Chapter 19

DELILAH

I hurry up to my suite, my mind racing and my emotions a tangled mess. As soon as I enter, Derek springs to his feet and swiftly makes his way across the room toward me. His eyes full of concern, and I can see the tension in his shoulders.

"What happened? You look pissed, but you've been crying. Whose ass am I kicking?" he asks, his voice angry and worried.

"Jonas. No ass-kicking," I say to him, my voice steady and resolute.

"What did he do?" I notice Derek's jaw tightening, a clear indication that he's gearing up to defend me.

"Well, they found out about Wells, me and Little Boba. Jonas said that Wells conned me because of my daddy issues and that I was… or am, just another notch on Wells' bedpost."

"No, he fucking didn't!" Derek shouts, his face turning red with anger.

"He did. So I told him that I wanted Wells to fuck me in that alley and I'm the one who forgot the Plan B. I'm a big girl and made my choice. He doesn't get to speak to or about me like that. And I left."

"So now what?" Derek asks, his voice softer but still tense.

"I don't know. This is a fucking disaster."

"It's just a lot at once, babe. We'll figure it out," he assures me, pulling me into a hug. I feel his strength, his solid presence grounding me even as my thoughts swirl.

"I want to go home. I need to distance myself from all this... from them. I need to figure things out."

"Okay. So we change our flights and leave. I'll look at the airline app right now." He pulls his phone out and starts to search as I go to my room and change into some jammies again.

As I change, my thoughts keep circling back to the confrontation. I'm carrying my dad's grandchild slash niece or nephew. Claudia has really made me step into it this time. If I knew my dad, I'd have known Wells and not ridden his dick into the sunset in an alley. The memory of that night flashes through my mind. It was impulsive, raw, and it felt right at the moment. But now, with everything crashing down, I wonder if I was just na?ve.

"Babe!" Derek calls from the other room. "Is eight AM too early? We'd have to be at the airport by 6."

"No, book it. I'll start packing," I call back, immediately shoving my things into my suitcase.

What if I really was just a notch in his belt? A stripper in Vegas, that was easy. Wells said he wanted to be a good dad, but don't they all say that? Sell a pipe dream just for it to blow up in your face? It's what Claudia did to Jonas. Maybe I'm better off alone—just me, Derek, and Little Boba.

I pause, holding a shirt in my hands, staring at it without really seeing it. Why do I always end up in these situations? Is it my daddy issues, as Jonas so cruelly pointed out? Or is it something deeper, something fundamentally flawed in me? I think about my childhood, the absence of my father, and the longing for a trustworthy male figure in my life. Did that drive me to Wells, or was it just a convenient excuse for Jonas to throw in my face?

And Wells... he seemed so genuine. But can I trust my own judgment anymore? My heart says one thing, but my mind is screaming with caution. The stakes are too high now, with Little Boba on the way. I can't afford to make another mistake.

"Derek, do you think I'm just a fool?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper as I walk back into the living room.

He looks up from his phone, his eyes softening. "No, Delilah. You're not a fool. You follow your heart, and that's a strength, not a weakness."

"But what if my heart is leading me the wrong way?"

"We all make mistakes. But you're strong, and you'll get through this." His voice is firm as he reassures me. "We'll get through this together."

Derek's words are comforting, but the doubt still lingers. I think about my future—about raising Little Boba. Can I do it alone with just Derek? Should I let Wells be a part of it? The questions keep coming, unforgiving.

I finish packing and sit on the bed, looking at my suitcase. It's not just clothes in there; it's a symbol of my escape, my need to run from the chaos and find some clarity.

WELLS

We reach my parents' room, and I collapse into the chair nearest to the door, burying my face in my hands. I shouldn't be here with my parents and Jonas explaining myself. I should be with Delilah, figuring out what our next steps are. With the day after tomorrow being the end of our little getaway, there is still a long list of things we need to discuss.

"I need a drink," Jonas sighs.

"No. We will all have clear heads when we talk. And make sure you're ready to listen and not let your fists do the talking. I know you are angry, Jonas, but your brother would not hurt you on purpose. So we are going to hear him out and figure out where to go from here." My mom crosses her arms and stares at him with her ‘I mean business' face. "Again," she adds.

I glance at Jonas, seeing the struggle in his eyes. He's trying to keep his cool, but I know he's on the edge. The room is thick with tension, and we sit in silence until we hear the door unlocking and my dad strolls in.

"Well, the only charges are for some tableware and a minor scratch on a chair. I paid for it and will cover dinner, but you two owe me two hundred dollars."

"I got it," I tell him, pulling out my phone and using the payment app to send it to him directly—anything to avoid this conversation any longer.

"Now, let's start with what the hell just happened." He sits on the couch, opposite Jonas looking between the two of us.

"Your son impregnated my daughter. And now," Jonas seethes, "my first grandchild is also my niece or nephew."

My heart sinks hearing him say it out loud. I stare at the floor, wishing I could disappear. How did we end up here?

But there's no escape now. I have to face this head-on, for her sake and for our baby's.

"Wells, are you confident that you are indeed the father of Delilah's baby?" my mom asks.

"Yes. The timeline matches up and Delilah wouldn't lie about something like that," I tell her.

"How did you meet? How did this happen?" my mom asks.

My heart pounds as I inhale deeply, my breath quivering with a hint of dread. How do I explain this without making everything worse? But I start from the beginning. "I went to Las Vegas for my clubs, as I do every month. The night before heading home, I stopped in at a local club. Hidden Gems. I won't give you every detail, but Delilah was a dancer there, and we ended up hitting it off and spending the entire night talking. One thing led to another, and we were intimate and I didn't use protection."

"Wells! You are smarter than that," my dad scolds, disappointment evident in his voice. I wince, feeling the sting of his words.

"I know it was foolish, but I wouldn't change a thing," I say, trying to stand my ground. "Even with how this is turning out. We were caught up in the moment. We knew the risks and as she told you, Delilah just forgot to get the Plan B."

"So you've been sneaking around with her behind everyone's back for months?" Jonas accuses. "You never thought that maybe we looked alike or spoke about who your families are?"

Guilt crashes over me like a wave. I hadn't thought about it, not really. I was too blinded by my feelings for Delilah.

"Jonas!" Mom scolds. "You know your brother better than that." She looks at me. "Go on, Wells."

"No. I couldn't find her. I told you both that I met someone in Vegas and that she was ignoring me. It was her," I defend, frustration creeping into my voice.

Jonas purses his lips as I continue. "I'm infatuated with her, obsessed," I admit to myself, the intensity of my feelings surprising even me. "And while we may be strangers for the most part, and telling you guys was difficult and I'm sure the mess isn't over, I'm all in."

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for Jonas' reaction. "She will not raise that baby alone and I'm going to continue to see her… if she'll have me."

" She's the woman in Vegas? The one I called and interrupted you with, to tell you about Claudia?" Jonas whispers.

"Yes."

Jonas forcefully slams his head against the couch, letting out a feral growl of frustration and pounding his fist against the cushion. "This is so fucked up."

"I didn't know, Jonas. I swear." I stand and begin to pace the room, running my hands through my hair in frustration. "If I had any clue she was yours, I wouldn't have even looked twice at her."

Jonas tightens his jaw as he listens, so I continue, needing him to understand.

"But I'm addicted to her," I admit, my voice dropping. "I want to know everything and anything there is about her. Every time I went to Vegas, I searched for her, but she no longer works at the club… now I know why," I pause, taking a deep breath. "I didn't even know her name was Delilah. Her stage name was Opal, and that's what I've been calling her."

Jonas' eyes flash with anger, but he stays silent, waiting for me to continue. His silence is almost worse than his words.

"Seeing her again at the rehearsal dinner shocked me." I lean against the wall. "But it also excited me because I could finally talk to her. Then when the shit hit the fan, I was as surprised as you."

"You came to dinner together tonight, didn't you? You lied when you said you met in the lobby." Jonas raises a brow in my direction.

Mom and Dad exchange glances, their expressions concerned.

My mom's expression softens slightly, but I see the hurt and disappointment. "Why didn't you trust us enough to tell us what happened that night, Wells?"

"I did not intend to tell you like I did," I continue, my voice shaking slightly. "But then Dad started talking about names and child support, and I got pissed."

My heart pounds as I direct the next statement to my dad. "You didn't know you were talking about me, but I did."

Dad's face softens, his brows knitting together in concern. I can see he's trying to process everything.

"I am not going to be some absentee father." I meet my dad's eyes. "I promise you that."

"What does Delilah think about all this?" Dad rubs his temples.

"She's worried about how you'll take it and after what you said tonight, Jonas, she's pissed. Your daughter is smart, driven, and sassy as hell. I didn't take advantage of her. I would never do that."

"I know you wouldn't. I'm sorry I said that, but this is so messed up."

"You don't owe me an apology. You need to save all that for Delilah," I tell him. "So, where do we go from here? Because I plan on being a dad to our baby and if we haven't scared her off yet, after we discuss it more, I want to be with Delilah."

My dad's words shock the hell out of me.

"I know we've only thought of each other as family. But the good news is that you're not blood, Wells. So while it's still taboo to some, you're not breaking any laws or doing anything wrong." I look over at him with a smile on my face.

"I'm with your father. What's done is done. Delilah, from what I've seen, is delightful, and I can't wait to be a grandma—to her and your baby, Wells. I am refusing to be a great-grandma. The baby will know me as grandma and that's it."

"Thanks, Mom," I chuckle. But I wasn't worried so much about her reaction as I was about my dad and Jonas. Dad, though, seems to be on the same page as my mom, so now it's on Jonas.

"Jonas?" I turn to my brother, unsure of what to expect.

"This is a lot, Wells. I'm gonna need some time to process and work through it. But I'll be okay. Delilah can make her own choices when it comes to you and her, but I know you'll be a good father." He shakes his head as he runs a hand over his hair. "Just give me some time."

"I can do that," I agree, relieved that Jonas seems willing to come around in time. "Thank you guys for being the best family I could ask for. I should go talk to Delilah now, though." I stand and head for the door, but my mom's voice stops me.

"It's late, Son. She's creating a human life and needs her rest. Let her sleep. You can talk with her in the morning."

I look at the clock on the wall and see that it has gotten late. She's right, Little Doe needs her sleep so she can grow a healthy baby. "Thanks, Mom. I didn't notice the time. I'm gonna go to my room then and do the same."