[Featured on @adultfiction, @NA, @teenfiction, @Contemporarylit]
"He takes a step closer to me, close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating off his body as my heart races. "Just say no if you want me to stop," he mumbles in a husky voice, as h...
"Alright, alright, Jesus Christ," I groan, walking down the hall to the front door as someone is impatiently banging at 8am. I open the door and see a blonde haired, blue eyed woman wearing a short black dress and red heels.
"Tammy? It's...been a while," I say, raising an eyebrow. A year maybe? How did she even find out where I live?
"What? Not happy to see me?" she smirks.
It takes an incredible amount of willpower to not tell her exactly how I feel seeing her.
Disgusted? Annoyed? Repulsed?
I suddenly notice a stroller next to her. It's navy blue , and the seat faces backwards, so I can't see inside. "You have a baby?"
"Let's talk," she says, not waiting for me to respond before pushing the stroller into my apartment. Tammy sits on the sofa, and I take a seat in the armchair across from her. She reaches into the stroller, and carefully takes out a baby in a pink onesie. "This is Abigail."
"Ok...so why are you in my apartment?" I ask, still confused. She never struck me as a very motherly type, but I suppose that's the least of my worries right now.
"Paxton, she's your daughter," she says, impatiently. My what? There's no way. She doesn't look anything like me.
"Mine? Didn't you cheat on me with like four different guys?" I narrow my eyes at her.
"Three. I've already had paternity tests done, none of them are Abigail's dad," she says confidently. Abigail begins crying, and Tammy takes out a bottle to feed her.
I feel my heart sink down to my stomach and my future suddenly flashes before my eyes. I'm only twenty two for god's sake, this isn't how my life is supposed to go. "She can't be my daughter, I refuse to believe that," I snap. Who knows how many guys Tammy slept with after we broke up. "You're talking to the wrong guy." My tone is brash but I still hear the terrifying uncertainty in my voice.
"Paxton, come on," she scowls. "This isn't about us. It's about our daughter-"
"Your daughter," I interrupt.
I watch the squirming baby suddenly push away the bottle and begin to cry even louder, while Tammy's stressed out expression gets worse. Even through the makeup, I can see the dark circles under her eyes. "Please Paxton?" she pleads, looking at me with her wide glassy blue eyes. My anger fades a bit, I can't remember ever seeing Tammy look this legitimately upset before.
"Fine, I'll take a paternity test," I say, raising my voice to be heard over the crying. I really hope Tammy had a fourth affair I never knew about.
-----
"Alright, thank you Doctor Graham." I hang up the phone and take another sip of my scotch. I place it back down onto the glass coffee table, probably more aggressively than necessary. It makes a small clink that echoes in my silent living room. That's how I like things in my home, quiet. I sink further into my armchair and drag my hand tiredly down my face.I can't believe this. I'm about to call Tammy but she calls me first. I guess Doctor Graham just told her as well.
"So you were right."
"I know."
"I don't understand. We used a condom."
"Not 100% effective."
"You said you were on birth control," I groan.
"Might've forgotten a couple times."
"I can't believe this Tammy. I don't like kids, I never wanted kids. My career is just starting." I refill my glass and take another drink. My life is a disaster.
"Hey I'm sorry but I couldn't do it alone. She's a couple months old-"
I hear wailing in the background, then several minutes of Tammy trying to calm Abigail down.
"Sorry, she woke up from her nap. I thought I could raise her alone, but it's just been so much work and expensive. It's not like you don't have the money to support her, your family's loaded."
I groan, taking another drink. I can't believe how long we dated before I realized she was just a gold digger.
"So you just want me to pay for childcare?" Please say yes.
"Well no, I want us to co-parent. My parents didn't get along before my dad left when I was a kid, and my mom and I barely got by on our own. I don't want that for Abigail." Her tone has turned grim.
I sigh and down the rest of my drink. I might not want this but at the very least, I'm not a monster.
"Alright, let's meet with a lawyer tomorrow."
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