Stella & The Playboy

Stella & The Secret

Chapter 30

I woke up to the sound of distant knocking. I open my eyes tiredly, surveying my surroundings. Julius was beside me fast asleep.

The knocking continues and I grumble before getting out of bed. I throw on my robe before tiredly shuffling out of the bedroom and toward the front door.

"I'm coming!" I call out as the knocking continues.

I open the door and my mother stands there with baby Isaiah in one arm and a diaper bag in the other. "Why didn't you answer any of my calls?" She asks frantically as she puts Isaiah down and hands me the bag.

I quirk my eyebrow at her, "What are you doing?" I ask as the child waddles past me into the apartment. "Your father said he talked to you last night. About watching Isaiah for the day? I had an emergency meeting come up and I have to head up to Staten Island."

I shake my head as she places the car seat in the living room, "Dad never talked to me? How long will you be gone? I've never taken care of a baby!"

"I'll be back by tonight. Just make sure to feed him, change his diaper, stuff like that. He's set for his next nap in about another hour." She hands me a baby bottle, "His formula and everything else is in the bag. Text me with questions I have to run. Love you!" She calls out as she scurries away.

I'm left there in shock as my mother disappears into the elevator down the hall. I turn around back into the apartment and look down at Isaiah, who was already sucking on the tv remote innocently.

"No don't do that!" I scold as I take it away from him. He begins to pout and quickly begins crying. My eyes widen as I rush to pick him up. "Don't cry! Please!"

He ignores my requests as I attempt to rock him back and forth to calm him. I rush over to the baby bag, looking for what else he could play with, and find a pacifier. I place it in his mouth and he takes it out immediately to continue his wailing.

I grab the tv remote and wipe it off before giving it back to the baby. I let out a sigh of relief as he finally stops crying and focuses on the tv remote. Carrying Isaiah on my hip I head toward the bedroom where Julius continued to sleep soundly.

Thoughts of last night immediately flash through my head. And the last words I heard before falling asleep echoed through my mind.

I love you.

Hearing the words terrified me, and I'm pretty sure he didn't mean for me to hear it. So I was going to keep it that way and pretend like I never heard him say it. I wasn't ready for that, not yet.

"Go wake up Julius." I say as I place Isaiah on the bed where he proceeds to crawl toward Julius. "Bah bah." Isaiah cooed as he hits Julius with the remote.

I gasp as Julius groans and looks up at the child. His eyes widen as he gets up immediately before looking toward me. "I swear I used a condom!" He exclaims frantically as he looks at Isaiah who was mindlessly hitting the remote against the bed.

I laugh at the frantic half-naked man before me. "This is Isaiah."

"I would've preferred to name him Julius jr. But I guess Isaiah works too." I shove him gently, "This is my cousin's kid. The one my mom is supposed to be watching? She dumped him on me because she had an emergency meeting."

Julius let out a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness. I'm not ready to be a father yet." He looks down at Isaiah, "Hey buddy." He coos before picking him up.

Isaiah looks at Julius with hesitancy and confusion, before turning his gaze toward me and crying. Julius' eyes widen as he quickly hands the baby back to me, "He wants you."