Possessive Neighbor

“Pretty girl.” His voice. I can hear the change in it, but I don’t know what it is. “Look at me, Hope, please.” I shake my head. “Hope.” His voice becomes sterner.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper as the baby’s heartbeat echoes around the room, making her presence well-known.

“Why isn’t that bastard here?” My eyes fly open at his question.

“Who?”

Reed’s gaze darts to the monitor. “The father.”

I stare at him, stunned. This wasn’t how I wanted him to find out, how I envisioned myself explaining my choices to him. Sucking in a sharp breath, I scoot up the bed a little and pat the spot beside me. “Sit, please?”

I want to reach for his hand, but I get the feeling maybe that’s not what he wants right now. “I was going to explain everything to you tonight.”

“Okay.” The expression on his face indicates all the questions he must have.

“I had these friends, Leslie and Miles. They made me feel…normal. Like my brain wasn’t defective. They encouraged me out of my shell for years. They did for me what nobody else could.”

He does grab my hand this time, and I hold him so tightly, not wanting to let go. “I?

?m glad you had that.”

“Me too. I would have done anything for them. All they ever had to do was ask, and I would have said yes.”

“Okay.” I can tell he wants to ask more questions.

“A year and a half ago, Leslie was told she likely couldn’t have children. She had a low egg count, and the doctors said it could be years, if ever, before she conceived. But suggested a surrogate.” His eyebrows shoot up, and I see some of the stress on his face lessen. “They were my best friends. The only friends I ever had.”

“So, his baby and your baby…?”

“Their baby, Reed.” I match his smile.

“That’s an incredibly selfless thing of you to do.” When his hand reaches up and caresses my cheek, I lean into him, desperately needing the contact.

“It was. Until a month ago when they were killed in an accident. We’d just found out not long before that the first insemination worked. They were so excited.” I can’t and don’t try to stop the tears this time.

“Now, it’s your baby,” he says, and I can’t read what he’s thinking, feeling.

“A little girl,” I respond.

“Christ,” he utters under his breath.

“I know…I know this changes things. Changes us.” I shake my head when he goes to speak. “I’d really like it, though, if maybe, down the road, we could be friends. When you can forgive me for lying to you.”

“Time to go! Mommy and baby need their rest. You can come back tomorrow morning. Visiting hours start at eight.” The nurse pushes Reed out before he can respond to my request, and I’m left in turmoil, with that damn broken heart again, all night long. Making sleep impossible.

8

Reed

For most men, another guy’s baby would be a deal-breaker. They’d be angry and lashing out, saying stupid shit they don’t mean. Hurting their woman.

Thank fuck, my parents raised Theo and me better than that.

When I should have been sleeping, getting ready to pick Hope up from the hospital this morning, I was busy rearranging her living room to be more functional for her needs over the next few days. She’s in pain and should have everything on one floor. I’ve turned half of her sofa into a bed for her, making sure there’s a table nearby to put her things on. I brought over my recliner because that beast is the comfiest piece of furniture I’ve ever sat in.

And I won’t be going anywhere either. I’ve taken the next two days off so I can be around to help her more. I also hit the supermarket as soon as it opened this morning to stock up on a few things she might like to eat or I can make for her. I might have also grabbed two boxes of diapers.

Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. Maybe she isn’t looking to have me in her life in the same way I still want her in mine. But I know I won’t give up without a fight. I want her as my girl, my wife, the mother of my children. And that means claiming the child she carries now.