BABY DADDY by Eve Montelibano Page A

coldness in her voice. Yesterday, she was warm and welcoming and she was all mine. “I thought you’d be happy to see me again.”
    She crosses her arms on her chest in a defensive stance. “What is it you wanted to say? Say it now, then leave.”
    Okay, if that’s the way she wants it.
    “Were you a virgin last night?” I go bluntly.
    Her jaw drops. Then she flushes and looks away. “I’m not—“
    “I saw the blood stains on the sheets this morning.”
    She doesn’t answer and just closes her eyes tightly.
    Bingo.
    I sigh deeply. I can’t believe this.
    “So, let me get this straight. You were a virgin last night and you wanted to get pregnant with my child on the first day we met. You sure dumped some major shit on me in one go.”
    The elevator dings at her floor.
    She scrambles to get out. I let her.
    I follow behind her, confusion and fury rioting inside me.
    She stops in front of her suite’s door.
    She takes out her card key from her shoulder bag but doesn’t tap the lock.
    “Look, Raiden—“
    I take the card key from her hand and open the door. “Get in.”
    I follow her inside and close the door.
    She faces me, her eyes defensive. Hostile. “What do you want me to do now? Apologize for being still a virgin at my age?”
    I’m not in the mood to be sympathetic of her hang-ups. She owes me some explanation. Big ones. “I don’t care about your age, but you just don’t do that, Ella! Have sex with a man and not tell him anything, especially something as important as that!”
    “It wasn’t important to me!!!” she screams.
    Her sudden outburst shocks me. I’ve detonated something inside her, but I have my own issues, too and I want answers. Satisfactory answers. “Not important? Is that why you’ve remained so all these years?”
    I see her flinch and swallow like there’s a lump in her throat. I know there’s more to this than what she’s telling me and I want to find out. Why? I don’t know. I just want to. Badly.
    Stella Rhodes is an enigma I want to crack.
    “What’s your goddamn point?!” she demands.
    I lose my temper, too. She’s shouting at me like this is all my fault when she was the one who has been sneaky all along.
    “My point is you lied to me! You lied twice and they’re not little white lies! A virgin and then a baby! Dammit, Ella, what were you thinking?!”
    “What have you lost? Nothing! You’re a man! I thought you’ve forgotten about it already!”
    “Christ, you think I’m such a monster?! I’ve never abused a woman in my entire life! I was raised to be a decent human being and you managed to heap a load of emotional guilt on me all in one night!”
    “Oh, is that why you’re here? You feel guilty? Well, don’t be. It’s over and done with! I wanted it. I don’t hold you accountable. Jesus, I’m thirty-seven! I’m an embarrassment already! Thank you for mercy-fucking me and helping me get rid of my pesky V-card which was long overdue for popping anyway, but please, spare me the further humiliation and just fucking drop it, okay?!”
    “Mercy…?! What are you talking about?!”
    “Oh, shut up!”
    She runs to the bathroom and slams the door shut.
    “Ella! Open the door! Ella!”
    “Please, Raiden, we’re disturbing the other guests. Just leave!”
    I’m sorely tempted to kick the door down and continue our argument but I opt to let it go for now. She’s right. We’re creating a major racket and I don’t want security to come knocking and find me here causing the commotion.
    “We’re not finished yet, Ella. I’ll be back tomorrow,” I say and leave her suite.
    Tomorrow I’ll deal with this. I don’t know exactly why I still want to talk to her or what I’d get out of further associating with her, but I do want to and I must.
    More than ever, now, I want to know more about Stella Rhodes. No woman has intrigued me like she has and I’m not about to let her get away just like that.

    I sag in relief when I hear the soft sound of the