Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
ONE MONTH LATER
Grayson
I tried to tell Harper everything, but something always held me back. I’d start the conversation with, “I need to talk to you about something.” And when she’d look at me with those beautiful eyes and a smile that was always on her face, I couldn’t. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her and cause unnecessary stress for her and the baby.
We had just finished making love, and she was lying on her back against me while my arm held her. I reached over, placed my hand on her naked belly, and held it there. She was now twenty-four weeks pregnant and growing every day. This was my future. A future I never saw coming for someone like me. She changed me and my life. She taught me about love and how trulyspecial loving someone was. She gave me a purpose, and she made me a better man. A man I never would have become if it wasn’t for her.
“I need to talk to you about something,” I spoke.
“Okay.” She smiled as she rolled on her side and looked at me.
I took in a deep breath.
“Are you all right?” she asked as she brought her hand up to my cheek.
I couldn’t do it.
“You know how much I love you, right?”
“Yes. Iknow.” A grin crossed her face.
“I would like you to move in here with me.”
“What? Are you sure?”
“Yes. We can choose one of the guest rooms for the nursery, and we’ll decorate it that is fit for a princess.”
“Grayson, I can’t believe this. Yes. I’ll move in with you. What about the lease on my apartment?”
“It’s my building. I’ll tear it up.” I smirked.
She leaned in and brushed her lips against mine.
“I love you so much.”
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
Two Weeks Later
Harper
“I need to start packing soon,” I said.
“I’m surprised Grayson didn’t hire a service to do that for you.” Laurel smirked.
“Trust me. He suggested it, but I told him no. I’m capable of packing my own things.”
“What are you going to do with your furniture?” Charlotte asked.
“Give it away to anyone who wants it.” I smiled.
“Yes! I want your dining set and your living room set.” Charlotte grinned.
“I wouldn’t mind your bedroom set,” Laurel spoke. “I could put it in the spare bedroom.”
“It’s yours.”
We were in the middle of eating lunch at a cute little diner that had just opened up across from the cryobank when I looked up and saw Julius walk in.
“Hey. There’s Grayson’s best friend, Julius. I’m going to go say hi.”
He handed the cashier his card, signed the receipt, grabbed his carryout bag, and headed out the door before I could make it up there. I walked outside to see if I could catch him when I noticed him across the street and walking into the cryobank building.
“That’s odd,” I said to myself. “I wonder why he’s going there.”
My curiosity peaked, so I crossed the street, entered the building, and saw him standing and waiting for the elevator.
“Mr. Chambers,” a woman spoke. “Your one o’clock canceled.”
“Okay. Thanks for letting me know, Carla,” he said as the doors opened, and he stepped inside.
When he turned to push the button to whatever floor he was going to, he saw me standing there. His eyes widened as the doors shut. This didn’t make any sense. I walked up to the woman named Carla.
“Excuse me. That man who just got on the elevator. Does he work here?”
“You mean Mr.Chambers? Yes, he’s the director. Why?”
Shit. I needed to come up with something quick.
“I purchased sperm from your bank.” I placed my hands on my belly. “And I swear I went to high school with him.”
“He’s been the director for about seven years. His family owns the company.”
“Oh. Then that wasn’t him. My mistake. Thank you.”
I turned and hurried out of the building. My heart was racing, and my body was shaking. Why would Grayson and Julius lie about where he worked? I walked back into the diner and sat down.
“Where were you?” Charlotte asked.
“I tried to catch up with Julius, but he was already gone.”
“What’s wrong?” Laurel asked. “You’re as pale as a ghost.”
“I’m not feeling well all of a sudden. I’m going to head home and lie down.”
“Do you want us to come with you?” Charlotte asked.
“No. I’ll be fine. I haven’t been sleeping well at night because she’s kicking a lot, and I’m uncomfortable.”
I went into my purse and pulled some cash out with my shaking hand.
“Lunch is on us,” Laurel spoke.
“Thanks. I’ll call you later.”
I ran out of the diner, hailed a cab, and took it back to my apartment. What the fuck was going on? I paced back and forth, trying to figure it out. Grayson’s best friend was the director of the New York Cryobank. The same bank I used to find a donor. And yet, both Julius and Grayson lied to me about where Julius worked. I paced around while recalling specific events in my mind. I went back to when I told Grayson about the baby and how I used a donor from the New York Cryobank. He could have told me then Julius worked there, but he didn’t. Shit. I needed my laptop, which I left at Grayson’s penthouse.
I ran out of the building and hailed a cab. When the driver pulled up to the curb, I threw some cash at him and ran inside the building.
“Good afternoon, Harper. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. I left my laptop upstairs, and I’m late for a Skype meeting.”
I took the elevator up and saw my laptop sitting on the island. Running to it, I opened it up and pulled up all my emails from the cryobank, specifically the one with the profile for Donor 137665. I placed my hand over my mouth as I stared at it.
Donor 137665 is a highly educated, top-of-his-class graduate from Yale. His high I.Q. and competitive nature make him extremely successful in the corporate business world. He has an outgoing personality and loves to socialize and meet new people. As an avid classical music lover, he relaxes by sitting down and playing music by Beethoven and Bach on his grand piano.
Height – 6’2
Weight – 190lbs.
Eye Color – Blue
Hair Color – Brown
Hair texture – Straight
Ethnic Origin – Caucasian
Ancestry – English, Irish, Scottish
Religion – None
Education Level – Masters
Areas of Study–Business, Finance, Investment Management
Blood Type – O+
Pregnancies – No
Expanded Genetic Testing – Yes
Instruments – Piano
Favorite Food – Mexican, Italian
Outdoor fun – Skiing and walks on the beach.
No. I shook my head. This can’t be. Tears sprung to my eyes as I stared at the picture of Grayson when he was a child. I ran to his study and started going through his things. I sat down at his desk and opened the drawer on the right-hand side. The ringing of my phone startled me. It was Grayson. I let it go to voicemail while Iopened the drawer on the left side and sitting there was a picture of him and his parents when he was a child. Grabbing it, I ran to my laptop, and tears streamed down my face as I stared at both pictures of the same child. Instantly, I felt sick to my stomach, and I fell onto the stool. Grayson kept calling, and I kept letting it go to voicemail. My heart was racing out of my chest and I needed to calm down for the baby’s sake. I slowly closed my eyes and took in three long deep breaths.