“I’m assuming you received the court papers?” she asked.
“I did. I’d like to meet up with you to discuss things.”
“I suppose that would be all right. Should my attorney be present?”
“No, I don’t think that’s necessary. There’s just some things that I’d like to ask you and talk about if you don’t mind,” he explained to her.
“Fine. When and where?” she asked, annoyed.
“How about tonight? Could you do that?”
She hesitated for a moment, looking at the clock. “I can meet you in about an hour. Where do you want to meet at?”
“How about Hill Street Park? It’s well lit and would give us some privacy.”
“See you then.”
He hadn’t spoken to her in years, but she seemed cold and stand-offish. Had he made her mad or upset by calling? At this point, he didn’t care. He was distraught that he didn’t know about a child he apparently had almost nine years ago, and that she never bothered to tell him. Changing his clothes and shoes, he began to get ready to meet Christina at the park. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but he hoped it would turn out in his favor; whatever that was.
Driving to the park, he sent Audrey a text and told her that he had a horrible headache and was heading to bed. “I’ve got to stop all this lying,” he mumbled as he turned onto the side street where the park was. Pulling into the parking space, he waited for Christina to arrive. It dawned on him that he didn’t know what she was driving, nor what she looked like. He picked up his cell phone and called her again.
“Christina?” he said as she answered the phone.
“I’m here, where are you?” she asked.
“I am facing the north side of the park, by the gazebo.”
“What are you driving?” she asked, leery to get out of her car since it was beginning to get dark.
“I’m in a pick-up truck. What are you driving?”
“I have a white Grand Prix.”
“Okay, I see you. I’ll get out and start walking over to you,” he said as he was hanging up the phone.
The cold wind whipped through his coat, threatening frostbite if he stayed outside much longer. As he approached her car, she rolled down her window and told him to get in. Chad walked around to the passenger side of the car and got in, thankful the heat was on full blast.
“What did you want to talk about?” she asked as she looked at him. He hadn’t changed a bit.
“I have some questions for you. For starters, how come you never told me that you were pregnant?” he asked.
She looked straight ahead, fixating her stare on the swings. “I was ashamed and didn’t know what to do.”
“Ashamed? Ashamed of what?” he asked.
“That I was pregnant with your baby.”
Taken aback, he didn’t know what to say to that. “Why?” he asked meekly.
“Because Chad, you had the reputation of being a player. I didn’t want everyone to know that I was the dumb girl who didn’t use protection with you.”
He didn’t know how to respond to that. “But why now?” he asked, confused.
“Well, I never wanted to drag you into her life. I didn’t know if you were ‘dad material’. I was worried that you were still out chasing skirts and I don’t want my daughter to think all men are like that.”
“But Christina, I have the right to know that I have a child. You should’ve told me. Do you know how awful I feel knowing that I have a daughter out there who’s almost 9 years old that doesn’t know me?”
“Do you?” she asked sarcastically.
“I do. I don’t know where your attitude is coming from, but I don’t like it. Tell me, why you waited until now to file for child support?” he asked.
“You want the truth?” she asked, staring him in the face.
“Yes, the truth.”
“I found out that you’re a billionaire. At first, I figured you probably graduated and took some computer job, making a meager salary. Then I picked up the paper and saw that you own Wetzel Software Design.”
“So it’s all about the money? That’s the only reason why? It’s not because you want your daughter, our daughter, to know her dad?” he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Christina remained silent, continuing to stare straight ahead. She was good at being evasive and avoiding his questions; Chad was picking up on this quickly.
“So how much are you seeking?” he asked.
“That will depend on what the courts allow,” she answered matter-of-factly.
“I see,” he thought for a moment. “And when will I get to see Kayla?”
“What?” she asked, shocked that he’d even made the suggestion.
“You don’t think that I shouldn’t see my daughter, do you?”
“Why would you want to?”
“Because I created her, and because she needs a dad.”
“What do you know about being a dad?” she protested.
“Christina, I don’t know what you have against me, but I’m not the same guy that I was back in college. I’ve settled down quite a bit. I would like the opportunity to get to know my daughter.”
“How have you settled down, exactly?” she asked. Now she was actually listening to Chad and began softening up a bit.
“Back in college, I partied all the time, dated countless girls and did what I wanted to do. Now I own my own business, I’ve made billions for myself and live a much more reserved lifestyle.”
“Do you have a girlfriend or a wife?” she asked.
“Not at the moment.” He was becoming a regular at lying, though this time, he wasn’t sure why.
“I suppose you could see her, but don’t tell her that you’re her dad right away. I’d like to see how she responds to you first.”
“When do you want to do it?” he asked.
“Could you come over tomorrow when she gets out of school and meet her then?” Christina asked.
“I think I can arrange that. Text me what time and I’ll be there.”
“Don’t you need the address?” she asked.
“I already have it. It was in the court papers, remember? That’s how I got your number and called you.”
She laughed, “Oh yeah. All right, but there’s no need to text you. Just come over tomorrow around 4.”
“I’ll be there,” he reached for the door handle, “and Christina?”
“Yeah?” she replied.
“It was nice talking to you. Have a good night.”
She smiled and waved goodbye as he exited her car and walked back to his truck.
Once he had his engine running and began warming up his truck, he pulled out his cell phone. Audrey had replied to his message.
I’m sorry your head hurts. Get well babe. I’ll talk to you later.
Lately, Chad had been telling one lie after another, which was completely out of character for him. He believed in honesty, but he wanted to protect Audrey until he fully understood what he was dealing with. He also wanted to find a way to gently break the news to her, and do so without sounding like an asshole. Now he wished he’d waited to look up Audrey. Maybe if he’d found out about his daughter first, he wouldn’t have looked her up. He would’ve been spending his time with Kayla instead. Or maybe it would’ve been easier to tell Audrey that he had a daughter if he would’ve known he had one from the get go. This was becoming a very complicated mess.
The next day at work, Audrey called his office to check on him.
“How’s your headache babe?” she asked in a chipper tone.
“Eh, it’s not completely gone.” This wasn’t a lie. He’d actually began developing a mild headache with everything going on.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was hoping we could have dinner together tonight. Do you think you might be up to it?” she asked, hopeful that he would agree.
“I don’t think tonight’s a good idea. I’ve got a lot of work and it’s taking me forever since my head hurts. I just want
to lie down when I get home,” he lied again.
“Okay. I guess I’ll see you later,” she said.
He could hear the disappointment in her voice. Lying to her was crushing him, but he needed to handle his business before he drug her into the middle of things.
“Maybe I’ll come over tomorrow when I get off. We can go to a movie and grab a bite to eat,” he suggested.
“Okay! I get off at 6 PM tomorrow night. I’ll need to go home to change clothes first.”
“I’ll pick you up around 7:30.”
The day flew by as Chad’s nerves began to unravel. What was he going to say when he met his daughter? Christina made it clear that she didn’t want him to introduce himself as ‘dad’. Why would he say he was there? He hoped that Christina had already worked out these details for him so it wasn’t completely on his shoulders. He wanted to make a good first impression on Kayla, and he wanted her to like him. Chad also wanted to keep Christina happy so that she would continue to allow him into his daughter’s life. He was aware that he’d made poor choices in the past and they were all coming back to haunt him, one at a time.
On his way over to Christina’s that evening, he stopped by the toy store and bought Kayla, a small stuffed puppy. He didn’t know exactly what she was into, but what kid doesn’t like stuffed animals or puppies? He figured he couldn’t go wrong with his choice. As he started getting closer to the house, he felt jumpy and nauseated. The butterflies in his stomach were coming on in bouts and his fears were running through his mind. He was so worried that the little girl wouldn’t like him or that she might not understand why he was there.
He parked on the street in front of the house and sat in his truck for a moment as he tried to calm his nerves. Drawing in a deep breath, he pushed his truck door open and stepped out. As he stood on the side of his truck, he paused for a moment to straighten his clothes and adjust his tie. He wanted to look his absolute best when he met his daughter. Slowly, he walked up the concrete stairs and knocked on the door.
He could hear footsteps coming to the door and a cartoonish voice yelling from the back of the house. Christina answered the door and let him in.
“Hi,” she greeted him. “Kayla’s in the bathroom; have a seat.”
She noted the stuffed puppy that Chad was carrying. It eerily resembled a dog they once had; she wondered if he’d known somehow.
Kayla walked into the living and stopped when she saw Chad sitting in the chair.
“Hi!” he said, standing up to meet her.
“Hi,” she barely whispered.
“I brought this for you,” Chad said holding out the stuffed animal.
Kayla looked at her mom, unsure if she should accept the gift or not. Christina nodded her head, granting her daughter permission. She walked over to Chad and hesitated before taking her present.
“Go ahead, he doesn’t bite….and neither do I!” he tried joking with her.
Kayla reached for the dog and took it before Chad could say another word to her and retreated to the couch to sit by her mom’s side.
“I think Kayla should go play for a minute while we talk,” Christina said, dismissing her daughter.
After Kayla was gone, Christina looked at Chad and motioned for him to lean in with her fingers. In a small, hushed voice, she began talking to him.
“Kayla’s never really had men around her. I’ve not dated much so I don’t think she knows what to think of you.”
“Christina, I know you said not to introduce myself as her dad, but I really believe we should be upfront with her. I intend to be in her life from now on. I would’ve done it sooner had I known about her.”
“You don’t think you’re just going to waltz in here and be a daddy, do you? That might confuse her,” she protested, smacking her knee with her hand.
“It wouldn’t be any more confusing than explaining to her friends why she doesn’t have a daddy or wondering why she doesn’t have one.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Christina said, pursing her lips.
“I’m not trying to replace you if that’s what you think. Had I known that I had a daughter years ago, I would’ve been here from day one,” he argued.
She considered what he said and called Kayla back into the living room. Kayla slowly entered the room, unsure why the strange man was still there. Chad patted the gray microfiber couch seat that was next to him and asked her to come sit with them. She looked at her mother, again, for permission.
“Go ahead, Kayla. Sit, we need to talk to you.”
Chad adored the little girl. She was the spitting image of her mother; he noticed as he often stole glances at her. With her now sitting by him, he could feel his heartbeat quickening. He tucked his hands under his legs to hide his sweaty palms.
“Honey, this is Chad,” Christina began. “I know this might be confusing to you, but I think you’re old enough to understand things.”
Kayla shook her head.
“Chad is your dad, sweetie.”
Kayla looked at him for confirmation. She couldn’t believe what her mom was saying to her. She’d asked about her dad in the past and her mom always told her that she didn’t have one.
Chad nodded, “It’s true. I’m your dad, and I’m sorry that we’ve never met before.”
“I don’t understand. You always said that I didn’t have a dad,” Kayla said, confused.
Chad’s grin faded away as his face became grimace. Biting the inside of his cheek to remain silent, he balled his fists under his legs out of frustration. This was going to be harder than he’d expected.
“I know baby. The reason I told you that was because I didn’t know how to find him, but I have a lawyer who was able to find him for me.”
Oh, a lawyer to find me for you, Chad thought. I guess we’re being pretentious. We wouldn’t want that little doll face thinking ugly things about her mom, would we?
The girl looked at Chad again. “So you’re really my daddy?” she asked, studying his face.
“I am,” he admitted. “And I’d like to get to know you better, spend more time with you,” he looked at Christina. “If that’s all right with your mom.”
Christina nodded, “That’s right. We think it’s important to have both parents in your life.”
Yeah, as long as your dad’s a billionaire, he thought.
“I don’t have to leave with him, do I?” Kayla asked, worried that the strange man—now her dad—was going to take her away.
“Not if you don’t want to,” Chad interrupted Christina. “We can hang out here with your mom until you feel comfortable with me. I know this is new for you. It’s new to me, too. We can just get to know each other until you feel better about me.”
Kayla smiled as it began to sink in that she had a dad and that he wanted to spend time with her. “I’d like that. Can you play with me?”
“Sure!” he grinned at her.
He spent the rest of the evening hanging out with Kayla and her mother. It was odd at first, but the little girl quickly became the focus of Chad’s thoughts. He liked being a dad; at least, so far. Kayla invited him to stay for dinner, which he graciously accepted. While they laughed over dinner, he learned all about her favorite music, movies, and things to do. Christina remained nearby to make her daughter comfortable but allowed some space and distance so that she and Chad could get to know each other a little better. She was also learning a great deal about Chad too; he wasn’t the guy she remembered when she’d dated him. It was refreshing to see Kayla have her dad in her life.
During his drive home that evening, he reflected on his night with Kayla and how amazing she was. Smiling most of his drive, he envisioned the two of them going places and doing things once she felt more comfortable with him. The thought of Audrey also crossed his mind. He felt guilty for lying, hiding his daughter and for enjoying his own child while she longed for hers. It was a terrible position to be in, but Chad was only at the tip of the iceberg.
Chapter Six
Audrey tried calling and texting Chad the entire evening that he was with his daughter, Kayla. Unable to reach him, she became frustrated. She understood that his head hurt and he had a lot of work to do, but to not even respond to a simple text message was unlike him. No matter how busy he was, he’d always slip in a quick reply, even if it were to acknowledge that he’d received her messages. She also noticed how different his behavior had been.
The last six months they’d been together, he’d totally committed himself to her and their relationship. It made her begin to wonder what had changed. Was he suddenly disinterested in her? Was he bored with their relationship? Had he never changed at all and it was all an act? If it were an act, she thought, it was awful to put me in this type of position, especially after knowing everything I’ve gone through. Is this some kind of joke? It’s not very funny. Don’t you worry, Chad Wetzel, I will figure out what you’re up to; you can count on it.
Addicted (A Billionaire Romance Novel) Page 6