Baby Be Mine

by Rosie Praks

  “Hunter, Hunter Silverton,” Hunter said, taking in Max’s sudden change of attitude.

  “Ho-how are you related to Anton Silverton?” Max asked quietly, not really wanting to hear the answer.

  “He’s my cousin,” Hunter said.

  Like a little deer about to be hit by a car, Max’s eyes shot up with the realization he had once again interfered with his cousin’s life. And this time, the consequence was beyond forgiveness.

  “Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!” Max sank into his chair, his head in his hands. “Clarice is going to skin me alive. God, I gave her the wrong sperm. I’m just going to die now. Good-bye. I’ll just text my will to my lawyer. Yes, I’ll do that,” Max muttered to himself in his moment of sheer panic.

  “Get your head together, kid,” Hunter said when he saw Max’s strange behavior. “What’s gotten into you?”

  “You don’t understand. You were a mistake. I don’t even know you. I thought you were the one she was after, so that was why I tricked you into that room. Oh God, I might as well die now. I can’t face Clarice. Help me. Just bring me a noose. Let me hang myself here. I’ll text Whitney and Elise to let them know I’m moving on to the next life.”

  “Max, what the hell are you on about?” Hunter asked in a panic as his frantic heartbeat chased the rhythm of his breath. “What mistake? Not the one you thought?”

  “You…” Max gasped, then gave up and laid his head on the table, wailing like a little lost puppy. “Just kill me already. I can’t face Clarice.”

  “Max, Jesus, get a grip, boy.” Hunter pushed Max’s head up and looked into his brown eyes. “What the hell are you talking about? Answer me.”

  Max’s lips trembled slightly. “You want to find out who your mysterious goddess is?”

  “Yeah.” Hunter’s eyes lit up. He would get to see her again. Inside, he felt a sudden wealth of happiness.

  “She’s Clarice, my cousin.” Max spoke quietly but clearly.

  Hunter was stunned speechless for a moment. “What? You mind repeating that again?” His heart beating faster. All his focus was zoomed onto Max and those words echoing in his ears. But he was afraid he didn’t hear him properly. He needed to hear it again.

  “I said your mysterious goddess is my cousin, Clarice. She’s the one that slept with you that night in Queenstown,” Max cried out. “But you don’t get it. She didn’t know it was you.”

  Hunter didn’t hear anything. For the second time that day, he was in complete and total shock. First the doctor announcing to him that Clarice was pregnant, and now finding out his mysterious goddess was actually his avocado.

  “But this means… this means…” Hunter couldn’t finish his sentence.

  “It means you’re the father of Clarice’s baby.”

  Chapter 26

  Clarice opened her eyelids slowly. The bright light really hurt her eyes, so she closed them again. Feeling she could now adjust to the light, she slowly fluttered her eyes open again and saw Whitney’s and Elise’s worried face looking down at her.

  “Clarice?” she heard Elise ask. “How are you feeling?”

  “We were so worried, Clarice,” Whitney said. “Are you feeling better?”

  What was wrong with her friends? Why were they staring at her like she was sick?

  And then it all came back to her. The doctor, the colorful, flamboyant Dr. Flint, who had diagnosed her condition. Her condition…

  She was pregnant.

  Clarice jumped out of bed, her hair an untamed mess.

  “Guys!” she shouted and hugged both of her friends. “I’m pregnant.”

  Whitney and Elise were strangled by Clarice’s tight grip around their necks.

  “Con-grat-u-la-tions,” Whitney managed to say, “but-please… let go-of-our… necks.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, guys. I’m so happy. I forgot what I was—”

  Dear heavens, why does it have to be now? Clarice thought as she raced to the bathroom and vomited what little was left in her stomach into the toilet bowl, which was nothing really because she didn’t get to eat anything at all since…

  Hunter, where was Hunter? Her memory came flooded back. After the doctor had told her she was pregnant, she was so happy she didn’t know what she was doing and literally stood and hugged Hunter. And it wasn’t just any normal hug; she had to smash her face in his shirt and cry her heart out like they were lovers or something.

  Oh, heaven help her. What was she going to do now? She couldn’t face Hunter anymore. Not after she acted like that. She was supposed to be the adult, so why did she act like a kid, sobbing into his shirt upon hearing the news that she was pregnant?

  But she was pregnant. She really was. And she was vomiting, which definitely meant “morning sickness.” Yes, she was so happy, so very, very happy.

  Both Elise and Whitney came into the bathroom and started rubbing her back.

  “Thanks, guys,” she said, then sat on the toilet seat.

  “You need someone to look after you,” Whitney said, looking at her friend who was still as cheerful as ever, despite her sickness.

  “I’m capable of looking after myself, Whitney. I’ll be fine.” Clarice brushed aside her friend’s concern. “It’s only morning sickness, after all. I’m sure I’ll get through it.”

  “I’m not talking about just that. I’m talking about through your whole pregnancy. You need someone to look after you.” Whitney emphasized her point again. “You have to go on maternity leave. You have to rest a lot. You’ll be tired and moody. You need someone to care for you.” Whitney couldn’t express her concern enough, so she just reiterated the same sentiment again.

  “I’m only pregnant. I’m not disabled,” Clarice said, defending herself. “I’m an adult. I’m used to living alone. I’ll be fine.”

  “Have you told him yet?” Elise spoke for the first time, her thoughts in agreement with Whitney’s. For once, she wanted her friend to stop being stubborn and listen to their advice.

  Clarice didn’t want to answer.

  “Do you like him?” Elise rephrased her question.

  “Well, I…” Clarice didn’t need to ask Elise whom she was referring to. The fact was she didn’t know how to answer. She liked Anton, but she wanted Hunter whenever he was around. Did that even make sense? Having a baby with one cousin but lusting for the other.

  “Clarice, I’m asking you as a friend who cares for you dearly,” Elise said. “Have you told him yet?”

  “No.” Clarice finally let out her answer.

  “Why not?” Whitney asked. “You are having a baby. Have you thought of the consequences yet? This isn’t all fun and games. You have a baby inside you. You must devote all your time and energy to looking after that baby.”

  The tension among the friends was evident as Clarice straightened her back and looked sharply at both women.

  “Are you guys saying I’m incapable of looking after my own baby, that I need someone to help me care for my child?” Clarice said quietly, angry but most of all hurt.

  “I’m not saying that, Clarice,” Whitney said. “All I’m saying is I worry about you.”

  “I have Max,” Clarice pointed out.

  “He doesn’t live with you,” Whitney negated her reasoning.

  “He could live with me,” Clarice retorted. “Plus, Mum and Dad would visit me nearer to time too.”

  “That’s not the point,” Elise said.

  “Then what are you two getting at?”

  “We’re worried about you at nighttime,” Whitney said. “What happens if labor begins and you can’t get in contact with us? What happens if Max is out and you can’t get in contact with him? You need to tell Anton, Clarice. It’s his right as the father.”

  “But he doesn’t know anything about this. It was supposed to be just a normal transaction; a one-night stand even. I just wanted his sperm, and now I got it. So stop making me feel guilty about this whole situation.”

  Clarice really thought she was suffering fro
m constant mood swings. A minute ago, she was so mad she just wanted to turn the whole place upside down, and now she just felt this niggling annoyance with her friends.

  “You didn’t ask for his permission, Clarice. It was a one-night stand that resulted in a baby. Shouldn’t he at least know he has a baby too? And if he doesn’t want the baby, then at least we know he’s an ass,” Whitney said.

  “Whitney, please, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Clarice pleaded. She could feel the arrow of guilt digging into her heart. Was she at fault here? She just wanted a baby and now she got it. That’s it. End of story. So why were her friends so damn adamant about her telling Anton?

  “I think it’s a good idea,” Elise said. “It’s his right. If he rejects you, then at least you know. Plus, what are you going to tell your baby when he or she grows up? Wouldn’t your child want to know the father too?”

  “And you can’t lie to your child that he was conceived through artificial insemination, because that’s just plain mean. It’s a sin to lie,” Whitney interjected before Clarice could make another excuse.

  “You guys are making me feel guilty here.” Clarice gasped in exasperation.

  “Just offering advice,” Whitney said, patting her shoulder.

  “Enough with the advice,” Clarice snapped, then went out into the lounge to sit on the couch. “Where’s Max? I haven’t seen him at all. Shouldn’t he be here to congratulate me too? I called him from the hospital.” Clarice rambled on, hoping her friends would drop the subject of her telling Anton about their baby.

  “You were sleeping the whole time we drove you home. Of course you wouldn’t remember. Max texted us to pick you up. He said he had something important to do, so he’ll see you at home,” Elise explained.

  And speaking of the devil, Max walked in looking sulky, carrying bags of groceries, which was unnatural for him. It was mainly Clarice who did the shopping for him, or else her cousin would raid her fridge. So to see Max carrying bags into her house was very surprising to all three friends.

  “Max, did you hear?” Clarice’s face immediately lit up upon seeing her cousin. “I’m pregnant.”

  “Congratulations, Clarice,” Max forced a smile and hugged his cousin. “You’ve got what you wanted. Now I’m just going to put these groceries in the fridge.” Then Max was off to the kitchen.

  “That was strange. I thought he would jump for joy or something,” Clarice muttered to herself.

  “Maybe he’s starting to feel the jealousy since you won’t be able to give him your full attention,” Elise said, watching Max’s retreating back.

  “Mmm.” Whitney eyed his strange behavior. Something wasn’t right and she needed to get to the bottom of this.

  Max, on the other hand, reached the kitchen, dropped the grocery bags, and sank all the way to the floor, cradling himself in a fetal position.

  “Forgive me, cuz. I’ve interfered in your life again.”

  “Why did you buy so many fruits and vegetables? You want to turn me into a herbivore?” Clarice asked her cousin when she started helping unpack the groceries Max bought for her. And then her eyes grew even larger when she unloaded three bags of red gala apples. “I don’t remember ever telling you I like apples that much,” Clarice remarked.

  Max didn’t want to tell Clarice that it had been Hunter who’d forced him to go grocery shopping with him. When Hunter realized he was the father of Clarice’s baby, he just got up from his seat and announced they were going shopping, without showing any kind of emotion. And that’s how he ended up with all these fruits and vegetables. Before he parted ways with Hunter, he’d even drummed into his ears that he must tell Clarice to eat all those fruits and vegetables, especially the apples, and had given him a note regarding the research on apples too.

  “Well?” Clarice asked, disrupting his thoughts.

  “I thought you might like to eat some fruits and vegetables since you’re pregnant now,” Max uttered, looking away, knowing he was lying again.

  “How did you know I was pregnant before I even told you?”

  “Elise texted me before you woke.”

  “But I just told Elise after I woke up.”

  Shit, how am I supposed to answer that?

  “It doesn’t matter. Just know that I know. Here, you have to eat this apple.” Max thrust an apple in front of Clarice’s face. “It’s good for you and the baby. Studies have shown that... uh… wait.” Max dug into his jeans pocket and extracted the note Hunter gave to him about his research on apples and pregnancy, then read it aloud. “It reduces the chance of your baby wheezing because of asthma,” Max mumbled, looking away again. God, the guilt. It was eating him alive.

  Clarice smiled. “You really care for me, don’t you? Going all out to buy me three bags of apples so I can eat well, plus doing extensive research on apples to make sure I benefit during my pregnancy. Thanks so much, you little rascal,” Clarice said, hugging him.

  Max was crushed in his cousin’s hug. He didn’t move, but just let her continue to squeeze him. He was so ashamed of himself, so upset and so guilty. Inside, he prayed all would work out between Hunter and Clarice, because he had a strong feeling Hunter really cared for his cousin.

  That night, Clarice lay in bed, rubbing her stomach.

  “I know you’re only an embryo right now, but thank you for choosing me as your birth mother. I promise I’ll look after you, even if you’ve been conceived without the permission of your father.”

  Then what her friends said to her earlier that evening came back to haunt her. What if her child did want to know who the father was? She knew she couldn’t lie. Maybe it was best to contact Anton and tell him the truth. If he did reject her, then it wouldn’t matter, since she was prepared to raise her child alone anyway. But if he accepted her situation, then maybe she could learn to love him. But she couldn’t help thinking about the other cousin, the other cousin who had kissed her.

  Clarice reflected on the events that had transpired that day. From first thing in the morning when she’d fantasized about kissing Hunter, to being carried by Hunter because she couldn’t walk due to her sore feet, to finding out Hunter was the other Silverton heir, to Hunter sitting next to her during lunch, and then to hugging Hunter when she found out she was pregnant.

  Oh, what was she to do with her heart? It began to beat for Hunter and for Hunter alone.

  Chapter 27

  This was utterly and undeniably stupid. Hunter had officially become a stalker, adopting the old-fashioned style of trailing his prey. Even worse, he had to disguise himself as an old blind man, complete with sunglasses and a walking cane. Not to mention the wig he’d bought from the party store. It continued to itch his skull like a plague of swarming locusts. He just wanted to throw the damn thing away.

  So she wanted to confess that much, right? Hunter seethed in anger. Over his dead body. She had absolutely no right to date another guy when he, the father of her child, was hiding outside between the many bushes, stalking her, staring at her making googly eyes with his cousin inside the restaurant. His eyes were about to drop out of their sockets.

  It had all began after the hospital visit when Hunter and Max had accidently met. Hunter couldn’t control his curiosity when Max told him it was his own cousin she had wanted. So that was what it was? All that time, she was pinning after his cousin. Well, she wasn’t going to get him. What a devil she was, pregnant with his baby and still trying to seduce Anton. So Hunter had blackmailed Max into helping him stop Clarice. Hence, they came up with this elaborate plan at the grocery store, where he had forced Max to carry all the many fruits and vegetables he’d bought for Clarice.

  He couldn’t understand why he needed to stop her, though. Maybe it was his conscience. It was his baby after all. He felt a sense of responsibility. Plus, there was also the fact his avocado was his goddess, which really drummed it in for him. Now he understood why every time he dreamed about his faceless goddess, it ended up being Clarice. And also, there was the
added bonus that if he could stop her confession, she might look his way and maybe sleep with him again so he could sleep soundly for once.

  Yeah, keep thinking that, Hunter. Because even he couldn’t understand this foreign feeling developing inside him. Truth be told, Clarice was the first woman he truly paid any attention to; heck, he’d even volunteered to stoop as low as dressing as an old blind man just to stop her.

  And then there was Fern, who had accidently seen him coming out of the party store with a bag full of accessories. She was curious and asked him for the whole story, not relenting until he told her everything, except for the pregnancy bit. He wasn’t ready to spread the news just yet. But now she wanted to join in the fun too. Although, Hunter hadn’t a clue as to what Fern’s intentions were.

  Fern realized she couldn’t have Anton getting close to Clarice, since every time Anton was near Clarice, or Caroline for that matter, she experienced a niggling jealousy sprouting within her. She wanted Anton to notice her, and having the other girls near him, he would always neglect her. Although, she would never hate Clarice—the girl was such a kind soul—but that Caroline, no way in hell would she let Anton be with her.

  “Are you going to just hide in that bush and stalk her or are you going to take action, big bro?” Max asked, ruffling the bushes.

  “I say if you two continue to hide behind that bush, someone will find it suspicious and call the police,” Fern said, laying a hand on Hunter’s shoulder.

  “Jesus, Fern.” Hunter glared at his friend. “You almost gave me a heart attack.” He turned back to Clarice and Anton, his eyes glued to the scene as they smiled at each other right before him. “Don’t sneak up on people like that. You were supposed to wait in the car until I signaled for you.”

  “I’m the granny in this charade. I should at least know what you two are up to.”

  “You already know what we’re up to. Our mission, remember?” Max reminded Fern. “To stop Clarice from confessing to Anton.”

  “Smart one, Max.” Hunter added, eyes still clued to the cozy couple inside.