After All This Time

Chapter 21

Tom starts walking this way. I'm sure this will go over great, considering how many beers he's had. I continue to watch my daughter laugh and play with her friends.
"Presents!" Margot yells and Spencer runs over to the corner where all her gifts are.

I start to head more into the living room but Tom grabs my arm stopping me. Lizzie notices I'm not by her side and looks back with concern. I nod my head letter her know it's alright. She hesitates but eventually leaves us alone.

"Tom I need you to remove your hand from my arm." I said with annoyance in my voice.

"Oh big bad Easton. You think you're better than me. I could've been her father all this time but she chose you!" He says loudly and I grab him moving him to the kitchen.

"Would you keep your voice down. We don't need a scene especially at her birthday party. I don't think I'm better than you, I'm sorry that she did but Spencer is my daughter and I would like to go enjoy her birthday. You're drunk and I don't think you should be here." I calmly tell him not wanting to aggravate him and escalate the situation.

I turn around to leave but he grabs me yanking me back and before I realize what happened his fist meets my face. I fall to the floor with a thud and he climbs on top of me grabbing me by the shirt punching me again and again. I block the next punch pushing him off me. "Tom! That's enough! Now leave!" Margot yells out and she kneels down to check on me. I get up swaying Margot directs me to the bar stool. I feel blood coming from my nose. I feel my eye swelling up. She gets a wash cloth getting it cold to stop the bleeding. She puts it to my nose and I hiss wincing.
"Will you go get Lizzie." I say and she leaves bringing a very confused Lizzie into the kitchen. She then see's my face, "Oh my gosh, what the hell happened." "Tom." I say and she glares over at Margot. "We need to go to the hospital. I think my nose is broken. Tell Spencer I'm sorry. First time I'll be missing my daughter blow out her birthday candles."

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"Ugh! I want to just go back and give her a piece of my mind!" Lizzie says pacing in my new apartment and I'm sitting there with ice on my face. My nose is fine but one of my eyes is almost swollen shut. "Baby, she wasn't the one that beat me up."

"E baby, why didn't you fight back?" She asks finally stopping her pacing coming to sit next to me pulling the ice away from my eye. "He's upset about this whole paternity situation and drunk. I let him get out some steam and I didn't think he was going to go at me like that." She reaches up and lightly touches my swollen eye.

"Do you know when he's doing the paternity test?" She asks and I shrug, "I was thinking maybe I should just do it so he doesn't think he has the power. Especially after this. I really want to make sure he's not the father. I know you see my smile and after you pointed it out I see it too but we need to make sure to get him out of the picture."

This freakin beating put a damper on everything, I didn't get to take Lizzie on the date I had planned. So we just had a weekend in with movies and talking. Lizzie leaves today for more filming and I may be being a bit of a baby about her leaving.

"Easton, honey I have clothes at my house in LA so you taking out my clothes I packed isn't stopping me from leaving." She laughs and I sigh, "I know but I don't want you leave. I barely got you back and I couldn't take you out like I wanted."

She walks up in between my legs I set my forehead on her stomach and she runs her hand through my hair. "I know but I enjoyed our weekend in. Us just getting to know each other again. Now let me finish packing because the sooner I get back to film the sooner I can come visit for more than a weekend."

I drive her to the airport but she wouldn't let me walk her in because of my face. I do pull into the parking garage though so I can get out to and s kisses me gently. "I'll call you when I'm back in LA. I love you." She says and I smile, "I love you too." With that she walks away.

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Spencer and I went to get the DNA test and over the next month I focused on basketball and her while Lizzie and I had weekly FaceTimes. I had two games in that time frame and we are looking pretty good for the season. I got home and the DNA results were in my mailbox.

I rush in, calling Lizzie. "Hi sweetheart, I only have 10 minutes." She greets and I pull up the envelope to show the screen. "I got the DNA results back."

"Oh gosh, are you okay?" She asks and I shrug my shoulders. "E, open it I already knew she's yours but I want you to be sure."

"Okay, here it goes." I open the envelope and read over the results. I break into a huge smile. "Lizzie, she's mine!!"

"Oh E that is so great! Call me when you come home tonight with her. I have to get back to work. I love you!" She says. "I love you too." I hang up I grab the results and my coat. I head over to get Spencer and to tell Margot the results.

I rush up the driveway rush into the house without thinking. I find them both in the kitchen. "Daddy!" Spencer yells, Margot looks surprised and I realize what I did.

"Oh sorry, I forgot. Just was so excited." I apologize blushing.

"Excited to see me!?" Spencer asks and I smile kissing her head. "Of course baby girl. How about you finish dinner while I go talk to mommy." She nods and I take Margot's hand pulling her into the office. I pull out the envelope, "I got the results and it's official I'm Spencer's biological father!"

"That's great! I don't know why I ever thought you weren't. She has your smile." She says and I lift an eyebrow.

"What?" She questions and laugh, "I was just told by someone that she has my smile. They said she's definitely a mini Margot but her smile is all me."

"Lizzie?" Margot asks and I am stunned she didn't call her Elizabeth. She catches on to my stunned expression. "I know I've been cold towards her but I see how much Spencer adores her she gives Lizzie her special smile that she only reserves for us and I know it's always been Lizzie for you. It became clear to me at Spencer's birthday."

"What became clear?" I ask and she reaches her hand up on my cheek. I lean into her hand. "You look at her like you've never looked at me."

I can see her eyes tearing up and it makes me feel incredibly guilty. "Margot, I do love you and I was in love with you. We had some of the best years of my life. You gave me the best gift any man could get. I can't deny I wasn't hurt finding out about you and Tom. Just like you were probably hurt about my feelings for Lizzie all these years and the kiss."

She nods, "I know and I'm sorry for hurting you like that and I'm sorry about Tom. I told him that I never want to see him again. I can't have that aggression near me or our daughter. I will get a copy of these results and send it to him."  She takes a copy of them and is silent for a minute.

Spencer running in and hugging me. "Daddy! I'm ready to go!"

"Okay, let's get your stuff and you give your mom a hug goodbye." I smile and we head out.

Lizzie's POV

I flush and gather myself after getting sick for the third time in an hour. "Lizzie? You alright?" I hear through the door and I clean myself up coming out of the bathroom. "Must've been something I ate." I say and head back towards the set.

I look in my bag for a breath mint and I see tampons. I pause and I think about when I was supposed to start my period... "Oh no..."