“Yes, I did. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. Bella, why don’t you come help me find the vanilla ice cream to go with our yummy brownies?”
She doesn’t wait for her answer as she grabs Bella’s hand and drags her along, giving us both one last glance before disappearing down the aisle.
“Is she mine?” Well, damn, I guess we’re going to dive right in. There’s no reason to deny it at this point.
“Yes, she’s yours.”
“Did you plan to ever tell me about her?” Is this guy serious right now? Judging by the look on his face, I think he’s dead serious. If looks could kill, I would be in a puddle of blood on the ground right now. Well screw that and screw him. He has no right to be mad at me. I didn’t do anything wrong.
“When would you have liked me to tell you, Cooper? When I found out I was eighteen and pregnant with no way to contact you since you never gave me any information on you? Or how about the other night when you made it clear you wanted nothing to do with ever being a husband or father? Or maybe I should have screamed it from outside your gym when your asshole bodyguard told me that, according to you, I’m not welcome there, and you want nothing to do with me. When should I have told you that we have a daughter? Huh, Cooper?”
His face softens for a second and then goes hard again. “What fucking body guard? You came to the gym? When?”
“I showed up yesterday morning, determined to tell you about Bella, and before I could make it in, some asshole guy, who looks a lot like you, stopped me and said he knew who I was and that you want nothing to do with me, leaving me no choice but to leave. I was planning to try again, but I needed to figure it out in my head how to handle it. None of this is going how I spent the last five years imagining it would. I’d never keep your daughter away from you even if you don’t want anything to do with either of us.”
He looks so pissed I swear smoke is about to come out of his ears. That rage better not be aimed at me. “I can’t believe him. I told him to mind his own business.” I tilt my head to the side confused. Is he talking to me or to himself?
“That must have been my father. He makes it a point to get into my business when it can possibly take my full attention away from fighting. God forbid I do anything that messes with his potential income.”
It’s clear there’s huge animosity between Cooper and his dad and that saddens me. I can’t imagine not having my dad as part of my support system. It doesn’t matter that he lives across the country. He’s there for me in every way that matters, same as my mom. They’ve always been my two biggest cheerleaders supporting me, even from afar.
When I found out I was pregnant with Bella they begged me to move home so they could help me, but I knew if I did, I’d never graduate from college. Bella and I try to visit them a few times a year and they come up to Las Vegas to visit us as often as possible as well. Since we’re long distance, Bella video chats with them on the computer often.
I hear Bella’s excited voice coming back down the aisle and remember we’re having this conversation in the middle of the grocery store.
“Look,” I say quickly before she gets within hearing distance, “I tried to find you when I found out I was pregnant, but I had nothing to go on. When we had sex, I was on the pill. I just didn’t know it wasn’t effective yet. I’ve tried to tell you a few times since I found you, and I’m sorry it never actually came out, but I never intentionally kept this from you. When your dad insisted you wanted nothing to do with me, I thought you told him to say that. I was still going to find you to tell you, though. I get you don’t want to be with me…”
He attempts to interrupt me, but I don’t have time to argue, so I shake my head and continue talking faster.
“…but I would never keep a child from her father. If you want her in your life, we can figure it out, and if you don’t then that’s on you. I get you don’t want kids and a wife, and I respect that. I know I should be sorry I messed up with my birth control but I’m not because Bella is my beautiful little miracle. You need to decide what you want and either way I won’t hold it against you. I just don’t want her to know anything until you decide. It would break her heart if she knew you knew about her and didn’t want her. So, think about what you want. None of this is Bella’s fault.”