It's A Shame (17 page)

Chapter
16             

The next day
I was sitting on the couch with my feet up, trying to concentrate on a book I was reading on my kindle, struggling to battle the fogginess I felt from the sleeping pill I took last night. I tried to read but was finding even that to be too difficult. I kept reading the same sentence over and over again, but I was determined to not put the television on.

I
startled and looked up when I heard a phone ringing as I tried to find out where the sound was coming from. I spotted Cole’s smartphone on the breakfast bar. He just ran downstairs two minutes ago to get our Chinese food and left it behind.

Since the
‘madness’ started again, no one was allowed upstairs at all. Not even after being announced; orders from the police…well, one cop…Dean Johansen. With the recent scares and the murdered woman found in Brooklyn, he’d assigned an undercover officer to the security department downstairs. The security staff believed him to be a manager, someone from corporate, or so I was told.

Dean
was satisfied with his latest brainstorm, and now that Michelle and he were and item…well, let’s just say he was just a tad bit overprotective of her. Especially since she flat out refused to move out of her apartment, citing she wouldn’t leave me for any reason on the planet.

“He’s not
coming after me Dean, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let another crazy person scare me away or chase me out of my home,” she told him.

“Michelle…”

“Don’t even bother.” She put her hand up essentially stopping Dean from saying another word on the matter.

He shook his head, but
quickly realized his new girlfriend was just as stubborn as he was. So he gave up trying to talk ‘sense’ into her…and, instead, moved himself into her apartment. If Mohamed won’t come to the mountain, then the stubborn detective would just have to go to Michelle, or something like that.

I
had to admit to myself that seeing Michelle finally being treated like she should have been all along made my heart swell, maybe he was good for her after all. I’ll hold that judgment till another day.

I walked over to the
ringing nuisance and picked it up. Looking at the caller ID, I realized I didn’t know the number. Not wanting Cole to miss an important business call because he went to fetch our food, I pushed send and answered he phone, using my best secretary’s voice.

“Hello, Cole Grayson’s line
,” I said, sounding quite professional.

“Hello
…Is this Grace?” I recognized the voice immediately. I only heard it once before but I’d never forget that beautiful, musical voice.

“Yes, Lauren, it
’s Grace.” My hands trembled with anger. This woman had gone out of her way to deceive me into thinking she was sleeping with Cole, when all the while she planned, and carried out, the whole charade. My take on the security camera footage Cole and I viewed; she watched me run into the hotel crying and upset. Figured things were rocky between Cole and I. Then while I was distracted, talking to the receptionist, she walked over to the elevator and at the exact right moment, walked ‘out’ the door adjusting herself.
Mega BITCH!

“Cole stepped out but should be back shortly, I’ll let him know you called
,” I said dismissively and was about to push end when she spoke.

“That’s fine,
you do that, and also tell him I’m waiting for
his
solution to our little problem.”
Wow, this bitch just won’t give up. What the hell was she up to this time?
 

“I’m not falling for any of your
fucking games Lauren, I’ll tell him you called.” I was about to kill the call when I remembered something, “Wait, while I have you on the phone…why were you there…at the Asbury that morning? The morning when you carefully planned your
phony
exit from the elevator.” I heard her intake of air and smiled contemptuously. She’d just realized I knew her little charade was all bullshit.

“I was there to talk to Cole about something…it’s personal
…it’s between us, and has nothing to do with you.” She sounded like a schoolgirl snickering. I could almost see her sticking her tongue out saying
nah nah nah nah nah
.

I
was so getting tired of her shit.

“About what Lauren?” I prodded.

“I take it Cole hasn’t told you.” That bitchy triumphant tone returned, and I wished I could slap the self-satisfied smile I knew to be there off her face.

“Told me what…” I
demanded.

“
Ooh…nothing important…just that he’s a daddy…you really should congratulate him.” She paused, long enough to hear my soft moan. “I was at the Asbury to discuss our little
family,
so to speak.”

Bam!
Just like that, she got me again. Lauren 2; Grace Zero.

“Fuck you Lauren,
and your bullshit. Is that the best you’ve got? It must be killing you that he wants nothing to do with you…that he loves me,” I said assertively, trying hard not to sound like someone just kicked me in the gut.

“Maybe he does and maybe he doesn’t, in either case,
he
is still a daddy, and we
are
still a family.” The sneer in her tone came through loud and clear.

I quickly pushed end and stood s
taring at the phone in my hand, and I was still standing there when Cole pushed his key in the lock and walked in carrying the bag with our Chinese food.

The expression on my face must have been bad, because h
e took one look at me and knew something was seriously wrong.

“I don’t think I’m hungry anymore
,” I mumbled.

He placed the bag down on the breakfast bar and crossed to where I stood trembling. Grabbing my shoulders he looked down
and saw his phone in my hand.

I
raised my eyes up to his. I was unfocused, still stunned by the news.

“Is the fact that you are a father the reason why
this
bitch
is in New York?” I looked diffidently into his eyes shaking his phone in my hand, and totally hating the way I was feeling right now.

“Yes
,” he said without hesitation.

“When were you planning on telling me?” my voice sounded numb.

“I tried several times, but every time I tried, some crazy shit happened.”

At first I shot him a look that told him I didn’t believe a word he’d just said, but a
fter I thought about it for a hot minute, I actually did remember him trying to talk to me. I did seem like crazy shit seemed to happen every time he brought up the fact that ‘we had to talk’.

“Well, Ace, here’s your chance.”
My tone was icy even though my heart was beating rapidly in my chest.

I
put the phone down and robotically walked over to the bar and poured myself a short pour of bourbon. Lifting the glass to my mouth, I drained it, feeling its warmth slide down my throat; its heat did nothing to warm my heart. I grabbed the bottle, and my glass, and walked back over to where I was sitting on the couch before I answered the phone, setting the bottle on the table directly in front of me.

I poured myself another and
looked up to see Cole grab a glass for himself. He crossed to where I was and sat down in front of me.

“Grace, this changes nothing…”
My head snapped up.

“Are you serious?  Are you shitting me?”

I could feel the bile rise in the back of my throat and quickly lifted the glass draining it again, trying to keep it down. Silently wondering how long it would stay down before I was throwing it back up. I smiled wryly at the thought of my using alcohol to
prevent
vomiting.

The color drained from his
face as he continued watching me, trying to gauge my reaction.

“I
didn’t mean it like that. I meant that it changes absolutely nothing between us. I know that sounds callous. I mean in so far as my feelings for you have not changed. My immense dislike of her…” he looked up, staring at the ceiling. From the look on his face, he was trying to formulate an acceptable answer, because he knew this one sure as shit wasn’t flying. “There
is
a child that I have to consider now…my child.” As he said the words I felt their sting.

“Are you sure the baby is yours
? Didn’t you say she was promiscuous?” I interrupted, but I knew before my last word was out of my mouth that he was sure. He wouldn’t have gotten this far in life, in business, if he’d been a fucking idiot. He certainly wasn’t stupid enough to believe, any slut who claimed that he was the father of their baby, was telling the truth. I had to give him credit when he was due it. It didn’t change the fact that I still felt ill.
That my whole world flipped upside down…AGAIN!

“Did you have a paternity test done?” I was reaching for something, anything that would cast some doubt over the situation.

He stood up and walked into the bedroom returning shortly after with what looked to be some pictures and a folded paper. He held them out to me and I took them, my hands visibly shaking as I stared at them trying to focus through my tears. I didn’t need to see the papers or the birth certificate. One look at those pictures and I knew immediately it was his child. The black hair, the same golden skin tone, his eyes…

Dear God, this baby had his eyes
. 

The
baby was beautiful, just like his father…the green monster gut punched me so hard that it was only a matter of time now before bourbon painted the walls.

“The dates on the birth certificate confirm
that the baby was conceived… um…when we were, still…um…” I raised my hand before he could finish.

“Spare me the details please.” I leaned back. The
range of emotions I was experiencing, were confusing, debilitating. I didn’t know what to think, what to do…which way to run. And right then, I wanted nothing more than to run out the door without looking back. “So what now?” I looked at him, not quite seeing the knight in shining armor anymore.  Seems like the armor was a little tarnished. “What does she want?  A happy ending…money…what?” I asked, I was angry and I didn’t care if it sounded like I was.

“I’m assuming she wants money. A
great deal of money. If I know anything about Lauren, it’s that she likes money.” He lowered his head.

“Could you pay her
enough to just go away…give you sole custody of the baby?”

I didn’t know where I was going with this. I was confused and tormented, but deep down inside, I was also not willing to give up on us.
She may be up on points over me, but I’ll be damned if I’d let Lauren win. I loved this man, and I had every intention of fighting for him…he was mine. Even if this situation broke my heart into a million pieces.

“I don’t know
. Although I admit the thought has crossed my mind.” His voice sounded so small.

“Well,
it looks to me like your carefully laid out plan of never having children, has blown up in your face.” I stood up. “Time to man up Ace…that baby needs a father.” I walked towards the bedroom.

Cole stood up and I quickly put my hand in the air
effectively stopping him from following me.

“I need time to think. This whole thing is like a fucking soap opera. Like some crazy land mine has just gone off, my head is spinning.”

I shut the bedroom door behind me.

Cole, t
o his credit, did not follow me, apparently wise enough to know when to leave me alone. I undressed and fell into the bed burying my head in my pillow. I cried till I fell asleep.

I awoke the next morning feeling totally horrible. I let Lauren win, I let her upset me
, and cast doubt on my feelings, and my relationship, with Cole. I knew, without a single doubt I loved him just as much as I did before I knew about the baby. Possibly more.