Chapter Twenty-Five

Noah

“I know you fucked up before, but this is the biggest fuck up of your life,” Austin says to the room.

I just watched the love of my life—that is right, the love of my fucking life—walk away from me with our child. I turn, watching everyone watching me. “I’m going to fix this and then we are going to get married and we are going to be married forever,” I tell her mother, who looks at me with half murder in her eyes while Lauren is straight out planning my death and from the look on her face it’s going to be painful.

“Everyone needs to simmer down now,” Frank says from behind Dede, where he has one hand on her shoulder. “He was helping a friend, so now he finds that friend and gets divorced. No one has to know anything.” He nods at me, giving me the moral support a father should give.

“Exactly. No one has to know anything. Tomorrow morning we go in there and we get the cavalry ready and we find Sabrina and by the end of the week we could be divorced.” I look back up the stairs, the need to run upstairs itching my legs. I feel a hand on my arm and look down to see Lauren.

“I’ll go and check on her.”

I nod to her and watch her walk up the stairs to my girl and child. My family.

She comes down right away. “She’s sleeping, so I didn’t bother waking her. Why don’t we eat? She’ll come down later,” she says as we sit down and eat. I barely touch anything. My feet bounce up and down as I wait for Kaleigh to come back downstairs.

When all of the plates are washed and put away I sit on the couch, the whole time watching the stairs, waiting to see her bounce downstairs. “How is she still sleeping?” I ask Lauren, who is sitting with Rachel doing homework.

“Her body is going through changes,” Lauren says. “It is normal, trust me.”

I nod at her then look back at the stairs.

“I should go,” I say, getting up. “I don’t want to go, but I want her to feel safe.” I look at them both. “Can you just text me after to tell me she is okay?”

They both nod at me as I walk out.

“And tell her that I love her.”

I make my way home. Walking into the house without her seems strange. There are all little things everywhere that shows you she lives here. Her yoga mat in the corner rolled up with her weights in a basket. Her yoga magazines are on the coffee table. Her empty glass of water is beside it. Her flip-flops are in the kitchen. Every time I turn around I see something of hers. I close off the lights, going upstairs into our room, because it isn’t mine anymore. It’s ours. I collapse on the bed, her smell all around me. I grab her pillow, bringing it to my face. I turn, looking out the window. I get up, bringing the pillow with me, going downstairs to the couch. I look up at the ceiling, making a list of everything I have to do. When I hear something at the door, I turn my head, wondering if maybe it was all in my head when all of a sudden I see her walking in.

She sees me on the couch and comes over. “What are you doing on the couch?” she asks, sitting on the table in front of me.

“The bed felt empty without you,” I say, sitting up, facing her.

“So you came down with my pillow?” She points to the pillow still in my arms.

“It smelled like you,” I say, putting it aside, leaning forward to grab her hands in mine. “Babycakes, you have to know I honestly didn’t think about Sabrina till I was in the moment and, well, then I had no choice but to tell you.”

“I know,” she says softly, looking down at our hands. “I didn’t do this on purpose.” She again stops talking. “I know people will say I did.” She shrugs her shoulders. “But I didn’t. It must have been the medication when I had strep.”

“I don’t give a shit when it was or who says what. The fact is I know and you know and that is all that matters,” I reassure her. “Now how are you feeling? Are you okay?” I ask her, putting her hair behind her ear.

“Yeah, I slept like a baby actually and when I woke all I wanted was you, so I got up and came here. But this is the last straw. If there is anything that you are hiding and I find out, I will slit off you penis the next time.”

I get up, picking her up in my arms. “I have no doubt. Now let’s go to bed. I have a busy day tomorrow. I need to get myself divorced.”

The next day I jump out of bed and put on my power suit. A suit I know I’m going to kick ass with. I walk out of the elevator. “Round up the cavalry. We have a big client. Board room in ten,” I tell the receptionist, who picks up her phone and places an intercom announcement. Walking to my desk, I see that Lauren is already in.

“Hey, good, you’re here,” she says, getting up. “We need to get working,” she says with her no nonsense bullshit. “I will not let my niece or nephew down.”

“It’s a boy,” I say to her as we walk down the hall to the conference room.

“How do you know?” She looks over with a smirk.

“Because according to an article online, the sex is determined on who the dominant one in bed is. So therefore we are having a boy. Now don’t get me wrong, your sister can ride the shit out of me, but—”

She puts her hand up. “Can we not discuss my sister and your sex life?” She shakes her head, opening the door, going in and seeing the whole room full.

I nod to Harvey, who looks at me funny. “Okay, people, we have a code red.”

“What the fuck is a code red?” Harvey asks, confused.

“So as some of you know I’m off the market.” I look around to see everyone staring at me. “As in I’m in love with one person and one person only.”

“This is what this meeting is for?” says Fred, another criminal case lawyer. “I mean, I’m happy for you, but—”

I put my hand up to stop him from talking. “I need to find my wife and get divorced before I can marry the one I really, really love.”

“You’re married?”

I hear someone shriek out. I look up and see that it was a third year associate who kept bringing me doughnuts last year.

“I am, but now we need to find my fake wife and get a divorce. Her name is Sabrina Collins. Last I heard she was somewhere on the east coast. She was majoring in pediatrics. She is also a lesbian.”

“Why is that an issue?” someone asks.

I look over and see a new face. “Who are you?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, my name is Luca. I’m the new associate who just graduated Harvard,” he says, his voice sure of himself.

I look him over, perfect suit, perfect hair, pretty face. I like him.

“It’s important because if you find her on Facebook she will probably be in a relationship with a woman.”

“Now I want everyone on this. I would like for this to be over by Friday,” I say, looking at everyone as they all nod their heads. “Let’s go, people.”

Everyone gets up to leave except Harvey, who sits back in his chair.

Once everyone is gone but Harvey, Lauren, and me he finally talks, “You committed fraud.” He throws his pen down. “Seriously, Noah. You’re a lawyer.”

“It wasn’t fraud.” I look at Lauren, who crosses her arms. “Per se.” When Lauren pffts I continue, “Okay, fine, I knew she was a lesbian, but you never know, people can change.”

“I agree,” he says, now sitting up, crossing his arms in front of him. “People change all the time, but sexual orientation doesn’t change. Did she make you think she would change?”

“She sent him a knife picture when he sent her a dick pic,” Lauren buts in, earning her a glare from me.

“It wasn’t my finest moment, okay, but I need to get that divorce. I’m going to be a father,” I say. I don’t think I have ever been more proud in my life to say those words. “I’m going to be a dad,” I say again. This time my chest puffs out more. “Me a father.” I get up, smiling. “Lauren, order Kaleigh flowers and fruit baskets and some vegan shit she eats.” I turn, walking out of the office and then turning back around. “A dad. Me. I have super sperm,” I say, walking out to my office to start my own search.

By the end of the day, Harvey, Luca, and I are in the boardroom going through all the notes the associates have given us. The boardroom is full of notes, leftover lunch boxes, empty Starbucks cups.

“How is this girl not traceable?” I say, running my hands through my hair, pulling at it.

“It’s like she’s a ghost,” Harvey says. “Um, Noah, take no offense, but are you sure this woman exists?” Harvey says to me.

Luca raises his eyebrows, waiting for the answer.

“Trust me. She was real. Even Austin met her,” I say to them.

“Well, we know that she had a driver’s license when you guys were together, but that was never renewed,” Luca says, looking at the white board with all the writings. “So she probably doesn’t drive anymore.” He sits up, snapping his fingers. “We need to look in the states that have public transport faster than driving.”

Harvey slams his hand on the table. “Yes, New York, Chicago maybe? L.A.”

Luca shakes his head. “No, everyone in L.A. drives. It’s why you’re stuck in traffic for hours.”

Harvey looks at his watch, getting up. “I have to go. My son has his soccer game tonight.”

“That’s amazing,” I say.

“Well, considering he’s five and picks daisies because he hates the fucking sport, yeah, should be a fun time for everyone.” I laugh as he leaves.

“Okay, Luca, let’s take a breather and start fresh tomorrow,” I say, gathering the papers.

“It’s okay, you go ahead. I’m new in town. I don’t know anyone, so I don’t mind staying.”

“You have anyone that you’re dating?” I ask him as I put my papers away.

“Nope,” he says. “Law school was my only focus.” He shrugs. “Besides, I have my whole life for that.”

I smile, walking out, wishing him a good night. I take my phone out, calling Austin. “Hey, I think I need to buy a ring for Kaleigh.”

“You think?” he asks, laughing. “Isn’t that supposed to be done before the whole marry me stuff?”

I laugh. “I like to do this unconventionally.”

“So I’ve heard. I also heard word on the street and by street I mean my parents called me to ask if the rumors are true. It seems your parents got a memo that their son is having a baby.”

I curse out, “Fuck.”

“Yeah, well, I thought I’d give you the heads-up. Your mother is flying on her broom stick and I just hope someone has water nearby to throw on her.”

“If you see the cops at my house when you get home, you’ll know why.”

I disconnect the phone and then try to call Kaleigh and it goes straight to voice mail. Fuck. I say, now jogging to my car. I contemplate calling my mother, but first I have to make sure I get to Kaleigh before my mother does.