My Baby's Daddy

Chapter 2

I sat in the living room in my over sized chair that match the couch with Ella passed out in my arms. She had fallen asleep just as I put a movie in that she wanted to watch about an hour before and by now my arm was tingling and it felt like billions of tiny needles were poking it. It was worth it though; she looked so cute with her favorite blanket curled up on me. I knew these moments wouldn't last forever so I would enjoy as much as possible while I could.

I watched the rest of the movie and switched it to regular TV without moving Ella, I didn't know what I was watching but I didn't feel like flipping through the channels so I left it on some reality show. I had just started dozing off when I heard a knock at the door. I looked to it. I don't know why though; it wasn't like I could see through the door. I eased Ella into a better grip of my arms and stood and laid her on the couch. I glanced at the clock on the wall; it was 12:34 am, whoever it was better have a good reason to knock on my door so late. They knocked again as I reached the door and looked through the peep hole. for I watched as the person that I knew all too well was standing on the other side of the door and every emotion I had ever felt for him was now thick in the air and I felt like I couldn't breathe. Never did I think that he would show up at my doorstep again; we hadn't even talked since the night Ella was conceived. I figured it was because of Gossip Girl, but for some strange reason; here he was.

I couldn't decide if I should open the door or not. I glanced back toward the living room knowing that the couch couldn't be seen from here I still needed to see that Ella wasn't up at the door like always. He couldn't see her, if he seen Ella he would surely be able to do the math and tell she was his. She looked just like him if I didn't know better I would think she wasn't mine if anything. Ugh; what was I going to do? I could ask him to come back tomorrow, but as he remembers I never went to bed early, and I couldn't invite him in because Ella would wake up. Then again I could take her to her room and then he would never see her. Decided. I ran and put her in her room and tucked her in, walked out and closed her door behind me as there was another knock on the door. I ran to it to reach it and stopped to calm myself down. I took a deep breath and opened it

"Chace." I said winded

"Rainey." He repeated in the same winded voice and smiled. "You sound like you just ran a marathon."

"No, I just eh—wanna come in?" I stepped aside opening the door more so he could walk in.

"Yes, thank you." He smiled his beautiful smile I missed so much and walked in. I shut the door and lead him to the living room couch.

"Go ahead and have a seat. Do you want anything to drink?" I stood waiting for him to reply. He told me what he wanted and I went to the kitchen and returned with his drink of choice. When I walked back in he was still sitting on the end of the couch closest to the big chair that Ella and I were sleeping in just moments before, so I sat there. "I didn't know you knew where I lived?" I hoped that didn't sound as bad to him as it felt like it did just to say it.

"Yeah, I didn't actually. Your mom told me when I stopped by to see her." He looked down at his drink and back up "was I not supposed to know?"

"I didn't care if you knew or not. It's not like I was hiding from you." We both laughed. "So how have you been?"

"Good just finished some auditions last week. How about you? Your mom said that you're going to school now to be a pediatrician. That's great!"

"Yeah. I figured I need to do something with my life besides wait around for Mr. Right."

This was brutal; it was like we just met. Small talk in a once inseparable friendship meant there was no longer one there. I suddenly felt sick; like outer body experience sick. I could see us from the corner of the living room as we sat there making the small talk as if to be polite. I knew it wasn't him though since he made the effort to come and see me. It was me; and why; because I had something that I would have to hide from him forever. I know I didn't have the right to deny him his child but I had the right to protect her from criticism and publicity.

"So true. You have a nice home though." He stood up and started walking around the living room looking at old pictures of us from high school—wait they weren't all old pictures. He stopped at one and I didn't have to go look at what picture he was staring at to know which one he was staring at. "You're a mother!" I jumped up and walked quickly over to the picture to and put it face down.

"Yes, I do." OH MY GOODNESS. He was going to see all her photos I had in the living room and there wasn't anything I could do about it. Sure I could put the standing ones face down but there were the ones on the wall and besides; he was already looking at me like I was partly insane.

"Sorry; I didn't mean to offend you by looking at your photos." He was mad; I could see it in his strong jawline. He turned to the couch, took his seat back and looked to the portrait hanging on the wall. "Hey how old is your daughter Rainey?"

I could tell he was trying to be nonchalant about it but for being an actor; this was one thing he never could pass off well.

"She is 4 and a half." I said matter of fact to keep the mood from going where I knew it was about to.

"Who's her father Rainey?" He was starting to look more concerned.

"Why do you need to know?" I know I was rude now, but I didn't care! I knew I needed to keep it down so we wouldn't wake up Ella but if he was going to realize the facts I was going to need to defend myself and our daughter.

He held his hands up; I assumed to keep the peace. "I know you're defensive and I also know that we were together about 4 and a half years ago; that being said I am gonna have to ask you this question and I am going to need you to be honest." He took a deep breath and continued "Is that my daughter?'

I couldn't believe what was happening. All this time I never once thought that this moment would come; I never prepared for this nor explain to Ella that her daddy would come in to the picture.

"Ella's your daughter." As I said this I could feel my heart slowly creeping in to my throat. Chace was talking now although I couldn't hear what he was saying; there was a ringing in my ears blocking him out and I realized it wasn't my heart it was something else. I was going to puke all over him; I turned away just as it came out.