Strictly Baby Business

After Peyton had passed out yesterday, she woke up in the hospital. The doctors said the man who brought her in had left immediately.

They told her that she passed out because of a lack of nutrients as she hadn’t eaten for a while—and since she was eating for two now, that was dangerous.

Peyton had then received medication and confirmation that her baby was okay and that was all she wanted and needed to hear.

Even though the baby was part of a deal, she already loved it with all her heart. Peyton knew she wouldn’t be able to stand it if something were to happen to her child.

It was her chance to keep her promise to herself and prove that she could do better than they ever did or claimed they’d done.

After Peyton had explained her situation to the doctor and taken her medication, he made sure she ate and sent a plate of food home with her.

When Peyton got home, she put her food in her fridge and went straight to sleep; she had strict orders from the doctor to give herself and the baby some rest.

Luckily, she had the next day off. When she woke up that morning, she ate a good breakfast and had some coffee.

After that, she took a long warm shower, then changed into a blue sundress and some sandals.

She admired her baby bump with a smile on her face and thought of the day that she would hold her child and be a mother.

A real mother.

Much better than the one she’d had.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Peyton grabbed her sling bag and walked to her front door. As she opened it and walked out, she walked straight into a muscular chest.

“Whoa!”

Two arms stabilized her, and when she looked up and saw who it was, she glared at him.

“Well, what is Sebastian Coleman doing in my crummy little place?”

Peyton knew that he didn’t like her apartment one bit, and she liked bringing it up.

“Are you lost? Because Assholeville is that way,” she said, pointing to the door.

Sebastian didn’t answer her; instead, he glared back, then pushed past her into the apartment, just like the first time they had met.

He walked to the fridge and looked inside before looking in every single kitchen cupboard, ignoring Peyton’s protests.

When he finally was done, he turned his attention to the fuming Peyton and found himself holding back a laugh.

Peyton was not intimidating.

“Why are you invading my personal space?”

Sebastian was taken aback. She did realize it was only a few cupboards, right?

Besides, she should have been glad he hadn’t run her over with his anger-filled thoughts yet!

“You don’t have any food in this house. You were at the hospital because you have no food in this dump. I came to make sure of these facts, so don’t you try to shout at me when you’re endangering the life of my child!” Sebastian growled with fire in his eyes.

Peyton could see it. Even in the few times that she had seen his eyes, she’d been able to tell they gave away his emotions easily—when he allowed them to.

She knew that right now, the fact that she could see his anger in his eyes meant he wanted her to notice.

But she was a fighter and wouldn’t back down. Crossing her arms across her chest and taking a sassy stance, she glared back at him and started to defend herself.

“One, I don’t have any money for food. If it bothers you so much, then give me money!

“Two, I am not putting OUR child in danger, you are, Mister ‘no contact with the woman carrying my baby.’ You can’t just barge in here like you own the place and make demands!

“I don’t know how it works up there,” she pointed to his head, “but in the real world, we work for our things and don’t all grow up like royalty. Some of us have to make sacrifices.”

Taking a deep breath, she composed herself, ignoring his growing glare.

“So don’t make accusations when you don’t know the fucking half of it!”

Silence reigned and neither of them made a move. Peyton, refusing to back down; Sebastian, sorting through his options of either snapping or fixing this problem to gain another.

His child would not be deprived of any necessity. Until they were born, the mother needed to be one hundred percent healthy. So, taking a deep breath and thinking of his pro and con list, Sebastian slowly started to walk toward her room without a word.

He knew she was following him, but he didn’t care and opened her dresser. He took out a white tank top and a pair of jeans before turning and silently handing them to her.

Staring at him expectantly, she raised an eyebrow. Sebastian rolled his eyes.

“Don’t push it any more than you already have. I’ve seen every part of you and I am not afraid of dressing you myself.”

Surprise took over Peyton and she slowly nodded while taking off her sandals. Sebastian returned to her dresser and checked if there was anything else necessary to bring.

When he came up with nothing, he turned around and froze completely, feeling something inside him snap.

There Peyton stood in only her jeans and a black bra, but what drew Sebastian to his knees in front of her was the ever-so-small but definite bump that he could clearly see in her belly.

Peyton noticed a slight smile on his lips as he gently placed a hand on her tiny bump, covering it completely. She ignored the urge to flinch back at the feeling of his cold, calloused hand against her belly.

“It’s already growing.”

Peyton nodded and looked around her room. She jumped when she felt a pair of lips on her stomach, but didn’t move as she rather enjoyed the fluttery feeling that came with it.

“Hey, I’m your dad.”

Sebastian looked up to Peyton to see how ridiculous she thought he was. Instead, he found a soft look in her gray eyes.

“Despite what your mom tells you, I am actually pretty nice.”

Sebastian didn’t think about what he was saying. All that mattered to him was that the evidence of his child was visible, and he loved them.

Hoping it was a girl, he already saw himself buying her teddy bears and flowers; hoping it was a boy, he already saw himself playing football with him and building Lego.

Warmth spread inside of him as he stood to his feet again and watched Peyton put on her shirt with a smile on her lips before she followed him to the front door.

He took her bag for her and led her out and to his car. When they got to his Range Rover, they both got in at the back and he looked to the front, giving the driver a nod.

“Where are we going?”

His attention snapped to Peyton, and he gave her a bored look.

“You’re moving in with me, Silver.”

Before she could say anything, he looked down to her stomach and saw through Peyton’s tank top the bump that held his child. He smiled and looked out of the window before starting arrangements on his phone.

He completely ignored Peyton’s protests.

Sebastian knew he had to be the father that he’d never had.