Chapter 38 Bryce
My dad was my hero. I looked up to him more than anyone else, and if I needed advice, he was the one I went to.
But I couldn’t go to my dad for this—he wouldn’t understand. Especially not with the forced marriage looming over my head.
And my friends? They were just as paranoid about women who only wanted us for our money as I was.
No, there was only one person I could go to right now.
And she wouldn’t answer her damn phone.
So I had Vieve take me to her building and promised the doorman front row seats to a Dallas Diamonds game to let me up. Riding the elevator up to the tenth floor, my chest got tighter and tighter.
Especially as I thought of Jada walking up the sidewalk to her grandma’s house. The way she stopped on the porch and looked back at the limo, like she was trying to remember everything about the moment too.
But now I stood at the door, knocking loudly. “I know you’re home,” I called out. Her car was out in the parking lot. “I really need to talk!”
I knocked again. But when she didn’t come to the door, I let out a heavy sigh and leaned back against the wall. We did have a company therapist on retainer. Maybe I could call them? But I wouldn’t be able to tell them about the forced marriage, so it wouldn’t make sense.
The door creaked open, and Maya stared at me in her robe, her face flushed red and an annoyed look there. “What the fuck, Bryce! It’s my evening off!”
I stared at her. “Were you... Do you have someone in there?”
Her cheeks grew even more red. “It’s none of your business.”
I bit back a smile.
“Bryce!” She stomped her foot on the floor, annoyed. “What do you need?”
I shook my head, still trying not to laugh. “He’s in there now?”
She pushed my chest. “You might be my boss, and my uncle, but I’ll kick your ass.”
Shaking my head, I said, “I hate to do this... but can we talk in private? For a minute? Maybe he can go get you two a snack?”
“A snack? I have a perfectly fine kitchen.”
“Okay, then tell him to scram.” I reached into my wallet. “Give him fifty for his troub—”
“I am not paying a man I just had relations with,” she said annoyed. “Go inside and wait in my coat closet until he leaves.”
“In your closet?” I asked, confused.
“Discretion, Bryce.”
I shook my head, but beggars couldn’t be choosers, so I said, “Fine.”
“One second.” She disappeared back into her apartment, then a moment later came back out and grabbed my hand. “Come on.”
She dragged me inside with way more force than I knew she had and shut me in the closet with the light flicked on. “Stay there,” she ordered.
I barked back.
She groaned, annoyed.
I shook my head, looking around the small entry closet. Why did she need this many coats? It barely got below fifty degrees here.
Footsteps sounded nearby, and I itched to peek through the crack in the door and see who this mystery person was. But I already felt guilty for ruining her evening, so I sat back against layers of wool, polyester, and rayon, waiting to be let out.
Finally, the door to the closet cracked open, and I let myself out to see Maya going to sit on her couch. She pulled a throw blanket over her lap and folded her arms across her chest. “Sit, doggy. Tell me what’s going on.”
My lips flickered into a smile but quickly fell at the prospect of acknowledging the truth. In my experience, though, waiting for a hard conversation was worse than actually having it. “Jada’s pregnant, and it’s not my baby.”
Maya’s mouth fell open. “What? Did she cheat on you? Already?” Her lips formed a tight line.
“No, she’s already six months along.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “But she doesn’t look pregnant. Are you sure you didn’t hear her wrong?”
“What words rhyme with pregnant, Maya? Besides, it’s hard to misread a sonogram.”
“Wow,” Maya breathed. “I’m suddenly a lot less pissed off at you for interrupting me.”
I huffed a laugh, but it mostly came out as a puff of air through my nose. “Maya, I don’t know what to do.”
Maya frowned. “How did you find out she was pregnant? Did you feel it move or something?”
“Feel it move?” I asked, confused.
“You know, when you were...”
Suddenly, my face felt hot. “God, Maya. No, she told me.”
“Oh...” She winced. “Did she just find out?”
I shook my head.
She cringed again.
I nodded. “I know.”
“Not the best way to start a marriage—but then again, neither is getting married for a business arrangement.”
I nodded again. I hated every part of this. “Fucking Simon.”
Her lips pursed. “I’m not his biggest fan either, but we’re not talking about him. We’re talking about you.”
I leaned forward on her couch, which was so soft I felt like I was practically sinking to the floor. “Yes, Maya?” I could tell she wanted to say something, and she wasn’t very good at holding back her opinions.
“When’s the last time you had a serious girlfriend?”
I scratched my chin.
“Exactly. And you know why?”
“I’m sure you’re going to tell me,” I muttered, both grateful and annoyed. Somehow Maya managed to cut to the quick of things faster than most people I knew.
“Because you’re afraid that they want you for your money and not for you.”
I raked my fingers through my hair. “So basically my worst fear was confirmed.”
Maya shook her head. “Your worst fear was alleviated.”
I stared at her, beginning to question why I came here. “How’d you come to that conclusion? Because from where I’m looking, Jada agreed to an engagement with the sole purpose of getting my money.”
“No, Bryce, you idiot.” Maya threw a throw pillow at me.
I held up my hands and batted it away. “What!”
“She refused to marry you for your money.” She was quiet for a moment.
“She might have wanted to marry you for everything it would give her and her unborn child, but she couldn’t do it.
Don’t you see? She risked everything, the golden goose, to be honest with you.
” Her lips fell into a wry smile. “Sounds like she loves you too much to betray you.”
My lips parted. “You think so?”
“I know, hard to believe someone would love you,” she tossed back. “Cockblocker.”
I rolled my eyes at her, then sobered. “You really think that?”
“What did she tell you when she came clean?”
Jada’s words echoed through my mind. I fell for you. “Holy shit...” I whispered.
“There you go,” Maya said with a satisfied smirk. “Now you have another decision to make.”
I looked at her for clarification.
“Do you love her too?”
“It’s not that simple,” I said. “This isn’t about Jada and me. Not anymore.”
“So are you saying there’s an ‘us’?” The hope was clear in her voice.
I didn’t have an answer. Not yet.