Page 24 of Hired By My Rich Baby Daddy 2

“Everything was going good until that man walked in. I grabbed my shit and ran.”

Nourah’s eyes widened. “You ran?”

“Girl, practically. Ozy followed me outside trying to talk, but I shut down completely. And now I’ve been sitting here wondering if he saw Oaklynn’s car seat when I pulled off.”

She got quiet.

“It all happened so fast. I don’t even know what he noticed, and now that’s all I’ve been thinking about since I got home.”

We stood silent for a second, neither one of us saying anything.

“Come sit down,” Nourah said.

We went back to the couch, and I sat, but I couldn’t sit still. I had a pillow in my lap, and I kept squeezing the corner of it.

I looked at her. “I need that job, though, sis. Bad.”

“I know.”

“Or I can just tell him. All I gotta do is open my mouth and say, ‘Hey, I had your baby,’ and probably half my problems disappear tomorrow.”

“So, say it.”

“That’s what I’m scared of.” I got up and started pacing again. “Look at how this shit looks, Nourah. Almost two years later, I just so happen to show up at his mansion applying for a live-in job because I’m broke, then turn around and tell him he got a daughter? He’s gonna think I came for money.”

“Noree—”

“And what if he finds out I’m about to get put out and decides Oaklynn would be better off with him? He got the house, the money, the security, all of that. What if he takes me to court?”

“Okay, stop.” Nourah got up and came over to me. “You hit a rough patch. That doesn’t erase everything you’ve done for that baby. You been taking care of her this whole time by yourself.”

I looked away.

“I know. I just want some stability of my own before I tell him. That’s all.”

Nourah nodded slowly.

“Do I need help right now? Hell yeah, I do. But I don’t want me needing help to be the reason I tell that man he got a daughter. He should know because he’s her daddy. Not because I got a notice on my door.”

“Okay…that, I understand.”

“And what if he don’t believe I tried?”

“Noree.” She grabbed my hand. “You don’t gotta figure all of that out tonight.”

I let out a breath.

“So, what should I do about the job? I already told Opal I wasn’t interested.”

“Call her tomorrow. Apologize for running off and ask if the position is still available.”

I chewed the inside of my cheek.

“If it is, take it.”

“Okay and…Oaklynn?”

“Mama already said she’d keep her during the week.”