Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 70092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
"Please," he says, taking his glasses off and putting them on the papers in front of him. “Come in."
"Thank you. If you have a second, I would love some advice," I tell him, and his eyebrows pinch together.
"Close the door," he says, and I nod, closing the door and then walking over to sit in one of the chairs facing him.
"This is fucking weird." I laugh nervously as Damian leans back in his chair. I can tell from the look of confusion on Damian's face that his head is spinning. "I need a lawyer," I state and then let out a huge breath that I've been holding. "Fuck, this is harder than I thought," I say, the pain hitting me in my chest.
"Take it one step at a time," he says and gets up from his chair, walking around the desk. He comes to sit next to me in the chair beside me. “Do I need to get the other partners in here?"
"No." I shake my head. “I need a family lawyer." He just looks at me. “I'm going to be a father."
"Holy shit," Damian says with a smile on his face. “Congratulations."
"Thanks," I say, smiling. “It's a great surprise."
"Are you and the mother…?" he starts to ask, and I shake my head.
"We are not." Those three words come out of my mouth, and then the lump forms. So big it feels like those boulders that you put in place to stop things from coming out. "I want to know my rights."
"What do you want realistically?” he asks.
"I want to be able to raise my child fifty-fifty." My eyes sting with tears that come. “That's all I want." My voice trails off because the only thing else I want is to be able to raise the baby with Presley by my side. But that isn't in the cards for me. "I don't know what else to ask for."
"How about I draw up a contract?" he suggests to me. “And we can go over things."
"Yes," I tell him. “And if you don't mind, I'd like to keep it confidential for now." He nods at me, and I get up. “I'll be around if you have questions."
"I'll work on this myself," he says when I get to the door, and all I can do is nod at him. I try to get lost in my work, and it only works half the time. The other half of the time, I'm sitting in my desk chair looking out the window, wondering what she's doing.
I'm sitting on the couch drinking a beer as I try to focus on a baseball game when the doorbell rings. My feet are moving before I can think about it, and the minute I open the door, all the hope that I had that it would be her is gone. “Hey." Travis stands there with a bottle of scotch in his hand. “Clarabella called and said you might need a drink." I pfft out and turn back to walk toward the kitchen. I grab two shot glasses and turn back, watching Travis sit down on one of the stools. “I'm assuming she said no."
"Didn't even get there," I tell him, holding out my hand for him to give me the bottle. “She started bleeding." Travis gasps when I say those words. “She's fine. The baby is fine." I hold up my hand before he freaks out. “But let’s just say, I wasn't her first call." He looks at me, his mouth still open. “It is what it is," I say, shrugging and not bothering to make eye contact with him. I pour two shots of scotch, handing him one.
"What are you going to do?” he asks while I down a shot and then quickly pour myself another one. The burning of the second shot is even worse than the first one.
"There isn't anything for me to do," I share. “If she needs help, I'll always be there. But my main focus now is on the baby and co-parenting in the most civil way possible," I say, taking another shot.
"I wish I knew what to say," Travis says to me as he takes his first shot.
"Nothing you can say," I tell him. “I have to accept that this is how it's going to be, and we move on." I take another shot, and this time, I hiss.
Travis sits with me, neither of us saying anything. "Call me if you need me," he says when he gets up. “Even though she's my sister." He looks at me. “You're like a brother to me." I tilt my head to the side. “Fuck, that was gross."
I can't help but chuckle a bit when he turns and walks out, slamming the door behind him. I pick up my phone and press the button to see the screen saver picture of Presley and me. My finger rubs over her face slowly, and I turn off everything, then walk upstairs to bed.