Page 73 of For Your Consideration

Was it because I interrupted his meeting?

Maybe I shouldn’t have called, maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference if someone else told him.

“Not mad at you, sweetheart.” His voice was slightly softer this time. Somehow, he knew that I was spiraling without me having to say anything. “Just need to talk to Will.” I nodded even though he couldn’t see me and passed the phone over.

After a few nods from Will and a “yeah” and “I got it,” he hung up my phone and passed it back to me.

I didn’t have time to be disappointed that he didn’t get back on the phone with me as a woman walked into the open office, the receptionist having shown her the way back.

She wore a navy pencil skirt with a white tank top tucked into it, a matching suit jacket left undone, and a pair of heels. She had a briefcase in her hand and looked more professional than I ever had in my entire life. Her rich warm brown hair was pulled half back but looked naturally curly, and her tan skin made the green of her eyes more vivid.

“Maya Santos,” Will said, standing up. “Thanks for coming so quickly.”

“Armstrong,” she replied, looking over at Will. “As you reminded me, I owe you one.” She had a pleasant smile on her face but neither one of them looked particularly happy to be standing in front of each other. But then she turned to look at me. “Hi, Sutton.”

I stood up to shake her hand. “Thank you for coming. I didn’t think you needed to rush right over.”

She waved me off. “It’s no problem. I don’t like owing people things. I figured if Will was calling me then it must be important. Or he just knows how much better than him I am.” She shot him a smile over her shoulder. “Plus, I don’t like assholes who try to threaten women with the loss of their children.” Her eyes cut back to me and there was an intensity there that I was grateful for. I was going to need it. Will stood up and offered her his seat, which she took with an eye roll, pulling out a legal pad to take notes. “Tell me what happened.”

I walked her through the conversation the same way I did with Will. She listened closely, nodded, took notes, and asked clarifying questions. Her calm nature was soothing to my nerves. It felt logical, based on facts not emotions, and that was much easier to deal with.

“Are you still in contact with anyone who’s close with Ben?” Maya asked after I finished my story.

“No. No one talked to me after he told them that the baby wasn’t his and I whored myself out.”

I heard Quinn’s noise of disgust but I didn’t look at her, keeping my attention on Maya.

“Is there any way that Sophie isn’t his?”

“Watch it, Santos,” Will grumbled but I shook my head at him, trying to let him know it was okay. I was a little sad now that Sophie was Ben’s since it would have been easier if he wasn’t her father. He would have no claim.

“No, I never cheated on Ben. Sophie is his.”

“Is his name on the birth certificate?”

“No. I sent him the paperwork so he could sign after she was born but he never sent them back and I didn’t want him on there if he didn’t want to be named. I filed without his name.”

“Have a record of that?”

“Yes,” I said with relief. At least I had records of all I had done to give him the chance. The emails, the texts, the documents that I had tried to get him to reply to. “I also have a copy of the email I sent him telling him she was born and asking if he wanted to name her with me. He never replied and I followed up multiple times. I kept my call records from that time since I was nervous about something like this happening one day.”

“Good, we can use all that.”

“He doesn’t even remember her name, Maya. I left a voicemail for him before I moved away. He never called me back and he didn’t use it today.” My head and heart were so stuck on that. The man deserved none of her time if he couldn’t even be bothered to remember her name. Maya smiled, but it was ruthless, not warm.

“I won’t use her name on the paperwork. I have a way to keep it from them. Let them try to explain the fact that the father who wants custody doesn’t know his own daughter’s name.”

I was about to ask her a question but I was cut off by a large man stomping into the room.

Before I even registered what was happening he was in front of me, pulling me out of my chair, and yanking me into his solid chest. I took the first deep breath since I’d answered the phone.

I looped my arms around Asher’s waist and buried my head into his chest. His scent enveloped me, the clean woodsy smell calming me down. As he held me, I was cocooned from the world, a sense of safety settling over me instantly.

“You didn’t need to come,” I mumbled into his chest, but there wasn’t any conviction in my words. His arms tightened around me as he grunted with what I could tell was annoyance.

He seemed to reluctantly pull back so he could look at me. His eyes bounced around my face before he nodded and moved to my side. Quinn had already stood up from the couch and went to lean on her desk, letting Asher sit down beside me. Jaxson walked in the room a moment after we settled. His normal smile was gone, his face serious.

“I assume this isn’t the ex.” Maya looked pointedly at the man next to me.