#30 Another surprise

My eyes darted between the two men who kept glaring at each other.
"Evelyn, we have to go," Sebastian stated in a cold voice.
"I know, but we have a few minutes before our next appointment. Can you please bring me a bottle of water?" I asked Sebastian, giving him a sweet smile.
"But you said you weren't thirsty!"
"Now, I am. Just give us a few minutes, Sebastian…" I pleaded with him.
The billionaire sighed but nevertheless left, giving us some privacy.
"I'm glad you're better," Owen said, eyeing my features carefully.
"Thank you, Owen. You seem tired…"
"I haven't slept properly for two days, lots of work. Is he treating you better now?" the doctor asked, tilting his head towards Sebastian's way.
"He's trying to be better; he cares for the baby," I replied, looking at Sebastian, who was buying me a bottle of water from the vending machine at the end of the corridor.
"Did you forgive him?"
"Owen, it's complicated. He explained a few things to me about his past, and I believe he's in a dark place, but that doesn't justify his actions completely…"
"You're in love with him, aren't you?"
A gasp escaped my lips, hearing his words. Owen and I weren't that close, yet here he was asking me so private questions. But it made me angrier that I didn't know how to answer his question. Was I in love with Sebastian? Could I be, after everything he had made me go through?
"I'm just trying to be more understanding of him for the sake of my baby. My daughter will be his child, too. I could raise her perfectly by myself, but now that he knows it'd be unfair to keep him away from my baby. It'll be unfair for both him and my daughter…" I replied and watched him frowning.
"You deserve a better man than him," he muttered, caressing my arm lightly.
"We're just having a baby together, and he's trying to be a good father. That's all, Owen."
"I don't think people change overnight…" the doctor retorted.
"We might have misjudged him, you know. He wasn't always like this, and I think he's trying to find his older self."
"You definitely care about him."
"Of course, I do. Sebastian's the father of my unborn child. But I do care about you, as my friend, and I want for you to be happy…"
"Oh, Evelyn, you're too good for your own good," the red-haired man whispered under his breath.
"Maybe you're right, but that's me…" I chuckled.
"Just take care of yourself and the baby. You deserve to be happy, too," Owen said with a small smile.
"Thank you, Owen. How about we go for a coffee?"
"Sure, I'll call you," he replied, grinning.
"Here you go, darling," Sebastian interrupted us, passing me a bottle of water.
I thanked him silently and drank a few sips of water.
"You wanted a son, didn't you?" Owen asked the other man, trying to make conversation with him.
"It's not certain, yet, but like Evelyn said, the gender is irrelevant as long as the baby's healthy," Sebastian retorted.
"Oh, well, I feel sorry for your daughter's future boyfriends already…" Owen joked.
Sebastian's face was priceless; it was a mixture of confusion and anger.
"Evelyn, if we have a daughter, she's not allowed to date until she's eighteen," the billionaire said, his voice stern.
"Okay, okay, relax," I chuckled, patting his arm softly.
"I'm not joking!" Sebastian pouted.
"I know; you're capable of chopping the young man's arms just because he touched your daughter's hand…" I said, rolling my eyes at him.
The billionaire sighed once again before asking, "Are you done talking because we need to go?"
I nodded and bid Owen a quick goodbye before letting Sebastian lead me towards Naomi's office.
About an hour later, we were ready to leave the hospital. To my relief, Naomi didn't find anything unusual. My heart was working just fine, and my vitals were normal.
Sebastian seemed relieved with the results, and he offered to take me out for lunch. I felt exhausted already, so he drove back to the loft instead. A phone call from the office didn't allow us to talk during the ride.
I got lost in my thoughts once again; Owen's words troubled me a lot. I couldn't name what I was feeling about Sebastian exactly. I had fallen for him back in Greece, but then I just hated him with every cell in my body. Until that night when he shared with me a few pieces of his past. I couldn't forgive him that easily, even if I felt sorry for him. He was trying hard, though, and that was something I couldn't overlook. Maybe one day, I would be able to forgive him completely.
He wasn't over his late fiancée, and that was something I certainly knew. Thus, I had to make this little part of my heart that still craved him to forget him… But it wasn't easy when I saw him every day, and it would never be because we were having a baby together. Even if I moved to the other end of the planet, my child would be the living proof of every single moment we spent together…
"Are you too tired to have lunch? I can stay with you if you want," Sebastian told me when we entered his loft.
"We can eat something, but give me a few minutes to get changed…" I replied, giving him a small smile.
I don't think he needed my permission to have lunch at his own house. To be honest, I didn't bother much with his presence now that he controlled himself and treated me better.
I headed to my bedroom to wash my hands, remove my makeup, and wear clean clothes. All these trips to the hospital started to get on my nerves. But this was a sacrifice I had to make for both my baby and myself. Our health was my top priority.
"Martha prepared your favorite salad and a chicken wrap for you," Sebastian informed me when I walked into the kitchen.
"Sounds yummy, thanks," I smiled, taking my seat at the kitchen island.
"So, what did that doctor want to tell you?" Sebastian asked, trying to sound disinterested.
"The doctor has a name…" I said with an eye roll taking a bite from my wrap.
Sebastian simply glared at me, but I was unaffected by his cold stare.
"This is delicious…" I moaned, gulping down my bite.
"Stop tempting me, and stop moaning," the man growled.
"Owen and I are friends, nothing more. He just wanted to check up on me," I replied with a shrug.
"And what did he tell you about me?"
"Why do you care about his opinion?" I countered back.
"Because he doesn't like me…" Sebastian replied, a frown forming between his eyebrows as he took a bite of his wrap.
"The feeling is mutual; it's clear that you don't like him, either. He just wanted to make sure that I'm better; that's all."
Sebastian muttered something incoherent under his breath. He seemed jealous once again for a reason I couldn't fathom.
"Sebastian, thank you for not making a scene earlier and for letting me talk to him," I said, a small smile plastered on my lips.
"I can be reasonable, but don't test my limits…" he grumbled.
For a few moments, we ate silently, enjoying the delicious meal and the serenity around us.
"My mom is throwing a party this Saturday night. She said we must attend it no matter what," Sebastian stated.
"You're not that thrilled…" I observed.
"I'm not fond of these parties and social gatherings," he shrugged.
"I can't disagree with that. From what you said, there isn't a way we can find an excuse not to go, right?"
"No, Evelyn, I already told her that you're tired, and it didn't work. I've arranged for some stylists and makeup artists to come here and help you get ready," Sebastian stated.
My eyes widened in pure shock; Sebastian was literally full of surprises.
"You didn't have to do that…" I replied, blushing a bit.
"Well, you can thank me after you see all the other women at the party," Sebastian said, frowning.
We finished our lunch, and Sebastian left for the company once again. I worked a bit and sent a few emails before taking a nap while watching TV.
The next three days passed by in the same pattern; me working from home, Sebastian being away almost all day. Sophie came by on Thursday afternoon to show me the new dress she bought for Clara's party. My best friend was excited about the party and insisted on helping me choose the dress I'd wear. For the first time, I was glad Sebastian had purchased all these expensive clothes, shoes, and accessories for me.
However, our attempt was unnecessary because the stylists brought a dozen of new outfits for me to try. And to make it worse, all the dresses were bright red! Apparently, Mr. Leclair had asked them to choose a red outfit for me.
At least, I found a dress that fitted me right and covered my cleavage enough to hide the scar from the surgery. The dress had a round neckline, an embroidered lace top with little, red shiny crystals, and a skirt made of tulle that reached just above my knees, covering my small baby bump.
The experts styled my long, blonde hair into a cute chignon. As for my makeup, we chose a red lipstick matching my dress. Sebastian had already picked three different sets of jewelry I could wear. The stylist made the final decision; a diamond necklace with matching earrings and bracelet.
Glancing one last time at the mirror, I took my clutch and high heels in hand and walked towards the living room.
Sebastian was already there, standing tall and handsome near the liquor table. Sensing my presence, he turned around, his grey eyes taking in my appearance. He gulped down the golden liquid in his glass, giving me a few moments to gawk at him. His tailor-made black tuxedo fitted his toned body perfectly. His light brown hair was perfectly combed, and the grey cufflinks matched his eye's color.
"You look stunning, Evelyn. Red is definitely your color," the billionaire complimented me with a husky voice.
"I didn't have much of a choice about the color…" I grumbled.
"Let me help you with these," Sebastian offered and helped me sit on the white couch. He gracefully kneeled in front of me and helped me put my red high heels on, securing the little straps around my ankles.
Sebastian escorted me to a black car, and we sat both behind, letting his driver take us to our destination. My anxiety reached a new pick, and I stared out of the window absentmindedly. The man next to me was reading something on his phone, preoccupied with his work as always.
I realized that we were close to our destination when my eyes noticed the opulent houses. The Leclair's mansion was the biggest and most beautiful by far. It looked like a castle with the greystone walls and the four white pillars on the front porch. The white shatters made the perfect contrast with the greyish exterior. The tall trees looked like sleepless guardians of the exquisite house.
"It's beautiful…" I gasped, turning to look at Sebastian.
He was grinning, and I couldn't stop the small smile that spread on my lips.
"Not as beautiful as you…" he whispered, taking my hand in his.
I blushed and averted my eyes to our interlocked hands.
"I think something's missing, though…" Sebastian trailed off, his eyes observing our locked fingers.
Slowly he pulled a small velvet box out of his jacket's pocket. He opened the little box only to reveal a delicate, silver diamond ring. A round diamond was circled by many smaller ones that created a floral pattern. The design was different from the jewelry set I was already wearing.
"My mom planned our engagement party, so I think you should wear this," Sebastian said, leaving me in utter shock...