✔︎ | Gold Digger

Chapter 24 - I Am With You, Forever

Chapter 24 – I Am With You, Forever

There's a soft knock at the door. Paris and I look at each other, and she smiles excitedly. I laugh and nod my head, and she squeals, jumping off of the couch. She runs towards the door and unlocks it, and my brother comes in.

He looks down at her in surprise. "Um," he says. Paris looks at him sadly, expecting him to know who she is. I didn't tell him anything over text. This is the kind of thing that needs to be spoken about in person. "What the heck?"

Paris crosses her little arms, suddenly defensive. "I'm not what the heck," she hisses. She seems to have so much energy although it's already nine at night. "I'm Paris, thank you very much." With that, the four year old spins around and sits back down beside me on the couch.

Sebastian makes a strange face and closes and locks the door. He takes off his boots and his coat, leaving him in sweats and a polo. I nod for him to come sit beside me as Paris crawls back into my arms. He comes over slowly, obviously curious. "Jessie. Tell me this isn't what it looks like."

I shake my head. "Apparently I have a sister too. I just found out, and we just moved here."

Sebastian sits down, almost speechless. "What?"

I sigh, and tell him the story. "Honestly, I don't know what to do. That's why I called you." Sebastian looks down at Paris, who stares at him, trying to figure him out. "I can't actually live here legally with her. But who the heck can I tell? Either way, if she's my sister or my daughter, I'm taking care of a child. Ryker isn't going to want me anymore."

"Who's Ryker?"

"My boyfriend," I tell Paris.

Sebastian sighs, shaking his head. "No, Ryker isn't like that. He loves kids. He has a niece. They're like best friends. He'd love Paris too." Paris giggles. She obviously likes hearing that. "You have to tell him, and my dad and mom. They'll help you out. I will too. And if you want, we can report your mom? She can't do this to you!"

I shake my head. "No, I don't want to have anything to do with her anymore. They'll take Paris too if they find out. And I'll tell my friends, and your parents. But I want to settle in a little first, okay? Give me a week."

Sebastian nods. There's a silence. I sigh and squeeze Sebastian's shoulder gratefully He smiles, and then looks down at Paris. "Hey, beautiful," he grins, offering his hand. "I'm Sebastian."

She shakes it, her tiny, chubby hand in his, and interested, she leans forward and begins asking Sebastian questions. "So are you my brother then too?" Sebastian looks over at me when I snicker. Paris quickly adds, "Jessie says you're my brother too."

Sebastian smiles, opening his arms. "I can be your brother if you want me to be," he says, and Paris giggles, crawling out of my arms and into his. She lays the back of her head against Sebastian's chest, and he wraps his arms around her, resting his chin on her hair.

Paris's little fingers run over Sebastian's tattooed arms. "Why do you have drawings on your arms?"

He laughs, looking down at his tatts. "I like tattoos. They all represent things that mean a lot to me," he tells her, and points to a lilac on his forearm. "This is my grandmas favorite flower," he remembers. "I got it for her when she passed away. And this one," he points to a cursive word, "says ohana, which means..."

"Ohana means family," Paris interrupts. "And family means no one gets left behind or forgotten."

I laugh, and Sebastian glances over at me, smiling. "It does," he says. "My family means everything to me. And now," he looks down at Paris again like he really is her big brother too, "you and Jessie are also my family. I'm going to take care of you, okay?"