18. Lockheart
LOCKHEART
My heart’s racing and I can’t sit still.
I’m either tapping my toes on the carpet or I’m bouncing my knee like a fucking kid at a trampoline park.
I’m sweating more than I did in the gym this morning and when I was at my training session too.
And even though Nico has reassured me, I still have this sinking feeling Lucky is going to hate me for not being there all his life.
I’m pacing in front of the fireplace in my living room, the same spot I told Brady off for pacing in when he had Edie troubles. And then I remember they’re all loved up and planning their wedding, and it makes me smile.
When the key turns in the front door, I gulp and plaster that smile on my face as Lucky barrels into the living room and straight into my arms.
“Hey Buddy, how was staying with Teresa? Did you have fun?”
He jumps up and down on the spot, bursting with as much energy as I feel pent up inside me.
“It was so much fun. Brady letted me play on his computer and I won all da times. Is Teresa gonna be living dere forevah now?” He directs the question to his mum, who smiles.
“We’re not sure yet. She’ll be there a little while though. Did you say thank you to Jaxson, Edie, and Teresa?”
He nods his head energetically and turns to face me. “Can Brady come and play football wiv me? He’s really good and I wanna be able to stop him scoring against me. Den I’ll be better dan you.” He sticks his tongue out at me and I laugh at the sheer cheek of him.
I grab him around the waist and tickle him. “You’ll never be better than me, bud. I’m the GOAT.”
He manages to shout out through his giggles, “Ha! Are you gonna walk over da trolls’ bridge?”
“Not like the goats in the story,” Nico explains. “It means Greatest Of All Time, Lucky. And he is. But if you work hard, train harder, then one day you could be the GOAT too.”
I stop tickling him and wink at her, but instead of the blush I was hoping to elicit from her, I see lips tip up into a nervous grin.
“Lucky, come and sit down. Owen and I have something to tell you.”
“Who’s Owen?” Lucky’s face scrunches up in disgust.
“Hey, I’m Owen. And my name isn’t that bad, is it?” I tease him. I want the mood to remain light, cheerful. Maybe it will set a happier stage for the news, rather than the feeling of impending doom I’ve been struggling with and the strained nervousness Nico seems to be battling.
“Oh, d’you haf two names?.” He takes a seat next to his mum and I stand opposite both of them. The sweat has started to form on my forehead and I casually wipe it away without them seeing.
“Lucky, do you remember when you were a little younger you asked me why you didn’t have a daddy?” Nico’s voice is calm and soothing and I watch in awe as she tackles this conversation with a steely determination on her face.
He nods, a sadness takes over his features, and I can’t stand to see that on his face.
I sit on the coffee table opposite him and place my hand on his knee as she continues speaking, hoping to convey all the love I feel for him in the tiny gesture.
But he has other ideas, and climbs up onto my lap, wraps his arms around my neck, squeezes tightly, and turns around to face his mum and listen to what she has to say.
My heart is thundering in my chest and I hold him a little tighter as I listen to her words too.
“And remember how I told you you did have a daddy, he just didn’t know about you?” He nods his head again and I gulp at her honesty. “Your daddy knows about you now, Lucky. You’re daddy knows because he’s Owen.”
My lungs hitch as the words leave her lips and I hold my breath as it takes a second to register in Lucky’s little mind.
He frowns at his mum and then turns to look at me with the same frown I’m famous for.
My eyes go wide in surprise, and I’m about to start apologising to him, when his frown turns into the biggest smile I’ve seen.
His arms wrap tightly around my neck again as he twists his little body around in my arms.
“My wish came true. I wisheded you was my dad. Dis is da best.” He squeezes me tightly, burying his face in my chest, but then he lifts his head up and stares straight into my eyes. “But why wasn’t you here before?”
I stutter a little before finding my voice.
“I didn’t know about you. You see, I met your mummy a while ago, and we went on a date.
” I laugh as he scrunches his little nose up in disgust again.
“And then I did something silly and made your mum mad and I didn’t see her again until the day I met you. ”
“Did ya fart? She hates it when I do dat. Even if I say ‘scuse me afta.”
I bark out a laugh at his honesty—and because, well, farts are funny—whilst Nico rolls her eyes and tuts at him.
“No, I didn’t fart, but thanks for letting me know she doesn’t like that. I’ll avoid doing it now. I made a mistake, and your mum had every right to be mad at me. And when you were born, she didn’t know how to contact me.
“I changed my number, you see.” I lift my eyes to glimpse at Nico, who shakes her head at me, but I carry on.
“She wanted to let me know, but she couldn’t.
When I came to your house, she told me then.
” She quickly wipes her tears away, mouths ‘thank you’ to me, and I incline my head a little.
It’s a small gesture. Not nearly enough to convey how much I should be thanking her for this amazing gift literally sitting in my lap.
He puts his little hands on my stubbled cheeks and rubs his palms over them. I can see the cogs in his head whirring. “Why didn’t you tell me den?” he asks, still playing with my scruff.
“Because we wanted to see if you liked me enough to let me be your dad first.” I chance a look at Nico, hoping for reassurance that it was okay to say that.
“We wanted you both to get used to each other first, Lucky.” Nico steps in as she scoots closer to us. She places a hand on his back and gently rubs small circles into it. “Do you have any other questions?”
I find myself holding my breath waiting again, because god knows what the mind of a five year old will come up with.
“Are you used to me now? Can I still live here wiv you and mumma annnndddd…” He taps his chin, thinking of something else to ask as I clear my throat to shift the lump of emotion that's lodged itself there. “Oh, can I put ‘Daddy’ on da back of my shirt instead of Lockheart?”
And with that simple question, the floodgates open, my tears flow freely, and I squeeze my boy.
“Yeah, Son, you bloody can”.
“So you’ll take care of it?”
Emilia smirks as she rolls her eyes at me and sighs loudly. “Yes, Owen. When have I ever let you down?”
“And the DNA? You’ll do that too.” Nico’s question causes a loud sigh to fall from my lips.
“I know you don’t want one, but I need one.
I’m going to catch a lot of flack for this from the public.
All of them thinking I’ve trapped you into raising my son because we’re after your money.
I want to be able to protect myself as much as I can. ”
I understand her point, but I don’t like it, so I keep quiet and frown as usual.
“Nico, are you sure you’re okay with all this? You’re going to get a lot of attention, not only for being Owen's secret baby mama, but also for writing the ‘breaking news’ article too.”
“I am. We’ve discussed it and have both agreed it should be me that breaks the story.
” Nico straightens her shoulders and tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ear.
She's nervous about coming out and telling everyone and facing the backlash. Even after trying to contact me, she’ll still have some troll telling her she didn’t do enough.
I know that’s one of her biggest insecurities.
That she could’ve done more to tell me. But aside from taking out a full page spread in the papers, I don’t see how she could’ve.
And back then, even if I had seen it, I probably wouldn’t have believed it anyway.
“She’s the only one I trust to tell our story right.” As soon as the press sees me with him, they’ll start stalking us for the exclusive. I’d rather do it on our terms and our way.
Nico reaches out and grabs my hand and the little contact of our skin sends a bolt of electricity through me.
So this is what being open and honest does eh?
I like it. A loud American accent takes me out of my thoughts and I brace myself for the whirlwind that is known as Jaxson Brady because with him who knows what the fuck is going to happen.
“And this is Shark’s office. It’s alright, she’s not here. Mr. Maverick said I could show you… Oh, fuck.” The door slams open and Brady strolls in holding his phone up.
“Jaxson Brady, you did not just curse.” His mama’s voice hollers out of the phone, and between Shark’s furious scowl and his mama’s tone, I actually feel sorry for the little shit.
“Mama, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise Mrs. Cooper-Maverick would be here and she startled me.
” He turns a nervous grin to Emilia but she scowls back.
“Mama, let me introduce you to her. She’s the best darn agent that’s ever lived.
And you’ve spoken to Lockheart before, but this is Nicole, his baby mama.
” He flips the screen around so we can see her as Nico and Emilia both offer smiles of hello, but I’m still frowning at him.
“Now, Jaxson. You know the rule. There are consequences for cursing. Now as I’m not there, I’ll have to ask one of your kind friends to smack you upside the head for me.”
Before the words have even left her mouth, I’ve jumped out of my chair and I’m lunging toward him.
My reflexes are good, but Emilia’s are better.
She swoops in next to him, barely moving, and her open palm makes contact, and more noise than I expected, with the back of his head, hard.
A loud booming laugh comes from the screen as Jaxson’s ouch ricochets off the walls.