My Dad’s Billionaire Enemy

by Winters, Bella

  Or at least, that was what she told me.

  I was worried about her, and suspicious at the same time. What happened to make her feel like this? Was she just avoiding me?

  I couldn’t help but worry and feel anxious. I had never felt like this about anyone else before. I didn’t know how to act, I didn’t know how I should be feeling. I didn’t know what to say or what would make things right. The only thing I did know was that I should probably give her some space.

  I didn’t know who I could talk to either. None of the Four had had any luck with love, and Misha was just starting on his own journey. Besides, the likelihood that they would tease me about it was pretty high.

  But I did need to be distracted, and they were the ones who knew how to do that best.

  So I headed down to the training room, passing by Noah’s room on the way.

  I peeked my head in, and said, “Hey, you down for a session?”

  He looked up from the book he was reading. “Right now? I thought Aurora was coming over.”

  I shrugged. “She’s not anymore.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Well, apparently she’s sick,” I said with a sigh.

  “Apparently? Do you not trust her?”

  “No, it’s not that. I just don’t know how she got sick, or why she’s sick now.”

  Noah threw his head back and let out a deep laugh. “Are you kidding me Malcolm? It’s obvious you’ve fallen her. People get sick, it’s a thing that happens. You’re just worried because you care about her.”

  I knew it would be foolish to try to pretend otherwise, so I came in, and sat down in one of the chairs next to him.

  “Perhaps.”

  “There’s no perhaps in this situation, Malcolm. Either you like her, or you don’t. Things have progressed fast for the two of you because you’ve been through a lot. You have to decide if this is something you want to keep putting energy into. It’s not my place to decide, but it’s obvious that you like her.”

  “But I still get worried, you know?”

  He looked at me with a smile. “Of course you do, that’s natural.”

  “And how do you know?” I punched him teasingly on the arm. “I haven’t seen you bringing the ladies around here.”

  His face went dark, and he looked down at the ground. “No, maybe not.”

  I could sense there was more to the story, but I didn’t want to push him, so I remained silent.

  Finally, he spoke. “I was in love once, too. I was a lot younger then, before the two of us even met. You know, some people have such an impact on you that you can’t bear to be with anyone else after that.”

  I wanted so badly to ask what had happened, if the feelings I had now were the same as he felt then. But I could tell that the wound went deep, and that was as much as Noah was comfortable saying about his experience.

  I could respect that. Even though we were close, there were still secrets that we didn’t share with each other. I knew he had a past before me, and I wouldn’t push it until he wanted to talk to me about it.

  After all, there were some things that I hadn’t told him.

  “I don’t know if I can feel this way about anyone but Aurora. She’s… special.”

  He looked up at me with a smile. “Then that’s something you definitely have to pursue, there’s no doubt about it.”

  “I know, but it feels as if she’s been avoiding me.”

  “Malcolm, she told you, she’s sick. Now come on, let’s go train to get your mind off things. I promise you that you’ll feel a lot better then.”

  “Alright, let’s go.” We both stood, and walked to the training room together. It was quite a large room that we used for hand-to-hand combat training. The floor was covered in mats that were cleaned daily, and there was an assortment of aids along one wall. Another wall was covered in mirrors so that we could get a better idea of how our bodies were moving, but there were curtains that could be released to cover them if we didn’t want the distraction.

  Today we put the curtains down, then settled into position.

  Both of us bounced on the balls of our feet, moving back and forth lightly so that our weight was evenly distributed and we could react at a moment’s notice.

  Noah lunged for me first, and I easily side-stepped him, going in for a quick jab. He blocked with his forearm, then came in with a roundhouse kick.

  I laughed, ducking beneath and taking a few light steps back.

  Noah knew me well. It was the kind of thing that always made me feel better. I could focus on the dance between us, on the push and pull of our movements.

  When the two of us had first moved in together, we spent every day sparring. There was a lot we had needed to work through, and more that we needed to forget. Since neither of us felt comfortable discussing it, we sparred instead.

  This was how we became so close and attuned to each other’s non-verbal signals. Just as in combat I could tell when Noah was going to swing his right arm and where he was going to aim, outside of training I could tell when there was something bothering him, or pick up on other subtle shifts in his emotions.

  Since I was no longer in contact with my extended family, he had become like a brother to me.

  He was more than a brother. He was my blood, my soul, the heart that beat in my chest. He was my rock, and being able to expend energy like this with him made me feel so, so much better.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Aurora

  It had gone on for too long. I had to cancel several plans that I had in the mornings because my stomach just didn’t feel right, and the things that I wanted to eat were things that I had never craved before.

  Every sign was pointing towards it. I was carrying a life inside of me, something created by Malcolm and me.

  And I couldn’t avoid knowing anymore. If I was pregnant, then I needed to start taking care of myself as such and figure out what I wanted to do. I would have to schedule some prenatal visits and find the courage to tell those close to me.

  Especially Malcolm.

  So that day, all alone— my dad was away in San Diego interviewing with some larger companies— I drove to the pharmacy and picked up a pregnancy test.

  The cashier gave me a knowing smile. “You and your boyfriend been trying for one?” she asked.

  The question felt extremely invasive, and it made me uncomfortable. I squirmed, tightening my grip on my bag.

  Not exactly, was what I wanted to say, but I knew that she would judge me if I said that. It was in her eyes.

  So instead I said, “Yes.”

  She smiled wider, handing me the test and my receipt. “Well good luck then, I hope you get the results you’re looking for.”

  I did too. Except the results that I wanted were probably not the results that she thought I wanted.

  I drove home with the radio on full blast, trying to drown out the nervous churning in my stomach.

  As soon as I parked, I rushed to the door, fumbling with my keys. I got the door unlocked, then slammed it behind me and locked it again before rushing to the bathroom with my test.

  My hands were shaking as I opened up the package and read the instructions. There was a cup provided that I was supposed to fill with my urine, and then a stick that I would dip into it. It would look for some kind of hormone that only appeared when you were pregnant, apparently, and if I was, then a double line would show up on the strip.

  It was all new to me, as I had never taken one of these tests before. My ex-boyfriend never wanted a baby, so we hadn’t tried, and I hadn’t been with anyone else until Malcolm.

  I did as the instructions said, then waited anxiously as the first stripe formed when I dipped the stick into the cup. Then… a second pink stripe appeared.

  I didn’t know what to do. My breath was caught in my throat, and my hands were shaking worse than ever. I set the test and the cup down, washed my hands, and then grabbed my phone.

  I sunk to the floor of the bathroom and o
pened up my contacts list.

  I had to tell someone. This was the kind of thing that I just couldn’t keep inside of me. I needed advice, I needed someone to tell me what I should do.

  “Hailey,” I said as soon as she picked up, my voice wavering.

  “Woah, Aurora, are you okay? What’s going on?”

  “Can you… can you come over?”

  “Of course I can, but can you tell me what’s going on first?”

  I shook my head, then realized that she couldn’t see me, “I’d rather tell you when you get here. It’s… a lot.”

  “Okay, okay, as long as you’re going to be okay until I get there.”

  “I should be.”

  “I’m heading over right now, okay? I’ll call you when I get there.”

  “Okay.”

  I hung up, trying to still my shaking hands and nervous stomach. I should probably go to the living room to wait for Hailey to arrive. I wanted to be comfortable, and I also wanted to make sure that I could open the door for her as soon as she got there.

  I played some music as I waited for her, too anxious to concentrate on anything else. I tried turning on the TV, but I just couldn’t focus on anything going on on-screen.

  I was getting texts, but I couldn’t respond to them now, I wasn’t in the right state of mind at all.

  Finally, my phone rang. I jumped up and opened the door without checking the contact name. I knew it would be Hailey.

  There she was, standing in front of me in her sweatpants and a tank top, which was what she usually wore to bed. I must have woken her up early on her day off, and I suddenly felt sheepish for demanding that she come to me.

  Sure it was a big deal, but was it that big of a deal?

  “Aurora, are you okay?” Hailey asked, entering the house and closing the door behind her. “I got so worried when you called me. Did something happen with Malcolm?”

  I looked down at my stomach, which I now knew held a growing life form. “Kind of.”

  “Oh no, what did he do?”

  “No, nothing like that,” I assured her. “It’s just, you were right.”

  “About what Aurora, tell me?”

  “I’m pregnant.”

  I couldn’t bear to look her in the eyes. I knew she wouldn’t be disappointed in me, but it still felt shameful to say.

  “Oh, Aurora.” Hailey hugged me tightly to her chest, nearly crushing me with her grip. “That’s wonderful! I mean, I know you were worried about this, but I don’t want you to think of this as a bad thing. It can be a really good thing.”

  I sniffed. “Maybe. But what will my dad think? What will Malcolm think?”

  She laughed. “Is that all you were worried about?”

  “Kind of.”

  “Well, that’s fine. We can tackle the other things later. The fact of the matter is, your dad may be a little mad at first since he doesn’t approve of Malcolm yet, but you know he’s going to make a great grandfather. And Malcolm loves you, I don’t see why he wouldn’t be thrilled.”

  “But I don’t even know if he wants children,” I said, on the verge of sobbing.

  Hailey guided me to sit down on the couch with her, tracing her hand up and down my back in a comforting manner.

  “Aurora, he’s not going to stop caring about you just because you got pregnant. To be fair, if he didn’t want a child then he should have used contraception. Besides, from what you’ve told me about him, he seems like a wonderful person. In my opinion, he also seems like the kind of person that would want to be a father, especially with such a wonderful woman like you.”

  “But how am I going to care for it,” I sobbed. “I still live with my dad, Hailey, and I work at a shelter. I’m paying off my college debt still, and I haven’t even found a veterinary nursing job yet.”

  “Aurora, I hate to say it, but you’re being really foolish right now. Isn’t Malcolm like, super rich?”

  “Yes.”

  “So what’s the big deal then? He can provide for things, and care for you. I know you like being your own independent person, but you guys can work as a unit, especially with a baby in the picture. I don’t think he’ll have any trouble giving your child a comfortable life.”

  “But what about me?” I asked. “Will I be a good mom, Hailey? How will I know how to be one when I never had one growing up.”

  “Hey, it’s okay,” she said, pulling me close to her again. “You can figure things out as you go along. Besides, there are plenty of books out there on parenting, if nothing else I’m sure you can study for it.”

  She pulled away from me for a moment, looking me deep in my eyes. “You look tired, how much sleep have you been getting?”

  “Not much,” I said, shaking my head. “I’ve been feeling too anxious.”

  “Do you think you could take a nap?” she asked. “I can stay if you want me to, but I think that you should really get some sleep.”

  “Yeah,” I sighed. I felt a lot better now that Hailey had talked through things with me. Maybe I would actually be able to get some sleep after all.

  I definitely needed it. I could feel exhaustion overtaking my body.

  I let Hailey guide me to my bedroom and help me get into bed. Before she left, I said, “You don’t need to stay here, I’ll be okay.”

  “Alright, call me if you need anything,” she said, closing the door behind her as she left.

  I fell easily to sleep. My brain wasn’t running through so many questions now, and I hadn’t actually realized how tired I was.

  I didn’t know how long I slept for, just that I was woken by the faint sound of my phone ringing.

  Bleary-eyed, I picked it up.

  “Hello?”

  “Aurora, are you okay? You’ve been ignoring all my texts, and you haven’t answered any of my calls.” It was Malcolm, and I realized then that I had been ignoring him, and I must have slept through the rest.

  “Yeah, I’m fine, I was just napping.”

  “Are you feeling any better?”

  “Not really.”

  I considered for a moment the fact that maybe I should tell him what was going on. That way we could start working on things right away.

  “Malcolm, I—” I started, but then thought better of it. Who knew how he would react, and I really didn’t want to tell him over the phone.

  “What is it, Aurora? Did something happen?”

  “No, nevermind. It’s nothing really.” I recognized just how obvious it would be that I was lying. Maybe I should have told him.

  “Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything.”

  There were seconds of silence, but I realized I couldn’t do it, not like this.

  “Yeah, I’m just not feeling well. My brain’s all over the place.”

  “Can I bring you anything? I know you’re all alone.”

  “No, don’t worry about it. I’ll call Hailey if I need anything. She lives closer.”

  “You know it’s no problem—”

  “Malcolm, I said it was fine,” I said, cutting him off. “I’m okay, I’ll see you soon.”

  I hung up, unable to deal handle lying to him anymore. I felt like I was about to burst into tears.

  How in the world was I going to be able to handle telling him?

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Malcolm

  I couldn’t take it anymore, especially since she had hung up on me.

  I could tell from her voice that something was going on, it was obvious. I needed to know what she was hiding from me, or what was wrong with her. I wanted to be there for her, and she wasn’t letting me.

  If she wasn’t going to tell me over the phone, then I was going to make her tell me in person. There was no way around it.

  There would be no way around it.

  I snatched my keys from the garage, throwing on a jacket and walking fast to my favorite car. It was a sports car, and it could go fast. That was what I needed right now, to be with her as soon as possible.

  Then
Noah appeared in the doorway. “Hey, are you alright?” he asked. “What’s going on?”

  “Don’t try to stop me,” I spat out, sliding into the driver’s seat of my car.

  “Malcolm!” he called, rushing towards me. “Malcolm, tell me what’s going on.”

  But it was too late, I had already started the engine, and opened the garage door. I sped out, and down the driveway, narrowly missing the open gates as I pulled onto the road.

  I knew that I should feel remorse for leaving like that. It was likely that Noah would worry about me, and wonder what he had done to deserve that. But it was the furthest thing from my mind.

  What I needed right now were the answers.

  The drive to Aurora’s house felt long. Too long. It was one of the reasons why I wanted her to move in with me in the first place. I couldn’t stand her being so far away, and now I felt like it was imperative that she move in as soon as possible.

  She was driving me crazy.

  I parked in front of her house, and then rushed to the front door, banging against it as loudly as I could.

  “Aurora,” I called when she didn’t answer, and knocked again. “Aurora, we need to talk. Please answer me.”

  I knew I probably looked crazy, sounded crazy, to the neighbors or anyone who saw. But I didn’t care. I needed her.

  Finally, she opened the door, peeking her head out.

  “Malcolm? Why are you here? I told you I was fine.”

  “It didn’t sound like it,” I said.

  “Malcolm—”

  I wasn’t having any of it. I grabbed onto the door before she would have the chance to shut it.

  “Aurora Kline, let me in before I force my way in there.”

  She released her hold on the door, and I yanked it open, striding in past her and slamming it shut. There was anger in my eyes, and she cowered away from me.

  “Malcolm what’s going on?”

  “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “Well that isn’t what this feels like,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Now that I was close, I could see that her skin was pale and her face was devoid of color. She looked unwell.