The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

ELLA’S POV

I brewed some tea, grabbed my laptop, and settled into the sitting room. If I wasn’t going to the office today, I might as well get some work done. I’d already told my assistant to email me anything urgent, so I could handle business without stepping foot in the company. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

I had just finished my tea and was fully engrossed in work when the stupid husband of mine finally decided to show up.

Yep. Jason.

The front door swung open, and in he walked, clutching a carrier bag and looking way too smug for someone who had potentially ruined my entire life.

"Honeeey, I’m home!" he called out in a sing-song voice, like some 1950s sitcom husband.

Jason’s voice rang through the house, laced with amusement.

Oh, he was in a good mood.

I was about to fix that.

I lifted my gaze just as he walked in, holding a carrier bag like some doting husband bringing home a treat for his loving wife. Too bad he was a dead man walking.

Without preamble, I snapped, "Did you use protection?"

The air in the room shifted.

Silence.

Then—

"Shit."

My. Heart. Stopped.

My laptop slid off my lap as I slowly straightened up. Oh, he did not just say that.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," I whispered, feeling the beginnings of a full-blown meltdown coming on.

Jason, that absolute menace, had the audacity to hold up a hand like he was calming a feral cat.

"Okay, okay, before you freak out—"

"Before I freak out?! Jason, I swear to God—"

My hand moved before I could think. I launched my empty tea cup straight at his head.

Jason’s reflexes were apparently as sharp as ever because the bastard dodged just in time. The cup shattered against the wall behind him.

"Jesus, Ella!" he yelped, throwing up his hands.

"Look, I was kind of... distracted?" he admitted, completely unapologetic.

Distracted.

He was distracted.

I could actually feel my soul leave my body for a second. This man.

"You absolute menace!" I shrieked. "You were distracted?!"

Jason had the audacity to smirk. "Well, in my defense, you were—"

"Say something stupid, Jason. I dare you."

"—incredible."

I grabbed my slipper and launched it at his face.

He dodged that too.

I snapped, now actively looking around for something else to throw. "Jason, this is serious!"

Jason held up the carrier bag as a shield. "Wait, wait, don’t kill me yet! I brought you chocolate!"

I paused.

Then narrowed my eyes. "You think chocolate is going to fix this?!"

Jason, looking slightly hopeful, nodded. "Well, it’s your favorite. And biscuits. You love biscuits."

I snatched the bag from his hands, pulled out the chocolate, inspected it—as if that would determine whether I was pregnant or not—then shoved it onto the table.

He sighed, finally dropping the playfulness. "I know, I know. Relax. We’ll handle it."

"We?" I let out a humorless laugh. "There is no ’we’ in this situation, Jason. If I’m pregnant—"

"You won’t be."

His voice was calm. Too calm.

I narrowed my eyes. "How do you know?"

His jaw clenched slightly, and then, in a tone that sent a deliciously terrifying shiver down my spine, he said—

"Because I’ll make damn sure you’re not."

I swallowed.

His eyes darkened just enough to make my breath hitch.

"And either way," he continued, stepping closer, "I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. Whether you’re pregnant or not, you’re stuck with me now."

My mouth opened—then closed.

Stuck with him?

Oh. Hell. No.

I squared my shoulders. "Look, I am one hundred percent done with this conversation. You’re lucky I don’t have a frying pan near me."

"I’m going to the pharmacy," Jason announced before I could throw something else at him. "Just... sit tight."

And with that, the coward fled.

Leaving me standing there—chocolate in one hand, slipper in the other—wondering how the hell I was supposed to survive this man.

I sighed and sank back into the couch, popping another piece of chocolate into my mouth. Damn him. He knew exactly how to distract me.

The rich, velvety taste melted on my tongue, calming my nerves just a little. Not enough to forget that I might be pregnant with his child, but enough to stop me from murdering him on the spot.

Jason was still at the pharmacy. I had no idea why—it wasn’t like a pregnancy test could tell me anything right now. It was way too early for that. But, fine. Let him go be a responsible adult after making the biggest mistake of his life.

A few minutes later, the front door swung open again.

Jason walked in, holding a small, familiar-looking box.

I stared at it.

Then at him.

Then back at the box.

"P2?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded, tossing it onto the coffee table like it was some random pack of gum. "Figured we shouldn’t take any chances."

I picked it up, flipping it between my fingers. "How sure are we that this is even going to work?"

Jason scratched the back of his neck, looking slightly guilty for the first time. "Since it’s later in the day... the possibility of it working is around 70 to 80 percent."

I stopped.

Then narrowed my eyes.

"Seventy. To. Eighty. Percent." I repeated slowly, tasting each syllable like poison.

Jason had the nerve to wince.

"Great." I muttered, throwing my head back against the couch. Just great.

I didn’t waste any more time. I tore the box open, popped out the pill, and grabbed the water he’d already brought from the kitchen.

"Here goes nothing."

I swallowed it in one go.

Then immediately popped another piece of chocolate into my mouth, chewing aggressively as if that would somehow undo his recklessness.

Jason sat down beside me, watching me closely.

"Are you always this irresponsible?" I asked, side-eyeing him as I licked chocolate off my thumb.

He shook his head, his jaw tightening.

"You’re my first doing it without protection."

The air shifted.

The charged energy from last night—the one I was trying so damn hard to ignore—came back with a vengeance.

His eyes were locked on me.

My throat suddenly felt dry.

Remind me again... why were we talking about this?