“Don’t you dare put lies in my daughter’s head ever again!” I snapped, not even bothering with the usual polite conversation first. “If you want to be a bitch to me, then go ahead and be a bitch to me, but you better leave my daughter out of this, or I swear to God, I will take your weekends away from you as well and you will never see her. Now that’s not something I want to do for her sake, so watch it.”
“I don’t know...” she said, startled.
“Cut the crap. I mean it Melanie, don’t you ever lie to my daughter again. You were a shitty wife; the least you could do is not be a shitty mother!”
I didn’t wait for her reply, I just hung up the phone in anger. The heat of temper carried me back to the kitchen table and I poured another glass of wine with trembling hands. No way was I going to let her mess with my daughter’s head. The only thing I was concerned about was how this would affect Regan. Then again, that woman certainly knew how to handle herself. I guessed she would just have to deal with Melanie’s crap until she found another job.
I suddenly took out my cell phone and texted a brief message to her: I love you. Make sure to eat a lot for the baby.
Then I walked back upstairs to the bedroom and looked back into the room to Stephanie’s sleeping form and smiled. All things concerned, I wasn’t the worst father, so I guess another kid wouldn’t hurt. Maybe it would even help Stephanie adjust? Someone who she could look out for and take care of. I didn’t for a minute think it would be an easy change for any of them, but in the end, it might just help her.
But it did remind me that I had to get my daughter to be okay with her possibly getting a new mother. I quickly texted Regan another message: Come as soon as you can, please.
My stomach knotted as the thought struck me, and I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be fun, even if it was necessary. I needed to sit the girls down and talk.
Chapter 12
Regan
I’m not usually one to literally contemplate murder, but I was seriously contemplating buying crime books to get some ideas. Seriously, the human body has like a billion nerves and Melanie managed to get on every single one of mine: it was so unfair. If not murder, then maybe I'd consider banishment to a distant land, preferably somewhere desolate and devoid of life. Or maybe Mars, like that guy in that movie. I’m sure she could grow potatoes too. No, it was too complicated.
But no worries! Today I had an interview and I just had to be professional. I was confident in my skills, and they would surely see that I had a great writing history. I had always wanted to apply here at Planet Journal: it was a pretty big office and covered worldwide news. To be able to write about things happening around the world was something I had always wanted to do, so here I was. Though let’s be honest: I was here mostly because I wanted to get away from Melanie. No big deal, though: I just had to get through this interview.
The good news was that I had a good résumé; the bad news was that I was currently asking for a job while I was pregnant. I just hoped that wouldn’t have to be discussed, as it was very difficult for pregnant women to get a stable job. And yet America keeps complaining about why women want to get abortions. It was things like these that made me wonder if I would’ve had better luck back in Scotland. But Evan was here, as was Stephanie. And the new life we were starting together.
I sat in the waiting room, rubbing my hands over my pants because they were just so sweaty. I kept taking calming breaths to make sure that I wouldn’t have a panic attack.
I looked down at my belly and patted it.
“It’s okay, we’re okay,” I said, more to calm myself than anything else.
I just wish that was the only thing on my mind right now. Evan had yet to tell Stephanie about us and about the fact that she was getting a new sibling. It just made me more nervous than I usually would be.
“Regan O’Donnell.”
I jumped in my seat, hearing the woman calling me, but I quickly straightened myself and took my things, following her to where she told me my possible future boss was. It’s okay, I told myself; this was nothing I hadn’t done before. Just meet the person, talk about your previous work and experience, and then you’ll be out of here before you know it. I had to keep repeating that mantra in my head. Shit, I just needed to calm down.
“Ma’am, your ten o’clock is here,” the young assistant said when she opened the door to an office, announcing me.
“Let her in,” I heard, and had to gulp a breath before stepping into the room. I was met with a nice office and a great view of the park nearby. The woman at the desk stood up to great me and I nervously shook her hand.
“Pleased to meet you, Regan,” the woman said. “I’m Janine Harrison, but you can call me Jan.”
“Pleasure to meet you, too, Jan,” I said, trying to hide my shaking and offering a smile.
“Now I’ve already reviewed your résumé, but I would like to hear more about you and what you think you can offer me,” she said, gesturing toward a chair for me to sit in as she sat at her desk again.
“Well,” I gulped, sitting on the chair. “I have a good work record. I’m a very dedicated employee, I have a passion for getting the truth out to the world. To be honest, I want to be able to make editor someday.”
“But looking at your work history, you’ve been working for Chronic Reports for a while now. Why do you want to suddenly leave now?”
“Oh,” I breathed, racking my brains for something to say. I couldn’t exactly tell her that I wanted to get away from my boss because I was dating her ex-husband. “I just felt I needed a change. We mostly work on local news there, so I wanted to try out something that covers the world at large. There are a lot of stories in the world that should concern us, so I thought I should be doing that instead.”
“I see then, and what about your personal life? Is there anything I should know?”
“I’m pregnant.”
My eyes widened when I realized what I had just said. I could’ve said I was getting surgery, I was losing my home, my dog died, anything! But no, I had to say that which I did not want her to know! Stupid fucking brain, stupid fucking nerves.
“You’re pregnant?” Jan asked, as she seemed a little surprised.
“Um…yes?” I choked, before offering her a nervous smile.
“And you want a job while you’re pregnant?”
“…Well if it’s not too much trouble?” I asked tentatively, mentally kicking myself for my slip up.
She gave me a curious look which made me feel a little uncomfortable. I had done it: I made her forget about even hiring me.
“I see, then what have you worked on in the past, that’s worth noting?” she continued. It surprised me. I thought she would immediately discard my résumé and tell me to leave.
“The latest story was the one about the local Senator and his corruption. I was the one who broke that article and it lead to his investigation and impeachment just last week, I think.”
Jan looked at me, impressed, but I didn’t see it. All I could hear was my mistake repeating over and over in my head.
“Okay, anything else you’d like to discuss?” she asked
I answered without really thinking much anymore. She kept her professional tone all throughout the rest of the interview as she continued to question me, and I just sat there, trying not to panic at my stupidity.
By the time I exited her office, I felt like I could really use a relaxing bath. So maybe the interview didn’t go exactly perfect, but at least she seemed impressed with my work. That was good, right?
I exited the building with less nervousness than when I went in. All in all, it might not have gone the way I wanted it to, but at least now I could breathe. It’s like ripping off a band aid: you just had to do get it over with.
Once I exited, I looked to my phone, and was glad I did, because instantly the tension from the interview went away. I read Evan’s message in which he said he loved me and to eat more for the baby. It brought me incredible jo
y seeing how he was handling the baby a little better. However, his next message had me frowning a little: it said to get over there quickly. I wondered what that was about and hoped everything was okay. The last thing they needed was something else to complicate things.
~~~~~
“Hey Reg.” Evan greeted me once I arrived, taking my stuff and leading me inside after a quick kiss to the cheek.
“I got your text, you wanted me to come over?” I said simply as I let him carry my things.
“Yeah, thanks for coming quickly.”
I noticed the strained look on his face and instantly wanted to soothe it away. “What’s wrong?”
He rubbed his head a little, almost hesitant to speak again before he let out a huge sigh. “I need your help with talking to Stephanie.”
And that was something I hadn’t wanted to deal with. Great, one tension gone, only to be replaced by the next one.
“Didn’t you already talk to her yourself?” I asked, stalling, I knew.
“I did, but that was hours ago. Now she won’t talk to me at all. She’s really upset and I know what I have to tell her. I just need a little help.”
He looked so tired and lost. I couldn’t help but offer him a sympathetic smile and a hug. The guy had a lot on his plate and it was mostly because of me. I separated from him and offered him a short nod before going upstairs to Stephanie’s room.
I knocked lightly on the door. “Stephanie, it’s Regan. I’m coming in,” I gently said, opening the door and stepping inside. Stephanie didn’t seem to be paying me any attention, so I stepped inside and sat myself on the edge of the bed near her. She seemed to be purposely turning her head away, and it made me smile at how she wanted to pretend she didn’t still have fun with me.
I could tell she wasn’t going to acknowledge me anytime soon, so I took out some of my cookies from my purse and started eating. I pretended not to notice when she turned to me, looking sidelong at the cookies. I ate a few more before turning to her. She was biting her lip, looking at the chocolate chip cookies.
“You want some?” I asked with a smile. She looked at me warily before nodding softly, so I ended up giving her some. We sat in silence for bit, eating the cookies. I was just waiting for her to speak; finally, she seemed to summon up the courage to do so.
“Are you going to be my mommy now?” she asked, straightforward as only a child can be, and I took a deep breath before answering.
“Well, it’s not a sure thing, but it’s a possibility,” I said softly, searching for the right words.
Stephanie shook her head. “But I don’t want you to.” Damn, this girl could be as stubborn as me.
“Why not? Don’t you like me?”
“Yes, but if you become my stepmom, then I won’t like you anymore.”
“Why’s that?” I asked her curiously.
She shrugged as if stating a fact. “Because stepmoms are mean.”
Ah, stupid movies and painting stepmoms as evil villains. Those were some unhealthy thoughts planted in children’s brains. Did they not get that divorce exists for a reason?
“Well, stepmoms aren’t all bad. Stepmoms are meant to be there when your real mom isn’t. They do the work of a real mom, they take care of you, they comfort you, they love you.”
Stephanie looked at her legs with a sad frown.
“Mommy doesn’t do that.”
I was at loss in that aspect. Sure, Melanie wasn’t the nicest woman alive, but I figured she would at least show affection for her daughter. That could be true, right?
“…Well, that’s how adults are sometimes,” I said, not really knowing what else to say. I couldn’t exactly tell her that her mom was a bad person.
“She doesn’t give me cookies, either.”
I smiled to her in comfort and reached my hands to caress her.
“Steph, I know I can’t be your real mom. But if things go well, I want to be as best a mother as can be to you. I love you, sweetie.”
She smiled at me. Gosh, she was such an angel and I meant every word I said.
“I love you too, Regan.” She reached over to hug me and my smile widened. I was glad that I finally got to talking to her.
“Now isn’t Black Widow supposed to be saving people?” I said, surreptitiously wiping away a tear, laughing when she gasped and rushed back to her dolls.
So she resumed playing. I was still not fully convinced she understood, but she listened to me. That was the most important thing right now. She may not yet understand, but she knew I loved her. It got me thinking about my pregnancy and how this would affect her.
“Steph,” I said, feeling a little nervous. “How would you feel about having a sibling?”
She looked at me funny, then she bit her lip in thought before smiling.
“Yes!”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I always wanted one. Why?”
“Well it’s not an assured thing, it was just a question.”
“Okay! But I want a brother so that I can dress him up as Loki and put him in jail!”
I stared at her with wide eyes before smiling. Well it wasn’t an ideal reason for wanting a sibling, but it was a start.
“Okay then!” I laughed, before whispering to myself. “Man, those comic books don’t have healthy sibling relationships.”
“Now Black Widow has some bad guys to beat up!” she yelled excitedly.
I let her continue to play, joining when she needed me. Suddenly I didn’t feel so nervous or anxious anymore. Unfortunately, I still had to deal with some things, and I didn’t think the rest of them would be so easy.
~~~~~
A while later, I came down the stairs, a little exhausted, but relieved nonetheless. At least I finally got Stephanie to open up and talk to me a little bit. All I had to do was bribe her with cookies.
Evan glanced up at me as I walked into the room. “Hey, how did it go? You were up there for quite a while.”
“Oh, I just got to playing with her for a bit.”
“And?” Evan asked, his expression worried.
I smiled in reassurance. “Don’t worry, she gets it.”
He sighed in relief, coming over to hug me and planting a kiss on my head again.
“And…” he said once he pulled away, placing a hand on my belly. “What does she think?”
I said, as I sighed, “She wants a boy and she wants to dress him up as Loki to put him in jail.”
He was quiet for a while, staring at me with a blank face before shrugging. “I can work with that.”
“And you?” I asked, “Not having second thoughts?”
“Not even close. I want this,” he responded. “I just realized that I’m not such a crappy father, so why not have another one.”
I laughed at that before looking at him seriously.
“And Melanie?”
“As much as I hate it, we need to talk to her,” he said tentatively. I hated it even thought I knew he was right.
I groaned at that while he rubbed my shoulders. That was a conversation I was definitely not looking forward to.
“We can do this, right?” I asked.
“Totally…I think.”
We both sighed in resignation. Might as well get it over with. He went to pick up the phone and began dialing, stopping when he looked as if he had remembered something.
“Well, I might’ve complicated things a little.”
“How badly?” I asked, not sure if I wanted to know. He shrugged again, looking bashful.
“…Let me just see if she still answers my calls.”
Chapter 13
Regan
Well this was certainly an awkward situation, especially given how Evan told me he had yelled at her over the phone. An hour later, Melanie sat across from us with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. Really, she thought she was unhappy about the situation? For crying out loud, I’m pregnant and I should not have to put up with this crap. Gosh, why did I have to fall for a guy with such a co
mplicated life? And looking at him, he didn’t seem all that comfortable either. This was us: just a bunch of people who didn’t have to deal with crap, but crap found its way into our hands.
“Why does she have to be here?” Melanie snapped at last, glaring at me as if her life depended on it.
“She is called Regan,” Evan responded bitterly. “And she’s here because she’s my girlfriend and is just as much affected by all this.”
“Excuse me, how is she affected by any of this?”
“Yesterday you made me get you coffee and then you told me to take it back because you hadn’t ordered it.” I said, through gritted teeth. I had to keep my cool. I could do this.
She shrugged, “It’s not my fault you don’t listen.”
My God, I was so close to chucking something at her.
“I still don’t know what I’m doing here,” she snapped, directed to Evan. She looked like she was set on just ignoring my presence if she couldn’t get rid of me.
“You’ve been feeding my daughter lies about us, about Regan,” Evan spat. “And it has to stop.”
“I only told her the truth.”
“About me hurting you, about me wanting to be with you again? You cheated on me, woman!”
“And it’s something I regret. Is it too much to ask for a second chance?” Melanie pouted coyly at him and Evan just shook his head in disgust.
“Yes, it is. I’m with someone else right now. You don’t get to tell me you regret something and expect me to get back together with you. I didn’t do it when I was still single, and I’m not doing it now.”
“If you could just remember the good times we had, the two of us and Stephanie. We used to have so much fun, so many great times. We were happy together. Do you think she’s going to give you that?”
I gawked at her, offended by her question. How dare she speak of the happiness they had after she was the one who cheated on him and basically neglected her daughter. I was about to say something along with her, but Evan beat us to it.
“Yes I do, because she’s not like you. We’re over Melanie!” he yelled harshly, and from the look on Melanie’s face I could tell she got the seriousness of his tone. “We are never getting back together. I love Regan, and I’m not leaving her for you. Understand that.”
Not his baby: A BWWM Billionaire Romance Page 24
