Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“I didn’t know Blake until I moved home and got a job. He’s my boss,” I tell him. “When you and I were together, I was always with you, so you should know there was never a time for me to step out on you.”
“You worked and I worked, so we were not always together, and we used condoms, so I still don’t know how you got pregnant to begin with.”
“I’m pretty sure it says right on the box that condoms are only ninety-nine percent effective, so it’s my guess that we were one of the lucky one percent of people they failed for,” I tell him, then shake my head. “Anyway, what does it matter? You don’t want to be a father, and I’m okay with that. As far as I’m concerned, we don’t ever have to speak again.”
“If he’s mine, my mom wants to know him,” he says, and that anger in the pit of my stomach turns from a small flame to an inferno, because once more, he’s not saying he wants to be involved; he just wants his mother to have the option.
“He is biologically yours, Lex. With that said, I do not want your mother around my son after the way she acted.”
“She’s just trying to protect me,” he grumbles, and my nostrils flare. I swear if he were in front of me, I might be tempted to wrap my hands around his neck.
“And I’m protecting my child, who cannot protect himself, and I do not want your mother in his life.” I let out a breath and count backward from ten to hopefully get my temper under control.
“So I’m going to have to get a DNA test?” he asks, and I see red.
“Yes, you are going to have to pay to get a DNA test; then you are going to have to serve me with papers, ordering me to take my son to get one; then, once the results come back and they prove you are the father, you are going to have to take me to court and force me to let your mom see my child. And in the meantime, I’m going to take you to court for child support, including back child support, since you have not given me one cent for Sam since the day he was born. So I figure you’re going to be a year behind by the time this is all settled, so you might want to start saving now.”
“Jesus, Everly, what the fuck?”
“Do not what the fuck me, Lex. This isn’t my idea. This is yours. I’m not the one asking you to be involved in Sam’s life. You are not even the one who wants to be involved in Sam’s life. You are asking me to allow your mother to be a part of my child’s life after I prove what we both already know, and had she not acted the way she did when we met her, I would have been all about him getting to know his grandparents. Now, not so much, so if you want to force me to have Sam take a test or to get to know your mom, I want you to know you are going to have a fight on your hands. I’m giving you fair warning and just letting you know that you need to be ready to go to battle with me.”
I wait, breathing heavily, for him to say something, anything, and when he doesn’t, I tap the screen to make sure the call is still connected. It is, which means he’s at a loss for words, probably not realizing what kind of repercussions him doing this might have.
“If that’s all, I need to get off the phone. I have things I need to get done.”
“Yeah” is all he says, and when he doesn’t say more after a moment, I hang up. I probably could have been a little nicer, but the truth is, I’m done being nice. There is only one person in this entire fucked-up situation who could get hurt, and that’s Sam, and he cannot defend himself, so it’s my job to do that until he’s able to—and even then, long after that.
After a few deep breaths, I grab the baby monitor and head inside to finish cleaning up the house and doing laundry, while trying to figure out what I’m going to tell my parents tonight when they get home. Neither of them knew I was meeting with Lex’s parents, something I didn’t tell them about, because if I did, they would have delayed their trip to see my brother, and I know they were looking forward to seeing him and his family.
Part of me still doesn’t want to bring it up to them, but honestly, I’m worried that Lex is going to force my hand, and I’ll be left with no other choice but to depend on my parents to help me once again. I just really hope it doesn’t come to that.