Taking One for the Team (The Team #1)

CHAPTER SIX

Renee

After everyone finished eating, it got quiet, so quiet you could hear a mouse pee. I stood up from my seat beside Alex, finally mentally prepared to tell everyone about the baby. Sorry, babies.

"Whoo, alright guys, um, I have something important to tell you all." Alex held my hand when I stood, so I gently squeezed it then walked to the end of the rectangular table so I could look everyone in the face.

"I'm pregnant."

"I knew it, I knew it, pay up, Nathan, whoo!" Andre jumped up shouting. When he calmed himself, he stood beside me and rubbed my belly. "Sorry, Sis, but I called it. I told Nathan two weeks ago that you were pregnant and the fool didn't believe me!"

I heard Andre but I couldn't focus on what he was saying because I was too busy watching Alex. Trying to read his face. He had his hands folded under his chin and he was looking down at the table.

"Who's the father?" Nathan asked.

I looked away from Alex to answer. "A non-factor."

"Do I know him?" He persisted.

"No." I lied.

I wasn't a very good liar and from the look Nathan was giving me, he knew I wasn't telling the truth. Andre watching the back and forth as if it were a tennis match, was no help.

"How well do I know him?"

Dismissing Nathan before he could ask me another question, I slowly returned to my seat next to Alex and continued to watch him as he thought about my announcement.

"Hey, man let's leave them alone and go get us some drinks." Never have I ever been more grateful for Andre.

He pushed Nathan out the door and turned to look at me. I mouthed him a 'thank you' and he nodded in return before walking out the door.

We sat there side by side with no one speaking a word for over 20 minutes and I was getting sleepy. I laid my head on the table and rested my eyes.

It felt like I'd been sleep for only few minutes before Alex was patting me wake awake. When I opened my eyes I found Alex's head resting on his arms as he rested on the table in beside me. His eyes were boring into mine. "Good morning." I whispered.

He chuckled softly, "Good evening, Baby."

Baby. That's a good sign. I thought. I smiled at his use of the term but didn't move an inch. I wanted him to say something before I got my hopes up.

"Baby, who's the father." He glanced down at my stomach.

I let out a deep sigh, "I don't want to talk about that right now."

Lifting his head off the table and away from me, he glared, "We have to talk about it. It effects our relationship.

My eyes formed slits, "So whether or not we have a relationship depends on who the father is?"

"No, that's not what I meant!" Alex jumped up and began to pace in front of me, running his hands through his hair.

"Then what did you mean?" I calmly asked, standing up.

Alex stopped pacing and stood before me, holding both of my hands in his. "Does he want to be in the baby's life? Does he want to have something with you?"

"No." I sighed. "He made it very clear that he didn't want anything to do with the me or the baby when he offered to pay for an abortion."

Alex pulled me into his body and cupped my cheek with the palms of his hands, forcing me to look him in the eye. "Your not getting an abortion.