I looked down and saw the hope in her eyes. She thought she was going to get what she wanted – me. Or rather, my money. Deep down, I knew that was what this was all about. Danielle's way of slithering in and claiming a slice of the pie for herself. I couldn't prove it yet, but I knew it down to my very bones.
“No,” I said.
“No, what, son?” Dad asked.
“No, we can't be a family,” I said. “If this is my baby – and that's a big if – I will step up and be a father, but that does not mean you and I will be together, Danielle. Our relationship is over, and I can never trust you again. Not after what you did.”
Dad spoke up. “Son, don't you think you're being a bit harsh?” he said. “People make mistakes.”
“Sure, of course you'd say that. You're the king of mistakes when it comes to relationships, aren't you, Dad?” I growled.
It was cruel, and a cheap, petty shot – especially with my mother right beside him. But, of all the people to be giving me advice on the situation, or how I should be feeling about and treating somebody who'd broken my trust by cheating on me – even if it was only an emotional affair – he was the last person I wanted to hear from.
I expected to see pain wash over my mother's face, but when my eyes fell on her, she smiled at me. A small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes fully, but at least it was something.
“I don't have to listen to this,” Dad said, standing up with Mom's help. “If you think being with someone means never making mistakes, you're wrong, son.”
I looked at mom when I said, “Maybe you and I just have different standards, Dad, because I know it's possible to avoid cheating,” I said. “Mom's managed to do it all these years, hasn't she?”
Danielle had lifted her head off my lap, and that gave me a chance to stand up. I wanted to be as far away from her as physically possible. She stood up with me though and reached for my hands.
“Malcolm, we can fix this,” she said softly.
“No, Danielle, we can't,” I said sternly. I walked toward the door, but before I left, I turned back and added, “I will expect proof the child is mine. Don't think I'll forget or that you're getting out of things that easily. If the baby is mine, I will be the best damn father I can be. But, I will never, ever be with you again.”
I left just as my father slammed the door to his office, shutting us out. I admired the hell out of my dad for his work ethic and the fact that he'd built such a successful company from the ground up. But, when it came to relationship advice, I would sooner take it from Greg, then him.
At least with Greg, you knew what to expect. He was a pig and he knew it. Dad would never show his true colors or admit that he was wrong. For that reason alone, I knew we'd never see eye-to-eye when it came to Danielle and what she'd done.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CASEY
Staying at Raya's came with a lot of advantages. I had a television with cable, a laptop with internet, and privacy to walk around naked if I wanted to. Things most people take for granted, I was sure. Not having a job, however, was stressful. Sure, I had money coming, but only if I had the child. At the very least, that was months away.
I hadn't really thought about what I'd do for money in the meantime. I'd planned to ask Malcolm for some cash, upfront, if I got a positive pregnancy result. So far, no luck, but it was too early.
The gas bill was due at our place, and I'd talked to my mom about it. She didn't have the cash for both that and groceries this week. Which left me in a bind.
Finally, I gave in and texted Malcolm.
Hey, can we talk?
I followed it up with another text.
Still too early for results, so it's not that.
I didn't want to get his hopes up, after all.
I waited, munching on some carrots Raya had left in the fridge. She told me to help myself to all the food in the house. Most of it was fruits and veggies that would go bad before she got back into town anyway. My phone chimed with an incoming text. He'd responded remarkably fast.
Of course. Want to come by the office this afternoon?
I still needed to shower and get ready, especially since I'd be showing up at his office in the middle of a workday with actual people around. I looked through my pile of clothes, unsatisfied with anything I had. Mainly because the only nice outfit was one he'd seen me in not once, but twice already – and the dress from the day at the hotel was still dirty.
I went into Raya's closet instead, and dug around for a bit and growled, a little frustrated. Her wardrobe consisted mostly of maxi-skirts, tank tops, and flowery, hippie dresses. But, then I remembered that she'd worked as a receptionist for a bit. There had to be something business-like in her wardrobe. I dug around and toward the very back of her closet, I found a black, sleeveless dress. With the right heels and my hair and makeup done nicely, I thought it would work well. I didn't want to embarrass myself in the corporate environment, and sure, I guess I wanted Malcolm to find me attractive too. Was that a crime? My stomach was in knots, which at first I thought could be morning sickness, but then realized it was just a case of nerves. This was going to be the first time we'd seen each other since we'd slept together, and part of me was still reeling from that experience. When I thought about the way he looked at me, the way he'd made me feel,I walked on air.
It was dangerous and foolish, of course, but, no matter how hard I tried to make myself not like him or see him as nothing but a business partner, I couldn't do it. I couldn't stop the rush of emotion he made me feel any more than I could hold back the rising tide.