Page 82 of I Wanna Be Your Lager

“No.” I deadpan. “She doesn’t want to talk to you.”

“And you know this how?”

“Lach! Hurry! I need pizza.” Eve whines from the bedroom.

Pax shifts to see around me. “Eve! Are you in there?”

I slam the door, hoping like hell he gets the hint. Eve strolls out of the bedroom and comes to a stop. She stares at my empty hands. “Where’s the pizza?”

“It’s not here.” I scowl.

Her brows knit together. “Then who’s at the door?”

“No one.”

Another knock comes from the door, followed by a muffled, “Eve!”

Her eyes drift from me to the door, then back to me before weaving past me and pulling it open. Her back stiffens like an iron beam.

“Eve,” Pax says. His gaze drops to her belly. “Oh shit. You are pregnant.”

Eve sighs. “I told you that when I called you. Did you think I was lying? Never mind, it’s not important. Why are you here, Pax?” The annoyance is dripping from her voice. I don’t blame her because I’m right there too.

I move to stand behind Eve. I’m here if she needs me for anything. She peers over her shoulder and gives me a small smile before her attention drifts back to Pax.

Pax rubs the back of his neck. “I needed to see you. I miss you.” He looks up to me and then back to Eve. “Can we talk alone?”

“No.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “There is nothing we need to discuss unless you want to sign over paternity rights. Otherwise, we can discuss child support when the baby is born.” She glares at him.

His eyes dart everywhere and anywhere besides Eve—the one person his attention should be on. I’m sure he’s stalling to conjure up some stupid excuse. This confirms how much of a piece of shit he is.

“My wife can’t know about this. Any of this,” he grits through his teeth.

“Sorry to burst your I-want-my-cake-and-eat-it-too bubble, but it doesn’t work that way. She will find out. You can’t keep your child from her for eighteen years. Since you’re in town, your best option is to come with me tomorrow, and we’ll get a paternity test. When it proves you’re the father, you can relinquish your parental rights.” She blows out a breath. “Then you can continue on with your life as if nothing happened.”

Holy shit. Is he going to go with this plan? It would make Eve’s life a whole lot easier. She wants nothing to do with Pax. She’s more than capable of being a great mom to her baby boy, and I will be right there by her side. The baby won’t be without a father. I’ll be a father to him.

A car door on the street interrupts us. A young man steps out in jeans and a hoodie with a Harbor Highlands Pizzeria logo printed on the front. He jogs up to the door. “I have a pizza for Lach.”

I sidestep Eve and Pax, passing the delivery guy some cash for the pizza. Eve’s nose follows the lingering aroma of the savory tomato sauce and the sweet and tangy smell of the pineapple.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, Pax, and we’ll go to the clinic for the test.” Before he can say anything else, she closes the door on him.

I laugh. “Clearly we know which is more important to you between pizza or Pax.” I set the pizza box on the coffee table in front of the couch.

“Pizza would win one hundred percent every time.” Eve takes a seat and flips open the box, grabbing a slice. “Also, don’t come between a hungry pregnant woman and food.”

“Noted.” I grab a slice for myself. “Do you think he’ll go through with it tomorrow?”

Eve finishes chewing and then swallows. “He’ll do anything to avoid threats to his lifestyle. He’s selfish like that. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before. He doesn’t want a kid. I would rather be a single mom than have a piece of shit like him around. It would be more of a headache than being helpful.”

I nod. “I have your back, no matter what happens.”

A radiant smile spreads across her face as she beams up at me, her eyes sparkling with happiness. “I know.”

We finish eating in comfortable silence. That’s one thing I love about being with Eve. We can be content just being in each other’s presence. No need to fill the silence with meaningless words. Our words are invisible, but we both feel them. Eve leans over, resting her head on my shoulder. She pops the last bite of pizza crust into her mouth and moans in satisfaction.

Dessa and Riley always talk about when you find the one, you just know it. I never believed it. I always thought it was horseshit. Until now. I can’t explain it. It’s a tightness in my chest. A flutter in my stomach. I don’t want to be with anyone else. I think back to the woman at the bookstore. She told me it wouldn’t be worth it if it wasn’t hard. Eve is worth it. She’s worth every punch in the face. Every surprise ex visit. Because I alsoget every smile. Every laugh. Every kiss. We will emerge stronger because we faced those challenges together.

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