“You should have a seat, Theo,” Andy wasn’t looking at his daughter much which filled her with even more dread.
“What’s going on, Andy? This all sounds very mysterious and serious,” Theo said, grinning at his friend and Nora wondered if he had any fear of where this conversation could be leading. If he did, he was making a good show of being confident in himself.
Nora could feel her hands quivering as she clasped them together, and while she kept her face focused on her dad, she was also keeping a watch on Theo from the corner of her eyes.
“It is serious,” her father said and Nora gulped.
“Dad, maybe we should talk about it in a few days when you’re feeling better,” she said, approaching him with a forced smile on her face. Andy looked at her, his face was downcast and he was blinking hard.
“This can’t wait, Nora,” he said and she stopped in her tracks. This was going to break his heart. He wouldn’t have seen it coming. He’d hate his best friend, lose Theo and probably never forgive Nora either.
“Yes, it can, dad. We can have this conversation later,” Nora said and Theo was the one who interrupted her.
“Let him speak if he wants to. There’s no point in him sitting here and stewing in his thoughts. Go ahead, Andy,” he said and she gulped again.
Andy took in a deep breath, and she looked from Andy to Nora and then back at him again.
“I want to make sure that if it ever comes to it, I don’t want you to resuscitate me. Just let me pass away in peace, and not surrounded by doctors and poked with needles and pipes,” Andy’s voice had become very somber and soft and a gasp escaped Nora’s lips. Even though this was a very serious matter, she was relieved.
“Oh, daddy,” she sank to the floor and clasped his hand and held it up to her cheeks.
“It’s what I want honey, and I want you both to know that so that you can work accordingly,” he said and stroked the top of her head. Nora could feel her eyes well up with tears and she nodded her head.
“Whatever you want, buddy,” she heard Theo’s voice.
“And I know I don’t have to say this, especially not to you Theo, but when I’m gone I hope that you both can take care of each other…you know, be there for each other,” he continued and another cry escaped Nora’s lips.
“Andy, this was just a minor scare…you have a long and healthy life ahead of you, my friend,” Theo said and Nora looked up at his handsome and kind face, and felt like she was even more in love with him. Because of how much her father loved him too.
“I just wanted to get this over with, say these things in case I didn’t get a chance again,” Andy said and Nora straightened up and smiled down at her father.
“Theo is right dad, this is not the time to talk about all this,” she said and met Theo’s eyes. He had a look of relief on his face as well, even though he was doing a good job of hiding it.
“And you don’t have to worry about us, Andy…I will always be there for Nora,” he said, looking straight at her, and she felt like he was touching her soul. She was sure that he was telling the truth, no matter what happened between them. There were so many things that she would have liked to say, but she couldn’t get the words out.
“I love your daughter,” he added, in a deep voice and Nora choked, trying to suppress the gasp. They were staring at each other, ignoring the presence of Andy in the room. What did that mean? What was Theo saying?
She gulped, licked her dry lips and opened her mouth to speak.
“I have to leave now, Andy. You take care of yourself. I’ll come visit you tomorrow again old boy,” Theo said and slapped her father’s back.
Without exchanging another look with her, he was gone from the room, shutting the bedroom door behind him. Nora made a move to follow him. She needed an explanation for what he just said, but her father had caught her wrist.
“Nora…” he said, in a breathy raspy voice and she turned back to him trying to smile through the tears of frustration that were forming in her eyes.
“Yes, daddy…” she replied.
“Theo is a good man. I’ve known him practically all his life. He’s known you since you were a child,” he said and Nora’s brows crossed as she stared at him, her heart racing in her chest. “But he could hurt you, honey, without meaning to,” he added and Nora’s lips parted in surprise. She didn’t have to ask him to clarify to know exactly what he was talking about. He knew, and this was his way of giving his approval, and at the same time, warning her.
“I love you daddy,” she said, falling on him to give him a tight hug. She couldn’t have asked for a more understanding parent.
Chapter 23
Nora woke up the next morning feeling sick. She ran to the bathroom and threw up, till she stood up unsteadily on her feet and washed her face and mouth. Peering into the mirror, she stared at her face. She looked exhausted. Her blue eyes had lost their luster and she looked more tired than she actually felt.
With her brows crossed, she tried to think about what could have been making her feel this way. Was it something she ate? Did she catch a bug? She didn’t want to fall sick while her dad was still recovering. He had got out of bed now and was slowly beginning to walk around the house, but he was still not back to his usual form.
Patting her face dry with a towel, she went back to her bedroom and looked around. It wasn’t like she was actually sick. She placed a hand on her belly to feel for aches, but there weren’t any. Then the thought struck her and in a panic, she rummaged around on the bed for her cell phone. She had an app for keeping track of her monthlies and she scrolled through it, realizing that she was late by a few days already. Usually, she was perfectly on time if not early.
Nora’s heart was beating fast as she ran down the stairs. Her father was sitting on the couch watching TV.
“Breakfast?” he asked her, as she walked past him to the front door.
“No, thanks, dad. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she said, slipping on shoes.
“Where are you going, honey? You’re still in your pajamas!” she heard him say as she shut the door behind her.
Wrapping her arms around her torso, she walked down the streets in a hurry towards the local chemist’s shop. She kept looking over her shoulders as she strolled through the aisles of the store as she picked up five pregnancy tests. She avoided the chemist’s eyes as she paid for them, aware that this could potentially lead to another rumor but she was panicking now. This wasn’t the time to think about gossip.
Wrapping the boxes in a paper bag, she tucked it under her arm and jogged back to the house. Her dad was still sitting on the couch, with his feet up on the coffee table when she came in.
“What’s that?” he asked, looking pointedly at the bag under her arms.
“It’s nothing dad. I’ll be down in some time,” she said, kicking off her shoes.
“Nora!” she heard his firm voice when she turned to walk away from him. She pressed her eyes close, tried not to curse under her breath and then turned slowly to face him. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t hide anything under her father’s watchful eye.
“Where did you go?” he asked, muting the TV. He was glaring at her, with impatient eyes and Nora got the feeling that there was no escaping this.
“Sam Macaulay’s,” she said and he arched his eyebrows.
“And why did you need to go to the chemist at nine in the morning?” he asked and she took in a deep breath, trying not to appear too cagey.
“Are you sick?” he asked and she shook her head.
“It’s nothing, I’m sure. I just wanted to stock up on some medication for my hay fever. You know how it gets,” she said and a nervous laugh escaped her lips.
“And if I ask you to show me what’s in the bag, will I find hay fever medication?” he asked in a serious voice and Nora licked her lips nervously. “But because you’re an adult, I’m not going to ask you to do that and just expect the truth from you,” he added.
“Dad…�
�� she said his name in a whimper.
“Is it his?” he asked in a somber voice and Nora’s breath caught in her throat.
“I haven’t taken the tests yet,” she said and he gritted his teeth. “Daddy please, you need to keep calm,” she pleaded with him.
“I am as calm as I could possibly be,” he said.
Nora tucked a few stray strands of her blond hair behind her ears.
“Okay, then I’m going to go upstairs and get this thing over with. You shouldn’t worry,” she said, forcing a smile on her lips.
“Nora, he has a wife,” he said and she nodded her head.
“Yes, I know dad,” she replied and Andy shook his head and took in a deep breath. “I thought he was a friend,” he added.
“And he is. What happened…what happens between us shouldn’t change what you have with him. I’ll leave for New York tonight, dad,” she said and Andy threw her a harsh look.
“Is that wise?” he said and she nodded her head.
“I need some distance, and I’m sorry dad, I want to stay with you but I can’t be here anymore,” she said and her hand instinctively travelled to her belly.
Her father’s face was firmly set and he turned to look back at the TV screen again. She could sense that he agreed. Even though he didn’t really want her to go, he knew that it would be for the best.
“I know you can take care of yourself, Nora,” he said, still looking away from her and Nora pursed her lips.
“Thanks dad, that means a lot to me,” she said and then turned and walked up the stairs to the bedroom. This time he didn’t stop her.
Nora drank two glasses of water from the jug on her bedside table, and sat at the edge of the bed and waited. She didn’t feel anything; she couldn’t capture her own emotions…other than that she knew instinctually that she was pregnant. She didn’t need to take a test anymore to prove it.
Chapter 24
All the five tests came out positive for pregnancy, and Nora had started packing her bags. She was carrying Theo’s child. She had a part of him growing inside her, and now she could feel it. Every so often, she stopped and placed a hand on her belly and she couldn’t help herself from smiling. Even though there was no future for them together, at least this way, she would always have a part of him with her. Even if he never knew.
Now her feelings of impending motherhood overwhelmed whatever sadness she might have felt for leaving home again. She couldn’t be sad anymore, because she was going to have a child in nine months and that child was going to be as much Theo’s as it was going to be hers. Even without knowing, his wish was going to come true. He was going to be a father.
Nora carried her bags downstairs and left them by the front door. Her father was in the living room, still sitting on the couch, but he wasn’t watching TV anymore. He noticed the change of clothes. She was dressed for traveling, and he knew.
“What are you going to do, Nora?” he asked, in the same somber voice. She could sense that he had been sitting here, thinking about all this.
“Nothing different, dad. I’m going to go back to work and live my life normally. I have my own place now and a good job, so stability and money won’t be an issue,” she said, wringing her hands together. This was not the kind of conversation she had planned on having with him on this trip.
Her father took in a deep breath and nodded his head.
“So, I’m going to be a grandfather,” he said, a smile creeping up on his face and Nora felt a flood of relief.
“If everything goes well, then, yes,” she said and walked over to him to give him a hug.
“I’ll come visit you when I’m fit enough to travel. You don’t need to worry about me, honey,” he said, encasing her in his arms. Nora closed her eyes as she rested her head on his chest and held her father tightly.
“I won’t. I know you can take care of yourself,” she said and drew away from him. They were smiling at each other, and she was glad that he had taken it so well.
“You don’t have to return here anytime soon if it’s going to be painful for you,” he said, with kindness in his eyes and Nora nodded her head.
“Yeah, I might stay away for a while. But there’s always room for you in my apartment, so I’ll see you soon,” she said and he tried to stand but she patted him back down on the couch.
“You don’t have to stand up dad,” she said and they heard the honk of the cab outside. “My ride’s here. I have to go now. I love you and you take care of yourself,” she said and placed a kiss on top of his head.
Nora tried to keep her body from shaking as she walked to the door with her bags. She waved at him from outside, as she got into the cab and saw him wave back at her. She couldn’t even imagine if he would ever speak to Theo again, if their friendship was now ruined. But she couldn’t worry about that anymore, she had to think about the human being that was growing inside her.
The cab drove through the streets towards the airport, and Nora stared at the town passing her by. When was she going to visit again? Another seven years might go by before the pull of her hometown might become too overwhelming. She wouldn’t want her child to never visit its grandfather. Would Theo still be there? Nora pressed her eyes close, trying to not think about him anymore. She knew she was always going to be in love with him and this child would be a testament to it.
She still had her eyes closed and squealed when the cab came to a screeching stop.
“What the Hell, man!” the cab driver banged the door open and jumped out. Nora looked over the seat with widened eyes and saw that an Audi had parked itself right in the middle of the road, blocking the cab’s path. There could have been an accident!
Theo was getting out of the front seat, facing up to the driver and Nora pushed the door open and got out.
“Just relax!” Theo was yelling back at the cab driver and then he caught Nora’s eye and rushed towards her.
“What do you think you’re doing, Theo?” she screeched at him, confused and still in shock.
“Nora, you can’t leave right now,” he said, grabbing her roughly by the shoulders.
“You could have gotten us killed!” the cab driver was screaming behind them.
He was staring into her eyes as he held her, and she was aware that they were holding up traffic. That people had stopped on the pavements to stare at them.
“We have to get off the road right now, Theo,” she said, flaring her nostrils at him.
“Just hear me out, okay?” he said and Nora looked around her, at the surprised faces of locals on the street.
“Nora, look at me…look at me!” Theo’s voice was ringing in her ears and she was beginning to feel sick again. Her knees were buckling as he held her, she was going to collapse. Theo grabbed her waist and pulled her up against himself, before she could react, he had pressed his lips to her and Nora gasped, kissing him back furiously. She clutched a fistful of his shirt in both hands and clung to him, as his tongue parted her lips and he devoured her. Dizzy with desire and feeling overwhelmed with her happiness, Nora kissed him back. She didn’t care anymore who was looking.
Chapter 25
“Come here,” Theo had hooked his fingers into the loops of Nora’s jeans and he tugged at her, positioning her off the road. He grabbed the side of her face, kissed her on the lips again and then ran over to his awkwardly positioned car and parked it correctly on the side of the road.
The cab driver had abandoned Nora’s bags on the pavement and Theo picked them up and brought them back to her. Then he was standing in front of her, grinning from ear to ear.
“Did you speak to dad?” she asked, searching his eyes for clues.
“Yeah, I was at your house just now and he told me that you’d left for the airport,” he said and Nora wondered if he knew. He didn’t seem like he did.
“I was coming to tell you that I’ve kicked her out, Nora,” he said excitedly and reached for her shoulders.
“Kicked who out? Violet?” she asked and Theo was
nodding his head.
“We had a huge fight over you. I didn’t want her to go around threatening you and then I ended up admitting that we’d slept together. She lost her mind, even though she’s done it herself countless number of times,” Theo was half laughing as he spoke, and Nora could feel her own bubbling excitement.
“And then she asked me if I loved you, and I told her I did. Because that is the truth, Nora. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you that day at your dad’s birthday party,” Theo said and pulled her into his arms again.
She was staring at him with disbelief. She didn’t think he was capable of loving her. She never thought she deserved a man like him. He was always the ideal…an ideal that she could never reach.
“Nora, say something…” he whispered, drawing his lips dangerously close to hers.
“I’ve been in love with you for years now, Theo…maybe ten, I don’t even know,” she said to him, her words choking in her throat. He was smiling at her again.
“Violet is out of my life. I don’t want to waste any more time with someone I don’t care about, just for the sake of keeping a marriage intact,” he said and his fingers gripped her waist tightly as he thrust himself towards her. She could feel the throbbing warmth between his legs. She could sense what this could immediately lead to, and a giggle rose in her throat. She would have never imagined them even touching in public.
“Will you be with me, Nora? Can we start over? Do this right?” he asked and she was smiling. She threw her head back and pressed her eyes close against the glare of the sun. Didn’t he know that she would have done anything for this?
“But first, we need to speak to Andy. He needs to hear about it from us before he finds out from someone else,” he said and Nora’s eyes sparkled as she met his gaze again.
“Dad knows already. I don’t know how. He may have figured it out or someone told him…he knows exactly what’s going on,” Nora said and Theo’s brows crossed in surprise.
“And he’s still talking to me! He hasn’t tried to punch me yet!” Theo barked and she laughed.
Single Dad’s Plaything: A Single Dad First Time Billionaire Romance Page 80