Money Can't Buy Happiness

Chapter 23

*Two Months Later / Seven Months Since Leaving Charming*

Katie hadn't expected a visit from anyone. Most of her friends worked evenings, like she was when the bell rang, and she had no plans set up. Abruptly closing her laptop she put on a robe and tossed her mask onto the bedroom.

"Coming," she grumbled on her way to the door. She pressed the intercom. "Yes?"

"Katie, it's Sebastian and Vicki. May we come up?"

Her stomach churned but she nodded and said, "Uh, sure," before pressing the button. They used the elevator and when they arrived at her door, knocked gently. "No lawyer?" Katie asked anxiously.

"This wasn't a planned visit," Vicki said coolly.

"Yeah, I know," Katie huffed. "What's up?"

"Is this the baby's father?" Sebastian asked, rudely shoving some printouts in her face.

With shaking hands she took the papers and felt her heart sink. "Where did you get these?" They were articles, some older and some new, about crimes and arrests in California with the suspects name in bold, Jackson 'Jax' Teller.

"It's called Google," Vicki spat. "That why you didn't want the baby? Cause he's some felon?"

"No," Katie snapped. "Jax is a good guy, he's part of the reason why I didn't terminate the pregnancy to begin with."

"We don't want it," Vicki said harshly. "It's bad enough with an escort as a mother but now with him," she shook her head. "Too much drama, too many chances for something to go wrong."

"Please," Katie begged. "I can't take care of this baby and I can't just throw her in the system. Please take her, Vick, Sebastian, please. You said you wanted a child, she's perfectly healthy, what more could you want?"

"Better breeding," she scoffed.

"I'm sorry," Sebastian said using more gentleness than his wife has spoken with. "We can't adopt your daughter."

"Please," Katie began to cry. "I can't do this. I don't want her."

Sebastian turned and walked out while Vicki actually showed some heart for a moment before following her husband. "I'm sorry. We don't want her either."

The door shut and Katie sobbed loudly, terrified and suddenly feeling exponentially more alone than ever before. With trembling hands she grabbed her phone and called Jax.

"Yeah?" He stepped out of the kitchen and out to the garage. "What's up? You okay?"

"No," she cried. "Vicki and Sebastian backed out. They won't go through with the adoption."

Instantly his blood pressure skyrocketed and Jax felt every muscle in his body tense. "Why?"

"They're okay with an escort as a biological mom but not a felon as a father, apparently."

"You didn't tell them that shit, did you?" He asked her accusingly. "How'd they find out?"

"I had to give your name," she explained between sobs, "And they fucking Googled you! You have quite an extensive history of articles, Jax, so don't blame that shit on me."

"You have to fix this," he said angrily. "Katie, fix it."

"I don't know what to do," she wailed. "I'm sorry. I didn't want this Jax, they just barged in and told me. There was no discussion, I never had a chance, I swear."

Taking a moment to find some serenity in the madness swirling inside his head, Jax let out a deep breath he'd been holding.

"Can you find someone else?" He asked, trying to keep his rage at bay. "Anyone else, Katie."

"I can try," she sniffled. "I only have like eight weeks, though. Do I just throw her into some group home? Let her grow up in the system or have some stranger adopt her?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jax took a slow deep breath. "Katie, you can't come back here with that baby. I can't play happy family with you, I don't want to."

"I don't want to either," she cried. "I want Happy. I want my life back. I don't care how fucking selfish it is."

"Calm down," Jax sighed. "We both gotta calm down."

She agreed timidly when her intercom buzzed again. "Shit," Katie hissed. "I gotta go."

"Yeah, me too," he glanced over his shoulder. "We'll talk about this later. Just don't freak out, ain't good for the baby."

"Night," she sniffled as her intercom buzzed again. Tossing her phone on the couch she answered the intercom. "What?"

"Kate, it's Alec."

"You can fuck off," she hissed.

"I heard about what happened," he sounded sympathetic but Katie didn't buy it. "I have your records here, if you'd like them back."

She was taken aback by his tone and the simple explanation behind the visit. "Oh, uhh, okay." Katie buzzed him up. Opening the door she let him in the apartment. "I appreciate it."

"It's the least I could do," he smiled somberly. "I also have a few business cards, two agencies I know that may be able to place the baby when it's born."

"Really?" She took the cards and read the names. "Uhh thank you, really."

"You're trying to do the right thing for yourself and the baby, I get it, I'm just trying to help."

Her eyes narrowed. "Yeah, you look like a daddy type," Katie laughed.

"Did you tell the father?"

"I did," she sniffled. "He wasn't thrilled, to say the least."

"Whatever you need," he offered. "I can help you."

Katie scoffed, "I can take care of myself. I always have." She handed him the cards back, suddenly embarrassed by the vulnerable state he was seeing her in, and gestured to the door.

"Okay," he said softly. "You have my information if you need anything." Alec turned and, on his way out, placed the cards on the end table.

"Please go," Katie tried to sound more angry than sorrowful but she failed miserably.

Alec nodded, giving her a crooked smile before seeing himself out. Katie then broke into sobs yet again. Grabbing her phone she called Happy, desperate for something to make her smile even if it was just his voice.

"Hello?" A female answered, catching Katie by surprise. "Hello?" She said again.

Katie heard Happy grumbling in the background, angry she'd answered his phone, and then some shuffling. "Katie?" He said, desperation in his voice. "Kate? Is that you?" He knew it was, the ID said so, but there was silence.

Strike three for her emotional stability. Katie hung up and sobbed again, her throat on fire, before crashing out on the sofa for the remainder of the evening.