Just the two of us (book 3)

Chapter 4 Tough decision

"What time are you home today?" I ask Ken as I fix his tie.
"It's probably not gonna be that late." Ken says. "What about you?"
"I don't know, it shouldn't get that late because me and Samantha are only gonna sit down and make the work schedules for next month." I say. Samantha is my boss and somehow I'm just glad that I have a woman as a boss, she's really sweet and we really get along.
"Sounds good." Ken says and kisses me. "Have a good day." He says and gives me one last kiss before he heads out of the door.

Later I sit at work and plan the work schedules for the employees with Samantha when I get a text from Rachel.

Rachel (12:44pm)
What time are you off work today?

Reply to Rachel (12:46pm)
Probably at 4-5. Why?

Rachel (12:49pm)
Can you stop by? It's really important.

She's making me a little nervous now as she only texts that when something is seriously wrong.

Reply to Rachel (12:52pm)
What's going on?

Rachel (12:54pm)
Just stop by and don't bring Amy

Reply to Rachel (12:56pm)
You're making me nervous

I get a really weird feeling inside right now and it's twisting in my stomach. Rachel never does such a thing so it really really worries me.

To Rachel (12:57pm)
Should I just leave work now?

Rachel (1:00pm)
If you can then it'll probably be for the best

I look at Samantha across the table for me, she's trying to make it all fit and I feel bad for asking her about what I'm about to ask her.
"Can I leave early Samantha? I have a kind of emergency." I ask and she looks at me a little curious now.
"Now?" She asks.
"Is it totally impossible?" I ask.
"No, you're just making me nervous." Samantha says as she knows I never leave work unless there's a good reason.
"It's just my aunt.. She's texting me some weird texts and I'm just worried..." I say and cut myself off. I'm about to leave work for something I have no clue about. "You know what? Never mind.. It's ridiculous."
"No, you have a bad feeling honey." Samantha says. "I think you should drive over there."
"Thank you Sam, I owe you." I say and get up.
"Let's just talk tonight and run over the schedules." Samantha says.
"It's a deal." I say smiling. I throw my bag over my shoulder and hurry down to my car.

Reply to Rachel (1:08pm)
I'm on my way

I drive in fast speed to Rachel's house and I can't explain this odd feeling I have inside.
I get to the house and I don't even knock on the door or anything, I just walk in.
"Rachel?!" I call.
"In here." She calls from the living room and I walk into the living room, I see Rachel sitting on the couch with a man and it takes me a minute to realize that it's Marshall. It's been 3 weeks since I saw him on McDonald's and I didn't expect him to sit in Rachel's living room.
"No fucking way." I say. "How could you Rachel? Why didn't you tell me? Then I wouldn't have come." I can't believe that she's went behind my back when she knows how much I wanna protect this secret.
"My hands are tied." Rachel says.
"Why?" I frown.
"I asked her who the father of your daughter is and she doesn't know, so now I ask you; who is the father of your daughter?" Marshall asks.
"And how is this any of your business?" I ask.
"Because you told me that Ken was her father and apparently he isn't." Marshall says.
"Maybe not by blood." I give him an attitude.
"Is she mine?" Marshall asks which makes me roll my eyes.
"Everything is not about you." I say. It's so hard to lie right now but it's something I need to do.
"So you cheated on me?" He asks.
"Are you gonna talk to me about cheating Marshall?" I can't help but laugh.
"How come you just answer my questions Amelia?" He asks.
"She's not yours." I say.
"Her birthday is February the 17th, right?" He asks.
"You really dug into this." I shake my head.
"You left me in June so that means you were about 7 weeks along." He says which is about correct. I'm so fucked right now and I have absolutely no idea what to say now. "I fucking knew it Amelia." He hisses now. He knows my silence, he knows me too damn well and he knows when I'm lying.
"I'll just go for walk and leave the two of you alone." Rachel says and gets up from the couch. I still stand here, it's like I'm frozen and I can't move or speak. I really hope that this is a really bad dream but sadly I feel very awake. I hear the front door shut which means that Rachel has now left.
"This is so far the most fucked up thing you've ever done." Marshall says.
"I know." I say.
"Don't say that, don't play that fucking innocent shit and give me a fucking explanation instead." He demands. 
"I found out after I left you." I say.
"That's no excuse." He says.
"I was so determined to leave you and I promised myself to not go back no matter what. I knew if I was gonna raise her with you then I would never get out of that relationship." I say.
"It's my fucking child!" Marshall raises his voice.
"You were unstable!" I yell.
"I can't tell you how fucking angry and disappointed I am with you right now. We've known each other since you were 16 and to see that you have this little respect for me makes me sick." Marshall says.
"I had no other options." I say.
"You actually had." He says.
"Yeah I could let your cheating and your drugs keep destroying me." I say.
"How could you fucking make that decision to let your daughter grow up without a father? You and me both know how that was." Marshall asks.
"She has a father." I say.
"Ken isn't her fucking father, I am. You're seriously the sickest person I've ever fucking met. To lie to people like you've fucking done, I mean.. Does Ken even know that I'm her father?" He asks.
"No and I prefer it like that." I say.
"I want companionship with her." Marshall says the thing that I absolutely can't accept. I don't want him in our life, I don't want to confuse Amy and I don't want him to fuck up things between me and Ken.
"No." I put my foot down.
"We can take it to court if you want and we both know who's gonna win then." Marshall warns me.
"Marshall I can't have you walking into my life again and fuck everything up." I say.
"Fuck what up?" He frowns.
"What did you fuck up last time?" I ask referring to Kevin.
"I don't ever want a relationship or anything with you ever again, you just showed me your truth fucking color and I don't want some psychotic bitch in my life. I just want to spend some time with Amy and get to know her so don't worry about me fucking up your relationship." Marshall says and his words hurt. It doesn't hurt that he doesn't want a relationship with me, but it hurts that he's so disgusted with me.
"Why are you so eager to get to know her? You had no clue of her existence just a couple of weeks ago." I ask.
"Because she's my fucking daughter, she's mine by fucking blood and you know damn well that I take of my family." Marshall hisses. I'm in a situation that I don't wanna be in, I have no idea how to get out of this situation nor have I no idea how to handle it.
"Marshall you're gonna destroy everything that I've built." I try to speak to him softly now.
"I'm not gonna come between you and Ken, I'm so fucking over you." He says.
"But he's gonna go insane if he finds that you're her father and you're gonna step in on his territory." I explain.
"Are you afraid that he's gonna find out how much of a liar you are?" He provokes me.
"I did what I thought was necessary at the time." I say.
"Did you have any doubts in me as a father?" He frowns.
"No I hadn't but I had doubts in how much you were gonna be able to see her. I don't wanted my child to grow up and only have a part time father." I say knowing that I step on land mines with what I just said.
"I would've done everything for you and you fucking know it Amelia!" Marshall gets angry once again.
"Our whole relationship was a fucking lie, a child weren't gonna change the cheating or your drug abuse!" I raise my voice.
"I've felt fucking guilty for years about how I fucking treated you Amelia." His voice calms down again.
"You should." I say coldly.
"No I shouldn't because what you've done behind my back is way worse." He says and I don't say anything because I've already said what I had to say. I wouldn't even do it over if I had to chance so I'm not gonna say sorry. "I understand now why you were so determined to go back to New York after Deahaun's funereal. I just don't get why you had to fucking play me the way you did."
"I didn't fucking play you Marshall." I hiss because I get angry. He was the one who played me. "You know my fucking weakness for you and you used it that night."
"I fucking needed you Amelia and I didn't just need you that fucking night. You knew you were the only one who could handle me but you fucking left anyways. I nearly fucking died because I got so bad." Marshall says and it irritates me that he puts it on me.
"Do I need to remind you that you didn't want help Marshall? I know you didn't want help when we were together and it had only got worse by the time I saw you again." I say. "And don't you fucking dare put your addiction on me."
"I'm not." He says. "But you left me there on the fucking ground not even bothering to help me. You knew how bad Deshaun's death was on me."
"Yes but I couldn't give up everything once again for you." I say.
"No because you're always running from shit." Marshall shakes his head.
"Whatever Marshall." I roll my eyes.
"You know what Amelia? We have nothing more to talk about." He says as he gets up from the couch. "You better bring Amy here on Wednesday at 3."
"No." I say as he walks passed me which makes him take a step back and look at me.
"Fine, see you in court then." Marshall says as he wants to walk passed me again.
"Marshall no." I whine and turn around to see him looking at me as well. "Amy can't know that you're her father."
"Then introduce me as a friend." Marshall suggest and I don't say anything because I'm really not crazy about this idea. "Amelia I'm really fucking trying.. I have to watch my daughter call another man "dad" and only be the "friend" so could you just fucking work with me on this?"
"Fine." I sigh and I'm about to burst out in tears. This is really the worse thing that could happen.
"Thank you." He says and then he just walks out of the door.