Legally Bound: Pregnant with my Rival's Baby

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The amber liquid swirled in my glass, a miniature whirlpool that matched the chaos in my mind. I stood at the window of my penthouse, staring out at the New York skyline without really seeing it. All I could see was Sophia's face - the hurt, the anger, the disappointment etched into every line as she'd stormed out of the restaurant.

I'd screwed up. Monumentally.

The sharp ring of my phone cut through my brooding. I glanced at the screen: James. Perfect. Just what I needed - another reminder of how spectacularly I'd failed to live up to the Hawthorne name.

I considered letting it go to voicemail, but knowing James, he'd just keep calling. With a sigh, I answered. "What is it, James?"

"Well, hello to you too, sunshine," my brother's cheerful voice filled the line. "Bad day at the office?"

I snorted, taking another swig of scotch. "You could say that."

There was a pause, then James's tone shifted from teasing to concerned. "Derek? What's going on? You sound... off."

I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. The weight of the secret I'd been carrying suddenly felt unbearable. Before I could think better of it, the words tumbled out. "Sophia's pregnant."

The silence on the other end of the line was deafening. Then, "I'm coming over. Don't move."

"James, you don't have to-" But he'd already hung up.

Twenty minutes later, there was a knock at my door. I opened it to find James, his usually impeccable appearance slightly disheveled, as if he'd rushed over straight from the office.

"Alright," he said, pushing past me into the apartment. "Start from the beginning."

I sank onto the couch, suddenly feeling every one of my thirty-three years. "There's not much to tell. Sophia's pregnant. It's mine. And I... I royally f****d up."

James sat across from me, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "What did you do?"

I recounted the events of the day - Sophia's revelation, my initial shocked but supportive response, and then the disastrous dinner where I'd suggested... God, had I really suggested she get rid of our child?

As I spoke, James's expression grew increasingly grim. When I finished, he was quiet for a long moment. Then, "Derek, what the hell were you thinking?"

I laughed humorlessly. "I wasn't thinking. That's the problem."

"No s**t," James said, shaking his head. "Do you have any idea how badly you've screwed this up?"

"Trust me, I'm well aware," I snapped. "I don't need you to remind me."

James leaned forward, his eyes intense. "I don't think you are aware, Derek. This isn't just about you anymore. This is about your child. Sophia's child. You're going to be a father, for Christ's sake."

The word hit me like a physical blow. Father. I was going to be a father. The reality of it, which I'd been trying so hard to avoid, suddenly crashed over me in a wave of terror and... excitement?

"I don't know how to do this, James," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know how to be a father."

James's expression softened. "Nobody does, at first. But you figure it out. You have to."

I stood, pacing the room. "You don't understand. This changes everything. My career, the case, my whole life-"

"Of course it changes everything," James interrupted. "That's what having a kid does. But Derek, listen to me. This could be the best thing that's ever happened to you."

I stopped, turning to face him. "How? How is this possibly a good thing? I've alienated the mother of my child, potentially jeopardized my biggest case, and if word gets out-"

"Forget about the case for a minute," James said, standing to join me. "Forget about the firm, forget about what people might say. Think about the child. Your child. Don't you want to be part of their life?"

The question caught me off guard. Did I? I thought of my own father, always distant, always working. The rare moments of approval that I'd chased my whole life. Did I want that for my own child?

"I... I don't know if I can," I said finally. "I don't know if I'd be any good at it."

James placed a hand on my shoulder. "You won't know unless you try. And Derek, you have to try. This is your chance to be better than Dad was. To be there for your kid in a way he never was for us."

His words struck a chord deep within me. Memories flashed through my mind - missed Little League games, empty chairs at school plays, the constant refrain of "Not now, son, I'm working."

"But what about Sophia?" I asked, voicing the fear that had been gnawing at me since she'd walked out of that restaurant. "After what I said... she'll never forgive me."

James squeezed my shoulder. "Then you apologize. You grovel if you have to. You show her that you're committed to being there for her and for your child."

I ran a hand through my hair, frustration and fear warring within me. "And what about the case? We're on opposite sides, James. How are we supposed to co-parent when we're actively trying to defeat each other professionally?"

"You'll figure it out," James said confidently. "You're both smart, capable lawyers. If anyone can navigate this crazy situation, it's you two."

I wanted to believe him. God, how I wanted to believe him. But the memory of Sophia's face as she'd left the restaurant haunted me. The hurt in her eyes, the anger in her voice. How could I possibly make this right?

"I don't know how to fix this, James," I admitted, the words tasting like defeat on my tongue.

My brother's expression softened. "Start by talking to her. Really talking, not trying to solve the problem like it's a legal case. Listen to her fears, her hopes. Share yours. Be honest, be vulnerable. It's scary as hell, but it's the only way forward."

I nodded slowly, the beginnings of a plan forming in my mind. "You're right. I need to talk to her. To apologize, to... to tell her I want to be involved. If she'll let me."

James grinned, clapping me on the back. "There's the Derek I know. Now, go get your girl. And my future niece or nephew," he added with a wink.

As James left, I felt a strange mix of terror and determination settle over me. I had no idea how to be a father, how to balance this new reality with my career, how to make things right with Sophia. But I knew I had to try.