by T. E. Black
"Why don't you call me Princess anymore?" she asks, looking at me with those same sad eyes she had when she was a kid.
I let out a long sigh, resting my elbows on my knees in a crouching position.
"Because Caroline, that was years ago. I have a princess now, and she's sitting right across from you." I nod toward Callie.
A lone tear runs down Caroline's cheek and she speaks softly.
"You promised me. You promised I'd always come first. You promised if I needed you, then you would be there for me. I need you Bear, and where are you? Because I know you're not here for me. You're with her."
Caroline says the word her with pure hatred. Hatred for Callie. She hates her because she can't have me the way Callie does. I made it perfectly clear on the phone I’ll never be hers before making the appointment to have the paternity test done.
Callie speaks her mind, but gets cut off when the nurse comes out of the door.
"Caroline Lavelle. Malcolm Davis," she yells, grabbing our attention.
Caroline stands up and I lean over pressing a kiss on Callie's forehead.
"I'll be done in a minute baby. I love you," I tell her softly.
She nods her head, her arms still crossed over her chest, scoffing at my words.
I look up, warning her.
"Don't start Caroline."
I hate her. I really truly hate her. She’s a lying bitch. I know she's lying. The signs were written all over her face. Not to mention, she kept checking her phone every five minutes. I'm going to assume the real father was texting her.
She tried to stay with Mac and me after we left the clinic, but I squashed it quickly. For the past two days, I've been trying to keep that crazy bitch away from Mac. She’s up to something, and I'm going to assume it has something to do with her wanting him to love her. Too bad for her, she will never experience that side of my man. I’ll never allow her to get close enough to him where she wraps him back around her pretty little finger. It may have been okay when she was a little girl, but now it's absolutely not okay.
She’s a young lady, and even though I hate her, I have to admit she's beautiful. She's so tiny, thin, and tall, unlike me who is curvy and short. She rivals me in every aspect, and I freaking hate it. I hate that she has a piece of Mac I'll never have. She's known him for a long time, and from what I gather, they were very close when Mac was engaged to her sister.
I refuse to let it bother me, though. The only thing which keeps me going is the fact that Mac will only answer her phone calls when I'm there too. He won't talk about her unless I bring it up. He's playing it smart, luckily for him.
The nurse told us it would take roughly three days for the results to come back and I swear the past two days have dragged by with every second feeling like an hour. It's been unbearable, and my anxiety is at an all time high right now.
One more day.
That’s the only thing which keeps me going. One more day and hopefully everything will be back to normal. One more day, and Caroline will go away for good, and my life can go back to normal.
I’m in the middle of cleaning every speck of dust in the apartment when my phone rings. I look down seeing Sierra's name flashing across the screen.
"Hey," I answer.
"Callie, this shit is the worst. I'm entirely too pregnant and Evan is driving me fucking crazy! He won't even touch me because he thinks he's going to hurt the baby. It's been four weeks since I got any, and I swear if he doesn't touch me soon, I'm going to hurt him instead."
I laugh at her, shaking my head. This has got to be killing her. Sierra has never been one to hide her love for sex, and the idea of Evan keeping it from her is ironic in a way since that was always her play.
"Well at your appointment tomorrow, just ask the doctor. Maybe if he hears the doctor saying it's okay then he'll calm down."
"Cal, hang on. Shay's on the other line, and I'm going to just beep her in with us."
I hear the click of her switching lines before I can even get out an okay. A few seconds later, I hear Shay's voice, along with Sierra's.
"Hey Callie," Shay says.
"Hey, how's it going?" I ask her.
She pauses a minute before answering me.
"Things are all right. How's everything with you? Is Caroline letting Mac loose yet?"
I scoff into the phone, giving Nook a rub on the head as she nudges my leg.
"Not yet. That girl is psycho. I know it's not Mac's. I can feel it. She's lying. It's a part of her evil master plan."
Sierra chimes in, cutting Shay off from what she was saying.
"What if it is his Callie? What are you gonna do?"
My lips turn into a scowl, as I plop down onto the couch.
"I know it's not his, Sierra. So I'm not worried, and if it is then we'll figure it out."
"Is he home? Evan has been trying to call him, but he's not answering."
"Nope. He's at the garage; Trent had some appointments today so Mac went down to help him out. I dropped him off like three hours ago."
"Well, I'll just tell Evan to call him later then."
My phone beeps, alerting me I have a voicemail. I realize my line being tied up with Shay and Sierra, forced the call to head to voicemail.
"Guys I gotta go. I have to check my voicemail, it might be Mac. I'll call you both later," I say to them, already getting ready to hit the end button.
We say our goodbyes and I click the voicemail icon.
You have one new message.
Hi, Miss Matthews.
This is Natalie. I'm calling about the results from Mr. Davis' test a few days ago. I tried calling Mr. Davis' phone but I was sent directly to voicemail. He has you listed as a secondary number, so I'm also leaving this message with you. Mr. Davis' test results came back negative. He is not the father of Miss Lavelle's child. I have also notified her. We will send out a paper copy of the results but from what Mr. Davis said, I assumed you would like to know ahead of time. Thank you. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at the office anytime. Have a wonderful day.
I listen to the message twice before I can comprehend what I'm hearing. He's not the father. He isn't the father. Tears form in the corners of my eyes and a smile breaks out on my face. Everything will be okay. I need to tell him.
I call his number, getting sent straight to voicemail the same way as the lady from the office. Why can't this man ever just charge his phone? All he has to do is plug it into the wall and presto, he can receive important calls like this one.
I grab the keys to his truck, slipping on my coat. I need to tell him. I need to drive there and tell him the news. I need to tell him everything will be okay, and more importantly, that I love him. I hop into the driver's seat, starting up his truck, and pulling into traffic.
I'm coming to you Mac.
Trent is fucking killing me. The last place I wanna be right now is working on this piece of shit he decided was worth fixing. I want to be home with Callie. I'm so fucking afraid to leave her alone lately. I'm afraid she's gonna bolt before I have a chance to convince her to stay.
I know she keeps saying everything will be all right, but I can see the way she looks at me lately. Her eyes don't have the shine in them that they used to. Her voice is small, and unrecognizable. She's not the woman she was before I went and fucked everything up.
Caroline has been touching on my last nerve the past couple days too. She keeps fucking calling me. Leaving me message upon message. I swear she called me six times in the past three hours. I fucking had enough, so I turned my phone off. It's the only way to not break it like the old one.
I hear a knock on the garage door. I pull my head out from under the hood of the car. The knock becomes a little louder, and I figure it's probably Callie. She's the only person I know who knocks on the garage door when it's fucking open. Trent and Ryleigh just barge in whenever the fuck they feel like it. I swing the door open, not expecting who stands in front of me.
Caroline.
She lo
oks like total shit. Her eyes all puffy like she's been crying.
"Hi," she says softly.
I run my hand through my hair roughly, nodding my head at her. This is awkward as fuck right now. What the hell do I say to her? It's not like we're here to remember old times. We're here because I could possibly be the father to her child.
"Hey," I reply.
It's fucking snowing like a blizzard outside and I watch Caroline's teeth chatter from the cold. Looks like I'm going to be inviting her in. Just what I need right now.
"You standing out there all day or are you coming in?" I ask her, moving aside so she can walk in past me. "You shouldn't be here Caroline."
It's fucking déjà vu.
"Why don't you want me Mac?" she pleads quietly.
I sigh at her, still keeping my distance. If she wants to have this talk right now then I don't want her too close. I need to keep the distance between us. It's the only thing keeping her from coming at me right now.
"Caroline, it's not like that. I want Callie. She's it for me. I'm going to ask her to marry me. Baby or not. I already bought the ring."
She spins around to face me, tears falling down her face.
"Why does she get you? You promised me, Mac. You promised me you would drop everything for me. It's not fair! I loved you first. I loved you before she did. I pushed away every man who wanted something more from me! I did it for you. I waited for you."
Her silent tears turn into heavy sobs. She comes toward me beating on my chest with all of her might.
"Caroline, I'm sorry, but that was a long time ago. I love Callie," I repeat softly.
Her fists slow down, and she wraps her arms around my waist, sobbing into my shoulder.
"I need you, Bear. I will always need you. I love you. I always have."
I rub small circles on her back with one hand, the other one pulling her head into my shoulder.
"It's not mine, is it?" I already know the answer.
She shakes her head, her sobs still heavy, filling the silence of the garage.
"No. I knew it wasn't yours. I just thought maybe you would come back if you thought it was."
"I'm not yours Caroline. Callie is the best fucking thing that ever happened to me. Nothing will ever change it. Nothing was ever going to change that," I tell her softly, hoping to keep her calm.
The doors bursts open and I spin to see Callie staring at the two of us with wide eyes.
"Get away from him!" Callie screams at her.
Caroline scrambles from me, staring up at Callie with an irritated expression.
"You just know when to break up the party, don’t you?"
Caroline turns away from me, taking a few steps toward Callie. My heart drops in my stomach when Callie’s eyes meet mine. She looks the way I feel, nervous as hell. It’s pretty fucking crazy how Caroline’s mood flipped like a light switch the minute Callie walked in, though. That little innocent act she was playing a few minutes ago was total bullshit.
“Caroline, why don’t you tell Mac the truth since I’m planning on telling him anyways?” Callie says.
She moves toward me, setting herself in front of my body, keeping me out of reach of Caroline. I wrap my arms around her waist, smiling into her long, beautiful hair. Callie's hands touch mine, our fingers lacing together.
Caroline blows out a breath, crossing her arms over her chest.
“He already knows. I told him, and guess what? He may be holding you right now, but if this baby was ours, he would already be kicking your ass out.”
I wanna say something to defend Callie, but she stops me before the words can even get out of my mouth. I listen to her let all hell break loose. My girl. My amazing, beautiful, strong girl.
"Believe me honey; he wouldn’t be kicking me out. Baby momma or not, he was always mine. He was mine the night you two screwed, too; you just didn’t realize it, and if you did, then that sucks for you. You need to leave. I swear, I’ll kick your ass if you ever start problems with us again. You're not worthy of him. You don't get the best of him, I do. You will never be good enough for him," Callie seethes.
Caroline spins on her heels, yelling something about I’ll see you soon. It sounds like an empty threat if I’ve ever heard one. She knows her time is up. Her game is over. Callie was a play ahead of her every single time. She wasn't even in the game when it came to the way I feel about my girl.
Caroline disappears and Callie's shoulders shake, her muffled sobs touching every inch of my heart. I spin her around, taking her face in my hands, prompting her to look at me.
"It's over baby," I tell her.
She looks at me, letting me see her beautiful blue eyes. I stare into them, watching the tears running down her face. I let go of her and walk toward the work bench. I can feel Callie watching me intently as I punch the code into the safe hidden underneath it. I crouch down, fishing in it until I find the little black box that's been sitting in here since she moved in with me. I pull it out and keep a tight grip on it. I walk toward her, getting down on one knee and her eyes grow wide, more tears pouring from them. I watch her lip quiver and I place a hand firmly on her hip, pulling her closer.
"Callie Rose Matthews, I fell in love with you three times. The first was the day I saw those fucking pink Chuck Taylor's on your feet. I loved you even more when you let me make love to you for the first time, and then I loved you a third, just now, when you stood up for us like I was the most important thing in your life.
"I'm a fool for you, Callie. Completely fucking mesmerized by you. You are the most important thing in my life. I told you I would find a way to make you love me, and I hope I did. I promise to keep listening to your shitty 90's music and fill your life with amazing and beautiful memories. You deserve the best, and I will give you the best of me if you will let me. If you say yes to me, it will be the fourth time I fall head over heels in love with you. Will you make me the luckiest fucker alive and be my wife?"
I open the little black box, watching her eyes light up at the ring.
When I saw it, I knew it was perfect for Callie. A white gold band with small diamonds lining it. Small and dainty like her, with a diamond in the middle, cut into the shape of a heart.
I take her hand, sliding the ring on her finger before she even has a chance to say yes. I don't care at this point. There's no choice for her to make. I plan on spending every day of the rest of my life with this woman.
"It's beautiful," she breathes out, lifting her hand to examine the ring.
I stand, pulling her into me, and cock an eyebrow at her.
"Is that a yes?"
She lets out a loud laugh, her voice returning to itself.
"Yes, Mac. It was always yes. You didn't even have to ask," she confirms, staring up at me, the twinkle back in her eyes.
I stand up, letting our lips meet.
"I wanted to hear it fall from these amazing lips, baby."
She gives me a devilish smirk, her brow rising a little higher than usual.
"You gonna take me home now that I'm soon-to-be Mrs. Malcolm Davis?"
I move quick, picking her up and throwing her over my shoulder like I've done a million times before. She lets out an adorable squeak, my hand smacking her sexy little ass.
"Don’t worry. I got ya covered, Mrs. Davis."
I never in a million years imagined I'd be writing acknowledgements for my first book. Hell, I never in a million years thought I'd even write one. Yet, here I am. I wrote over 80,000 words and hit publish. I had doubts, breakdowns, and nerves that broke me into pieces, but I managed to do it. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the amazing support from those around me. My thank you’s can never be enough to repay any of you, but I'm going to say that this is a good start.
My Husband. Even though you enjoyed cracking jokes about my writing genre, you are still my biggest supporter, cheer squad, and motivator. I love you more than anything.
My dogs. Thank you for filling my story with hilarious things to
write about. You are my four-legged fur children forever.
Mom: Thank you for not blowing a gasket when I told you I wrote a dirty book. Instead of hanging your head low in shame, you held it high with nothing but a proud smile on your face. Your best encouragement was when you said, "Don't worry dear. I'll get you on the best sellers list in no time." You are my best friend. I love you.
Kimberly: You have been my lifesaver! With your never ending help, and your amazing friendship, you are one of the dearest friends I could have ever asked for! Thank you for dealing with my special brand of crazy, my meltdowns, and cheering me on to no end! You are amazing and one of my best friends! P.S. DOG does indeed rhyme with LOG.
Suzie: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your help and support! You have become a good friend to me through all of this!
Adriana: Where would I be without you? Not writing the acknowledgements to my first book, that’s for sure. You have been my mentor and one of my best friends. You have given me your time and your attention while you were on your own adventures. Thank you for giving me motivating speeches about how I need to push through all the writer’s blocks, and the times where I completely doubted my story. And let's not forget the time where you told me to keep writing. You will always be one of my best friends. - 124 loves your ass!
Ashley with Escapist Freelance Editing: Thank you for pulling a 180 on my story! You have made this novel into what it is today. Your keen eye and attention to detail totally transformed this story! I can’t thank you enough!
Ena with Enticing Journey Book Promotions: You are amazing to work with! I couldn’t be happier that we decided to do business together! Thank you!
Erika: I can’t thank you enough. You have given me so much help and so much of your time. You always encouraged me. I mean hell, you practically helped me do my first self-edit! I will never be able to repay you. EVER.
Mandi: Mandi, you have also helped me during this process. You have answered my questions and took time to really think about those answers. You are an amazing writer, and also an amazing friend.
Randa: You have become one of my best friends through this process. Your friendship, your jokes, your conversations, and your feedback…it's gotten me through this. Oh, and thank you for having the same taste in music as I do. That's my favorite part of our friendship! #TheDreamTeam