Hey Baby

God Complex? Absolutely

I had been able to escape the wandering eyes of paparazzi at work but it seemed as though the further along I got, the more the vultures would swarm in for the attack. Luckily, I was able to find a quiet, serene peace in the small diner a few blocks from the penthouse. It was a small, privately owned business that had the best omelets and pancakes in town. Mom and Dad had drove hours every couple months to bring us here, and it seemed fitting to meet Miles here. I'd been able to avoid Lincoln, who'd been on his man period since he realized I was seriously going through with this last night, and had hurried out the door before he could change his mind.

Unfortunately, the second I stepped into the building, a waft of blueberry pancakes hit me and I ordered as soon as I sat down. By the time Miles walked in, I was halfway through my second order, my fork halfway to my mouth. He didn't seem to care I'd started breakfast without him, but smirked a little and shook his head in amusement as he dropped into the booth across from me.

He was dressed pretty casual for him. Every time I'd had the pleasure of sharing the room with the guy, he was either shirtless or wearing tight shirts that highlighted every muscle. This morning he was in a loose black Guns N' Roses tee and sweatpants, and his hair looked as if he'd run his hands through it a couple times and called it good. It made me feel a good bit better about my own oversized sweatshirt and leggings that were hanging on for dear life over my ever-growing belly.

"Sorry." I finally said, setting my fork down and wiping my face with a napkin. "I was starving."

He leaned back in the booth and laughed. "You're growing a whole human inside of you, Ari. No need to apologize for being hungry."

"It's so weird." I responded with a sigh. "I've been nauseous for weeks and suddenly I feel like I could eat an entire buffet of food."

"Well, Belle's growing." He pointed out. "I'm assuming that means that your body needs more fuel."

I guess that was a fair observation.

He ordered a coffee and an omelet as soon as the waitress approached, before he moved so his elbows were resting on the table. "How are you feeling? Other than hungry."

"Tired. No, scratch that, I'm exhausted. All I want to do is sleep." I responded, touching my palm to my stomach. "And I have to pee like a hundred times a day. Do you know how hard it is to serve people when I have to excuse myself to the bathroom every ten minutes?"

He chuckled quietly, but the light in his eyes dimmed slowly as he asked, "Why don't you quit? I mean, that rich dick you're living with has the money to support you, does he not?"

The venom and bitterness in each word was so harsh I winced and dropped my gaze to my chipped acrylics. When he realized I wasn't going to answer, he made a noise that was somewhere between a snort and a snicker.

"You don't trust him, do you?"

"It's not that." I whispered, then finally lifted my head again and met his eyes, "I promised myself and my mother that I was going to do this all without a man. College, I mean. I was going to pave my own way and be independent. Being pregnant isn't going to change that."

He reached across the table and rested a hand on top of my intertwined fingers. "She's my daughter too, Arielle. You can't have that mentality when I want to be a part of her life."

"I won't. That's different. This whole situation between you and me is nothing like that of what's going on with Lincoln and me."

"What is going on with you two?" he questioned. "I felt the tension in the room when you walked in. I just. . . I couldn't tell if it was sexual or something else entirely."