Height – 6’2
Weight – 190lbs.
Eye Color – Blue
Hair Color – Brown
Hair texture – Straight
Ethnic Origin – Caucasian
Ancestry – English, Irish, Scottish
Religion – None
Education Level – Masters
Areas of Study – Business, Finance, Investment Management
Blood Type – O+
Pregnancies – No
Expanded Genetic Testing – Yes
Instruments – Piano
Favorite Food – Mexican, Italian
Outdoor fun – Skiing and walks on the beach.
No. I shook my head. This can’t be. Tears sprung to my eyes as I stared at the picture of Grayson when he was a child. I ran to his study and started going through his things. I sat down at his desk and opened the drawer on the right-hand side. The ringing of my phone startled me. It was Grayson. I let it go to voicemail while I opened the drawer on the left side and sitting there was a picture of him and his parents when he was a child. Grabbing it, I ran to my laptop and tears streamed down my face as I stared at both pictures of the same child. Instantly, I felt sick to my stomach, and I fell onto the stool. Grayson kept calling, and I kept letting it go to voicemail. My heart was racing out of my chest and I needed to calm down for the baby’s sake. I slowly closed my eyes and took in three long deep breaths.
Chapter 39
Grayson
I was sitting at my desk when my phone rang, and it was Julius.
“Hey, Julius. What’s up?”
“Grayson, she’s going to figure it out if she hasn’t already,” he spoke in a panicked tone.
“Who? What are you talking about?”
“Harper. She just saw me at the cryobank.”
“What?!” I stood up. “Did you talk to her?”
“No. I had just stepped in the elevator and I went to push the button and there she was, standing there. The doors shut before either one of us could say anything. Grayson, my name is at the top of the directory right where she was standing.”
“FUCK!” I have to go.”
I immediately dialed her, and it rang and then went to voicemail. So I kept trying as I ran out of the building. Goddamn it! Where was she? I called her apartment building and talked to Sammy.
“Sammy, it’s Grayson Rhodes. Have you by any chance seen Harper?”
“Yes, Mr. Rhodes. She was here a while ago and then left. She was in quite a hurry.”
“How long ago?”
“About a half hour.”
“Thank you.”
I ended the call and dialed my building.
“Charlie, It’s Grayson Rhodes. Have you seen Harper by any chance?”
“Yes. Mr. Rhodes. She’s upstairs now.”
“Whatever you do. Do not let her leave that building. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir.”
Shit. Shit. Shit. She’s not stupid and it wouldn’t take her long to figure everything out.
Harper
Julius must have told him that he saw me and that I saw him. He’s scared now and he’ll be heading here. I placed my hand on my belly as I took in a deep breath and waited for Grayson to show up. About fifteen minutes later, the elevator doors opened and the sickness I already felt intensified.
“Harper, I’ve been trying to call you,” he calmly spoke as he walked over to me.
“STOP!” I shouted as I held up my hand from behind. “I have one question for you and you better tell me the truth. Are you Donor 137665?”
Silence momentarily filled the air.
“Yes. I am. Let me explain. Please, sweetheart.” He took a step closer, and I jumped up from the stool.
“Don’t you ever call me that!” I shouted as I faced him and pointed my finger at him. “You knew all this time that this is your baby and you never told me?” What kind of fucking game are you playing?”
“First, you need to calm down for the baby’s sake.”
“YOU DON’T GET TO TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!”
“Harper, you’re a smart woman and you know you need to calm down.”
“I want the truth, Grayson. The whole fucking truth. NOW!” I screamed.
“I’ll tell you everything but please just go sit down on the couch.”
I inhaled a deep breath as I walked into the living room and he followed behind. I took a seat while he paced back and forth across the room.
“It all started with a stupid bet between me and Julius. If I lost, I had to donate my sperm. Which I did lose. He promised me that nothing would come of it and that he just got pleasure out of making me suffer. He told me it would be buried where no one would ever see it for one month and that I had nothing to worry about. Then him and Yasmin left for vacation and somehow my donor information got sent to you. When Julius told me that a woman had purchased my sperm and was pregnant, I flew off the handle. He told me just to forget about it and that I made some woman very happy. Then my grandfather called me to dinner one night and gave me an ultimatum. He didn’t agree with the way I was living my life and told me I had one year to find someone and fall in love or else he was going to sign the company over to Alfie instead of me.”
“So you used me?” I narrowed my eye at him.
“Just listen to me, please.” He took a few steps towards me.
“Don’t you dare take another step towards me. I swear to God, Grayson.”
“You have no idea how sorry I am for all of this.”
“Really? You used me so you could get your grandfather’s company, Grayson?”
He took in a sharp breath.
“Let me guess. You had Julius look up the woman who bought your sperm.”
“Yes, and I’m totally ashamed. It wasn’t his fault. I made him do it. I felt like he owed me for my goddamn sperm getting out there in the first place.”
“So what were you going to do once you got your company? Dump me?” Tears started to stream down my face.
“Harper, please. That was the plan but then I fell in love with you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
I wiped the tears that wouldn’t stop falling.
“So you knew all this time you’re this baby’s father, and you were just going to dump both of us like we’re nothing? Like we’re trash to you?”
“Don’t say it like that. I wanted to tell you so many times.”
“Then why didn’t you?” I shouted as I stood up from the couch.
“Because I couldn’t. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you or the baby. You have to believe me. I love you and that baby so much that it hurts. You changed me, Harper. You’ve made me a better man. A man who is finally capable of love.”
“Bullshit, Grayson! You lied to me every single day we were together. Charlotte was right.”
“Right about what?”
“About you. That’s why we got into that argument. She never trusted you from day one.” I paused for a moment as something hit me. “Oh my God! Julius was the one who delivered the flowers from the center that day. Starbucks wasn’t a coincidence, was it? You followed me there.”
He looked down as he placed his hands in his pant pockets.