Chapter 2

“I’m getting rid of it.” Laura announced as tears ran down her cheek.

“We’ve been going over this for two hours Lu. Two whole hours!. Why won’t you just calm yourself down.” Her uncle exclaimed.

“And the McGorritth I’ve known is responsible. He’s probably just having a hard time taking it all in.” He added in a bid to convince.

Right. The onus is on you to defend him?

“Oh please! everyone knows about his promiscuous lifestyle. I can’t afford to complicate my life any further. I cannot have this child. I won’t. I don’t care what any of you have to say.” She protested.

Ever since they got back from the hospital the previous day, Laura had been arguing upon getting rid of the pregnancy. All what her Uncle— Dave, her Friend— Lucia and her cousin Maddie were saying weren’t helping.

“Lucia, say something. Talk to her. She’ll listen to you.” Exhausted from the whole back and forth Dave pleaded.

“I honestly don’t understand why she is so adamant. Isn’t he the same man who helped with my dayghter’s surgery bills?” Lucia lamented.

Pacing round the sitting room angrily, muttering things to herself. Laura refused to acknowledge any of them. Her thoughts were all over the place as she tried to recall the events that had led to her fainting that morning and how he didn’t seem to have a problem with her telling him she was quitting her job.

She had been beating herself up all week, wallowing in self pity, missing him, trying to figure out why he had been so cold towards her.

Maddie walked up to her, dragging her back to sit. “Please Lu. Just listen. You’re getting us all worked up” She complained.

Laura threw her hands in the air as she went off screaming again. “I cannot have this. For my own sanity. Why won’t you all just understand.”

“Why? And you still won’t tell us what happened before you slumped in his house?!” Lucia couldn’t help asking.

Laura’s face registered surprise as she stared back at Lucia, she did not expect her asking her that.

Her eyes dimming a little, she began “We were having an argument that morning when I served his breakfast and maybe my body couldn’t stand being in his presence any longer.” —Actually, true but I wasn’t so worked up until the model he slept with the previous night walked down his stairs with his shirt on. It destroyed the last thread holding me together.

She chuckled to herself before turning to Maddie “Everyday I wake up feeling like a bastard. And you want me to put this child through that?”

“Feeling like a bastard? Laura? How dare you!” Dave bellowed at her with clenched jaws.

“Isn’t that what I am? A bastard?” She yelled back at him. Something she had never done all her life.

Maddie shot her a warning look. “Lu don’t do this.”

“Yes you have been my dad for 23years! But you are Maddie’s dad! Not mine! I don’t know mine. No one knows mine!. My mother died after having me. Do you know how messed up that is? Why would she decide to have a child without a father!. And you want me to follow in her steps?” Laura rambled off vibrating in between sobs.

“You don’t get to speak about my sister in such manner. Laura! What has come over you.” Her uncle scolded bitterly.

Lucia got up and walked to where Laura was now crying by the TV stand and pulled her into a hug.

“I don’t want my child to be fatherless and then hate me. I can’t do this.” Laura croaked heavily as she held on to Lucia tightly.

“But Lu. The child won’t be fatherless. We all know this for a fact.” Maddie reasoned.

Laura wiped her face with her already sweaty palms as she replied to Maddie “The man in question doesn’t want anything to do with me. Where does that leave me?”

“You just have to calm down. He will definitely come around. You’ll see” Lucia stated calmly.

“Laura, I made a promise to your mum that I was going to take care of you. Don’t do this to me please. The doctor already thinks you’re at a risk.” Dave cried out in frustration.

“And how do I live with myself? What becomes of me? And my dreams. Now I’m going to have to leave New York.” She agonized.

Going over to the kitchen, she hurriedly poured herself a glass of water. Laura had been fidgeting all day, finding it hard to accept her new reality.

“I have cancer Lu.” Dave said, barely audible enough for anyone to hear.

“Please dear. My cells are dying. I never planned on mentioning it to any of you, but right now I don’t care. I just want you here.”

Deflated, she turned and stared at him with sudden interest. Her whole mind seemed to be having trouble taking it all in.

What? Laura’s eyes swarm with tears as her hands covered her mouth.

“Dad?” Maddie snapped before bursting into tears.

~~~~

Tired of locking himself up in his room for the past 24-hours and ignoring everyone, including his mother’s persistence in trying to get his attention.

King decided to meet with his guys in their favorite club— owned by Tay, who’s also part of the friend group— to clear his head.

“Brian you’ve been laughing hysterically since I got here. What’s so funny about my situation?” King demanded as he opened his seventh bottle of water.

Snatching the bottle from him, Tay exclaimed like an angry mother. “You need to quit this habit of drinking excess water whenever you are stressed! Get a grip.”

At least It’s not alcohol.

“Let the rich whale be please. He’s about to be a dad.” Brian spoke as he got up to demonstrate.

He proceeded with a teasing grin. “So let’s get this straight. You had a one time sex with this young woman, she got pregnant? And then you ended up acting like a dick?”

One-time best sex!

“Correct. But— Look guys, I told y’all what I heard! She’s not who we think she is. I know for a fact she thinks she used me.” King grumbled.

“About that. I still think it’s all a misunderstanding.” Chase objected.

“She knew about the pregnancy and just kept mute!. If only she knows how important this she is to me.” King’s voice broke as he slouched back into the chair, staring at the ceiling.

Brian who was the only friend aware of the traumatic erectile dysfunction King had been suffering for years since the accident, decided to give him a comforting shoulder squeeze.

“What’s next on your mind?” Tay asked blankly.

The same line of thoughts had been going through king’s mind ever since he found out she was pregnant. He had weighed all the pros and cons, even the possibility of her rejecting his offer. But nevertheless, he was going to marry her.

“I’m going to marry her and make her mine.” He voiced out with a thick voice, still a tad bit skeptical.

“No man you can’t!” Chase jumped from his sit yelling.

Tay wasn’t having any of it either as he kept shaking his head frantically objecting.

Brian on the other hand was very much in support of the decision.

“What are you guys on about, shouldn’t y’all be elated I’m trying to make things right with her?” King questioned.

“I just won a bet. No! Two expensive bets.” Brian explained excitedly.

“You see, when you called in worried this evening saying it was about Laura I told these two losers here that I can bet she’s pregnant and you’ll definitely be marrying her immediately. They disagreed and then we made a one million dollar bet at first.”

“Chase asked that we make it more interesting. So, I put my share of the company, Chase did the same and then Tay decided to bet his full lounge!.” Brian finished with a triumphant grin.

“You can’t take Tay’s club!” King chided with a deadpanned expression as he turned to look at the two mourning men.

Brain got up to get another bottle of water for king “I just did.”

“And you’re getting married to Laura.” He added matter-of-fact.

How the hell did I get myself in this! King puzzled.