MALCOLM
“What's she doing here?” I muttered to my mother as we walked into the dining room.
“She's carrying your child, Malcolm,” Mom said. “Think about what this means for you. Whether you want to continue your relationship with Danielle or not, she's still the key to you earning your inheritance.”
“Dad invited her, didn't he?”
“Yes, he did,” she said. “But I don't necessarily disagree with the decision.”
My mom stood tall and stiff, her arms crossed in front of her. She gave me the typical “Mom Stare of Doom,” and while I might be too old for her to boss around, I respected her enough to be on my best behavior.
Danielle was seated at the table when we walked in, and she smiled at me, patting the chair beside her. Normally, I would have sat in that chair, but seeing her sitting there, looking at me expectantly, I eyed the one across from her instead.
I'd just turned and started to head for the seat when Adam swooped in and claimed it for himself, sitting next to our father. My mother was on the other side of him, Danielle next to her.
I could have sat farther away from everyone, down near the other end of the table, but that would have made me look like a petulant child. Everyone looked at me, waiting for me to join them at the table, so with a sigh, I sat beside my ex-girlfriend. I still wasn't convinced the baby was mine.
Danielle grabbed my hand and placed it on her belly, a wide smile on her face.
“Feel it, Malcolm?” she beamed, smiling brightly.
I felt nothing. No movement, no sign of life. Nothing. She clearly felt something though, and her eyes filled with joy.
“The baby kicked. I'm sorry you missed it, but hopefully soon, you'll get to experience it with me,” she said.
“Isn't it too early for that?” I muttered.
My mom piped in. “She's about four months along? Then no, you can feel movement at about sixteen weeks,” she said, a look of happiness in her eyes I hadn't seen for some time. “It's early, but it just shows that the baby is healthy.”
I nodded. “Good to know.”
“You have a lot to learn still,” Dad said. “But don't worry, it'll come to you, Malcolm. It'll be second nature to you in no time flat.”
Sure, it will, I thought to myself.
Alba brought our dinner out to us. Tonight, it was filet mignon, grilled asparagus, and diced potatoes with butter and chunks of crab meat. My father's favorite – he never skimped on fancy meals. I'd have been just as happy with a burger and some animal style fries from In-n-Out, but family dinners were always a formal affair.
Thinking about In-n-Out brought back pleasant memories and I couldn't contain the smile, as I remembered eating fast food in bed with Casey.
“What are you smiling about, Malcolm?” Adam asked from across the table.
“Nothing,” I said, my face returning to its normal, blank mask. “Just thinking about how much I love a good steak.”
“Uh huh,” Adam said, scooping some potatoes onto his plate. “Are you sure it doesn’t have something to do with that girl who left your office yesterday? The sexy little brunette?”
His eyes bored into mine, trying to read my soul, a smirk on his face.
“I'm not sure who you're talking about,” I said. “I met with Mr. Brownstein, and a few other clients. Oh, maybe you meant Lena, from accounting? She had some questions and her boss is still on maternity leave.”
“I know Lena, it wasn't her,” he said. “Said her name was Casey. A young, pretty little thing, I might add. She looked a little disheveled leaving your office though.”
“Doesn't ring a bell,” I said. “Sorry.”
My fists were balled up on my lap, and I found myself no longer interested in eating. I glared at Adam, wondering what he hoped to accomplish with all of this.
Danielle cleared her throat as she reached for my hand. She looked at me and smiled.
“I'm sure you're mistaken, Adam,” she said.
I pulled my hand away from hers. “I know he's mistaken,” I said. “Not that it matters if I'm seeing someone or not, it's no one's business but my own.”
“Oh, I'd think the mother of your child might have something to say about that,” Adam said.
“Are you so sure it's not your kid, Adam?” I asked. “Because you two were awfully friendly – ”
Dad slammed his fists against the table, making the silverware jump and the glasses nearly fall over as he shouted at us.
“ENOUGH!” his booming voice echoed around the dining room.
Both Adam and I continued staring at each other, but neither of us spoke another word.
“Can we not have one decent meal together, as a family, without fighting?” Dad growled. “Who knows how many more of these I have left? At least you two could pretend to like each other. For my sake.”
“Sorry, Dad,” Adam said.
“Yeah, sorry for ruining your dinner,” I said.
I continued shooting a look of death at Adam, though. I wasn't sorry for what I'd said to him, just that it upset my father.
“Malcolm, you're a grown man with a child on the way, it's time you acted like it,” Dad said. “And Adam, stop looking for trouble. Stop goading him. If Malcolm says he doesn't know this girl, drop it. No need to upset Danielle by spreading rumors.”
Danielle piped up, “Thank you, Mr. Crane.”
I gritted my teeth but focused on my food. I pushed the meat around on my plate, my appetite gone, and didn't say another word for the rest of the dinner. Casey had apparently met Adam, and I had no idea what Adam knew or didn't know. I wasn't prepared to introduce Casey to my family yet. Honestly, it was nice not to have her involved with all the drama.
Not only that, I didn't want to mess things up with her by introducing her to the likes of Adam or Danielle. I knew those two conniving schemers would stop at nothing to sabotage my efforts. I also didn't want her hurt or involved with people who would hurt her. Adam knew about her though, and I had no idea what he had up his sleeve.
Alba came out and cleared the plates and served each of us a slice of triple chocolate cake. I'd barely touched my food, and when she put the plate in front of me, I shook my head.
“No thank you,” I said softly.
I stood from the table. “If you'll excuse me,” I said. “It's been a long day and I'm ready to hit the hay.”
“Sit down, Malcolm,” Dad ordered. “Dinner isn't over yet.”
Mom, Adam and Danielle looked at me. No one had even touched their dessert yet.
“It is for me,” I said.
I put my napkin down on the table and pushed my chair back into place before leaving the dining room. No one else said a word as I went. Not even my father. I heard footsteps approaching from behind me though, light heels clicking on the hardwood floors and I didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
“Malcolm, wait,” Danielle said, grabbing my arm just as I was about to go up the stairs. “Please. Can we talk, alone?”
“There's nothing to talk about, Danielle,” I said.
“I don't believe you,” she said.
She stepped in front of me, blocking the stairwell. Once upon a time, I'd thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. With pale, blonde hair and sun kissed skin, she was radiant. Her blue eyes were wide and innocent, and I hadn't seen a single imperfection on her face or body.
Now though, that view of her had been tainted and I saw without the rose-colored glasses I'd always seen her through before. I noticed the frown lines forming on her face. Saw that her dress hung loosely on her frame – much too large for her. She'd lost weight. Quite a bit of it, judging by how slack the dress was on her body. I would have expected that she'd gain wait, being pregnant and all. Her hands rested on her flat belly, a nervous light in her eyes, and still no sign of a baby growing inside of her.
“Danielle, are you really pregnant?” I asked her.
“Yes, of course,” she said. “Why would I lie to you?”
“Oh, gee, I don't know. Maybe, because our entire relationship was a lie, and you're trying to get back with me so you can sink your teeth into my checkbook?”
“Listen, Malcolm,” she said, bringing her hand up to touch my face.
Her perfectly manicured nail ran down the side of my cheek, and I backed away from her touch. The pain was clear on her face.
“I know I screwed up, but do you really think Adam would keep his mouth shut if he thought this might be his child?”
“It might not be his either,” I said. “Because we both know you were with more than just the two of us.”
“No, I wasn't,” she said. “And I can prove it to you.”
“How?” I scoffed.
“I'd like you to talk to Tyler,” she said. “He can clear everything up.”
“You want me to talk to the man you cheated on me with?” I said and laughed. “Seriously?”
Wow, that was a first. I had to admit, Danielle always knew how to keep me on my toes, but that wasn't always a good thing.
“Stop wasting my time, Danielle,” I said. “I'm not going to talk to your lover. What could he possibly tell me that I'd even come remotely close to believing?”
“That we've never been together in that way,” she said. “Don't you think if this might be his child, he'd want to claim it? He can't because he knows it can't be his either. And he's mad at me too.”
“Oh, you poor thing,” I said dryly. “My heart aches for you.”
“Please, Malcolm. Talk to him. For our child? For us?”
Her eyes were wide and shimmered with unshed tears. Her lower lip trembled, and she had the most pitiful expression on her face. Even I had a hard time not softening up under that kind of pressure.
“There is no us,” I mumbled.
“Fine,” she sighed, closing her eyes just as a tear fell down her cheek. “Then do it for the baby.”
The baby. Possibly my baby. If she were carrying my child, I wanted to know. I'd want to be in the kid's life. I wanted to be a father to him or her. It wasn't even about the inheritance at that point, but about the child.
I thought back to Adam, and how bitter he was about being excluded from our father's life until he was older. I thought about the kind of person he was and knew I didn't want that for a child that could be mine. If Danielle was indeed pregnant with my child, I didn't want him or her to experience the same thing. I certainly didn't want them to turn out to be like Adam.
“I don't need to talk to Tyler, Danielle,” I sighed.
My head was killing me, and I rubbed at my temples.
“If we determine the baby is mine,” I started. “I'll be the father he or she deserves. We'll make it work.”
Danielle sucked on her lower lip, as if contemplating her next move. Eventually, she had to admit defeat, and she nodded her head slowly.
“I guess that's the best I can hope for then,” she said, her voice colored with resignation. “But please, Malcolm, I'd very much like to be part of your family. Since we're having a child together, it seems only right that we all get along.”
“Fine,” I said. “You're welcome to spend time with my family, and I'll keep my thoughts to myself.
“Thank you,” she said, reaching out for my hand.
She squeezed it, and for a moment, I wanted to believe she'd changed. That maybe her affair was just a fluke. A situation brought on because I was working too much. After all, my own father had hardly been around, and I remembered the toll it took on my mother. Being with someone who worked constantly was a challenge a lot of women couldn't handle.
As much as some small part of me wanted to forgive her though, to go back to the way we were was just not possible. I didn't love her. Not anymore. There was someone else that I'd prefer to spend my time with now. Somebody who made me feel happy and carefree. Somebody who made me feel like it was okay to be me and that I was good enough.
There was someone else who'd had hold of my heart. If we were lucky, she'd also be having my baby, and with Casey, I'd never have any question it was mine.
~ooo000ooo~
My phone rang while I was getting ready for bed, and Casey's name popped up on the caller ID. My heart raced, and I answered right away, a little jolt of fear and adrenaline pumping through my veins. She wasn't one to call – especially not late. So, seeing that he was calling me made me think something had happened.
“Casey?” I asked. “What's wrong? Are you alright?”
“I'm fine,” she said. “I just hadn't heard from you since our little run-in yesterday.”
“Yeah, I'm sorry,” I said, collapsing on my bed, a feeling of relief washing through me.
I usually checked in with her every single day, asking her if she had any news and just generally making sure she was okay.
“I've had a lot going on here at home, unfortunately,” I said. “How are you?”
“I'm good,” she said. “I took a test this morning, even though it's probably too early.”
“And?” I sat up on the bed.
If I'd thought my heart was racing before, it was really going now. If she were pregnant and Danielle was telling me the truth, I'd have two babies on the way. In that moment, I started to freak out about caring for two kids when I wasn't even sure I was ready to be a father. Especially not a single father.
“It was still negative,” she sighed. “I just keep hoping and praying this works.”
“Yeah, about that, Casey,” I said. “If this doesn't work, I guess we can hold off on trying for a bit.”
“Really?” she asked, sounding surprised. “Don't you need to hurry things along?”
I was torn. Danielle could be lying to me. If she was actually pregnant, the baby might not even be mine. Though she had a point earlier, if it were Adam's – or any chance it might be his – then he wouldn't have just sat there and let her claim it was mine. Not with so much at stake. Still didn't mean it wasn't someone else's, but she went as far as offering to let me talk to the other man. Maybe I'd just needed to accept that this child could actually be mine.
Before I could answer though, there was a knock at my door.
“Casey, I'll call you later,” I said, voice hushed.
“Okay...” she said, her voice trailing off.
She'd sounded hurt, and I wanted to ask her what was wrong, but whoever was on the other side of my door knocked again. I couldn't risk them hearing my conversation.
I hung up the phone and stood up. Crossing the room, I swung the door open, expecting my mother. Instead, I came face-to-face with Adam.
“Give me one good reason not to slam this door in your face,” I growled.
“Easy, brother,” he said, hands up and in a defensive pose. “I'm just coming by to apologize. I shouldn't have mentioned Casey at dinner, not with Danielle pregnant and all. Which, by the way, I just found out about tonight. So, I guess I have no choice but to concede the company to you then, right?”
His voice sounded too cheerful for him to be conceding.
“Why are you really here?” I asked.
“Just wanted to congratulate my brother,” he said. “Is that so wrong?”
I stared at him, waiting for the punchline. Waiting for the truth. Adam smirked and rolled his eyes.
“Fine. I guess I shouldn't congratulate you just yet,” he said. “We'll wait until the baby is born, because you never know what might happen, right? Especially since you have a side chick and all.”
“I don't have a side chick,” I said, my voice rising. “Goodnight, Adam.”
I shut the door before he could say anything else. I had nothing else to say to him, or anyone for that matter. I finished getting ready for bed, even though it was earlier than usual, and laid in bed for a long time, staring up at the ceiling, my mind a battlefield of conflicting thoughts and emotions.