Session 33

Chapter Twenty Nine

"You let him get you pregnant?" she blurted out, her voice heavy with disbelief. "And your ass got fired?"

I sighed, stepping aside to let her in. "Yeah, come in, Naomi."

She walked in, her eyes scanning the apartment as if expecting to find evidence of all the mistakes I’d made. I shut the door behind her and leaned against it. "How did you find out?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Naomi turned to face me, her expression softening just a bit. "Cassius called Jonas, and Jonas told me. We were worried about you, so here I am."

I nodded. "My CEO called me personally to tell me how bad I made the company look," I said, my voice hollow. "I won't lie and say I care about being fired. It gives me time to get used to being pregnant and figure out what I’m going to do. I have money saved, private clients, and I can always get another job."

Naomi sat down, her eyes never leaving mine. "Are you okay, though? Like, really?"

I shook my head, feeling the tears start to well up again. I didn’t want to fucking cry, but I couldn’t help it. "I don’t know, Naomi. I’m scared. I didn’t plan for any of this. And now, I’m pregnant and unemployed. It’s like my life is spiraling out of control."

She reached out and took my hand, squeezing it gently. "Shit happens. But you’ve got people who care about you. We’ll figure this out together. And I actually believe in Cassius. He’s going to be a great father, at the very least."

I managed a small smile, my cheeks wet. "Thanks, Naomi."

She leaned back, crossing her arms. "So, what are you going to do about Cassius?"

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I don’t know. He’s been overwhelming. He says he loves me and wants to take care of me and the baby. But it’s all so much. I feel like I’m suffocating."

Naomi nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Do you love him?"

"I think so," I admitted. "But it’s complicated. He can be so intense. Sometimes I don’t know if I’m seeing the real him or just what he wants me to see."

She was quiet for a moment, then said, without giving away too much information, "I understand why you feel that way, which is why you need to think about what you want first. Figure out what you want and need. Don’t let him push you into anything."

I nodded, appreciating her words more than she knew. "I will."

Wanting to change the subject, I asked, "What did you do to Jonas for being at the club with that girl he cheated on you with?"

Naomi rolled her eyes. "I didn’t have to do anything. He’s been groveling for days. I don’t believe he did anything with her, but the fact that he was there pisses me off and has me side-eyeing him."

Just then, the door opened, and Cassius walked in. His eyes met Naomi's, and they exchanged a polite nod.

"Hey, Cassius," Naomi said, her tone softer than it had been in a while when talking to him.

"Hey, Naomi," he replied. "How are you doing?"

"I’m good. Just checking on Angel," she said, standing up. "I should get going."

Naomi gave me a quick hug and whispered, "Remember what I said," before heading to the door.

Cassius watched her leave, then turned to me, trying to read my face. He didn’t have to—I was going to tell him what I was thinking.

"We need to talk," I said, my voice trembling slightly.

He looked devastated, as if he already knew what I was going to say. "Angel, please—"

I held up a hand to stop him. "Cassius, I’m not 100% sure about everything right now, but I’m more certain about having this baby than doing something extreme. I just need you to be honest with me from now on. Even if there comes a time you don’t want to be with me, just tell me. Don’t fuck me over. I’ll understand. We won’t have any problems as long as you’re a good father and honest with me."

“Oh,” he said, breathing. "I promise, Angel. I’ll be honest. I want to be with you and be a good father."

Before I could respond, he grabbed my hands and pulled me up from the sofa, dragging me toward the door.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"We’re going shopping. We need a crib and a bassinet. And don’t worry about your job. Check your account," he said, a sly little cocky grin on his face. I hadn’t seen it in a while.

I pulled out my phone and opened my banking app. My eyes widened in shock. There had been a half-million dollars deposited into my account.

"Cassius, this is too much. I can’t keep this."

He shook his head. "You have to. It’s beyond me. It was my mom’s. She set it up when I was young. She really wanted grandchildren, and she wanted to help take care of them. It’s supposed to take care of all your needs while you’re pregnant and your medical care. You’ll get a deposit every five years until they turn eighteen, and then they get a lump sum. She set up a trust fund for her grandchild way back before... everything happened."

For a moment, sadness flickered across his face. He avoided talking about his parents, so I knew this was hard for him.

I reached up, smoothing my hand over his cheek. "Your mother sounds like a great woman," I said softly.

He looked at me and asked flat-out, “Do you love me, Angel?”

I nodded. “I do. I love you, Cassius.”