Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
McKay
I ran my tongue over my teeth while my leg bounced uncontrollably.
This whole scene felt like a repeat of something I had already done, except I wasn’t in Crescent Falls.
No, currently I was outside of the house where Harlan lived down in Austin Peaks.
I had to be a glutton for pain because there was no need for me to be down here right now.
Especially not after all the evidence Burkeley gave me on Harlan, yet here I was.
My gut told me I had to see it for myself.
Or maybe that was my dumb ass feelings still in the way of practical thinking.
It took me two weeks to convince myself to even drive down here to do this.
The sound of my growling stomach sent another loud warning that it was time to feed peanut and I had been here far too long, seeking answers to questions I already had. I rubbed my belly, attempting to calm the baby down. Of course, my baby didn’t care about any of this.
“Baby, I swear Mama’s going to feed you good, just give me a few more minutes.” I snorted at myself, trying to bribe my baby, hating the reason for it even more.
When the rumbles grew louder, I considered giving up until Harlan came out, with the same woman from the video. She was all smiles, oblivious to the fact that her husband was a piece of shit. Once he backed out, I waited a few minutes before I pulled off, following him.
It took us fifteen minutes to get to his destination. He parked and so did I, right next to him. I contemplated whether to get out of the car or not, but before I could make the best decision, my hand was opening my door and my feet were moving toward him. He didn’t even notice me at first.
“Oh my gosh, Harlan, is that you?”
“Mickey?” His tone was cheerful, even, and so gotdamn fake. I was irritated all over again.
I didn’t acknowledge him saying my name.
“I feel like I haven’t seen you in a long ass time. A month to be exact.” I opened my jacket to expose my tiny pudge that was only getting bigger. Once his eyes fell to it, I caught his actual flinch as his face formed a pained expression that didn’t mean shit to me.
“Mickey, look—"
I cut him off. Whatever he was about to let spill out was going to be nothing but bullshit.
“Your frequent business trips, the lack of furniture in your house beyond a bed and a couch. All that makes sense. What doesn’t is the fact that you disappeared before I could properly tell you I was pregnant or what we would do about it.
I get it though…not really, but I do.” I scoffed as I rolled my eyes at his somber expression.
When he went to reach for me, I smacked his hand away.
“Nigga, don’t fucking touch me.” I said through gritted teeth, with so much malice behind my tone.
“I’m sorry, Mickey. I-I fucked up. I shouldn’t have pursued anything with you, but honestly, I wanted you. I didn’t think we would mess around and make a baby. We can’t have a baby, Mickey. My wife will—"
I closed my eyes, forgetting my surroundings and allowing my fucked up emotions to speak for me. I yelled, cutting him off yet again. Harlan was talking and saying nothing all at once and I didn’t want to hear it.
“Ugh, you even sound married! I don’t give a shit about your wife, Harlan. Especially when you didn’t give one when you were balls deep inside me making this baby.” I pointed to my baby. They mattered and he needed to understand that.
Harlan was talking but all I heard was blah, blah, blah, sounding like a cheap ass, broke ass record that had been overplayed and scratched up. It wasn’t until he said the words I knew would further change my life that I fully paid attention to anything he said.
“Mickey, if you choose to keep this baby, I won’t be involved.”
I cocked my head back, giving him a look of pure disgust.
“Choose? Harlan, the choice was made the day I found out I was pregnant. And what if I pull up at your house? I’m sure your wife would love to meet me. Oh and I’m sure my daddy would love to meet you,” I spat.
“If you know what’s best for you and that fucking baby, you won’t do shit but carry your ass home and not come back.
If you or your people come around here, I promise you won’t live to utter my name again.
” His once cheerful, calm, and pleading tone was gone.
Harlan’s voice was cold and menacing as he got closer to me.
I didn’t miss the malicious threat Harlan spat and now my feet had me backing up, creating more space between us, cradling my stomach in a protective manner.
No one would ever hurt my baby.
He smirked before he continued, “See, you get it already. I’ll be in touch with a payment that should keep you and that baby far away from me and my family.
Goodbye, Mickey.” And like that, he left me standing there, shaking with fear before I made it to my car, locking my doors, finally feeling safe enough to release my tears.
Harlan had just dismissed me and my unborn for life.
Now what are you going to do, Mickey?
I sniffled as the tears continued to fall.
“Well Viola, he came and went all in the same week. Now what?” I said as I put my GPS on to head home.
Viola told Mackie that he was coming, but unlike my pregnancy confirmation coming true, I didn’t have faith in this dream.
I stared at the TV as I watched the video of Harlan kissing his wife for the millionth time today.
I was sick as fuck right now. It had been a week since my trip down to Austin Peaks and this had been my routine all day, every day.
I was glad Johnni and Hollis were both distracted with work and didn’t notice my lack of attention to being present all week.
I sniffled a few times as I stuffed my mouth with another piece of caramel apple and hit the play button yet again.
The sound of the buzzer alerted me to look up to see who was at my door as if I had windows that gave me access to that part of my condo.
Annoyed, I groaned while I checked my phone to see if I had any missed calls or texts and came up empty, meaning I had to get up and really see who was interrupting my busy plans.
I got up, making my way over to the intercom, hitting the talk button. I wasn’t letting just anyone up.
“Who is it?” I hit the button to listen while I waited for whoever to speak. When a husky voice came though, my brows bunched together in confusion before my whole face fell into my palm.
“Hey, McKay, it’s Burkeley, I apologize for just showing up like this. I’m downstairs. I finally have your invoice. I tried calling but it said the number had been changed or disconnected.”
“Shit,” I cursed lowly. I forgot that I had changed my number and only a select few had been given the new one. After Harlan’s large lump sum of money came through, I thought it would be best to cut all ties and history with him, starting with deleting his number then changing mine.
“Excuse me?” I heard Burkeley say, which had me shaking my head as if he could see me.
“Oh, I apologize, not you. Yes, please come up.” I hit the door button last, granting him access to the building.
I hurried back to the living room to pick up a little bit of my mess from the food I had been eating.
Then I rushed to rinse my mouth really fast before going back to the door and opening it just in time to see him walking down the hallway.
I leaned out and watched him until he was close enough that I could smell his spicy, woody scent.
“I see you’re still peeking,” he joked just as I stood up straight. I snorted as I backed up, giving him more access to me and my space.
“I guess it’s becoming a habit.” It wasn’t. Well, only when I knew he was the visitor coming down the hallway.
Once I shut the door, I led him to the living room where I could get my purse.
“First off, let me apologize. I wasn’t in the best place the last time we saw each other, so much that I forgot to even pay you for your services. I am not the type of run off on a tab,” I said, counting out a hundred dollars in cash and frowning, not remembering how three hundred had become one.
“No apologies needed, McKay. I’ve never been in this situation, especially given that I would be on the opposite side of things.
But I completely understand being lied to and led on.
Your reaction was natural.” I was now moving to get my phone so I could send my payment electronically.
It was only natural because it was a fucked up situation.
“I might be completely overstepping and doing way too much by asking this, but how are you feeling? Have you contacted him since I’ve given you the information?
” I snorted, considering who was asking and how most would’ve deemed his questions are inappropriate, especially since he was the hired P.I.
I didn’t know at all. But my mouth was moving just as fast as he asked.
Right now, Burkeley was the only person who knew my whole truth.
I hadn’t even processed it enough to tell the girls yet.
“Honestly, not good.” I motioned my head toward the TV that had a still of Harlan and his wife kissing.
“I don’t know what I expected when I went down there, but I can tell you not the full force fuck me and my baby.
But hey, what else can I do? At least he paid his first and last child support payment.
” I chuckled humorlessly, thinking about the money once again.
Alternative perspective had me grateful he’d at least done that.
Then I got to thinking it had to be hush money and got mad all over again.
“Yo, excuse me for overstepping again, but fuck that nigga for real. If you ask me, you got away clean. Yeah, you got an unplanned baby out of it but think about how long his ass would’ve kept shit going had this not happened.
” I didn’t ask, but his words had me now seeing that viewpoint too and nodding in agreement.
“True. I guess, I was just hoping that even if he didn’t stick around I would at least have a name for my family and my baby when they asked who their father is…
was. But now I’m out here telling the world I don’t have one, which would be literally impossible unless I went to the sperm bank. ” I chuckled as I shook my head.
“Why can’t you say that? I mean, it sounds like a good enough answer to me.”
“What single, twenty-four year old do you know who barely remembers to eat on a daily basis would voluntarily go get artificially inseminated? Not this one and my family knows that. I do things by the book. Find a good man, well attempt to, fall in love, marry the man, then make babies. Not lay down with a married man who threatened to harm you and the baby if you even utter his name or tell his wife.” I shut my mouth realizing I was talking too much right now.
Burkeley was a stranger beyond his profession and name.
And for a complete stranger, I didn’t know all his facial expressions but the glare he now sported couldn’t be mistaken for nothing else.
Wait, is he mad?
“I’m sorry, that was too much information.
But anyway, I still have to tell my family, and this wasn’t my vision of my pregnancy announcements to my parents.
Now I get the chance to tell them, hey mama and daddy, I’m pregnant but I don’t have a baby father.
Or a man for that matter.” I scoffed. “And now I’m prolonging even telling them because of that one detail.
Anywho, you didn’t come to hear about my problems. You said you had the invoice, how much do I owe you?
I think I might have ordered too much Munchies and used cash, but I have a hundred dollars on hand and can send the rest electronically. ”
“Oh yeah. Here it is.” He passed me the paper, making me chuckle as I looked at the amount.
“Burkeley, I have to ask, how are you maintaining a successful—"
Burkeley cut me off.
“I’ll do it.”
I laughed nervously as I put my eyes on Burkeley’s who felt like he was staring a hole into my soul.
No lie, I was scared as hell right now.
Great, Mickey, this muthafucka is crazy. Hurry up and pay him so we can get rid of his ass.
“Do what?” I went to pass him the fifty dollars but he shook his head at my money.
“I’ll help you tell your parents. I’ll give you the vision of how you saw yourself telling your parents if plan A had worked out.” And now I was shaking my head while I snorted.
“What? No, but thank you. Here is your money, plus a tip.” I shoved it into his hand, which had him looking down and frowning. The fifty turned into a hundred real quick, hoping that would be enough to get him out of my door.
“I don’t want the money, McKay. I want to know why not. I mean—” He huffed before he continued. “I think this could work for both of us. I would give you a person to introduce to your folks, making this whole situation less difficult, or painful, for you.”
“No. And what would you get out of this? Money? I mean, I guess I co—
“No. It’s not about the money. But there is something.” He paused, looking me over, making me gasp as my mind went wild with the possibilities of what he wanted from me.
“Oh hell no. I’m not giving you no ass, pussy, or toes! Whatever the hell you’re into.” He laughed now, deep as he smiled widely.
“What kind of man do you take me for, McKay? No. The holidays are coming up and I’m guessing you will be spending yours alone now too.
Well, I’ll do this favor for you if you help me give my family me in a relationship for the holidays.
After the new year we can part ways, even coming up with a staged breakup if that eases your mind a bit. ”
I blinked hard a couple of times as I tilted my head to the side with my mouth slightly hung open, just looking at him.
There’s something wrong with him, Mickey.
“Are you serious? You want to play my baby daddy while I play your what, surprise pregnant girlfriend?” I chuckled. “Yeah, no, you definitely are not right in the head. Thank you for your service, Burkeley, but I need you to go.”
“Wait a minute, McKay, just hear me out,” he said, but I was already pushing him toward the door.
“Uh uhn. I’ve already heard enough bullshit for the rest of the year. Again, thanks for everything, but yo’ crazy ass gotta go.”
He was talking and I ignored him all while continuing to guide him toward the front door and out, closing and locking it, including the deadbolt.
“God, this has to be a test from you, right? But don’t worry, I’m not falling for the criminally insane,” I said as I made my way back to the living room, now feeling completely over the whole situation. I grabbed my remote and turned off the video.
I went to sit down on the couch when I noticed the bills on the floor.
“Fuck, Mickey, he didn’t take the money.”