Chapter 4 Lunch with a stranger

Chapter Four: Lunch with a Stranger

The café was upscale, tucked into a quiet corner of the city, more linen napkins and sparkling water than greasy fries and iced coffee. Maya arrived ten minutes early, nerves buzzing like electricity beneath her skin. She chose a table near the window, a public space where she wouldn't feel cornered.

You said public, he picked fancy, she thought, adjusting her cardigan and smoothing invisible wrinkles from her skirt.

The waiter brought her water. She declined a menu. She'd wait for him. After all, this wasn't a date. This was business. Boundaries. Information. Co-parenting, or whatever that meant for two strangers bound by one reckless night and now... a baby.

The door chimed. Her heart skipped.

He wore a navy button-up, sleeves rolled to his elbows, and sunglasses that did nothing to hide his aura of power. Heads turned as he walked in, like the air shifted around him.

"Maya," he greeted, removing his sunglasses. His voice was calm, but there was something behind it, restraint, maybe?

"You're late," she said, watching him sit across from her.

"I wanted to make sure I didn't intimidate you."

"Bit late for that," she muttered.

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I appreciate you coming."

"I almost didn't," she replied honestly. "But curiosity won."

"Curiosity's dangerous."

"You think I don't know?."

A beat passed. The waiter returned. Jaxon ordered a salmon salad and sparkling water. Maya ordered coffee, black. She needed her wits sharp.

"So," he began, resting his elbows on the table. "Tell me how far along you are."

"About six weeks. Found out last week." She swallowed. "I was going to handle it alone."

He nodded. "I respect that. But I'm here now."

"Are you?" she asked, folding her arms. "Because being here doesn't mean checking a box and walking away with a clear conscience."

Jaxon leaned forward, lowering his voice. "I'm not here out of guilt. I'm here because this matters. You matter now."

She blinked. That shouldn't have struck a nerve. But it did.

"I don't even know you," she said glaring at him, she hates how he makes her feel. "And now you're talking like you want to be in my life."

"I want to be in our child's life," he corrected.

Maya stared at him. He didn't flinch.

"So what, you want to co-parent? Split weekends? Set up a trust fund and call it a day?"

"No," he said. "I want more. I want to know you. Not just for the baby."

Silence hung between them.

"This isn't going to work if we're pretending," he added. "We had something that night. Even if it wasn't planned. Even if it wasn't meant to be more."

Maya's cheeks heated. "That night was just a mistake."

He didn't look away. "Then why do you remember it like I do?"

Her throat dried.

"I remember your laugh," he said, voice soft. "I remember how you ran out into the rain just to feel it. I remember you told me your biggest fear was turning into someone who never took chances."

She didn't realize she was shaking until her hand trembled around the coffee cup. That night had felt like a fever dream. But he remembered the small things.

And that made it real.

"I also remember that you didn't ask for my number," she whispered. "You didn't even stay."

"Because I was scared it would turn into something I couldn't control."

"And now?"

He exhaled. "Now, I'm already losing control."

The food arrived, and neither of them touched it.

Maya broke the silence. "So what exactly do you want, Jaxon?"

His name still tasted dangerous on her tongue.

"I want to be involved," he said. "Doctor's appointments. Planning. I'll help with everything, financially, emotionally, whatever you need."

"And if I don't want anything?"

"I'll still be here."

It wasn't a threat. It wasn't a plea. It was a promise.

She hated that part of her wanted to believe it.

After lunch, they walked outside together. The sky had turned cloudy, the air heavy with unspoken words.

"I'll text you," he said.

"I'll think about it."

"Maya."

She turned.

"I'm not walking away."

She didn't respond. She just nodded and walked off, unsure if her heart was racing from fear, or something far more dangerous.

Later that night, she stood in her bathroom, toothbrush hanging from her mouth as she scrolled through her phone.

Unknown Number: "You forgot your umbrella. It's in my car. Should I drop it off or bring it tomorrow?"

She stared at the message.

No "good night." No pushy texts. Just a simple offer.

She typed a reply.

Maya: "Bring it tomorrow. But no expectations. Just the umbrella."

Jaxon: "Understood."

She looked at herself in the mirror. Tired eyes, wild curls, soft belly that held a heartbeat not her own.

This wasn't the life she planned.

But maybe, just maybe, it was the beginning of something unexpected.

Something terrifying.

Something... real.