Not his baby: A BWWM Billionaire Romance

by Rebecca Dupree

  “One day at a time.” He smiled as he cupped her face in his hands. “The three of us.” He looked down at her belly, then back at her eyes. “One day at a time.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked, trembling before him.

  “I’ve never been surer of anything in my entire life.” He kissed her forehead.

  “Oh, Tyler!” She wrapped her arms around him. She couldn’t believe what was happening to her. Just a few minutes ago, her entire world had been destroyed by the hands of one evil man, and now it had risen out of the ashes like a Phoenix. But she also knew she was to blame for what had happened. She should have been honest with him from the beginning, and she could have avoided all this headache. It didn’t matter now. All she could think about was how happy she was as she rested her head on Tyler’s shoulder.

  He was here. He would always be here. He would never ever leave.

  Chapter 23

  After a while, things seemed to settle down. As each day passed by, Gina saw that Tyler had really forgiven her. He never mentioned the reason for that horrible argument, and she never felt as if he resented her for anything. Their relationship was once again as strong as it was in the beginning, even stronger, as now it wasn’t based on a string of lies, but on truth, on mutual respect, understanding, acceptance, and love. It was all Gina ever wanted, and she couldn’t have been happier.

  One night, she woke up in horrible pain, which came and went in waves. She immediately grabbed her phone and started tracking the time between each contraction. She knew it was time. She quickly elbowed Tyler, who seemed unwilling to wake up.

  “What…” He turned his face to the other side and buried it once again in the softness of his pillow.

  “It’s time,” she whispered in his ear, managing to take a deep breath before another contraction hit her.

  “It’s too early…there’s still time,” he replied, not grasping the real meaning of what she said.

  “No, sweetie. It’s time.” She smiled as she started to get up and searched for the nightlight.

  “Time…” he replied. It was then that it hit him. “Time?” He propped himself up. “Time!” He jumped. “It’s time!” He got up as fast as he could and turned on the light. It flashed and almost blinded them both.

  “Honey, could you…” She pointed in the direction of the big chandelier as she shielded her eyes.

  “Yes, yes, of course. It’s time...” He switched on the nightlight.

  “It’s fine.” She gave him a big hug, and kissed him on the forehead. “We’re gonna be fine. Just try not to freak out.” She smiled.

  “No, no…I’m fine. It’s time.” He kept repeating that, like a broken record.

  “Yes, it’s time, just stop saying it already!” She couldn’t help but laugh. “And could you help me get dressed? The contractions are still far apart, but I think my water just broke.”

  He started getting dressed, and did it in record time. “What do you need, babe?” he asked her, ready for whatever was coming. She thought it was the most adorable thing in the world to see him this way, so excited to meet his child.

  “Just get me that blue dress from the wardrobe and the beige sweater.”

  He handed her what she asked for, and she got dressed quickly.

  “Okay.” She looked around. “There’s the hospital bag. Everything’s packed and ready. We can go.” She smiled and placed her hand on her belly. “It’s time.”

  “It’s time.” He repeated, much more calmly this time. He gave her a passionate kiss. “I love you more than life itself,” he whispered. “Both of you.” He knelt down and kissed her belly. “I can’t wait to meet you, little person. Boy or girl, you will be my everything.” He rested his head on her belly, and then got up.

  In less than five minutes, there were on their way to the hospital.

  “Are you alright? Are you in pain? Should I drive faster?” he asked her, his eyes fixed on the road. It was peaceful, as it was still the middle of the night.

  “I’m fine,” She replied. The pain was still bearable and short. “We’ll be there in time. Don’t rush. Not like they can start the party without us.” They both laughed. He loved that even under the circumstances, she was still her charming funny self, though he could see that she was in increasing pain.

  When they got to the hospital, she got a quick checkup and was told that the baby would be arriving soon. They prepped her and asked Tyler to stay behind. He was pacing the hallway nervously, occasionally biting his nails, which was a habit he had lost as a child. He was a nervous wreck, but he wasn’t going to let it show in front of Gina. He needed to be her rock, her shoulder, and there was no way he’d fail.

  “Mr. Reid?” a nurse called out to him. “If you would just follow me. We’ll get you ready and you’ll be able to join your wife.”

  He followed her nervously. He had agreed to be there for Gina when she gave birth, but now he was getting a little squeamish. He took a deep breath and decided to stick with his promise. He got suited up and joined Gina. She was lying on a hospital bed, legs spread apart, covered with a light white sheet. She still looked alright. There were two nurses and a doctor there. No one seemed to be in a hurry.

  “Everything alright?” he asked Gina.

  “Yeah, contractions still aren’t as they should be.”

  The moment she said it, she felt a surge of the most horrible pain ever. It was like someone punched her in the belly, then kicked her for what felt like hours.

  “I’m guessing that was the beginning of the end.” The doctor smiled. She peeked underneath the sheet and nodded to the two nurses.

  The rest seemed to fly by in a haze for Tyler. He held Gina’s hand as she pushed. Every time she did, he thought she was on the verge of becoming a plum, which he told her later and they both laughed about it. But now, neither of them felt like laughing.

  “Push, push, push, now!” the doctor instructed, but after three hours, she was exhausted. When the doctor urged her for one last push, Gina thought that her soul would fly out of her body if she pushed any harder. Luckily, it was done. Finally, Gina and Tyler heard the cry of a little baby girl.

  “Would you like to do the honors?” the doctor asked Tyler, referring to the cutting of the umbilical cord. He nodded, and, taking a small pair of surgical scissors, carefully cut the indicated spot. He was surprised by how thick it was.

  “Can I hold her?” Exhausted and barely able to take a breath, Gina extended her hands towards her child. The moment she pressed her against her breasts, she knew this was what real happiness felt like. “Evelin,” she said to the baby. “Do you like it?” She allowed the baby to grasp her finger, and felt like her heart would explode within her chest.

  “Evelin,” Tyler repeated, and hugged the two most important girls in his life.

  Chapter 24

  When Gina woke up in her hospital room, her daughter was right next to her. She was blissfully asleep. Gina couldn’t take her eyes off of her. She truly was the most wonderful thing Gina had ever laid her eyes on.

  “It was all worth it, just to have you,” Gina said.

  Tyler wasn’t there with them. She was sure that was the same day. The labor lasted only three and a half hours, and everyone told her how lucky she was. She felt exactly the same, about everything that was happening to her. Tyler had promised he would stay with her all day, but he wasn’t there.

  Did he change his mind? There were dark thoughts inside her mind. Maybe he decided he didn’t want to raise a child that wasn’t his. Maybe he had simply changed his mind, and nothing he had said before was true anymore.

  She closed her eyes as she held Evelin’s hand in her little hospital crib. She felt tears coming on, but she took a deep breath. She felt overly emotional, but she couldn’t help it.

  No more, she told herself self-assuredly. No more. We have this little precious thing to think about and no more crying about something that can’t be changed, something that wasn’t ours to begin with. />
  She closed her eyes again and listened to Evelin’s steady breathing. All of a sudden, she heard the door to her room open.

  “How are my princesses?” Tyler asked.

  “We’re fine.” She smiled, thinking how silly she was to assume Tyler would leave them. She was sure, now more than ever.

  He kissed Gina’s forehead and knelt before an asleep Evelin.

  “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” He was completely mesmerized by her.

  “Is everything alright?” Gina asked.

  “Yeah, why?” He seemed surprised at her question.

  “When I woke up, you weren’t here…” Gina tried not to sound suspicious, but she still wanted to know where he was.

  “I actually had some business to take care of,” he explained.

  “Today? Of all days?” She sounded sad and disappointed.

  “Wait, wait, honey.” He had a smile on his face. This made her even sadder, and little angry. Why would he smile when this was obviously hurting me?

  “This is for you.” He offered her a folder.

  She felt nauseous. It was the same kind of folder he gave her when he found out she was lying. What is he doing now? What is he playing at? She had no more secrets, she was playing with all the cards open. She knew he had nothing on her, and yet she was upset he would play games with her after everything.

  “Maybe it was the wrong choice of a folder?” He winked.

  “Seriously.” She was getting angrier by the minute, but she didn’t want to show it. “What is all this?”

  “Alright, alright,” he said apologetically. “It was a joke that backfired. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s really not funny, whatever it is.”

  “Just open it. Please.” He offered the folder again. She hesitated a little, then took it.

  “What is this?” She opened it and took out a single document with a big official seal at the bottom. She quickly skimmed through it. She then glanced at him in shock. “It says here you are the real child’s father.”

  He smiled.

  “But I thought…” She didn’t get to finish her sentence.

  “I spoke to my lawyer. All’s taken care of.”

  “But…how?” she wondered. “I thought we’d need months to sort out the paperwork.” She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

  “The child is mine. End of discussion.” There was a sweetly mischievous look on his face, like a proud boy who did something exactly the way it was supposed to be done.

  “So, that’s that?” She smiled, looking at Tyler and Evelin.

  “That’s that, darling.” He kissed her forehead. “Nothing will stand in the way of our happiness ever again, I promise you that.”

  All of a sudden, they were interrupted by a gentle knock on the door. The nurse peeped in.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt you, but visiting hours are over,” she said to Tyler.

  “Of course.” He stood up, caressed his sleeping baby and kissed his loving wife goodbye. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow, but not very early. I’ve got one more thing to take care of at the office.”

  “Is everything okay?” she asked, much more calmly this time.

  “Perfectly.” He winked at her and left the room.

  Chapter 25

  The following morning, Tyler was sitting in his office. He had a nine o’clock meeting and he wanted to be sharp. He was wearing his finest suit, and it made him look exactly as he was feeling: invincible.

  “Mr. Reid?” Jeanie said. “Mr. Fynmann is here.”

  “Do let him in, Jeannie. Thank you.” Tyler was now an improved version of himself.

  When the door opened, a tall, lean man wearing a raincoat and a wide-brimmed hat entered his office.

  “Joel.” Tyler stood up to shake the man’s hand. “I appreciate you coming in on such a short notice and in this God forsaken weather.”

  “Tyler.” The man reciprocated with a smile. “Always happy to help, in any weather.” He took off his coat, revealing a blue shirt and polka dotted tie.

  “Love your tie,” Tyler joked. “Sofia pick it for you?” Sofia was Joel’s five-year-old daughter.

  “You know it.” Joel laughed. “She loves to pick my work clothes. Too bad they don’t really work out well for me in the court room.” Both men laughed. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

  “Yes.” Tyler smiled. “Evelin.”

  “May she be your pride and joy everywhere she turns.”

  Tyler had always liked Joel. They had been friends since childhood, both sons of important businessmen, and they had much in common. Higher education separated them for a few years, but when their paths crossed yet again, they realized their friendship had remained as strong as before.

  “Thanks, Joel.”

  “Now, let’s get this ugly business over with,” Joel continued. “Is he coming?”

  “Yes. Told him nine sharp.”

  “Okay.” Joel looked at his Rolex. It was eight fifty. “Just tell him what I told you. And relax. He’ll be off your back as soon as we’re done.”

  “Thanks, Joel. I really appreciate your help with this.”

  “I never forgot what you did for my brother, Tyler. And I never will. You know you can always count on me.”

  Tyler smiled, though he didn’t like to remember that certain episode of his life. Joel, his brother Will, and Tyler went swimming at a hidden quarry one day when they were boys. It was something they had wanted to do all summer. Unfortunately, tragedy struck. While Tyler and Will were in the water, Will got caught in some weeds and he couldn’t rise up to the surface. Joel was too far away on the shore to be able to reach him in time, but Tyler’s quick reaction and great swimming skills ended up saving Will’s life.

  “Mr. Reid?” Jeanie buzzed in again. “Mr. Williams is here.” Jeanie’s voice was different this time. It was obvious she didn’t like him one bit. Tyler couldn’t blame her. Not after everything he had suffered at the hands of that man.

  “Please show him in. Thank you, Jeanie.” Tyler pressed the button and glanced at Joel. Joel simply nodded.

  Benjamin Williams entered Tyler’s office all important. He had an air of a winner about him, as if he knew he was getting exactly what he wanted. Tyler smiled. It would be his immense pleasure to burst his bubble of self-satisfaction.

  “Thank you for coming, Benjamin,” Tyler said with a smile on his face. “Please sit down.” He gestured at the seat opposite him. Joel was standing by his side.

  “I understand you have some information to share with me,” Tyler said.

  “Yes, but…” Benjamin gestured at Joel. “I do believe such things are better discussed in private.”

  “You mean like the fact that you were blackmailing my wife?” Tyler asked, and he enjoyed the look of complete shock and amazement on Benjamin’s face. “Yes. I know all about it. And my good friend here,” he gestured at Joel, “knows as well. And neither of us take kindly to blackmailers. Do we?” he asked Joel.

  “Nope,” Joel replied. He was having fun, being used to strict protocol in courtrooms, so this one-on-one with the bad guy felt amusing and more than fair.

  “So, we wanted to invite you here and let you know a few things.”

  Benjamin swallowed heavily. He went in thinking he’d be getting some money, but it turned out he was far from it. Now, all he wanted to do was get the heck out of there. But Tyler had a different agenda for him.

  “I know that you blackmailed my wife. A pregnant woman,” Tyler continued. “Does that make you proud?” Benjamin was silent. “I know everything. I know what you wanted to tell me. So you can save yourself the effort.”

  Benjamin was just sitting there quietly.

  “And since I don’t find this meeting particularly pleasant, I’ll just tell you what I have to say. So, listen carefully.” Tyler stood up, his hands resting on the table before him in a menacing stance. “You are being charged with blackmail and theft of intellectual property. I will make sure yo
u never find work in this city again. The life you had up until now? It’s done. It’s finished. You…” he paused dramatically, “…are finished.”

  Benjamin turned pale. Game over.

  “Now, you may leave my office. I am done,” Tyler said.

  Benjamin stood up and left the office without a word. Tyler felt incredible. He had protected the woman he loved, and finally, all their troubles were over.

  Chapter 26

  Several weeks had passed, and Tyler and Gina were settling down in their newfound roles as loving parents. Gina expected Tyler to leave everything regarding the baby to her, and was completely surprised to find out that he wanted to be a part of it every step of the way, seeing that he was so busy at work and would sometimes return very late, to find her fast asleep. He changed Evelin’s diapers, he lulled her to sleep, and even woke up in the middle of the night to help with the feeding if necessary. He eventually took some time off work to help her, and Gina found those weeks to be the most loving weeks of her life.

  “This is the life,” Tyler said as the two of them rested on the sofa in the living room. Evelin had just been fed and she was sleeping soundly in her crib. Gina’s head rested on Tyler’s shoulder. It was semi-dark in the room and wonderfully quiet. Tyler realized it had been a while since they were able to enjoy an evening together like this.

  “What?” Gina didn’t hear him. She was lost in her own thoughts, half asleep.

  “Just thinking out loud,” he said, and kissed her cheek.

  “Anything important?”

  “Nothing I hadn’t told you before.” He smiled. “Just thinking how wonderful it is to have you both here.”

  “We’re happy to be here,” She smiled, and nestled more cozily in his arms.

  “So, when do you think you’d be ready for round two?” he asked as she propped herself up, looking at him in mock anger.

  “You’re joking, right?”

  “Nope,” he said seriously. “I’m totally ready for round two.” He raised his eyebrows, making her laugh in the process. “I want a whole soccer team to play in our backyard.”