cool and dismissive douchebag who walked in, acting like he’d been called to the principal’s office for something that wasn’t his fault.
In the dim glow of the examination room, she studied his features, and her heart did a little somersault when he looked down at her and smiled, distracted before he turned his attention back to the screen, longingly.
With great difficulty, she tore her gaze away from Phoenix and back to the screen, to stare at their baby. Her hand came up to her heart, fingers intertwined with Phoenix’s, and she sighed.
In front of them, there was a slight movement, and she let out a little gasp of delight, surprised to see the baby move.
Maybe this wasn’t going to be so hard after all.
Seven
Phoenix
He had a lot to make up for, way more than he could ever hope to accomplish, but he had every intention of trying, doing the best he could to prove to Darby that he wasn’t a lost cause.
Ever since their trip to the doctor, something had changed for him, a subtle shift, the pieces seamlessly falling into places, and he found himself falling into a pattern, needing to see Darby every day just to make sure everything was going well.
Granted, he didn’t need to, and he was fairly certain that there was a part of her that was puzzled by the sudden change in attitude, going from lukewarm to burning hot in the span of a few days, but she didn’t say anything.
In truth, he suspected a part of her liked feeling that she wasn’t going through this alone, and even though they weren’t together romantically, he was still there for her, doing his best to communicate and attend to her every need, or at least those he could fulfill.
Over the past month, he’d started getting to know Darby, learning about all the many layers she possessed, whether it was how cranky she got when she was hungry, or the fact that she hated asking for help, even going so far as to growl whenever he insisted.
Of course, she’d reluctantly started to accept his assistance though he imagined it couldn’t be easy. Based on the few things he’d gleaned, Darby wasn’t the kind of person who had anyone constant in her life.
No parents, no close friends and definitely no boyfriend.
It was sad, and he wished there was something he could about that, perhaps offer her a wide support group, but he couldn’t. It was the one thing he couldn’t provide. Instead, he hoped she’d settle for him, doing everything within his power to make her feel comfortable and safe.
Stopping by every day for the past month was something, a step in the right direction, and they’d fallen into a routine by now. The first few times she was surprised and reluctant to let him into her house, eyeing him suspiciously from the doorway until he threw his hands up in the air then left.
Little by little, she started to accept his visits, opening the door for him before he even had a chance to ring the doorbell, recognizing the time he stopped by like clockwork. It wasn’t a perfect routine by any stretch of the imagination, but it worked for them.
He also made it a point to pick something up for her before every single
visit.
In most cases, they were things for the baby, recommendations from store clerks or online articles he read. Some of them were even given five stars on baby forums and websites.
Yes, it was safe to say that he’d gone from being reluctant to completely invested, barely able to contain his excitement over the arrival of the baby, practically bursting at the seams whenever he thought of it.
He couldn’t explain it.
One minute he was trying to think of an excuse to get out of the doctor’s office, imagining himself careening down the hallway, barreling into anyone unfortunate enough to get in his way, the allure of alcohol dangling in front of his face. The next minute, he was staring at the monitor, resisting the urge to reach out and press his finger to the screen.
In a strange way, he supposed he understood now why a lot of women described the maternal instinct in such vivid and potent terms, describing the moment it dawned on them, and the fierce wave of protectiveness that took over.
It wasn’t the same for him, but it was slightly similar, enough so that he understood his sudden change of heart, bewildering as it was. He’d even come clean to Moxley, who’d been stunned at first then insisted they celebrate by drinking a glass of single malt scotch, a fine vintage he’d been saving.
Together, the two of them had taken a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about how different things were for them now, with one of them married and the other expecting a child.
Life could be strange like that.
But, oddly enough, he wouldn’t have it another way. As unconventional as everything was, he had a feeling, deep down in the very marrow of his bones that he was exactly where he was supposed to be, with the person he was supposed to be with.
Darby wasn’t his number one fan, it was fairly obvious to see, but she’d warmed up to him, even allowed him to accompany her on every doctor’s visit and anything baby related, giving him a wide birth of space to be able to deal comfortably.
Baby: A Billionaire Boys novel Page 4