The Baby Contract - Page 110

I could let Harper go and just exist here until this baby was born, and I could leave Bran. But that thought tore me in two. How would I live without them?

I stood up on shaky legs, walking out of the living area. I grabbed my purse from the table in the foyer, as I headed out the door. I texted Dax to let him know I needed to leave. Lucky for me, he was the one on duty tonight. I'd rather him escort me around instead of one of the other Saint Security men.

I was glad that he didn't say much, as he drove me to Harper's place. When we got there, he walked me to the door saying he would wait outside. Her condo was dark which meant she was hiding or sleeping. Or maybe she wasn’t home.

Had she found a house and moved?

I knocked on the door. Then I knocked again and again. But each knock went unanswered. I turned and leaned against the door, trying not to weep.

Finally, Dax led me back to the car, helping me in. I really wanted to tell him to take me to my new condo, but I made a deal that I would stay at Bran's place. If I didn't return, he would probably call the police or something.

When we arrived home, Mr. Joseph met me in the foyer. "Is everything all right, Ms. Francis?" It was the first time I ever noted concern in his tone or expression.

"Fine," I lied. "I'm heading up to bed, if Mr. Erickson wonders where I am." I made it to the first step of the stairs when Mr. Joseph said, "Mr. Erickson isn’t here."

I turned. "Where is he?"

"He said something about a possible business deal in Northern California."

It had to be the winery, but why was he going up there in the middle of the night? In fact, why wasn't he standing here in the foyer demanding to know where I'd been and what I was thinking of going out so late.

That was what the old Bran would've done.

It would've irritated me, but I would remind myself he was doing it because he cared, if not for me, then for the baby.

But he wasn't here. He had just left the house. He’d left Southern California. What did that mean?

Suddenly, it felt like the walls of my world were collapsing around me. I dragged myself upstairs to my room, but it wasn't really my room. This wasn't my house. And Bran wasn’t mine either. I texted Dax again as I made my way downstairs.

"I'm going to stay at my place tonight," I told Mr. Joseph as he met me in the foyer.

He nodded but didn't say anything. Dax arrived helping me into the car and driving me over to my place. It felt like everything had ended, including the need for Dax. But I knew Bran wouldn't let me send Dax away because of the baby.

"If you'd like to sleep on my couch, you can," I said so exhausted I wasn't sure how I was still standing. He didn't say anything. He simply nodded and sat on the couch.

Too tired to be a good hostess, I went to my bedroom. As it turned out, it felt foreign to me as well. It wasn't really mine. It was what Bran picked out for me.

It occurred to me that my life had been in a holding pattern ever since I agreed to be Bran’s surrogate. It was time to take back my life.

I thought of how I told my father off that afternoon. I’d stood up for myself. I needed to do that in the other areas of my life as well.

Starting tomorrow, I would begin using my twenty-five million to build my own life.

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