The Billionaire Boss's Baby

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Amara and Ethan decided to go out for lunch together, to catch up on things. He was acting like nothing had happened, and it was making Amara a little uncomfortable. 

"Are you still mad at me?" Amara finally asked. "About--everything?"

Ethan sighed. "I'm not exactly mad--and I don't know that I ever was. I just needed to get away for a little bit. I prayed about it, and honestly, I think I may have reacted a little strongly. I'm sorry."

Amara smiled. "Really, I don't blame you. It was probably hard for you, especially since we went to youth and highschool together. And--the other thing."

"What other thing?" Ethan said, wrinkling his brow in confusion.

Amara opened her mouth to answer, but that waitress returned and set down two glasses on the table.

"Here are your drinks," she said. "And your food should be here shortly."

"Thank you," Amara and Ethan said at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Aw, you guys are cute," the waitress said with a smile. She turned to Amara. "Hey, if you don't mind me asking, are you maybe--expecting?"

Amara anxiously rubbed her hands on her thighs and laughed a little. So now, strangers were noticing.

"Um, yeah. Yeah, I am," she admitted.

"Aw!" the waitress clapped her hands together, and smiled even wider, allowing her dimples to deepen. "I have my second one on the way too. Congratulations, you two!"

"Oh, no, I'm not--" Ethan started to protest, but the waitress was already walking away.

Amara giggled as Ethan's face flushed red with embarrassment. "She thinks I'm the dad," He said.

"Yeah," Amara's smile faded. "I know you wanted to be."

Ethan looked up in surprise. "What?"

"I know you kind of had a thing for me," Amara said. "Y'know, way back before any of this happened. That's why you were so upset."

"Amara, I--" Ethan stopped when Amara looked him dead in the eye, silently telling him to be honest with her. He sighed.

"It's true," he admitted. "I knew you had kind of left the church. I think inside, I was hoping that it wasn't all that true--and maybe I could bring you back to God. But that's obviously not my job--it's God's."

Amara nodded. Hot tears were in her eyes, and she forcibly blinked them back.

"I was wrong to react the way I did," Ethan continued. "I think, on some level, I felt betrayed. And I, admittedly, was really jealous."

"Well, you don't need to be jealous," Amara muttered, taking a sip of her iced tea. "What happened that night is not something that I'm proud of. And it's definitely not something that I'm going to be explaining to my kids."

"Kids?"

Amara looked up quickly. "Oh yeah, I guess we haven't really spoken since I got that development."

Ethan just looked at her.

"Yeah, I'm uh, I'm having twins," Amara stated.

"Wow," Ethan said, leaning back. "Didn't exactly see that one coming." 

They sat in a bit of an awkward silence, at least until their food came. Then Ethan spoke again.

"Well, then I guess what I've been feeling was right."

Amara paused, with a forkful of chicken halfway to her mouth. "What?"

Ethan looked at her, and very sincerely said, "I want to help you."

"What?" Amara repeated. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"I know I kind of shunned you a little before," Ethan said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I've also heard that maybe Mr. Leonard isn't planning on doing anything to help you. Look. I'm no parent. But I have three younger sisters. I do have a little experience with kids."

"I-I don't know what to say, Ethan," Amara said, slightly in shock, although she was getting used to it. "Thank you."

Ethan shrugged. "It's no problem. I want to help. And I'm sure Mr. Leonard isn't planning on helping out at all. He's not postponing his wedding for anyone."

"He doesn't believe me anyway," Amara muttered.

"How would he not believe you?" Ethan asked. "No offense, but you're really putting on weight. It won't be long before everyone can tell."

"It's not that he doesn't believe I'm pregnant," Amara said. "He just doesn't believe it's his."

"But it is," Ethan argued. "... Right?"

"Of course it's his!" Amara spat. Ethan leaned back a little. "Sorry. But I've never done anything with a guy before or after him. But he doesn't believe that."

"How could he not believe that?" Ethan questioned. "You're the good girl! The one who does everything by the book. You never party, you hardly drink. Does he even know you at all?"

"No! That's the problem," Amara admitted. "We hardly knew each other at all."

"Maybe that's why he thinks you do this all the time," Ethan concluded.

"What?"

"Not that this is you by any means, but think about it," he said. "You barely knew the guy, you went out for dinner with him, you had a little too much to drink, and then you slept with him. Let's go back to Point One: You barely knew him."

"What are you saying?" Amara asked.

"If you barely knew Mr. Leonard on a personal level, that means he barely knew you," Ethan reasoned. "If anything, you know more about him because you work for him. But to him, you're just a receptionist."

Amara leaned back to think about that.

Ethan continued, "You don't sleep around with every other guy. You don't drink a lot, so you're not used to it as much. But he didn't know that. And he still doesn't. All you showed him that night is all he knows."

Amara blew some air out from between her lips. "It was a spur of the moment thing. I never would have done something like that if I had thought about it more. The way you're thinking about it now."

"Don't beat yourself up, Amara," Ethan said, softly. "It took two people to let this happen. Unfortunately, now you can't exactly get away from it. But he can."

Amara thought about that for a moment. "Not if I can help it."