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Chapter 31: Daniel, Part 2
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2022-10-20 14:06:02Related chapters
Juked Chapter 32: Quincy, Part 1
"I can't believe Daniel convinced me to do this," I grumble as I push a stroller, carry a collapsible chair over my shoulder, and drag a small cooler through the crowd, trying to find his sister Blanca.The sister I've only met once. The sister that stood there while her other brother berated me.But Daniel agreed to be in his nephew's high school Homecoming Parade as the Master of Ceremonies and he thought the baby would enjoy it, so here we are.I sigh. "Okay, Lucky Ducky. Let me know if you see her," I say to Chance, lifting one shoulder to keep from dropping the chair on my toe again. I feel like an idiot bringing so much stuff with me, but it's October in Houston. That means it's hot and humid, so I needed a lot of supplies. I've read that babies can dehydrate very quickly, and there wasn't enough room in the bottom of the stroller to pack diapers, wipes, changing pad, change of clothes, toys, formula, sunscreen, hats, and several bottles of water. I've turned into a freaking pac
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Juked Chapter 33: Quincy, Part 2
I stay silent as my heart drops. I'm not asking for anything right now. It's too soon. We both have fears, but to hear someone he's close to say he may never be ready for something more is jarring."When my dad left my mom, what, ten years ago? Eleven? Wow. I didn't realize it had been that long." She clears her throat. "Anyway, it threw our family into this weird chaos, especially the boys. They all looked up to my dad. Thought he was practically a god among men. So him revealing he was a lying, deceiving, cheating human the whole time, well, you can imagine how well that went over.""I'm sure.""Add onto that, my mother is really close to her boys." She twirls her ponytail around her finger. "She's close to all of us, but Daniel and Geovany the most. They're her babies, ya know? Ever since then, Daniel has made it very clear over the years he has zero interest in commitments, says he refuses to settle down until he is one hundred percent sure he's got the right person because he'll
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Juked Chapter 34: Daniel
We played a shitty game. Really shitty. Not only did our sweeper get hurt again, Mack Shivel decided to be a dick and taunt a forward from the other team. Finally the ref had enough of his shit, and he ended up with a yellow card. Several times.Pissed me off and pretty much ruined the flow we had going, which led to the loss. I'd say we went down in a blaze of glory, but it wasn't even that good.Not to mention I'm still struggling with my corner kick. Christian is having trouble with his back and it's becoming clear to the rest of the team the rookie is being set up to be a starter. That's probably part of what made Shivel act out in the first place.So yeah, no matter where I turned, today's game was just shitty. Add that to the fact that my family still hasn't apologized, and to say I'm pissed off is an understatement."A bunch of us are going out for drinks to cool off if you wanna come with us," Christian says. I walk over to my locker from the showers, towel wrapped around my w
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Juked Chapter 35: Quincy
I stare at the TV, Jamie Fraser's naked butt strolling by. That alone should hold my attention, but I can't concentrate on the most recent episode of Outlander.All I can think about is how it's been more than a week since I've heard from Daniel and how it's pissing me off. I texted him once. He never texted me back. I'm not surprised. I knew this was coming as soon as Chance called him dada. It was written all over his face. It scared the shit out of him and threw him right back into that default mode Blanca talked about. He'd tried to cover it well, but the fear was so obvious.The next morning, I saw his picture online. He and his teammates were coming out of some strip club at four in the morning. There's no way to convince me they went to Purple Palace to have a team meeting. So not only did he get freaked out, he lied to me, and immediately ran to the safety of other women. Distant women. Women whose names he will never know, and he doesn't have to worry about getting close to.
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Juked Chapter 36: Daniel
We won our game against Chicago. That's not even accurate. We slaughtered them. Our team was focused and engaged. We were truly on point. Well, except for me.I couldn't keep my head in the game for anything. No one could really tell except me and probably Christian. Maybe my coaches. But other than that, I'm really good at faking it when I'm having an off-game. Everyone else was really on fire, so I didn't think they noticed anything. I look around the hotel bar at my teammates and notice how happy they all are. Lots of smiles, lots of booze, lots of Barbie doll women with fake nails and even faker tits. I don't begrudge them a good time. I just don't feel it. It all seems… empty."Is this seat taken?" One of the Barbies smiles brightly at me. Her long blond, highlighted hair and cherry red lips might have turned me on six months ago, but now it irritates me. I really want to tell her to get lost, but reality is, there isn't anyone sitting there. Her sitting doesn't mean I have to ta
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Juked Chapter 37: Quincy, Part 1
I lean against the wall in the hallway, hugging a folder to my chest. My thoughts run rampant as I wait for my new attorney, a man I have never met but hired based on a recommendation. It wasn't hard finding him. The minute you start asking clients at a salon for resources, people come out of the woodwork to give you names and numbers. Ultimately, my coworker, Nathan, had a client who went through a custody battle last year. From what he says, it was really ugly. But she ended up winning, and she still sees Nathan every six weeks, which means she didn't go broke fighting for her kids. That's good news.Still, all of the "what ifs" mock me. What if the attorney charges more than I expect, and I can't hire him? What if I hire him, and he's in cahoots with Erik? What if he ends up bungling the case? What if he doesn't bungle the case, but we get a shitty judge who's had a rough day, and I lose custody? I recognize how ridiculous and irrational I sound, but that doesn't stop the thoughts
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Juked Chapter 38: Quincy, Part 2
"It's all standard custody jargon. Nothing of interest that would throw off this case, so I'm not particularly worried at this point." He waves like the thought of this suit is no less pesky than an insect. "The first thing he's going to have to do is prove he's the father.""I assumed that's what you were going to say." I fold the papers and put them back in my purse."When we go to court in a couple of days, we'll ask the judge to order the paternity test. Unless this alleged father opts to pay for the results to be rushed, that'll buy us a couple of weeks."I swallow hard. "What if he rushes the results?""Then it's likely he'll want to speed the case up so he can take custody as soon as possible."I take a deep breath. "I was afraid you were going to say that. If he is the father, is there any way to fight him on custody? I mean, Chance is ten months old. Erik knew he was out there practically since he was conceived and had no interest in him until now. Surely that counts for somet
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Juked Chapter 39: Daniel, Part 1
The door makes a snick sound as it closes behind me, and I'm immediately aware of the noise level in the house. It should be comforting. It was always comforting before. But now it's a reminder of what I didn't bring with me this time.It's been several weeks since I've seen or talked to Quincy. She texted me once. I didn't respond, and that was the end of that. I'm not sure if I was expecting her to keep trying. That's what most girls do. But Quincy isn't most girls. If I'm honest with myself, I was never her priority. Her child was. Like it should be.I keep reminding myself the kid is the reason I need to stay away. He will ultimately get hurt if this relationship, whatever it is, continues. But that doesn't make this separation any easier. I'm the one who cut all ties. I'm the one who decided this was what was best for everyone. But I miss her like I've never missed anyone or anything before. The six weeks I was out of soccer when I broke my tibia in high school was brutal because
Last Updated : 2022-10-20
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Juked Chapter 50: Quincy, Part 2
His eyes widen. "Oh god, no! I am nowhere near ready for that." I relax. "Good. Neither am I.""Quincy, I'm not even ready to talk about moving in together." "Sorry. I didn't mean to freak out. You started making a speech, and I wanted to make sure we were on the same page before you dropped down on one knee in front of everyone and got turned down."He smacks me on the ass. "Do me a favor. If I ever do propose, and it happens to be in public, say yes no matter what. You can break it off with me as soon as we're alone, but it'll save me the public humiliation."I chuckle. "Deal."He runs his hand down one of my cheeks to cup my jaw. "I really do love you, though, Quincy. You juked me."I smirk. "You're gonna have to teach me all your soccer lingo if I'm gonna stick around a while. I have no idea what you just said."He smiles. "I saw you coming, but before I could even get my guard up, you ran right over me and left me dazed.""That doesn't sound very good," I joke."Oh, but it is,"
Juked Chapter 49: Quincy, Part 1
5 weeks later…"What is Tiffany the tramp doing here?" I shush Geni and smack her with a towel. "She's with Rowen Flanigan.""The rookie?" she asks, taking a sip of her wine. "Since when do the players bring groupies to team parties? I thought they only had special parties with those girls."I roll my eyes and slice more cheese for the cracker platter. I'm thrilled so many players showed up for Chance's first birthday party, but they eat a lot. Daniel hasn't even started grilling yet."Be nice," I reprimand her. "They're dating now. From what Daniel says, Rowen really likes her."Geni chokes on her wine. "Does he know what she does for a hobby? He seems a little too, I don't know… virtuous for her.""The heart wants what it wants. I'm not judging."After greeting a few teammates and their significant others, Tiffany and Rowen make their way through the crowd and over to us. It's obvious Tiffany is uncomfortable. Her eyes keep darting around the room like she's waiting to be jumped. It
Juked Chapter 48: Daniel
After talking to the court clerk and Erik's attorney, Doug returned to congratulate us on our win. We all recognized Rosemary had scored the equalizer and go-ahead goals to save this case in the last seconds, but it didn't make the feeling of victory any less sweet. From what we can all tell, Rosemary is a nice lady, who has an interesting son. She seems to care about her grandson, even though she hasn't met him yet. "Is it weird that I'm excited about his visit with Rosemary?" Quincy asks as I drive to the day care. I'm still holding her hand. I haven't let go since we got to the courthouse this morning, except to change positions. I can pretend it's because I'm being supportive of her and don't want her to think she's alone in all this, but the truth is, when she told me last night she might lose custody of the baby, I was scared shitless and needed to hold onto her as much as she needed to hold onto me."I don't think so." I turn on my blinker and wait for the light to turn green
Juked Chapter 47: Quincy, Part 2
I turn cold. Doug immediately stands. "Mrs. Cope," he says. "I'm Doug Linus, Ms. Watson's attorney.""Oh good," she says. "I'm glad you're here. That makes this so much easier. May I sit?" She gestures to the bench perpendicular to us. There's just enough space for her to sit next to Daniel. I look at Doug. He shrugs, putting the decision squarely on my shoulders. Do I want to talk to Erik's mother, or do I want to wait to get into the courtroom?Frankly, I'm afraid of what will happen in that courtroom. So I nod. She smoothes her skirt as she sits and crosses her feet at the ankles."First things first," she says without wasting any time. "How is my grandson?"I look at Daniel for reassurance. I'm not sure why she wants to talk to me, but at least she's asking about his well-being. Erik didn't even do that."He's, well, he's wonderful." I smile as I think about the toothy grin my sweet baby boy gave me this morning. "He's eleven months old, and he's just the most wonderful, loving ba
Juked Chapter 46: Quincy, Part 1
"Let's go over what's likely to happen in court today."Doug, my attorney, stops the idle chitchat and gets down to business. I feel like I've been taking deep breaths all morning, mostly because I feel like I can't breathe at all. The pressure on my chest is unbearable. Daniel squeezes my hand and puts his arm around me, rubbing his other hand up and down my arm. He made good on his promise to call in a personal day today. This, after he basically held me all night long. I tried to get a good night's sleep, but instead I was restless and cried out several times. Daniel kept holding me, murmuring encouraging words into my ear in a soothing voice. I feel bad that I kept him from resting well, but more than that, I'm grateful he was there to get me through a tough night.He was still there this morning when my alarm went off. He was already up, had coffee made, and had even gotten a suit from his apartment so he could help me get the baby ready to go this morning. When he'd said he was
Juked Chapter 45: Daniel, Part 3
I bite back a grin. What she doesn't realize is how painful the weeks without her were. I already learned my lesson the hard way. I won't make that same mistake twice."The pattern has changed," I say. "I didn't see it before, but now that Blanca has pointed it out, I can do something about it. I'll have to keep it in the forefront of my mind when life throws a curveball at me. Sometimes you may have to call me on it, but now that I know it's there, I can fix it."Quincy takes a breath. Ironically, I feel like I'm holding mine."I really missed you, you know?" I say.She reaches up and caresses my cheek. I close my eyes and relish the feel of her touching me again. "I really missed you, too."I slide to my knees and hug her around the waist. I probably look like a total pussy in front of her, but I don't care. I can breathe again. She's giving me another chance.We stay like this for a few minutes, me hugging her, her running her fingers through my hair. I'm so content, if I wasn't hyp
Juked Chapter 44: Daniel, Part 2
"She's a producer at a local TV station. Every once in a while I have to call her about getting some press if there's something the coach wants covered on a weekend when the PR department isn't in." She averts her eyes. "Look, I admit I watched some terrible porn and spanked the monkey one too many times." That earns me a small smile. "But I didn't disappear because I was bored with you. I vanished because I was afraid."I let that sink in for a minute plus I needed a break. It's hard for me to admit all of this to myself. Admitting it to someone else is even harder. "Quincy, please look at me. My entire life, everyone told me I was just like my dad. I used to take pride in that. I couldn't wait to be old enough to get married and have a family, to treat them the way he treated us. I don't know why he decided to have an affair and why that woman became more important than the rest of us. One day, the man I admired, someone a lot like me, well, it turned out he was a fake." I move to s
Juked Chapter 43: Daniel, Part 1
She stares at me, looking beautiful but tired and thin. There are circles under her eyes. Did I do that to her? The guilt I already feel doubles. Once again, my automatic instinct is to flee, but I stay strong. I'm not leaving until she kicks me out."What?" She breaths out the word.I clear my throat and quickly lower the flowers to my side. "Um, I'm, uh, I'm nervous. Let me try this again." I lift the flowers again. "I'm sorry. I'm here to ask you to forgive me. I miss you."She takes the bouquet from me, still looking wary at my unexpected appearance. We haven't seen each other in over a month. Her concern is understandable, but I'm determined."Can I come in?"She thinks for a moment then moves aside so I can enter. I shove my hands in my pockets as she closes the door behind me. The apartment looks like I remember it, with baby toys sprinkled around the room, like she hasn't had time to clean up yet.I follow her as she goes to the kitchen, gets a vase out of the cabinet, and fill
Juked Chapter 42: Quincy
I hum and run a finger over Chance's eyebrows and down the bridge of his nose. He finished his bottle a while ago and has been asleep ever since, but I can't muster the desire to put him down for the night.I think about how much he's changed in the last nine months since I got custody of him. He's longer and not nearly as chunky as he used to be. All the crawling and pulling up is quickly burning off his baby rolls. His facial features are more distinct. He still bears a striking resemblance to my dad's baby pictures, but Chance looks more like, well, himself.His pouty lips move in a suckling motion, like he's dreaming of his bottle. It always warms my heart when he does it. It's a sign a baby feels safe, loved, and content.Lucky him. All I feel is terror. Tomorrow we go before a judge, who will decide where Chance will live for the next seventeen years of his life. A judge who will determine if the man who didn't care enough to acknowledge his own child can now parent that child a
