by B. B. Hamel
She moans and takes me back into her mouth again, sliding up and down, sucking me faster. I press her down then let her back up, alternating between sucking my tip and deep-throating my whole cock.
As she sucks me, every single thing goes away. All of my stress disappears. I feel so fucking good as she works me, sucking her Daddy’s cock, my pregnant Sadie girl. She sucks me faster and faster and I can feel the glow growing.
“Swallow my fucking come,” I say to her.
“Yes, Daddy,” she says, sucking me even faster.
I come hard in her mouth, and she doesn’t even hesitate to swallow every drop. She cleans it up with her tongue when I’m finished.
“Fucking hell,” I say.
She stands up, smiling. “All better?”
“All better,” I say, grabbing her and kissing her deeply.
She laughs when I’m done and I head inside. I drop the mail on the counter along with my briefcase, then I head back into the bedroom.
“What do you want for dinner?” I call out to her. “I was thinking about ordering some Indian food.” I pull on some clean boxers and jeans. “Or we can go out somewhere. Or I can cook. Whatever you want.” Once I’m dressed, I head back out into the kitchen.
Sadie is standing at the counter, staring at a piece of paper. A torn open envelope is on the counter in front of her.
“Sadie?” I ask. “What’s wrong?”
Her face is stuck in a mask of horror, fear, and disbelief. She looks up at me slowly.
“It’s a letter,” she says.
“What does it say?” I ask gently.
She hesitates a second. “Here, take it.” She thrusts the piece of paper at me.
I take it from her hands, frowning. The letterhead is from a major law firm in the city, one of the best, if not the best. The name at the bottom is hand signed, and it’s one of the names of the founding partners.
I know what this is without even having to read it. I skim through the legal jargon and read enough just to get a sense of what the letter means.
I put it down on the counter with a sigh and pull her against me. “You’re going to be okay,” I say to her.
“I didn’t expect this so soon.”
“I know. But we’ll get through it.”
“Why are they like this?” she asks me, her voice barely a whisper.
“I don’t know.”
“I mean, I get being angry. And upset. I hoped maybe they’d come around. But they want to kick me out of the family, Gavin, and not just informally. They want to make it legal. They want to bury me.”
I nod and hold her tightly. The letter basically said that her father wishes to set up a meeting to go over her status as a member of the family. It goes on to say a bunch of other legalistic jargon, but if you read between the lines, she’s pretty much right. Her family wants to get rid of her, and they want to do it for real.
That surprises even me. I know her family is a bunch of bloodsucking assholes that only care about their name and their fortune. They don’t give a shit about Sadie at all. But part of me thought they’d at least wait until the baby was born to disown her.
But no, apparently they gave her one month, and now she’s done.
I think I understand why she’s upset. It’s not about the money, although of course part of her is angry about that. Her two brothers will get even more from the estate now because she’s been written out. And even Peter hasn’t reached out to her, which I know is tearing her up inside.
No, it’s really just about her family. She always thought she was a member of their tribe, a part of their family, an important person in their lives. She’s a daughter and a sister to them, and yet now they’re formally kicking her out. Family is supposed to be something you’re stuck with no matter what, even if you hate your family, they’re still family. That never changes.
But apparently that’s not the case with the Tillmans. Apparently, if you make a mistake, and then you go against their wishes, they just kick you out.
“What am I going to do?” she asks me.
I gently let her go and sit her down at the counter
“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” I say finally. “I have a lawyer and I can get him involved if you want.”
“No,” she says quickly. “God, no. I don’t want to get into that.”
“Sadie,” I say softly. “They want to take everything from you.”
“I know,” she says, a little angry. “And not just the money. They want to take my identity away. They want to erase me.”
I nod and cross my arms. “Which is why maybe we should fight them.”
“To what end?” she asks me, her eyes wide. “What can we possibly achieve by going up against my family?”
“I don’t know,” I admit slowly. “I really don’t know.”
“And I know they’re bleeding you dry, too,” I say. “Maybe if I do this, they’ll leave you alone.”
“We can’t be sure of that. And if you do walk away, you’ll be giving it all up. Forever. There’s no going back.”
“I know.” She stares at the counter. “Peter still hasn’t called me, you know. Of everyone, I thought he’d call.”
“Why not try calling him?” I ask a little hesitantly.
“And say what? ‘Oh hello Peter, it’s me, your disgraced sister Sadie. How’s it going?’ I don’t think so.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad to me.” I give her a little grin.
She just shakes her head. “I can’t do it. They’ve basically thrown me out already, haven’t they? Now they just want to make it official.”
“Sadie.” I walk around the counter and sit down next to her. “I support whatever decision you make. But don’t you just… don’t you want to make the fuckers bleed, just a little bit?”
She shakes her head. “No. They’re still my family.”
“Fuck,” I say, sighing. “After all this, you still want to hold back? Let me hire a lawyer. Let me go after them, drag them through the fucking mud. Who knows? Maybe they’re afraid of a fight, and we’ll win.”
“I don’t want to win,” she says. “I don’t want to fight them. I just want to be done with them. I want to get away from them. They want to suck me back in, but I can’t do it.”
I nod slowly. I guess I understand that. If it were me, I’d fight them just out of spite, just to make them squirm. I’m not entirely convinced that I’m not going to do just that. I think I could make Tillman’s fucking life miserable in court. I may be hurting right now, but I’m still fucking rich, and I can still wield considerable funds against him. And I know he won’t like that shit.
But Sadie doesn’t want it. I wish it were different, but she’s special. She’s a better person than I’ll ever be, that’s for sure.
“So what now?” I ask her.
She shrugs. “I don’t know. I guess we go to this meeting.”
“They want to hold it at your father’s apartment,” I say, pointedly not calling it her home.
She shrugs. “It doesn’t matter where.”
“Okay then.” I pause, then take her hand and look deep into her eyes. “Listen to me, Sadie. I need you to know something.”
She looks at me, and I can see the sadness deep inside of her. She’s losing everything for this, for our baby and for me. Everything she’s known and loved is being torn away by her spiteful and angry parents. What’s she left with?
Hopefully, freedom. And happiness.
“What?” she asks softly.
“I know you feel like you’re losing your family. But I’m your family now. Me, you, and our baby. We’ll be a family.”
She smiles slightly. “Really?”
“Really,” I say. “I’ll take care of both of you. Always. We won’t be Tillmans, but we’ll be our own thing. We can be happy.”
“Yeah,” she says.
“You can do whatever you want. Go to school, paint, start a charity, I don’t care. I’ll support whatever you want.” I kiss her softly
on the lips. “You can be free with me.”
“Yeah,” she says again, and this time she seems more sure of herself. “I was never going to be free back home. I was going to be Milo’s wife.” She laughs a little ruefully.
“You dodged a bullet.” I can’t help but grin.
“Come here,” she says, pulling me in for another kiss.
I return her kiss, although inwardly I don’t know how this is going to shape out. We have one more meeting with her family. Last time, it went pretty fucking awful, but this time might be different.
Or it’ll be terrible again, but we’ll survive it. We’ll survive this and be together, because I wasn’t lying when I said that we’re a family now. I’ll take care of her always, and I’ll try to make damn sure that she’s happy, no matter what.
23
Sadie
Even after a month has passed, I can still remember that afternoon in my old apartment when we told my parents that I’m pregnant.
I keep reliving that moment. My mother’s scorn was palpable, and I could feel my father’s disappointment in my bones. I wish I could go back and say something, anything, that would make them understand that this isn’t just some stupid childish fling. I wish I could make them really see how I feel about Gavin.
But I can’t and I won’t. Not after what they said to me. And not after that letter.
I look over at Gavin and force myself to smile. We’re on the elevator up to the apartment again, though this time we’re only meeting with my father. I doubt my mother even knows we’re coming, Gavin smiles back and squeezes my hand, just like before.
He’s been so good through all of this. I never imagined I’d have someone who could keep me as centered and as grounded as he can, but it’s exactly what I need. He calms me when I’m stressed and makes me feel like everything is going to be okay in the future. Even when the future seems terrifying, he’s there for me.
I don’t know a damn thing about having a baby. I don’t know how to raise one. I’ve never even held one. But Gavin bought all the books and even read them, and I know he’s going to be a good father. He’s changed over the last month, in subtle ways, but they’re noticeable. He doesn’t go out with his friends as often and he doesn’t drink as much. He works out even more and seems very intent on the future. He’s stressed with work, of course, since my father is trying to destroy him, but he’s still there for me.
And he wants me to fight. I have to admit that it’s tempting. I don’t want my family’s money. I don’t want a single freaking dime from them at all. But I don’t want to make this easy on them either. I want it to be difficult to kick me out of the family, because it should be. It shouldn’t be easy to send me away and to forget about me.
I was their daughter for so long. And maybe I made some mistakes, at least in their eyes, but I’m still their daughter no matter what. Of course, they don’t see me that way, and they never did. It’s hard to accept that, really and truly accept it, even though I know it’s the truth.
That’s what I’m here for today, though. I’m going to accept my place in the world. I’m going to accept that my family doesn’t want me and that I’m making a new family with Gavin, one where I’m going to be much happier.
“Ready?” Gavin asks when the elevator reaches the top floor.
“Ready,” I say, feeling anything but.
We step out and head down the hall. Like before, I knock on the door, feeling awkward. But instead of Thomas opening up, Peter stands there.
I look back at him, surprised. He looks like the same old Peter, but instead of his usually sly smile for me, he stares blankly.
“You’re right on time,” he says.
“Hi, Peter,” I respond. “It’s good to see you.”
He nods. “Father’s in his study.”
I glance back at Gavin as we follow Peter into the apartment. Of everything that has happened, the way Peter’s acting toward me right now hurts the most. We follow him down the hall and he doesn’t look at me again, like I’m some stranger visiting instead of the sister he’s been so close with for so long.
“Hold on,” I say to Gavin. “Can you wait here?”
He pauses. “Sure,” he says.
I turn to Peter, who looks a little surprised. “Can I talk to you?” I ask him.
He hesitates, then nods. “Yeah. Sure.”
I lead him into the dining room and shut the door behind us. I turn to him and for a second, I think that I see the brother I once loved so much.
“I’ve missed you,” I say to him. “I’m sorry things are so weird right now.”
He glances away. “Why’d you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Get pregnant. By that… person.”
I frown and shake my head. “I didn’t meant to get pregnant. And I like Gavin… I like him a lot. He makes me happy.”
“Still.” Peter looks back at me and I think he might be pleading with me. “The family comes over everything. You know that.”
“They were going to marry me off to Milo,” I say softly. “Doesn’t what I want count at all?”
“No,” Peter says firmly. “It doesn’t count for any of us. You know that. And you’re still turning your back on us.”
“I’m not,” I say. “I’m not turning my back at all. Father is forcing me to leave.”
“If you got rid of that… thing, you could stay.”
I stare at him, shocked. How could Peter, my loving brother, say something like that to me?
“It’s my baby,” I say flatly.
“It’s a mistake.” He stares at me again with that blank expression. “Come on. Father’s waiting.”
Peter opens the doors and steps back out into the hall. I watch him for a second then follow, biting back my tears.
I won’t freaking cry. I won’t give them the satisfaction.
But that moment back there, that was the end. He was my last hope. Part of me hoped that Peter was still somehow on my side, despite everything, and that he’d make it all okay. He used to do that all the time when I fought with Michael, back when we were kids.
We’re not kids anymore. And Peter isn’t my brother.
“Go right in,” Peter says as we reach my father’s study. I don’t look at him as he walks past me and disappears back into the apartment.
Gavin takes my hand again. “You okay?” he whispers. “What did he say?”
“Nothing,” I answer. “Let’s get this over with.”
Gavin frowns but doesn’t argue. I open the doors and we step into my father’s office.
Hans Tillman looks up as we enter. He’s sitting behind his desk just like last time. We walk straight in and sit down in the chairs in front of his desk like it’s some business meeting. He arches his fingers in front of him and looks at me.
“I’m glad you came,” he says.
“I had no other choice.”
He smiles a bit. “You always have a choice, Sadie.”
“Well, here I am. Let’s talk.”
“I don’t feel like dragging this out anymore, so I’m going to get right to the point.” Father looks at Gavin and smiles a bit. “You’re hurting right now. I know that. You’re angry with me and my family, and your business isn’t doing so hot. Am I right?”
Gavin hesitates then nods. “You’re right.”
“You probably want to fight this,” father says.
“I do,” Gavin confirms.
“Here’s what I’ll offer. If Sadie accepts a complete and utter separation from the Tillman family, including changing her surname to something else, then I will back off your businesses and leave the two of you alone. Provided you never enter into our lives again.”
Gavin stares at my father then looks at me. “I’d turn him down right now if I were you,” he says. “But it’s your choice.”
I stare at my father, at the lines on his face, at the wrinkles forming. He looks older than he did a month ago, somehow frailer. I don’t know why but I sudde
nly see him as the man he’s always been, a mean and spiteful man, but not as my father. That façade is gone now, and he’s just Hans Tillman.
That makes what I say next easy.
“Okay.”
Both men look at me. Gavin seems sad, but not surprised, while my father seems genuinely shocked.
“Okay?” he asks. “You agree to all of my terms?”
“Yes,” I say. “I want to leave this family. I don’t want your money. If I fought, it would just be out of spite, but I’m done with that. I don’t want to be like you anymore. So I’ll sign any documents you want and I’ll change my name, as long as you leave us alone just as we’ll leave you alone.”
Hans Tillman stares at me for a second then nods slowly. He doesn’t smile and he doesn’t seem triumphant. In fact, he just seems tired.
“Very well,” he says. “It’ll all be in writing. I’ll have my lawyers send over the paperwork as soon as possible.”
“Good,” I say. “Are we done here?”
He hesitates before nodding. “We’re done here.”
“Have a good life, Hans,” I say, standing. He watches me, but doesn’t answer.
Gavin takes my hand and we leave the office without another word. I manage to make it out into the elevator before I start crying.
“It’s okay,” Gavin whispers. “It’s okay. It’s over now.” He pulls me in close and holds me as we sink back down toward the street.
“I just want you to know, I’m not crying about what happened back there,” I say as we finally reach the lobby. I get myself together as we walk across the marble floor. “I’m really not.”
“Why are you crying, then?” he asks me, holding my hand as we step out into the warm city afternoon.
“I’m sad for the person that I used to be,” I say. “I’m sad for that naïve girl. But I’m really, really happy that this is what happened. I’m happy it’s with you.”
He smiles at me and kisses me softly. “Come on, I want to show you something.”
I follow him as we walk down the sidewalk. “Where are we going?” I ask.
“Don’t worry. We’re almost there.”
We pass by familiar shops, restaurants, and churches. This was my neighborhood once, although it’s not anymore. I’ll miss parts of it and won’t miss other parts, but it’ll always be important to me.
