Bad Timing

Nora’s POV

Pregnant? Pregnant?! I was fucking pregnant?!

Any other day, I might’ve been happy. Maybe even excited.

But not today.

Not when my life was already falling apart. Not when the father was Jeremiah.

My chest tightened. My heart pounded so hard it hurt.

"I think you should calm down," the handsome stranger said, standing up. His voice was steady, his touch gentle as he placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

My lips quivered.

"I can't," I whispered, and then—I broke.

Sobs shook my body, hot tears streaming down my face. It was too much. This baby had the worst fucking timing.

"It's alright," the man murmured, sliding onto the bed beside me and pulling me into his arms. He rubbed my back gently, his touch oddly soothing.

I stiffened at first, but then something about him—his presence, his calmness—made me breathe again.

Slowly, I stopped crying.

A throat cleared. I turned, suddenly remembering the doctor was still in the room.

"I'll get you something for your head," he said. "And as for the baby... it's still early, so you do have options..."

My blood went cold. What did he mean by I had options!?

Was he suggesting an abortion?!

I sat up, anger replacing my grief in an instant.

"Are you fucking insane?" I snapped.

The doctor raised his hands. "It was just a suggestion—"

"Well, shove your suggestion up your ass!" I spat. "Aren't you supposed to be a doctor?"

"I'm terribly sorry," he stammered. "You just seemed so upset, I thought—"

"Well, I'm fine." My voice was ice. "Get the hell out!"

The doctor muttered an apology and scurried out.

I exhaled sharply, rubbing my head. What a fucking nightmare.

Then, a soft laughter broke the silence.

I turned to find the handsome stranger looking at me, amusement dancing in his grey eyes.

"That was kinda brutal," he teased.

I scoffed. "He deserved it."

"Fair enough." He grinned. "You’ve got a fire in you. I like that."

I rolled my eyes. "Great. Thanks."

His smile didn’t fade. Instead, he offered his hand.

"I'm Henry, by the way."

I hesitated for a second before shaking it.

"Nora."

"Nice to meet you, Nora. Well, aside from the whole car crash, hospital, surprise pregnancy thing."

I laugh. The first one all day.

Henry smirked. "There it is. I knew you had a smile in there somewhere."

I shook my head. "You don’t know anything about me."

"Not yet," he said easily. "But how about I start by giving you a ride home?"

I blinked. "You don’t have to do that."

"I know," he shrugged. "But I want to."

I sighed deeply, rubbing my head. I was supposed to go to my parents' house today, but now—after finding out I was pregnant—I couldn’t.

How could I?

Their 28-year-old daughter was homeless, broke, and now freaking pregnant.

I let out a bitter laugh, covering my face with my hands. How the hell did my life end up like this?

"Ah… if you don’t want me to take you home, that’s fine," Henry said, shifting awkwardly. "I was just trying to help."

"No, it’s not that," I mumbled. My throat tight. "I just… don’t have anywhere to go."

Silence.

I exhaled softly. "I think I’ll just stay here for a couple of days."

Henry tilted his head. "Here? In the hospital?"

I nodded. "I mean… it’s warm, quiet, and nobody will judge me for crying like an emotional wreck."

He chuckled. "Can’t argue with that logic." Then, after a moment, he said, "Or—you could crash at my place."

I blinked. "What?"

"Just until you’re back on your feet," he added quickly. "You shouldn’t be alone right now."

I studied him. Kind eyes. Relaxed posture. Terribly handsome features.

Still… I didn’t know him.

"That’s really nice, Henry, but I’m not stupid," I said firmly. "I don’t know you, and I’m not about to move into a stranger’s house."

Henry raised his hands in surrender. "Smart Woman. I respect that."

"You expected me to say yes, didn’t you?" I asked.

He smirked. "Not really, but I was hoping."

I rolled my eyes. "Men."

"Hey, I'm not the one who crash into your car, remember?"

Despite everything, I laughed.

Henry’s grin widened. "You should do that more."

I shook my head, still smiling. He was good—too good. He made me forget, just for a second, how miserable I felt.

Maybe I needed that.

Maybe I needed him.

I sighed. "Fine. Just for a few days."

Henry’s eyes lit up. "I promise I don’t bite."

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. "If you try anything, I’ll make you regret it."

He chuckled. "Noted."

------

Henry’s car moved through the massive iron gates, and my jaw nearly hit the floor.

This wasn’t a house—it was a goddamn estate like the one Jeremiah had. The one we had lived in.

Beautiful gardens, a large fountain at the center—it screamed money. Old money. New money. Every kind of money.

I stared out the window, gripping my seatbelt. "Okay… I wasn’t expecting this."

Henry smirked as he pulled the car up the long, stoned driveway. "What? Thought I lived in a shoebox?"

"Honestly? Kinda."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Well, surprise."

The car stopped in front of the modern mansion. And a butler—an actual butler—opened my door before I could.

I stepped out slowly, still in shock. "What do you do, exactly?"

Henry led me inside, casually tossing his keys onto a countertop. He grabbed a bottle of fresh orange juice from the fridge and poured me a glass before answering.

"I’m in the tech business," he said smoothly, sliding the drink toward me.

I froze.

Tech business.

I frowned. My fingers curled around the glass, but I didn’t drink.

Jeremiah’s stupid face flashed in my mind—his smirk, his stupidly expensive suits, his arrogant tone every time he talked about his tech empire. Yeah...he was also in the tech business and Henry saying it made me remember Jeremiah even when I wanted to forget.

I sighed.

Not that I could ever forget him. His child was literally growing inside me.

I forced my expression to stay neutral. "Tech, huh?" I said, feigning interest. "What company?"

Henry smiled.

"Ever heard of Z-Innovations?"

I stiffened. Oh. Shit

Of course, I had. Everyone had.

Z-innovations was one of the biggest tech companies in the world—and Jeremiah’s biggest rival.

My grip tightened around the glass. "You work there?"

"I own it."

Holy shit.