Her Baby Secret (Friends & Lovers Book 1)

by Jaye Diane

  “I was so hurt, Devin,” She whispered. “And I...I didn't think I'd keep it.”

  Panic jumped into his throat and he slid closer to her in the chair, putting his hands on both sides of her face so they could look each other in the eye.

  “Robyn,” He said, trying not to jump to conclusions. She did say she didn't think...she had to have changed her mind.

  “I'm keeping it,” She hurriedly assured him and he felt so relieved that he almost fell back in the chair.

  “How far along are you?” He asked, dropping his arms down to the arms of the chair.

  “Eleven weeks now,” Robyn said. She reached over to her purse, which was on the bedside table, and reached inside the bag, removing two sonogram pictures. She pressed them into his hands. “We conceived the last time we were ever together.”

  The last time they'd made love had been the day before their dinner date, the dinner they'd never gone to because they'd believed that they'd both been stood up. They'd been so eager that night. It seemed that the more they made love, the more they craved it. His appetite hadn't waned at all. He'd taken her a few times that night before making his way home in the early hours of the morning.

  “This baby was meant to be,” He said, before looking down at the sonogram pictures. He could see his child. His child! Little head, arms, legs, feet... He stared at the pictures, filled with wonderment and joy. Tears came to his eyes and he went down on his knees in front of Robyn and wrapped his arms around her.

  He felt Robyn running her hand over his head and he pressed his hand to her flat stomach. His baby. His child was growing within her. It was almost too much to take in. He looked at the pictures again, marveling over the miracle that he and Robyn had created.

  “I'm due on July 15th,” She said, a tremor in her voice.

  That was ten days after what would have been their one year anniversary. It definitely felt like it was meant to be.

  At last, he stood up, still holding the pictures in his hand.

  “I'm sorry you've been dealing with all this by yourself,” He said, sitting back in the chair. “I'm not going to let you go through anything else alone.”

  She slowly nodded. “You can be as involved as you like.”

  “Involved?” Devin said incredulously. “I'm going to be there for you and our child every day.”

  He wanted to ask her to marry him but he knew he'd be flat out rejected. In time, he promised himself. He had to fully win her back before he proposed.

  “I think we should live together,” He said instead.

  “No,” She said, sounding strangled. “That's not a good idea.”

  “Yes, it is. You've seen how big my house is. It's perfect for the three of us. You'd have your own space and I'd have mine but we'd both be under the same roof with the baby.”

  “No,” She said again, shaking her head. “I can't live with you.”

  “It's for the baby's sake, Robyn,” He said, his tone even and sure. “You don't have to move in now. But you should move in before the baby comes. So you have plenty of time.”

  She crossed her arms over her middle, a habit she had when she got defensive.

  “Once you think about it, you'll realize this is what's best for all three of us, especially the baby. And I know you want what's best for our child.” Devin put the sonogram pictures back into her hand.

  “Of course I do,” She said, rolling her eyes. “But that doesn't mean...”

  His phone rang and he removed it from his pocket. It was his boss.

  “We'll talk later,” He said, kissing Robyn's forehead. He walked out of her room to take the call, feigning a calmness that he didn't feel. He was going to be a father and he couldn't wait to tell everyone about it. But at the same time, he was worried about his relationship with Robyn and exactly how and when he'd be able to fix it.

  Robyn hid out in her room for as long as she could, surprised that no one had come knocking. She was actually very hungry and hesitantly went down the stairs, wondering if she could sneak into the kitchen. She could smell dinner cooking and knew that they were having another feast. Her mother, Angelica and Enrique always went all out for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Some of the scents were pleasant but the others made her a little queasy. She had a few mints in her pocket, just in case.

  When she stepped off the bottom step, she tried to creep past the living room to the kitchen but Peyton quickly spotted her and ran over.

  “Oh my god, you're pregnant!” Peyton said, laughing and crying at the same time. “I can't believe it!”

  “Why didn't you tell me Devin was the father?” Ines questioned, wagging her eyebrows.

  “I'm sorry,” Robyn murmured but couldn't say much more than that before she was surrounded by not just Peyton and Ines but also Grace, Elizabeth, Elena and Whitney.

  They all talked at once, prompting Marjorie, Angelica and Enrique to come from the kitchen to see what was going on. It was too much for Robyn to take in and she started giving monosyllabic replies or just nodding and shaking her head.

  Robyn found herself installed on the couch, surrounded by most of her family but wondering where Devin and their dads were. Keith and Javier were also missing.

  “Two grandchildren!” Angelica exclaimed. “I am on top of the world.” She kissed Robyn's cheek several times. “I could not be happier if I'd picked you for Devin myself.”

  Elena silently beamed, her hands clasped on her lap.

  “Why did you guys keep it a secret?” Ines asked.

  “That's so romantic,” Elizabeth said, looking misty eyed.

  “We would have told everyone eventually, if the relationship had lasted. We didn't want the extra attention.” Robyn felt very uncomfortable revealing secrets to everybody but she had a feeling that she'd create more drama by trying to be secretive. On the plus side, the truth was out and it was a huge weight off her shoulders to no longer have to carry her secrets.

  “But you two have made up now, right?” Grace asked.

  “Sort of,” Robyn replied, getting ready for adverse reactions from everyone.

  “What does sort of mean?” Grace demanded. “I'm going to kick his ass.”

  “We've made amends but we're not together,” Robyn clarified, her stomach growling. “And enough with the threats, Grace Elena Jamison.”

  Grace smirked.

  “Why on earth not?” Marjorie questioned, frowning. “It's so obvious that you two are in love.”

  “Enough with the questions!” Robyn yelled, making Whitney drop her doll and stare. “At least until I've had something to eat.”

  “Dinner's almost done,” Angelica said, her voice very quiet. Her disappointment was obvious.

  “I'll get you a snack,” Grace said, rushing off towards the kitchen.

  Robyn was once again swamped by questions from everyone and she shook her head, feeling annoyed but starting to see the humor in the situation.

  “When's your due date?” Elizabeth asked. “Dev didn't get to tell us before Jared and Quinton rushed him into Quinton's office.”

  “July 15th,” Robyn answered, wondering what their dads wanted with Devin. It couldn't be anything good.

  “Wow,” Elizabeth said, “You're due before I am!”

  Grace came back into the living room carrying a platter of banana nut muffins. Under normal circumstances, Robyn enjoyed muffins. But the normally fragrant scent turned her stomach. Not wanting to hurt her friend's feelings, Robyn picked up a muffin but just held it.

  “What are Daddy and Jared doing in the office with Devin?” Robyn asked, looking to her mother and Angelica.

  “Giving him some much needed guidance,” Marjorie said, glaring at Robyn. “I think you need some too. But it will have to wait until after dinner.” She and Angelica looked at each other and nodded.

  The scent of the muffin wafted up to her and Robyn felt the bile rise up in her throat. Mortified beyond belief, she covered her mouth with her hands and ran desperately to the nearest
bathroom. She ignored the sounds of alarm and concern and slammed the bathroom door behind her. She puked, feeling like a complete idiot. Now that everyone knew she was pregnant, she had to stop trying to hide how she was feeling and be honest.

  She'd already been hungry before she threw up. Now she felt even worse. Rinsing her mouth, then gargling with mouth wash, she ignored the hushed whispering outside of the bathroom door. At least they had the sense not to try coming in.

  Her knees feeling weak and her body trembling, she sat down on the toilet seat and tried to calm down. Thank god the morning sickness would be over soon. She'd been so wrapped up in nursing her broken heart that she'd completely missed all the changes in her body. A few weeks after the break up, the fatigue had begun. But she'd attributed that to her sleepless nights. Her breasts had begun to swell but she hadn't paid attention to how uncomfortable her bras had become. Plus the headaches. She'd always been prone to migraines but she'd never had so many in such a short amount of time. She'd neglected herself in many ways.

  She again wondered what her father and Jared were saying to Devin. They were probably trying to bully him into proposing. She'd been so surprised and even disappointed that Devin hadn't proposed. She'd fully expected him to, although she'd told herself that she would never accept. But he hadn't even bothered and that made her feel horrible for some reason. She knew she was being an idiot. But at least no one else knew.

  When she opened the bathroom door, she was greeted by Elena. She supposed Elena had shooed everyone else away and she was grateful. Elena came and took her hand.

  “Come. You sit down while I find something for you in the kitchen.” Elena led her back to the living room.

  “How did you know I was pregnant?” Robyn whispered. “I thought you could only detect pregnancy in the people you're related to.”

  Elena smiled indulgently. “I can tell when I have a new family member on the way.” Elena winked. “Once I felt your pregnancy, I knew that Devin had to be the father.”

  Robyn smiled, relieved that everyone knew about the baby and were not just taking the news well but actually excited about it. With Elena's powerful gift, she'd never stood a chance at keeping the news to herself for long.

  The future was still scary but she felt a deluge of relief. No matter what happened now, she knew she had her family and friends by her side. So why did that same old sadness start creeping up inside of her?

  Chapter Nine

  By the time dinner began, Devin was in a sour mood. After the nonstop lecture by his father and Quintin, he'd had to endure his mother's pleading for him to do the right thing. It didn't matter that he'd assured them that Robyn would say no. They were upset that he wouldn't even try. Quintin didn't nag as much as his own parents had but he did give Devin the third degree about why he'd crossed the line with Robyn in the first place. And that had just been awkward. His brother had silently watched, not saying anything at all, and for that Devin was relieved.

  Devin sat at the table, trying to meet Robyn's eyes. When she looked at him, she gave him a small smile before looking down at her plate. She was eating a plain baked potato and broiled chicken. She couldn't indulge in any of the Christmas feast but he was glad she was eating. Warmth spread through him, imagining their child growing within her, and some of his ire was soothed away.

  Keith walked into the dining room, shaking his head and sitting at the table next to Peyton.

  “Did you get some work done?” Peyton asked, cutting some baked ham on Whitney's plate.

  “I did,” Keith said, smiling and kissing Peyton on the cheek. “And I checked the weather. It looks like we'll be able to hit the road first thing in the morning although they said we're going to get some more snow.”

  There were a few groans at the table and Keith shrugged his shoulders.

  “I don't understand people working on Christmas,” Marjorie complained, lifting her wine glass and taking a sip.

  “It was work I was supposed to get done in the office yesterday,” Keith explained to his mother-in-law. “But since I knew the storm was coming, I left work early. I could have saved it for tomorrow but I wasn't doing much today so I decided to get it over with.”

  Marjorie nodded silently but Devin knew that she didn't get it. She'd come from an upper-class family and had never had to work. She and his mother had opened their restaurant together on a whim, basically because they were bored housewives who's children were nearly grown.

  Devin had anticipated going back to work the following day but his boss had called to let him know that 50G Studios would be closed. Being that it was Christmas and so many people had traveled for the holiday, many were stranded out of town. Business would resume on Monday. Devin didn't bother thinking about how far behind the deadline that would push him and his team. They'd just have to work overtime to make up for the lost time.

  “Times have changed,” Robyn was saying, “Plenty of people have children without being married.”

  Devin wondered what he'd missed while letting his thoughts wander but quickly saw that his mother was the one putting Robyn on the spot.

  “But we do not do that in our family,” Angelica said plaintively.

  “Mami, not now,” Devin warned her. He'd already gone over all of this with his father and Quintin, and then again with his mother. To have her bring it up again was extremely frustrating and Devin was pissed off.

  “You're leaving tomorrow,” Angelica said, her tone icy. “When should we talk about it, then?”

  “We're adults, Angelica,” Robyn said, putting her fork down and folding her hands on the table top, looking very much like the teacher that she was. “We will decide what is best for us.”

  “What about what's best for the baby?” Marjorie chimed in.

  “Mom!” Robyn exclaimed, obviously offended. “Of course we're going to do what's best for the baby.”

  “A child needs two parents,” Angelica went on.

  “Our child has two parents,” Devin said impatiently. “Stop overreacting.”

  His mother gasped indignantly. Seated halfway down the table, Grace snickered. Everyone else at the table looked either curious or uncomfortable.

  Devin glared at his sister, then his mother.

  “So my grandchild will have two rooms in two separate houses and wonder why his parents didn't love each other,” Marjorie said mildly. “Yes, I can see how that's what's best for him.”

  Robyn put her head down in her hands and sighed heavily.

  “And he will wonder why you two were good enough to screw each other but not marry each other,” Angelica said solemnly.

  “What the...!” Peyton slapped her hands over Whitney's ears.

  “Forgive me,” Angelica said, actually blushing.

  Grace's shoulders shook with quiet laughter. Everyone else bit back grins.

  “I can't believe this,” Devin muttered.

  “Well, it's the truth,” Angelica said, shaking her head.

  “Mami! ¡Cállate!” Devin snapped. He'd never told his mother to shut up before but if there was ever a time to do it, now was the time.

  “Devin,” His father's voice boomed across the table. “Don't you ever speak to your mother like that.”

  “She's the one that started this,” Devin said accusingly. “This is a private matter that should just be between me and Robyn and she's made it a group discussion.”

  “Mi propio hijo,” Angelica whispered, looking hurt. My own son. “Faltar el respeto a su madre.” Disrespecting his mother.

  “Enough!” Elena said. “Let us have dinner. The discussion can resume later.”

  Devin's appetite was gone and he didn't even try to pretend to eat. He would have left the table but he didn't want them to gang up on Robyn again.

  It was so quiet that the only sounds were the whispers of everyone's breathing. Robyn pushed her plate away, having only eaten a few bites. He got even madder when he thought about how enthusiastically she'd began her meal. Now her appetite w
as gone. Thanks to his mother's nagging.

  “I raised you to do better,” Angelica said and Devin was ready to pop.

  “Let it go,” He said, glaring.

  “Angelica,” Jared said, grabbing her hand. “Stop it.”

  “Enough!” Robyn yelled.

  Whitney covered her mouth with her hand, looking scared. “Auntie...”

  “It's okay, sweetie,” Peyton said, stroking a hand over her daughter's head.

  “Not that it's anybody's business,” Robyn said, standing, “But I don't want to marry Devin. And he doesn't want to marry me. But we are planning to live together. I will be moving into his house shortly. So please, leave it alone. That's as good as your going to get.”

  Robyn stormed out of the dining room, visibly upset. Grace stood up, stared at everyone, and ran out of the room too. Devin looked at little Whitney, who stared around the room with wide eyes. He looked back to his mother.

  “I hope you're happy,” Devin said grimly. “You've made her upset.”

  His mother looked like she might cry but Devin was too mad to care. He walked out of the room and went up the stairs to look for Robyn. How could today be one of the happiest days of his life but also be so damn aggravating? He was sure that later, after he'd calmed down and thought about everything, that he'd be relieved that Robyn had announced to everyone that she was going to live with him. But for now he was so mad that he really couldn't think straight. He hoped that Robyn wasn't too distressed from all the bullshit.

  Robyn got into her bed and pulled the covers over her head, so upset that she was surprised no tears would come. Perhaps she was all cried out. Perhaps it would hit her a lot later. No matter, she was just thankful she wasn't crying. She felt a very distinct pang from her and Devin's parents' disapproval. Sitting through that confrontation had been brutal, and with so many witnesses too. Still, it had gone a lot better than all the scenarios that she'd imagined in her head. No wonder her heart continued pounding.

  A knock sounded at the door and Robyn thought about ignoring it but knew that would be immature to do. She pulled the covers off of her head.