The Royal Contract

But what was he doing now, sitting right next to her? Why was he taking her to his favorite spot? Because what? He dreamt of kissing her and giving her the most romantic experience.

If he wanted to get laid, he had many women lining up at his feet. He did not need to woe her, involving himself in her complicated life. Truthfully, he was not ready for another man’s child.

“I guessed caring for a child is far more difficult than having a pet.” Zach acknowledged, but deep down, he wanted to kick himself in the ass for that question. Why did he open a can of worms when he had no means of dealing with it?

He even doubted he was ready to have his child. He was just too young and irresponsible for such a responsibility. He still could not see himself as a family man.

But he did wonder how she coped working, at the same time, caring for a child. She seemed too young to have a kid. But from what he had seen, she appeared to manage it just fine.

“I would not know about animals, but having Edison was no piece of cake,” Ria answered, but her face did not show any signs of regret.

On the other hand, she seemed to think of his son fondly as he observed the curve of a smile on her lips. She seemed delighted to have him in her life. He could not help but wonder what had happened to the father since he doubted he was still in the picture.

“I am sure you are doing a great job.” He commented, not knowing what else to say. But his curiosity seemed to get the best of him as the question spilled out of his mouth before he could filter it. “But where is Edison’s father?”

.....

Still, he could not blindly hate the man without knowing why he was missing from their lives. The father of her child might be dead for all he knew or away for the time being.

He could be judging the unknown man, only to learn that he had a valid reason for his absence. Still, subconsciously, he could not deny he wanted to hear her answer.

“My ex?” She asked as if surprised by his sudden inquiry. “The bastard could not run fast enough when he learned I was pregnant.” The bitterness in her voice was evident of her contempt of the man.

“Oh! I am sorry.” He expressed, unexpecting her reaction. He had never seen her in such a state, but maybe he still had a lot to learn about her.

“Why are you sorry? You are not him. Anyway, I am glad that he is out of our lives. I believe my son is better off not knowing him.” This time, she smiled as if she did not care about whoever was the father of her child.

“So, you never asked for child support.” Zach unwittingly pried, wanting to know if there was still communication between her and her ex.

He just assumed he was not around anymore since she had never mentioned his name or the man never came by the office to see her. But still, they could have some arrangement even if she hated his guts.

Nevertheless, what kind of man would do such a thing? Did he need to ask, knowing he might be just like him? But no! He refused to believe he could be anything like that man.

He might be scared of the responsibility, but he doubted he would run away from it. If Edison was his son, even if he did not want to marry Ria, he probably could not abandon his flesh and blood.

“I did, but he initially refused to help, denying that Edison is his son. But a friend helped me to demand support.” She responded with a sadness that enveloped her face. She looked like she remembered a memory that had caused her so much pain.

“How else do you think I can afford to live in my apartment? My salary is not even enough for Edison’s hospital bills.” She added as she focused her eyes on the darkness that surrounded them.

That answered his question about her living arrangement. Therefore, the bastard provided them with a home. But he doubted his fatherly obligation ended with that. However, her last statement caught his attention.

“Hospital bills?” He asked, slightly showing some concern.

He could not help but think if his son had a critical medical condition. Suddenly, his curiosity had reached another level, as he wanted to know more.

“I think you don’t want to know every gory detail of my life.” She suddenly shook her head as if she did not want to share her life anymore. “Besides, my life is not that interesting.”

But something clicked in his mind as he looked at her. He could not stop until he found more information about her. After hearing all these things about her, he seemed interested in learning more about her.

“But...” He wanted to beg to disagree with her.

“Hey, I think the mother turtle is moving away.” She pointed to the dark shadow that was slowly progressing toward the water.

She interrupted him, standing up and slightly moving away from him. He knew it was her way of telling him the conversation was over. She might have realized that she had shared more than what she intended.

“I think you are right.” He also turned in the direction of the mother, who abandoned her kids. But this was different. It was how the mother turtle protected her babies by burying them in the sand away from the predators that might harm them.

Now, he believed he slightly understood more what Ria was trying to do. She was just like the mother turtle, doing her best to protect her child against the people who could hurt him, including him. Call it a mother’s instinct.