“Not that close.”
He moved the chair back several inches.
Despite everything, the corner of Harper’s mouth almost moved.
Almost.
She settled the baby again and looked at Ethan across the narrow distance between them.
“You need to understand something before this goes any further.”
“Anything.”
“You are not walking out of this hospital and announcing you have a son.
You are not sending lawyers.
You are not buying a house for us.
You are not putting your name on something and deciding that makes you a father.”
Ethan nodded.
“Money doesn’t get you around me.”
“I understand.”
“No.
You understand contracts.
I need you to understand consequences.”
He held her gaze.
“Then tell me the consequences.”
Harper looked down at the baby.
“You missed the pregnancy.
You missed the birth.
You missed every night I walked the floor with him when he wouldn’t sleep.
You missed his first smile.
You missed the first time he laughed so hard he got hiccups.”
Ethan closed his eyes briefly.
Harper’s voice trembled, but she continued.
“I don’t tell you that to punish you.
I’m telling you because you can’t purchase those months back.”
“I know.”
“And if you disappear again, he will eventually be old enough to know it.”
Ethan opened his eyes.
“I won’t.”
“You said certainty scared you.”
“No.
I disguised fear as certainty.”
Harper said nothing.
Ethan looked at his son.
“I can’t prove anything tonight.”
That was the first thing he said that seemed to reach her.
“No,” she answered.
“But I can stop asking you to believe words before I’ve earned them.”
The doctor eventually cleared Harper to leave after several more checks.
Her injuries were painful but not serious.
The baby had escaped the collision unharmed.
When Harper stood, Ethan reached automatically for the hospital bag, then stopped.
“May I?”
She looked at his hand.
“Yes.”
He carried the bag.
Nothing else.
Outside the emergency entrance, the rain had softened.
Ethan’s black Audi waited at the curb where security had found it.
His security chief stood several yards away, wisely saying nothing.
Harper looked at the car.
“I have a ride coming.”
