Page 31 of The Cabin-A Reverse Harem Romance
“I don’t need anything from you, Chase,” she said slowly.
“You say that, but I’m here,” I said. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you and your baby, if there is one, are okay. That we can keep you away from that asshole.”
“I just want Brad out of my life, that’s not something you can help with,” she said, her voice tight. “Not if this is his child.”
The next part I was about to say, hurt me to even speak, and filled me with an overwhelming sense of dread and fear. I knew that it was wrong in most cases, but in this one, Brad wasn’t the type of guy she needed to be tied to for the rest of her life. The bruise on her arm was evidence of that.
“What if – and just hear me out here,” I said, licking my lips and thinking hard about what I was about to say, “What if he wasn’t the father?”
Elise cocked her head to the side, shocked. She sat upright, stiffly, and her mouth opened wide, the outrage and anger clear upon her face – and it was in that moment, I realized exactly how she’d taken it. Which was the polar opposite of how I meant it.
“What do you mean? Chase, I know he’s the father. He’s the only man I’ve been with. What kind of woman do you think I am?”
I cringed. “No, not like that. I didn’t mean to imply – no, that’s not what I meant,” I stammered, trying to clarify quickly. “What I meant was what if he didn’t have to be the father?”
She threw her hands in the air and shook her head. She looked like she was about three seconds from throwing me out of the cabin altogether.
“But he is the father, Chase. I can’t change that.”
Her voice rose a bit, then she caught herself and lowered it again. I wasn’t communicating what I was trying to say clearly enough. She wasn’t getting where I was going with it. I screwed up my face, trying to find the right way to put it, and was coming up empty. I wasn’t normally that thick or obtuse, but I knew I was treading on dangerous, uncertain ground, and I needed to make sure what I was saying wasn’t misunderstood, or misconstrued.
“What are you trying to say, Chase?”
I blew out a frustrated breath and decided to dispense with the niceties. No need to beat around the bush. So, I just went for it.
“What if I could step in and be the father to this child?” I asked. “Leave Brad out of this entirely? He wouldn’t even have to know.”
The look on her face shifted before my eyes. Her eyes grew as wide as dinner plates, and her mouth open in a cute little “O” shape as if I’d taken her by surprise. I’d taken us both by surprise with that offer, but it felt right. Not just because I’d be doing the right thing for Elise and her child, but because I cared for her. I loved her, and I wanted to be there for her.
“I don’t mean we have to be together, like that,” I added. “Just – well, we’d co-parent. You know I’m good for it. I’m financially stable, I love kids –”
“Chase, I – I don’t know what to say. I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“You don’t have to say anything, Elise,” I said. “And you’re not asking me to do anything. I’m offering. Just promise me you’ll think about it.”
“Seriously. I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking. Like I said, I’m offering,” I said softly. “You know I’ve always wanted kids. I don’t care if they’re mine or not.”
She nodded. She knew me well. The other guys, sure, they might have visions of settling down and starting a family one day, I honestly had no idea. We’d never talked about it in depth. But I’d always wanted to have a family. After my ex and I split, I feared I’d lost my opportunity for that.
I scooted closer to Elise, taking her face in my hands. “We don’t have to be together, like I said. I don’t care about all that,” I told her, my voice earnest. “You just wouldn’t have to raise the child alone. Or even worse, raise it with Brad.”
She swallowed hard, tears welled up in her eyes. “I – I’ll think about it,” she said.
“Good.”
Before the conversation could go any further, there was a loud banging downstairs coming from the front part of the house. I cringed as I heard Brad’s voice shouting from outside. Elise’s face fell, and she curled into herself even more, shadows dark and conflicted in her eyes.
“It’s alright. Stay up here. Lock yourself in the bathroom if you must, but don’t come downstairs,” I said. “We’ll handle it.”
