Chapter 37
Matteo
The drive home is filled with silence, both of us lost in our thoughts.
But I don’t plan for it to stay that way.
I have so many questions, and only Dani has the answers …
because I wasn’t there. We thought it was a quick checkup, so I didn’t go, and I wish I had because she had to find out that she was pregnant alone.
I’m not a woman, so I can’t begin to understand how she must’ve felt, but based on her bloodshot eyes, puffy cheeks, and red nose, she spent a good amount of time crying.
When she didn’t show up to her dress fitting, my first thought was that something horrible had happened. And all I wanted to do was make sure she was safe.
Seeing her sitting on the bench, full of so many emotions, damn near broke my heart. All I want is for Dani to be happy. And I’d imagine that finding out you’re pregnant should be one of the happiest moments of a woman’s life—if that’s what she wanted.
And she did want that. She still does.
But neither of us expected that plot twist.
“Matteo,” Dani says softly, “can you say something, please? It’s so quiet, and … I don’t know … I guess I’m just worried about what’s going through your head.”
I think about what I want to say, trying to be careful because I have so many mixed emotions right now and the last thing I want to do is upset her further … but at the same time, I need to be honest.
“I hate that you thought I wouldn’t want our baby because we don’t share the same DNA,” I admit, turning into the parking garage.
I park in my assigned spot and then face her.
“I’m not an expert on relationships. Hell, you’re the first real relationship I’ve even had, but I don’t like that you thought so little of me. ”
“When we talked about letting nature take its course, I never imagined I would already be pregnant. Then, I learned it was by Enrique, and it was such a shock to my system.” She leans over the center console and palms the side of my face.
“I know how much you love me. I see it in the way you look at me and kiss me and the way you support me. But like you said, this is new, and I’ve never been in this situation before.
And you went from not wanting kids to wanting them with me, and when I found out the baby couldn’t be yours, my mind kept replaying what you’d said—half you and half me.
” She sniffles back her emotion. “And I took it literally and freaked out.”
I nod in understanding because I did say those words, and had I known how today would go, I never would’ve said them. But in my head, there was only me and her.
“I meant what I said. That baby in your belly is mine and yours.
“I grew up with a man who looked at me like I was a failure for disabilities that were out of my control, so I know firsthand what it feels like to be unwanted and unloved. Not that who one’s father is, is equivalent to a disability.
“But that baby growing in your belly shouldn’t be punished for who they share their DNA with, the same way Andrey shouldn’t have punished me for my dyslexia or emotional dysregulation.
And I will never treat our son or daughter any differently or love them any less simply because they don’t have my DNA.
As far as I’m concerned, this baby is mine. End of story.”
Dani chokes out a sob. “I would love nothing more than to raise this baby together. I love you, and I already love him.”
“Do you know the gender?”
“Huh?”
“Earlier, you said them—I’m assuming to keep it gender-neutral—but just now, you said him. Do you know if it’s a boy?”
“I don’t know,” she says with a small smile. “I think a part of me pictures the baby as a boy because Peyton and Dominick have boys, so that’s all I’ve been around. To be honest, I’m not sure how it would go if the baby ends up being a girl.”
“What? Why?” I ask. “She would be spoiled.”
“Yeah, and locked away, like a princess.”
“That’s a given.” I huff. “But she’ll be the most loved, spoiled, locked-away princess.”
Dani snorts out a laugh, and I’m glad that despite the heaviness, she’s finding her way back to me.
We head up to our place, and when we walk in, Peyton and Dominick are sitting in the living room.
“Oh my God! You’re okay!” Peyton rushes over to Dani and pulls her in for a hug. “I was so worried. When you didn’t show up … and then Matteo said he was handling it, but he never responded, I started to freak out …”
“And she forced me to come here to wait for you,” Dominick finishes. “Glad you both are alive.”
Dani laughs softly. “We’re both alive. And I’m sorry about this morning. Some stuff happened, and I lost track of time.”
Peyton takes a step back and eyes Dani speculatively. “Have you been crying?” she asks, glancing from Dani to me. “Did he make you cry?” It’s a question, but her tone makes it sound like a threat.
“No, he didn’t make me cry,” Dani says, walking over and wrapping her arms around me. “He made it all better.” She leans on her toes and kisses my cheek. “Just like he always does.”
Peyton eyes me, but doesn’t argue with Dani. “Okay,” she says. “Well, if everything is squared away, we need to get to your dress fitting. She said we can come any time before five.”
Dani glances at me, and I nod. I would’ve liked to continue our conversation, but we can do that later. Right now, she needs to make sure her dress fits since our wedding is only three days away. And nothing is going to stop me from marrying that woman.
Peyton drags Dani out of the house, and once they’re gone, my brother says, “What’s really going on, Matteo?”
“Dani’s pregnant.”
My brother’s eyes go wide. I’m sure he’s wondering how I feel about that since the last he heard, I didn’t want kids.
“It’s a good thing,” I add. “We talked and planned to let shit happen. We just didn’t know she was already pregnant, so it’s happening a little sooner than we thought.”
I shrug and walk over to my liquor bar to make myself a drink. I pour two fingers of whiskey into two tumblers and hand him one.
“When’s she due?” he asks, taking a sip of his whiskey.
“February 15.”
I can see the cogs in his head turning as he quickly does the math, and I let him because there’s nothing I keep from my brother.
When it finally clicks, he swallows thickly and looks at me with sympathy in his eyes. “Matteo, do you know how far along she is?”
“Almost sixteen weeks.”
He nods slowly and downs his whiskey and sets it on the end table. “That would mean she conceived around …”
“May.”
“But you weren’t with her then. She was with …” He breathes out a harsh breath. “Fuck.”
“I’m the dad,” I tell him, my tone making it clear it’s not up for argument. “That baby she’s carrying is mine. Dani and that baby are mine.”
Dominick nods once and then cuts across the room, pulling me in for a hug. “You’re going to be a great dad,” he murmurs. “Congratulations.”
“Fuck, I need to get out of here. Wanna go grab a real drink at the bar?”
“Sure. Peyton’s planning to convince Dani to go to dinner after the fitting anyway.”
“I’ll text Lorenzo.”
With everything going on, I feel like I haven’t seen much of my best friend since he got out of prison.
“He’s in,” I say a minute later when he texts back that he’ll meet us at the country club.
He knows I hate that fucking place, but not many bars are open before five.
Dominick and I take separate vehicles since we’ll be going home afterward. We arrive before Lorenzo and order our drinks.
“So, you’re really okay with all this?” Dominick asks, always worrying about me.
If I didn’t know it came from a place of love, I’d be annoyed that he’s questioning me.
“Yeah, I’m more than okay with it. I’m just …
” I think for a moment, trying to find the right words to explain how I’m feeling.
“I’m freaking out a little because I thought it’d take some time.
I figured we’d get married and have some hot sex on our honeymoon, and eventually, she’d get pregnant.
But, fuck, she’s due in less than six months. ”
“Who’s due in six months?” Lorenzo asks, sliding into the seat next to me.
I glance at Dominick, who smirks knowingly.
Lorenzo looks from Dominick to me, the words swirling around in his brain. When he connects the dots, he curses under his breath and then punches me in the arm, making me laugh because the guy needs to work on his strength training.
“Are you fucking serious? You knocked my damn sister up out of wedlock?”
Dominick snorts out a laugh.
“I mean, you walked in on us a few times. Don’t act like you didn’t know your sister and I were fucking,” I deadpan. “Besides, we’ll be married in a few days.”
“You’re a dick,” Lorenzo hisses. “And I need a strong drink.”
He orders a drink from the bartender and then pulls out his phone, but I snatch it out of his hand.
“You need to act surprised when Dani tells you,” I tell him. “We didn’t discuss how we would be telling everyone. So, don’t go texting her and shit. Let her tell you.” I set his phone on the counter, but before he takes it back, a text from Hillary pops up.
“You’re texting with that bitch?”
“No …” When I glare, he sighs. “I’m not. I just haven’t blocked her. She keeps texting and apologizing, trying to say that even though it started as a way to make money, she fell for me and misses me.”
“Fuck that lying bitch,” I bark. “You’re not thinking about forgiving her, are you? She’s only saying that shit because she’s in bumfuck, Georgia, waitressing at a shitty diner, and she knows you’re loaded.”
“Because she couldn’t possibly genuinely care about me?” he mutters.
I stare at him for several seconds and realize how disconnected Lorenzo and I have become.
I’ve been so focused on his sister that I haven’t paid enough attention to my best friend to see just how badly he’s hurting.
I suck at this whole feelings bullshit, but being around Dani for the past couple of months has opened my eyes and forced me to open up.