Money Can't Buy Happiness

Chapter 33

*Shortie, sorry!*

The next morning Katie was up early, earlier than Hap and much earlier than usual especially since Charlie was still sleeping, so she snuck out to the kitchen to enjoy the rare silence. She made a pot of coffee and prepared Charlie's bottle before sitting at the tiny breakfast bar doing nothing but sipping her coffee. Her phone rang from across the kitchen, startling her and squashing her peace. It was Jax, not surprising, so she answered it swiftly.

"Hey, you okay?" She asked, sitting back down.

"It's Tara," she said somberly. Kate froze, already wanting to vomit, and waited for Tara to say anything because she had no words to speak. "Hello?"

"Yeah?" Katie croaked out.

"Do you love him?" Tara asked, both angry and terrified in equal measure.

Katie knew even if she explained she did but as a friend and as the father of her child, Tara wouldn't accept it and they'd all be in deeper trouble than it seemed they already were. "No."

"And Pope?" She ventured carefully knowing the subject was painful. "He's why it happened?"

"He's the only reason," Katie whimpered. "I have no interest in Jax, I never did, Tara. We were friends and that's all we are now."

Tara scoffed, "No you're not. Charlotte is his daughter, you have a child together. That's more than friends no matter how it happened."

It was true and Katie didn't deny it. "I'm...I'm sorry, Tara."

"How do you think this is going to work?" Tara asked, no bitterness or sarcasm in her voice. She was truly looking for an answer as to how they could all be content in the situation.

"I don't really know," Katie sighed. "Happy doesn't know, we don't want him to, but that presents a lot of problems itself. I want Charlie to know her brothers, I'd love for them to have a relationship but I'm not an idiot, and I know if I were you I'd be pissed and bitter and I wouldn't want anyone to know and I -"

"You're not me," Tara snapped. "No one will know what happened, I'll play the fool, but I won't take it out on a child."

"I wouldn't either," Katie said defensively. "I just meant I'd wish I could forget. I already do, sometimes, wish I could forget how this happened and the pain it's caused so many fucking people."

"Yeah," Tara said dismissively.

The bedroom door opened and a sleepy, half dressed Happy stumbled out sleepily. "Hey," he grumbled.

"Hi," Katie said quietly. "Sorry, important call," she whispered.

"That Happy?" Tara asked.

"Yeah," Katie cleared her throat. "Can we finish this later?"

"This will never be finished," Tara said ruefully before ending the call.

Katie sniffled and placed her phone down, trying to find some way to pretend she was as shaken and upset as she was but it was useless. Luckily, Charlie began to cry so, Katie grabbed the bottle, kissed Happy's cheek and disappeared to feed her daughter and compose herself.

"Sorry," Katie said as she returned, smiling, with Charlie. "How are you?"

"Uhh okay," he said with a chuckle. "You?"

"Good," she lied. "You guys got a day or are things calm?"

"We gotta drop," he checked the time on the microwave. "I gotta head out soon if I'm gonna make it."

"Oh," her disappointment was real.

"Sorry," he reached over the island and kissed her. "I can come back after."

"Nah," she waved her hand in his direction. "I have to go meet a few girls with Nero."

"The pimp?" He said disapprovingly.

She smiled and nodded, "Yes, the pimp but he's not my pimp, don't forget that."

"Yeah," he grumbled. "You good?"

"I'm good," Katie smiled. "You worried about Mac?"

"No," he shrugged. "I'm just going to tell her it's done."

"Hap, last night doesn't mean we're jumping back into shit."

"I know," he assured her. "But damn, she ain't gonna stop bitching now that she knows about you."

Katie kind of enjoyed how Mac hated her but she knew that was petty so she kept it to herself. "Okay, as long as you understand."

"I got it," he said quickly. As he moved beside her, on his way to get dressed, Happy gave Charlie a smile. Katie felt her heart swell, the interaction was so tiny but held so much meaning. She knew if he ever knew who her father was something as small as a smile would probably never happen again.

They went their separate ways, promising to call each other soon, and when Happy arrived at the clubhouse he didn't find Jax. Tara was there. She was in the office waiting or something or someone but Happy didn't really care. He waved, gave her a nod, and headed into the clubhouse.

Moments later, behind him, he heard his voice. Tara was calling out to him. He turned, confusion on his face, and waited for her to speak. "Got a second?" She asked anxiously

"Uhh yeah. Everything okay?"

Tara shrugged, "We'll see eventually. Come with me," she said as she headed toward the apartment.