Chapter 41
Chapter Forty-One
Maximillian
“What is wrong with you?” Caleb asks when I connect to the video call.
“What?” I mumble, my mind a million miles away.
“You look . . . like somebody kicked your puppy, but instead of going full John Wick, you want to cry,” he says, raising an eyebrow.
I glare at him, my jaw clenching. “ You said this was urgent,” I remind him, fighting to keep my voice steady.
“Yeah, but you look like shit, and I don’t want you flying a drone while you look like you want your mommy.”
I flip him the finger, anger bubbling up inside me. “And you know what? I don’t want to fly a fucking drone either when I have to figure out my life before I lose it all,” I snap, my voice rising. “But here I am, so let’s get this over with.”
“Zoe still not talking to you?”
The mention of her name feels like a punch to the gut. “Oh, she talked to me. It was just not what I expected, and I . . .” I trail off, whistling softly, regret washing over me as I think about the past couple of hours.
There are so many things I should’ve said when she gave me the news. Instead, I froze. Not only did I freeze, but I even yelled in the middle of the restaurant that I knew how to put on a fucking condom. What is wrong with me?
If I were her, I would plan on getting a restraining order or something. But fortunately, she’s a different person than me. At least I hope she is and that I can . . . Fuck, this job, I swear, it’s been consuming me so much that I lost track of time and what matters.
I began to concoct a plan right after I boarded the plane out of Fiji. A perfect plan where I would come back and see if she would give me a chance to change the dynamic between us. Sure, I love that we’re becoming friends, but I also realized that between the first time I saw her and that one night in Fiji, I had fallen in love with her.
Who knew that was possible? Obviously, not me. I thought I was immune to love until this maddening, brilliant, beautiful woman got under my skin and decided to steal my heart. And now what am I supposed to do?
My fingers drum restlessly against my desk as I consider my options. Obviously, I need to catch up faster than I intended. Sure, my plan to sweep her off her feet—once I figured out what was wrong with her—has to change. I just have no idea how. But I have to work fast before I not only lose my chance to show her that I love her but also lose my baby.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
The reality hits me like a freight train. I’m going to be somebody’s father.
My heart races, a mix of terror and exhilaration coursing through my veins. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself.
Caleb leans away from the camera, crossing his arms. His brow furrows as he studies me. “I’ve never seen you losing your shit like this. What happened?”
I sigh, running a hand through my hair, tugging at the roots in frustration. “Let’s just say she had some news, and I made an ass of myself. And now, I have no idea how to fix what I fucked up—or to show her that I care.”
He chuckles, shaking his head. His eyes sparkle with amusement. “Man, you’re in deep. I thought it was just a crush that would go away after you fooled around but nope. You’re in love.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” I mutter, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me. My shoulders slump as I lean back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. How did I go from being the carefree bachelor to a lovesick fool about to become a father?
“You probably already know she’s pregnant,” he says with such casualness I choke on my own saliva.
I stare at him, my heart pounding, a mix of surprise and terror flooding my veins. “How do you know?”
Cal grins. “I didn’t, but you just confirmed my suspicion.” He laughs. He fucking laughs at me.
“Listen, I have other people who can do this job. Get the fuck out of here and fix whatever you broke,” he says, his tone suddenly serious.
“How do you know I broke anything?” I ask, my voice defensive. I mean, he’s not wrong, but what the fuck?
He laughs again, shaking his head. “Because you’re that stupid. I doubt you hugged her or told her that you’ll be there for her. Knowing you, you tried to see how you’d make this not your fault.”
“I . . .” I shut my mouth, heat rising to my cheeks. “It’s instinctive, you know.”
He nods. “Yeah, but haven’t I told you many times to use your brain before you use your fucking mouth. It could save you from a lot of trouble.”
“Like you think before you act,” I mumble, rolling my eyes .
“Not the point. As I said, go figure out what’s going on—take some time off,” he proposes, leaning forward in his chair.
I nod, feeling a glimmer of hope. Then a thought hits me. “She hasn’t told anyone, so keep it between us for now?” I’m not sure why I’m even asking instead of telling him to keep his mouth shut.
He nods, his face serious. “Obviously. I’m pretty sure Lily’s gonna ask Ethan to kill you. So either you fix this shit soon or change your identity and run far and fast before he finds you.”