Chapter 49 She Can Do Anything
Roman
The drive home is silent, and the rest of the night is even quieter. For the first time since I talked to Elena, I allow myself to think about her words. To really think about them. Combine that with Kiara's, and I'm forced to accept the fact that they might be telling the truth.
The next morning, when I wake up, there's only one thought running through my head.
Fuck. I might have a baby. That's what prompts me to call Elena. She picks up on the second ring.
"We need to talk," I say.
I swear, if I have to hear or say those four words one more time, it's been used more than I'd like in the last seventy-two hours.
“Where?” She asked.
“I'm not coming to the apartment. I'll meet you at the bar your brother took you to a few years ago.” I'm sure she remembers the place I'm talking about. However, she doesn't answer right away.
“Okay. Judging by the place you've chosen, I'm guessing you're still not ready to meet her.” She replied.
No need to ask which "she" she's talking about. “No. Just you.”
“Okay. I'll see you at seven.” She hangs up.
I continue my day, dreading our meeting. I've had no problem getting into gunfights and stabbings, but talking to a woman about a baby is the only thing that really scares me. I get to the bar ten minutes early and sit down to wait for her. Luckily, Elena arrives on time.
The bar door opens, and she walks in wearing dark jeans, ankle boots, and a cream shirt. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail.
As she walks toward me, I want to punch myself. Because I'll be damned if she's not still the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen. I grit my teeth, take out a glass, and drink a shot of whiskey. Elena, standing in front of the table, looks at him tiredly. “Are you sure you should have a drink tonight?”
“Sit down,” I gesture, ignoring her words.
She does, her nervousness clear on her face.
“Your friend talked to me yesterday. She begged me to listen to you.” I said.
Irritation crosses her features, but she quickly smooths it over. “Yeah, I talked to Kiara about interfering.” She shouldn’t have done that,” Elena mutters.
“Hm. Do you want something to drink?” I asked her.
She shakes her head. “Just water.”
“Really?” I smirked.
Her gaze narrows. “Roman, I have a baby.”
“So you keep talking,” I drawl. “Okay, go on. Tell me all about this baby. What happened? I’ll listen.”
She looks at me warily for a moment before launching into a story about how her life came to be the way it is now.
According to her, she found out she was pregnant a month after we had sex. But because of my family’s state and the fact that we were in the middle of a gang war, she didn’t think it was a good idea to tell me about the illegitimate child she was carrying.
She went to London to give birth away from home and prying eyes.
By the time she finished, I had drunk four more shots of whiskey and one shot of vodka. Elena's jaw was clenched.
"So you're saying you did all this for me? You kept a child who was supposedly mine away from me for a year because you thought you were doing the right thing?" I smirked.
“Yes,” she answers calmly.
“How can you be sure the child is mine?” I asked.
She is clearly annoyed by this question. “Trust me, Roman. She is yours. It is quite obvious. You will see when you meet her.”
I lean back, cross my arms, and look at her. Neither of us speaks for a minute or two. The bar is mostly quiet; there are not many customers on a Wednesday night. Elena waits patiently for me to say something. When I finally do, my voice is cold and emotionless. As always, whenever I find myself in an unstable emotional state, I pass out.
"I take it back," I finally say.
She steps back, her expression hesitant. "What?"
"When I told you I didn't hate you. I lied." I said.
She inhales sharply, her face turning pale. "Roman…"
"No, I listened to you, now it's your turn. You and your best friend don't seem to understand the gravity of this situation, so I'll lay it out for you. You got pregnant, and instead of coming to me like a normal woman, you decided to take matters into your own hands. You left the country, hid for a year, had a baby, and now you're planning to slither back into my life and ruin it.”
She flinches, and I force myself to take a calming breath. I run a hand through my hair and stare at her.
"Regardless of why you did it, I have every right to be angry. This is a child we're talking about. A living, breathing child whose life I've never been a part of. Whom I had no idea existed. You had no right, Elena. I missed the entire pregnancy. I missed her birth. I missed the first three months.
Her life! What the hell do you expect from me right now? How am I supposed to handle this?”
Her face falls as she realizes that I really want an answer.
“I don’t know,” she says sadly. “How you handle this is up to you.”
I rise to my feet, anger beginning to burn under my skin.
“You kept her away from me by not telling me the truth. Now you’re going to have to deal with the consequences,” I spit, not caring how harshly I say it.
I throw a few bills on the table to cover the drinks and walk out of the bar. Elena follows me into the night. I hear her footsteps behind me. Before I can turn to face her, I let out an exasperated laugh.
“How could you do this to me?” I was upset.
Her green eyes flash with pain. “I didn’t mean to. I’m so sorry.”
“You’re sorry? I have a child, Elena. A child! You hid this from me, my family, hell, even your family,” I groan. “This is so fucked up. What the hell are we going to do?”
Elena takes a step toward me. “Roman, breathe.”
I look at her. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
I walk to my car, but she blocks my way.
“You can’t drive like that,” she says firmly.
“You’re fucking…” She interrupted me.
“No. Turn around, Roman. Catch a taxi.” A muscle twitches in my jaw. But considering I have no interest in spending another second with her, I do as she says. My anger remains a restless burn under my skin, but it cools with every step I take away from her.
I call a cab and drive away. The last thing I see is Elena on the side of the road, hugging herself, a broken-hearted expression on her face as she watches me drive away.