Page 33 of Royal Deception (Royals of the Underworld #2)

RORY

I ’m staring at her, waiting for an answer, my mind reeling. All those little things I’d brushed off—her weird “flu” a few months back that dragged on forever, the subtle weight gain, especially in her breasts and stomach, the odd sensitivity she’d been showing lately… they all make sense now.

I lean forward, barely holding myself together, trying to make sense of this moment.

“Are you pregnant?” I ask again, my voice hoarse. I can feel the words leave my mouth, but they don't feel real.

Clary doesn’t say anything at first, but she nods quietly, her hand drifting to her stomach, the curve of her belly suddenly visible beneath her sweater.

Everything shifts in my mind. The pieces fall into place, and it all clicks. Her odd behavior, the way she’s been acting distant, avoiding me—it’s all because of this.

I swallow hard, trying to keep the rage in check. But I can’t hold it back.

“When the fuck were you going to tell me?” I demand, my voice tight with anger. “How could you keep something like that from me?”

The question burns, making my blood run hot.

Then, like a punch to the gut, a thought occurs to me.

“Am I the father?” The words leave my mouth before I can stop them, and my chest tightens with the fear that I might not be.

Clary’s eyes shift away from mine, and for a second, I’m sure she’s not going to say anything at all. But then, she blurts it out in a rush, her words tumbling over each other like she’s trying to get it all out at once.

“It happened before,” she says, her voice shaking. “When we hooked up a few times after Darcy and Kellan’s wedding. And then you pushed me away. Like it was nothing. Like I was just some mistake and being with me didn’t mean anything to you.”

The words hit like a slap. I flinch, the weight of what she’s saying sinking in. She’s right. I pushed her away. Hard. I made it clear that whatever we had didn’t matter. But hearing her say it like that? It makes my chest ache in a way I can’t explain.

Her voice drops, quieter now. “By the time I realized I was pregnant, we weren’t even talking. And when things started to change between us, I wasn’t sure I even wanted you involved.”

The admission feels like a punch in the gut. And for a second, I’m angry—angry at myself, at the situation, at how I fucked this up. But I try to hold it together, trying to understand.

I shake my head, still struggling with the weight of it all. “Is this about my lifestyle?” I ask, the words slipping out before I can stop them. “The job? Everything I’m involved in? Is that why you didn’t want me to know?”

Her face tightens, and for a moment, I see a flash of pure anger in her eyes.

“Are you fucking serious?” she snaps, her voice rising. “I’ve been in this life for three years, Rory. Three years . And if I were going to shy away from it, I would have done it a long time ago.” She’s practically seething now, and I’m taken aback by the fire in her words.

I blink, not expecting that. But it’s true. She’s been here, right alongside me, dealing with everything I’ve thrown her way.

But now it’s different. Now there’s a child involved.

Clary’s breath catches, and she looks away, like the words she’s about to say are heavy enough to break something inside her.

“The reason I didn’t say anything sooner,” she begins, her voice barely above a whisper, “Was because it didn’t seem like you wanted a girlfriend or a family. You’ve never given me any reason to think otherwise.”

Her eyes find mine, and there’s so much pain there, and I know I’m the one who caused it. My stomach twists, and I feel like I’m drowning in all the mistakes I’ve made.

I open my mouth, ready to deny it, but the words don’t come. She’s right. I’ve never given her anything to hold onto, not in the way she deserved. Not when it came to what we could’ve been together.

And then, the confession comes. The one I’ve never said out loud before.

“For most of my life, I never wanted a family,” I admit, the words slipping out before I can stop them.

“I saw how my father treated my mother, how that relationship destroyed her, broke her down until she wasn’t even herself anymore.

I watched him withhold affection, control her every move, make her feel small.

And I couldn’t…” I swallow hard, my throat tight.

“I couldn’t let myself go down that road. ”

I rub my face, the frustration rising again.

“When it became clear that I was the best son for the job, that I’d be the one to take over the family business, I pushed any thought of a family aside.

I couldn’t risk it. So I drowned out the need for connection, for any kind of intimacy that wasn’t just physical, with things that didn’t make me feel vulnerable—BDSM, mostly. It worked for a while.”

I take a shaky breath, the weight of everything I’ve been holding back crashing down on me. “But now, with this, with you and the baby, it’s like everything I’ve built for myself is suddenly… shifting.”

I look at her then, searching her eyes, trying to make sense of it all. I don’t know where I stand right now.

Clary hesitates, her eyes searching mine as if trying to read me. “Are you still angry with me?”

I take a moment, looking at her closely, weighing my words. Anger… yeah, I’m angry. But it’s not just at her. It’s at myself, too, for being blind, for not seeing the signs.

“No,” I say finally, my voice low. “I’m not angry. I… I get why you didn’t tell me. I didn’t give you a reason to trust me, not with something this big. Hell, I didn’t even give myself a reason to believe I could handle being a father.”

I swallow hard, my throat tight with everything I’ve kept locked inside. “I don’t know if I’d be a good dad. I don’t have any example of what that looks like, apart from Kellan, but even he wasn’t involved in the first three years of Rose’s life. But for you…”

I pause, my chest aching with the weight of what I’m about to say. “I want to try. I want to be there for you and our baby. You’re important to me, Clary, more than I’ve ever made you feel. Even if you don’t want me, I think I want to be involved.”

Clary nods, though her guard is still up. The silence stretches between us, and I search about for a topic, something to take our mind off the intense emotions we’ve been dealing with.

A thought occurs to me as I realize that I don’t know anything about what’s been going on with her pregnancy. I lean in slightly, my gaze fixed on her. “How far along are you?”

“Six months.” She gives me a faint smile, and I can see the irony in her eyes. “It took you that long to notice?”

I cough, a little embarrassed. I should’ve seen the signs, should’ve been more perceptive. “God, I know. I’m an idiot. I can get so caught up with the big picture that I miss the forest for the trees.”

She giggles lightly. “It’s okay. I wasn’t exactly making it easy for you to notice, either.”

Her words hit me hard, and I can feel the weight of that truth. But I push forward, needing to know more. “Do you know the gender?”

She shakes her head, and I notice the amusement in her expression. “No, I don’t care about that kind of thing. I just want them to be healthy.”

Her words sink in, and I feel something inside me shift as I come to terms with the fact that there’s a kid inside her right now. My kid. It’s still so surreal.

After a beat, she adds, “I’ve had plenty of time to get used to the idea. If it’s okay to say, I’m actually excited about it. Weirdly excited. I think it’s going to be a good thing.”

A strange warmth blooms in my chest, something I wasn’t expecting. It’s like everything that didn’t make sense before is starting to piece together. I can’t help but feel relieved that she’s this open with me now. She laughs, but there’s nervousness in it.

“I actually found out because of Miranda,” she says, almost sheepishly. “She had suggested it back when we were planning Darcy’s baby shower, and it turns out she was right.”

I pour her some water, trying to wrap my head around everything she’s telling me. It’s a lot, but she’s been carrying all of it alone.

“Where did you end up after leaving the penthouse?” I ask, suddenly hoping she’s been safe.

“I’m staying with Miranda right now,” she explains. “She’s been mentoring me.”

I nod, processing that. It feels strange, hearing her talk about Miranda like this. “I’m glad you have someone like that in your life,” I tell her, my voice softening with sincerity. “You deserve it.”

She looks at me, something in her eyes I can't quite place, then adds, “She’s been so good to me. Like, I guess, being pregnant made me think about what I really want for myself. Miranda has been encouraging me in my dream to go to fashion school. I guess I never told you about that."

I blink, the words sinking in. “Fashion school?” The surprise is clear in my voice, but it's mixed with awe. “Wow. Yeah, I never knew that.”

She continues, a little embarrassed, but also with a touch of excitement. "It’s something I’ve wanted for a long time, but I always thought it was out of reach. It always just felt like a pipe dream.”

“There’s so much I never knew about you,” I say, feeling almost regretful.

I’m learning more about her in this one conversation than I did in all the time we spent together.

“I know how you like your coffee. I know you listen to classical music when you’re working.

I know you like pretty, pastel colors. But I feel like there’s so much about you I never really saw. ”

She laughs lightly, and I can hear the hint of something in her voice. “We did everything backward. I got pregnant, then we tried getting too serious too fast, and now we’re what… casually dating?”

I shrug, the smile tugging at my lips. “I guess we’re just taking it one day at a time for now. But I don’t want you to think I’m running off. I’m not going anywhere. You and the baby are too important to me.”

Her eyes soften, and the weight of my words sinks in. She’s quiet for a moment, and then she whispers, “I’m glad.”

I feel something twist in my chest, and I can’t help but reach out to touch her cheek. “You’re amazing,” I say, my words sincere. “God. I don’t know how I missed that before. The strength you had to deal with all this, your huge heart… it’s like I’m seeing you for the first time.”

Her smile makes something in my chest tighten, and before I know what’s happening, Clary leans in, kissing me.

It’s soft at first, like she’s testing the waters. But then it deepens, and everything between us shifts. It’s like the weight of everything—everything we’ve been through—starts to fade away.