I felt irritation simmering in my chest. Her showing up here, attempting to “surprise” me, brought back a part of my life I thought was over. It had been a while since I last heard from her, and I certainly didn’t wish to see her now.
How did she even get up here? The building had around-the-clock doormen whose job was to screen visitors in the lobby. I had made sure weeks ago that her name was removed from the approved list. The thought that Reeva might have bribed someone to get up here made me uneasy; that person could lose their job for this.
She pressed the doorbell again, adding fuel to the fire in my chest.
“What do you want?” I snapped as I unlocked the door.
“I need to talk to you,” she said when I pulled the door open.
Stepping back, she folded her arms in her signature stance—a sign of her cockiness. While we were dating, if I ever confronted her, I had to repeat my question at least twice before she would bother to answer. But those days were over, and I had no intention of playing her games.
“What do you want to talk about?” I waited a few seconds, then added, “You being here is totally inappropriate.”
“Wait!” she called out as I moved to shut the door, a hint of panic in her tone.
She started unfastening the buttons of her coat. For a moment, I thought she was about to strip right there in the hallway, but underneath the coat was a black cotton dress.
Her hands rubbed her stomach. “I’m pregnant, and it’s yours.”
“What?”
My heart thudded in my chest, and I was sure my lungs had stopped working. If it weren’t for the small swell of her stomach, I would have thought it was some sort of joke.
But she must be lying. Shehadto be.
Logic kicked in, and I tried to rationalize the situation. Even if she was pregnant, the baby couldn’t be mine. I couldn't help but think that way because I knew the kind of person Reeva was.
“You expect me to believe that you’re carrying my child?”
“I didn’t believe it, either, at first. But look, Anton.” She stepped back from the door and turned to the side, her slightly rounded belly more noticeable from this angle. “I’m three months pregnant.”
Three months ago, we were nearing the end of our relationship. We broke up two months ago. Why would she get pregnant right then? Was it possible? A baby?
Rattled, I took a step forward to get a better look at her.
“Do you expect me to believe that?” I said, folding my arms and making no effort to hide my displeasure at seeing her again.
She sighed. “I know this news must be a shock to you. I’ve been trying to contact you for weeks, ever since I found out I’m pregnant.”
“Reeva, I don’t appreciate you coming here like this. You should leave.”
“You think I’m lying to you, don’t you? I’m not. And if you hadn’t blocked me, I wouldn’t be here, sneaking into your building to tell you you’re going to be a father.”
I glanced down at her hand resting on her stomach.
“How is this even possible? I always used protection, and I was always careful.”
“If you let me move in with you, we could figure it out together,” she said, ignoring my questions.
I blanched at that suggestion. It was what she wanted; now, she was using this baby as a means to an end.
“Unless you have proof that the baby is mine, I’m done talking,” I said, certain that would bring an end to the conversation.
As if anticipating this moment, she pulled an envelope from her purse and shoved toward me. When I didn’t reach for it, she shook it in front of my face. Reluctantly, I took it, opened it, and unfolded the paper inside. It was a lab result.
“I already got the paternity test done,” she explained.
“How—?”