“Do you have any intention of marrying my daughter?”
“Yes, but if I propose now, Carla will think it’s only because she’s pregnant.”
He nods again. “True.” He tilts his head, lifting an eyebrow at me.
“I do plan on marrying her once our baby is born.”
Mr. Reyes lets out a chuckle that sounds more like a warning. His eyes settle hard on mine. “Carla is and always will be my little girl. God help you if you hurt her in any way.”
“I won’t,” I assure him.
He lets out a scoffing sound. “You did once before, so I guess that remains to be seen.”
I take a deep breath, then say, “Carla was fifteen. I thought you would understand why I rejected her back then?” I don’t wait for his reply but carry on, “I’ve always wanted the best for her, and I did what was right. I will always do what’s right when it comes to her. I love Carla. I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel about her.”
The corner of Mr. Reyes’ mouth lifts slightly, and then he agrees with me, “Yeah, you did the right thing.” He leans back in his chair. “So you’ve been dabbling in investments?”
Knowing the worst is over with, my body relaxes as we begin to talk business.
Tomorrow we’ll tell my parents, and then Carla and I can focus on our baby.
Chapter 20
CARLA
Sitting in Mrs. West’s office, my knee keeps bouncing until Noah places his hand on my leg. I’m going to have a total nervous breakdown before we’re done telling everyone.
I glance at the family portraits on the desk's side and the achievements framed on the wall. My gaze darts to Noah, and I scowl when I see how calm he looks.
“Are you really not worried?” I ask.
“Nope.” He even lets that damn ‘P’ pop, which earns him a glare from me.
Just then, the door opens, and the second I lay eyes on Noah’s parents, my heart races out of the office, and I shrink back against the chair.
God. They’re going to kill us, and we barely survived my parents.
Noah gets up to give his mom a hug and to shake hands with his father. I force myself to stand on shaky legs.
I manage a nervous smile as I step forward to shake their hands. “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. West. How are you?” At least it doesn’t sound like I’m about to have a breakdown.
“Hi, Carla,” Mrs. West smiles at both of us as she takes a seat behind her desk.
Imma gonna die.
Mr. West’s gaze darts between us, then he asks, “You said you had something to tell us?”
My mouth dries up, and I begin to sweat as if I just ran a marathon. My leg’s back to bouncing as if it’s trying to break a record.
“Carla’s pregnant,” Noah drops the nuclear missile.
My eyes widen, and my mouth drops open. I manage to gather myself enough to glare at Noah. “Seriously? That’s how you tell your parents?” I turn an apologetic expression to Mr. and Mrs. West. “I’m so sorry. It was an accident. We didn’t plan it. I had –”
Mrs. West’s mouth curves up in a smile as she interrupts me. “Take a breath, Carla. It’s okay.”
Either Mrs. West is super good at keeping her composure, or… I don’t know. I’m expecting an outburst at any moment.
“Hold up,” Mr. West murmurs, and my gaze locks on his face. “Run that past me again.”
“Carla’s pregnant, Dad. We’re having a baby,” Noah tells him again.
Mr. West’s eyebrows rise as he asks, “How did that happen?”
“Really, Jaxson?” Mrs. West chuckles. “You know how it happened.”
My heart’s pounding against my ribs, and I clasp my hands tightly together on my lap as my eyes dart between them.
“Yeah,” Mr. West mutters. I watch as he takes a deep breath, then he says, “How do you both feel?”
“Happy,” Noah answers.
Mr. West’s eyes lock with mine, and it has me sputtering, “Like I’m about to have an anxiety attack.”
My reaction makes Mr. West smile, and it sets me a bit at ease.
“It’s a huge responsibility, but hopefully, it will be a happy one,” Mrs. West says.
“It’s going to be tough,” Mr. West adds. “But as long as you’re happy.”
Mrs. West seems just as calm as Noah, and then her eyes lock on mine. “Have you had a blood test done?”
I shake my head.
“We’ll do one before you leave. Have you seen a gynecologist?”
I shake my head again.
“The hospital has a good doctor. I’ll arrange an appointment with her on your behalf.” Then she gets up, which also has me rising to my feet, but she indicates that I should sit again. “I’m just going to draw a vial of blood.”
“Wow,” Mr. West murmurs again, drawing my attention back to him. His gaze keeps darting between Noah and me. “I’m going to be a grandfather.”