The Don's Daughter

Chapter 71

COLE'S POV

I get back to Sergio's much later than I intended. I never heard from Ria after the doctor. I bet shes punishing me for working late. I barrel up the stairs two at a time expecting my girlfriend to be asleep in our bed with some show I hate playing in the background. I'm going to wake her up and convince her to come get food with me. I open the door and I'm a little taken aback by what I see.

Ria is sitting cross legged in the middle of our bed with the TV completely off. She was looking down at something then popped her head up as soon as she saw the door open.

I make eye contact and can clearly see she's crying. Her eyes are all red and puffy and she has tear stains all down her beautiful porcelain cheeks.

"Baby what is it." I sprint to the bed and hold her. She hugs me back and cries into my chest.

"I'm so sorry Cole." She cries even harder. I'm rubbing her back. "You're going to be angry but I have to tell you."

My heart slams in my chest. I hold her shoulders and lean back so I can look at her. "Did you cheat on me?"

She scrunches her entire face and glares at me. "What? No Cole I did not fuck someone at my doctor's office today. Why would you think that?"

I breathe a little easier now that I don't have to go on a murderous rampage. "I don't know what else you think you could do that would make me mad at you love." I go and hug her again. "Did something happen at the doctor? Is it your heart?" I start to panic again.

"Yes and no" She says. I stop rubbing her back as she sits up. She wipes her face quickly takes a deep breathe and exhales through her mouth. "Ok" She says. She talking to herself. She tends to do that when she's nervous. I think its adorable. Ria turns and stretches a little grabbing the piece of paper she was looking at when I came in and hands it to me.

It's a black picture with her name at the top and some black and gray triangle in the middle. I look up at her confused. "You're going to have to help me out here babe. I don't know what this is."

"I'm pregnant Cole. That's our baby."

I look at the photo again. I still can't see anything. I squint and look back up at an anxiety filled Ria.

"I thought you had that shot thing? You weren't pregnant in the hospital. When did they say this happened?"

"I was supposed to get another shot at the hospital but Dr. Laura said that clearly never happened. They did a dating ultrasound since my period is irregular and they are saying I'm around 7-8 weeks so I'm guessing it happened at the St.Patricks Day party." She's still sniffling and wiping her eyes.

"This is definitely not your fault then baby it was those God damn fishnets." I get her to giggle through her tears.

"You're not mad at me?" She looks at me relieved.

"No I'm not mad at you baby. Why would I be mad at you? " I hate that she was afraid to tell me.

"I figured you would be pissed off that I missed my shot and I made us teenage parents."

"First of all you were in a coma. You didn't miss shit and I was also there in the process of making the baby so it's not on you amore." I wipe a tear from her face and she grabs my hand with both of hers and kisses it smiling at me. "Please don't ever be afraid to tell me things. I know I have a temper but I would never hurt you baby or even lash out at you. Especially over something like this. I'm so sorry that I made you think I'd be mad at you."

She just nods smiling at me still holding my hand. "I know you would never hurt me Cole. I just don't like that I'm adding more to your plate. You're stressed enough as it is."

"That is not for you to worry about. You said yourself we are supposed to be each other's safe place. You come before any outside shit." She gives me a weak smile and looks down. I gently lift her chin up so shes looking at me agin. "I'm assuming since you said teenage parents you want to keep the baby?"

She nods. "I know it's unexpected but I think I can do this. The baby is half you how could it not be a good thing? The OB I met specializes in high risk pregnancies and Laura says my heart can handle it."

Her heart fuck. "You are strong my love. It's your body you're the one going through it I'll support your decision whatever it is." She hugs me again and I play with her hair. I believe what I said but it's going to be hard to support something that could kill her and take her away from me forever.

I kiss her head. She is right though something that is half me and half her is made with so much love how could it be a bad thing? "Alright" I kiss her head again. "Explain this picture to me? And when can we expect the little guy?"

"It could be a girl." She says arching her perfect eyebrow at me.

"I don't see that happening. One Bottero princess is more than enough. I'd have quadruple the family just to watch after another one." I smirk and pull her so she's sitting between my legs and I can rub her flat tummy.

She rolls her eyes and leans her head back on my chest. "Anyways...your child is due Christmas Eve actually, but I'll be having a scheduled C section probably the week before because it will be safer on my heart."

Christmas Eve? I'll most likely be in jail then. The realization hits me that I'll be leaving Ria during her pregnancy and miss the birth of my child. She starts going over the picture that I now know is called an ultrasound but I'm not really listening. I just nod and smile when she looks at me but I'm elsewhere. I need to talk to Sergio on Sunday I can't ruin tomorrow for her. I pull her tighter and kiss her head.

"What's going on in your head baby?" She's drawing circles on my hands that are now clasped over her stomach.

"I just love you so much." I tell her hugging her tighter and kissing her cheek. She turns her head up and lets me kiss her mouth. I don't know how I'm going to do this.

"Come on let me go buy you and baby DeLuca some food." She smiles at me her gorgeous grey eyes filled with love. I kiss her even deeper. The love of my life is giving me the greatest gift of my life and I'm thanking her by abandoning her. Fuck.