Baby Be Mine (Spinsters & Casanovas Series Book 1) (31 page)

“Get your head together, kid,” Hunter said
when he saw Max’s strange behavior. “What’s gotten into you?”

“You don’t understand. You were a mistake. I
don’t even know you. I thought you were the one she was after, so
that was why I tricked you into that room. Oh God, I might as well
die now. I can’t face Clarice. Help me. Just bring me a noose. Let
me hang myself here. I’ll text Whitney and Elise to let them know
I’m moving on to the next life.”

“Max, what the hell are you on about?”
Hunter asked in a panic as his frantic heartbeat chased the rhythm
of his breath. “What mistake? Not the one you thought?”

“You…” Max gasped, then gave up and laid his
head on the table, wailing like a little lost puppy. “Just kill me
already. I can’t face Clarice.”

“Max, Jesus, get a grip, boy.” Hunter pushed
Max’s head up and looked into his brown eyes. “What the hell are
you talking about? Answer me.”

Max’s lips trembled slightly. “You want to
find out who your mysterious goddess is?”

“Yeah.” Hunter’s eyes lit up. He would get
to see her again. Inside, he felt a sudden wealth of happiness.

“She’s Clarice, my cousin.” Max spoke
quietly but clearly.

Hunter was stunned speechless for a moment.
“What? You mind repeating that again?” His heart beat faster now.
All his focus was zoomed onto Max and those words echoing in his
ears. But he was afraid he didn’t hear him properly. He needed to
hear it again.

“I said your mysterious goddess is my
cousin, Clarice. She’s the one that slept with you that night in
Queenstown,” Max cried out. “But you don’t get it. She didn’t know
it was you.”

Hunter didn’t hear anything. For the second
time that day, he was in complete and total shock. First the doctor
announcing to him that Clarice was pregnant, and now finding out
his mysterious goddess was actually his avocado.

“But this means… this means…” Hunter
couldn’t finish his sentence.

“It means you’re the father of Clarice’s
baby.”

CHAPTER 26

Clarice opened her eyelids slowly. The
bright light really hurt her eyes, so she closed them again.
Feeling she could now adjust to the light, she slowly fluttered her
eyes open again and saw Whitney’s and Elise’s worried face looking
down at her.

“Clarice?” she heard Elise ask. “How are you
feeling?”

“We were so worried, Clarice,” Whitney said.
“Are you feeling better?”

What was wrong with her friends? Why were
they staring at her like she was sick?

And then it all came back to her. The
doctor, the colorful, flamboyant Dr. Flint, who had diagnosed her
condition. Her condition…

She was pregnant.

Clarice jumped out of bed, her hair an
untamed mess.

“Guys!” she shouted and hugged both of her
friends. “I’m pregnant.”

Whitney and Elise were strangled by
Clarice’s tight grip around their necks.

“Con-grat-u-la-tions,” Whitney managed to
say, “but-please… let go-of-our… necks.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, guys. I’m so happy. I forgot
what I was—”

Dear heavens, why does it have to be
now?
Clarice thought as she raced to the bathroom and vomited
what little was left in her stomach into the toilet bowl, which was
nothing really because she didn’t get to eat anything at all
since…

Hunter, where was Hunter? Her memory came
flooded back. After the doctor had told her she was pregnant, she
was so happy she didn’t know what she was doing and literally stood
and hugged Hunter. And it wasn’t just any normal hug; she had to
smash her face in his shirt and cry her heart out like they were
lovers or something.

Oh, heaven help her. What was she going to
do now? She couldn’t face Hunter anymore. Not after she acted like
that. She was supposed to be the adult, so why did she act like a
kid, sobbing into his shirt upon hearing the news that she was
pregnant?

But she was pregnant. She really was. And
she was vomiting, which definitely meant “morning sickness.” Yes,
she was so happy, so very, very happy.

Both Elise and Whitney came into the
bathroom and started rubbing her back.

“Thanks, guys,” she said, then sat on the
toilet seat.

“You need someone to look after you,”
Whitney said, looking at her friend who was still as cheerful as
ever, despite her sickness.

“I’m capable of looking after myself,
Whitney. I’ll be fine.” Clarice brushed aside her friend’s concern.
“It’s only morning sickness, after all. I’m sure I’ll get through
it.”

“I’m not talking about just that. I’m
talking about through your whole pregnancy. You need someone to
look after you.” Whitney emphasized her point again. “You have to
go on maternity leave. You have to rest a lot. You’ll be tired and
moody. You need someone to care for you.” Whitney couldn’t express
her concern enough, so she just reiterated the same sentiment
again.

“I’m only pregnant. I’m not disabled,”
Clarice said, defending herself. “I’m an adult. I’m used to living
alone. I’ll be fine.”

“Have you told him yet?” Elise spoke for the
first time, her thoughts in agreement with Whitney’s. For once, she
wanted her friend to stop being stubborn and listen to their
advice.

Clarice didn’t want to answer.

“Do you like him?” Elise rephrased her
question.

“Well, I…” Clarice didn’t need to ask Elise
whom she was referring to. The fact was she didn’t know
how
to answer. She liked Anton, but she wanted Hunter whenever he was
around. Did that even make sense? Having a baby with one cousin but
lusting for the other.

“Clarice, I’m asking you as a friend who
cares for you dearly,” Elise said. “Have you told him yet?”

“No.” Clarice finally let out her
answer.

“Why not?” Whitney asked. “You are having a
baby. Have you thought of the consequences yet? This isn’t all fun
and games. You have a
baby
inside you. You must devote all
your time and energy to looking after that baby.”

The tension among the friends was evident as
Clarice straightened her back and looked sharply at both women.

“Are you guys saying I’m incapable of
looking after my own baby, that I need someone to help me care for
my child?” Clarice said quietly, angry but most of all hurt.

“I’m not saying that, Clarice,” Whitney
said. “All I’m saying is I worry about you.”

“I have Max,” Clarice pointed out.

“He doesn’t live with you,” Whitney negated
her reasoning.

“He
could
live with me,” Clarice
retorted. “Plus, Mum and Dad would visit me nearer to time
too.”

“That’s not the point,” Elise said.

“Then what are you two getting at?”

“We’re worried about you at nighttime,”
Whitney said. “What happens if labor begins and you can’t get in
contact with us? What happens if Max is out and you can’t get in
contact with him? You need to tell Anton, Clarice. It’s his right
as the father.”

“But he doesn’t know anything about this. It
was supposed to be just a normal transaction, a one-night stand
even. I just wanted his sperm, and now I got it. So stop making me
feel guilty about this whole situation.”

Clarice really thought she was suffering
from constant mood swings. A minute ago, she was so mad she just
wanted to turn the whole place upside down, and now she just felt
this niggling annoyance with her friends.

“You didn’t ask for his permission, Clarice.
It was a one-night stand that resulted in a baby. Shouldn’t he at
least know he has a baby too? And if he doesn’t want the baby, then
at least we know he’s an ass,” Whitney said.

“Whitney, please, I don’t think it’s a good
idea,” Clarice pleaded. She could feel the arrow of guilt digging
into her heart. Was she at fault here? She just wanted a baby and
now she got it. That’s it. End of story. So why were her friends so
damn adamant about her telling Anton?

“I think it’s a good idea,” Elise said.
“It’s his right. If he rejects you, then at least you know. Plus,
what are you going to tell your baby when he or she grows up?
Wouldn’t your child want to know the father too?”

“And you can’t lie to your child that he was
conceived through artificial insemination, because that’s just
plain mean. It’s a sin to lie,” Whitney interjected before Clarice
could make another excuse.

“You guys are making me feel guilty here.”
Clarice gasped in exasperation.

“Just offering advice,” Whitney said,
patting her shoulder.

“Enough with the advice,” Clarice snapped,
then went out into the lounge to sit on the couch. “Where’s Max? I
haven’t seen him at all. Shouldn’t he be here to congratulate me
too? I called him from the hospital.” Clarice rambled on, hoping
her friends would drop the subject of her telling Anton about their
baby.

“You were sleeping the whole time we drove
you home. Of course you wouldn’t remember. Max texted us to pick
you up. He said he had something important to do, so he’ll see you
at home,” Elise explained.

And speaking of the devil, Max walked in
looking sulky, carrying bags of groceries, which was unnatural for
him. It was mainly Clarice who did the shopping for him, or else
her cousin would raid her fridge. So to see Max carrying bags into
her house was very surprising to all three friends.

“Max, did you hear?” Clarice’s face
immediately lit up upon seeing her cousin. “I’m pregnant.”

“Congratulations, Clarice,” Max forced a
smile and hugged his cousin. “You’ve got what you wanted. Now I’m
just going to put these groceries in the fridge.” Then Max was off
to the kitchen.

“That was strange. I thought he would jump
for joy or something,” Clarice muttered to herself.

“Maybe he’s starting to feel the jealousy
since you won’t be able to give him your full attention,” Elise
said, watching Max’s retreating back.

“Mmm.” Whitney eyed his strange behavior.
Something wasn’t right and she needed to get to the bottom of
this.

Max, on the other hand, reached the kitchen,
dropped the grocery bags, and sank all the way to the floor,
cradling himself in a fetal position.

“Forgive me, cuz. I’ve interfered in your
life again.”

* * *

“Why did you buy so many fruits and
vegetables? You want to turn me into a herbivore?” Clarice asked
her cousin when she started helping unpack the groceries Max bought
for her. And then her eyes grew even larger when she unloaded three
bags of red gala apples. “I don’t remember ever telling you I like
apples that much,” Clarice remarked.

Max didn’t want to tell Clarice that it had
been Hunter who’d forced him to go grocery shopping with him. When
Hunter realized he was the father of Clarice’s baby, he just got up
from his seat and announced they were going shopping, without
showing any kind of emotion. And that’s how he ended up with all
these fruits and vegetables. Before he parted ways with Hunter,
he’d even drummed into his ears that he must tell Clarice to eat
all those fruits and vegetables, especially the apples, and had
given him a note regarding the research on apples too.

“Well?” Clarice asked, disrupting his
thoughts.

“I thought you might like to eat some fruits
and vegetables since you’re pregnant now,” Max uttered, looking
away, knowing he was lying again.

“How did you know I was pregnant before I
even told you?”

“Elise texted me before you woke.”

“But I just told Elise
after
I woke
up.”

Shit, how am I supposed to answer that?

“It doesn’t matter. Just know that I know.
Here, you have to eat this apple.” Max thrust an apple in front of
Clarice’s face. “It’s good for you and the baby. Studies have shown
that... uh… wait.” Max dug into his jeans pocket and extracted the
note Hunter gave to him about his research on apples and pregnancy,
then read it aloud. “It reduces the chance of your baby wheezing
because of asthma,” Max mumbled, looking away again. God, the
guilt. It was eating him alive.

Clarice smiled. “You really care for me,
don’t you? Going all out to buy me three bags of apples so I can
eat well, plus doing extensive research on apples to make sure I
benefit during my pregnancy. Thanks so much, you little rascal,”
Clarice said, hugging him.

Max was crushed in his cousin’s hug. He
didn’t move, but just let her continue to squeeze him. He was so
ashamed of himself, so upset and so guilty. Inside, he prayed all
would work out between Hunter and Clarice, because he had a strong
feeling Hunter really cared for his cousin.

* * *

That night, Clarice lay in bed, rubbing her
stomach.

“I know you’re only an embryo right now, but
thank you for choosing me as your birth mother. I promise I’ll look
after you, even if you’ve been conceived without the permission of
your father.”

Then what her friends said to her earlier
that evening came back to haunt her. What if her child did want to
know who the father was? She knew she couldn’t lie. Maybe it was
best to contact Anton and tell him the truth. If he did reject her,
then it wouldn’t matter, since she was prepared to raise her child
alone anyway. But if he accepted her situation, then maybe she
could learn to love him. But she couldn’t help thinking about the
other cousin, the other cousin who had kissed her.

Clarice reflected on the events that had
transpired that day. From first thing in the morning when she’d
fantasized about kissing Hunter, to being carried by Hunter because
she couldn’t walk due to her sore feet, to finding out Hunter was
the other Silverton heir, to Hunter sitting next to her during
lunch, and then to hugging Hunter when she found out she was
pregnant.

Oh, what was she to do with her heart? It
began to beat for Hunter and for Hunter alone.