Chapter 18 Lights Out
Anushka's P.O.V.
I stare at the beautiful pregnant woman with short black hair and a nasty smile as my heart shatters. I knew this was too good to be true. Jordan doesn't take his eyes off of her stomach. I know he's thinking that his child is in there. His real flesh and blood child. Dakota and I need to get out of here while he figures this out. I reach for her, but Jordan shakes his head and holds her tighter.
"Cora, you're lying. That child is not mine. We used protection, and you would have shown up a lot sooner than this if it were true. Now get away from us, and if you step foot in this building again, I will file a restraining order." He opens the door so the driver and doorman can leave our luggage inside. I keep my eye on Cora. I don't know if what she said is true or not; either way, I'll support Jordan. It’s clear he doesn't want anything to do with her, but if the child is his, they need to figure out how to do shared parenting.
"Protection isn't guaranteed. This is your child, and this isn't over. Don't get comfortable, bitch. Once Jordan comes to his senses, your asses will be out of my house." Cora turns and gets on the elevator with the two men as we go into the apartment. I look at Jordan and realize Dakota is crying.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" I ask, kissing her head.
"Do we have to leave because you have another family?" She looks at Jordan with tears running down her cheeks.
"You're not going anywhere. You're my family. Don't worry about what that woman said. No matter what happens, I want you and your mommy here." He looks at me as he hugs Dakota and kisses her forehead. I feel a little better from his reassuring words, but will he change his mind if the baby is his? Jordan is a good man, and I know that if that baby is his, he will do whatever is necessary to be part of his or her life. I want him to be part of the baby's life, but I also want him in ours. Will he be able to do both?
"Let me show you two around, and Dakota, don't forget you need to pick out your room." He puts her down and pulls me into his arms.
"Don't leave me, Anushka. I love you, and whatever happens, that won't change. You and Dakota are my family." I see real fear in his eyes. We've never talked about his childhood or his parents. Was he left before? I wrap my arms around him, and he sighs in relief.
"I'm not leaving you. I did consider it out in the hallway, but that was because I didn't want to be hurt if you chose her over us. I love you, too." His hold on me tightens.
"I honestly don't believe the baby is mine, but even if he or she is, we'll figure it out. I don't want Cora and will not allow her to tear what we have apart." He kisses me in a soft, gentle way that makes me melt.
"Show us your place," I say when he pulls away. Jordan shakes his head.
"Our place," he says, leading us further inside. Hopefully, one day, it will be our place, but right now, I'm going to tread carefully.
I can't believe the size of his house. It's modern but still has a warm feel to it. The carpet in the large family room is cream-colored, and the furniture is dark brown leather. There's a wall of windows that looks over the city. The dining room has a table that can seat ten people, and the kitchen is state-of-the-art with black stainless steel appliances. The cabinets are pale grey with lights on the inside. He then takes us to the primary bedroom. There's a large king bed with dark green bedding. Dakota looks from Jordan to me.
"Are you sleeping in here with Daddy?" She asks me.
"Why?" I reply to buy me a little time while I figure out how to answer that.
"Mommies and daddies are supposed to sleep in the same bed." I look at Jordan, and he's smiling.
"She's right. Mommies and daddies sleep together. Are you okay with your mommy sleeping in here?" Jordan asks Dakota.
"Yes, now let's find my room." I look at my phone and realize how late it is. We were kidnapped, flown off the island, went to my apartment to find it had been broken into, and then came here with Cora's little surprise announcement. Can we just go to bed and get this day over with? I think Jordan reads my mind when he sees me looking at the bed.
"Let's find Dakota's room and order something to eat. After that, I'll tuck you into bed and make sure you get a good night's sleep." He whispers as Dakota runs out of the room. I wrap my arms around him. Life would be perfect if we could stay in this cocoon and forget everything else. How did everything become so complicated all of a sudden?
"If tucking me in means making love to me until I pass out, I'm all for it," I whisper back. Jordan slides his hand under my shirt and rubs my back.
"Sweetheart, I'm going to make you forget everything other than my name and how it sounds coming from your lips." Just as he begins to kiss me, we hear Dakota scream. We run out of the bedroom and find her down the hall, looking into a room.
"What's wrong?" I ask. She points into the room, and I'm almost scared to look, but there's nothing there but bedroom furniture.
"Can I have this room?" She asks Jordan excitedly. I try to control my racing heart when I realize the scream was from excitement, not fear. Jordan and I walk in and immediately see why she's attracted to this room. There's a huge bay window with built-in bookshelves on either side and under it. The room is enormous, and it has its own bathroom.
"Are you sure this is the one you want?" He asks, smiling at her. Dakota runs to the bay window and climbs inside.
"Yes," she replies, looking out the window and down at the city lights.
"Then it's yours. We'll find someone to paint it like you want, and then we'll decorate it. What do you want for dinner?" Dakota's smile gets even bigger. I don't think he realizes just how much everything he does for her affects her. She had seen the kids at her preschool with their dads, and even though we were fine, she still thought something was missing. Now we realize it was Jordan. We may have had to go all the way to a tropical island to find him, even though we lived in the same city. However, we found each other when the time was right.
"We'll eat about anything, so order what you want," I tell him as I slide my arm around his waist. We leave Dakota to check out her new room and return to the main room. I get her suitcases while Jordan orders our food. After unpacking her things, she picks out a book and sits back in the window. I take my suitcases into Jordan's room, but I don't know where to put my things.
"I ordered cheeseburgers. What's wrong?" He asks, putting his arm over my shoulders.
"Do you want me to put my things in one of the other rooms? I don't want to crowd you." Jordan doesn't answer as he picks up my suitcases and lays them on the bed. He turns to me and smiles.
"If I have my way, you and Dakota will never leave. You're not crowding me. You're making me feel complete. Let me tell you about my parents while we move you in." As we unpack my things, Jordan tells me what happened to his dad and then his mom. I can't believe it. Now I understand why he's always telling me not to leave him. The two people he loved the most left him in two of the worst ways. My heart breaks thinking of him at Dakota's age, losing his dad, and then his mom no longer having the will to live.
"I don't go around telling people that I love them. I never told Cora I loved her. I thought I did, but it never felt right to say it. I knew there was something special about you and Dakota when we first met. I know it's corny, but I now believe in love at first sight because I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. My heart is in your hands, Anushka, and nothing or no one will ever take it away." What can I say to that? I kiss him and slide my arms around his neck.
"I love you too, Jordan. I promise to protect your heart so it won't ever break again." He leans down to kiss me again just as there's a knock on the door. Jordan goes to answer the door while I go get Dakota to wash up for dinner. As soon as I walk into her room, there's a loud bang, and all the lights turn off. Dakota runs over to me, but I'm too scared to move. I can't breathe when I hear the front door shut and someone walking down the hall. Please let it be Jordan.