24. Drake
Drake
TWO WEEKS LATER
Before Olivia and I can do anything else to move forward with our relationship, Leonard has to know. He has to know before any of my employees know, especially anyone in the media. I'm almost more nervous about talking to Leonard about this than the fact that I'm having a child.
“I'll make lemon meringue pie, too,” Olivia says as we rush through the aisles of the grocery store to gather ingredients for dinner.
She's been stressing about this dinner since I invited Leonard over last week.
“He has a sweet tooth, and I think we should exploit that.
The better the food, the less likely he'll be to jump across the table and strangle you.”
“You're not doing much to calm my nerves,” I joke, pushing the cart as she looks over the ingredients in the baking aisle.
“Oh, I'm not trying to.” She drops powdered sugar into the already overflowing basket. “I want you to go into this with realistic expectations.”
We finish checking out and rush back to my house.
Olivia has been staying here for the past week, but she's not fully moved in.
Things have been busy at work, and she's in no rush to pack everything she owns.
We still have seven months to get our lives together.
It's been nice having her in the house, though.
Not only can I spend every night beside her, but I get the benefit of her cooking almost every night, too.
It might sound chauvinistic, but she enjoys cooking.
Olivia sets off to prep dinner roughly five hours before Leonard will arrive. I linger in the kitchen for a while offering to help, but she wants this to be perfect. Instead, I set the table and mentally steel myself for the worst.
The doorbell rings about fifteen minutes before Leonard is supposed to arrive, and dinner isn't ready yet, which is stressing Olivia out. I answer it and invite him in, seeing the warm smile on his face and knowing it will soon disappear.
“It smells incredible in here,” Leonard says, taking a seat on the couch in the living room. “One might think you made some effort today.”
“Effort was made, but it wasn't by me,” I laugh, inviting him over to the table as I walk into the kitchen where Olivia is frantically plating our meals.
I help her grab some of the dishes and walk back out to the table, watching Leonard's face as his eyebrows raise seeing Olivia.
“Liv, what are you doing here honey?” Leonard stands to hug his daughter. “You’d better be paying my daughter overtime if she's cooking for you at home again.”
He doesn't get it yet, and I don’t blame him. Why would he assume that she's pregnant and I'm the father?
Olivia sets the plates down and joins us at the table, choosing to sit next to her father instead of me. He smells the food, a tamarind-spiced lamb chop with an array of vegetables and sweet potato mash. My mouth is watering from the smell, but I can’t possibly take a bite.
“Dad, there's something I need to tell you,” Olivia says after we make small talk. He puts down his fork and looks at her curiously. She looks at me, and that doesn't go unnoticed by Leonard, who looks between us, recognition dawning to replace confusion.
“No...” Leonard says under his breath, shaking his head as he puts his fork down.
“Drake and I are seeing each other,” Olivia nervously says, wringing the napkin in her hands. Leonard shakes his head and pushes his chair back. “It's been going on for about a month now. I didn't think it was going to be anything serious, but…”
“How could you do this?” Leonard shouts, directing his anger at me as he jumps to his feet and slams his hands on the table. “Really, Drake? My daughter? There are countless women in this city, and you chose my daughter?”
I was expecting this. I knew as soon as he found out he would lash out and scream at me, so I'm prepared. I don't shake or stand up or get defensive. I stay right where I am and eye him calmly, nodding.
“I didn't choose her, Leonard. But what she and I have is different than–”
“Bullshit!” he yells, pacing with his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turn white.
My stomach swirls knowing how badly he would love to pummel me.
“I've been a good friend to you! I've been there for you; I've defended you over the years. How could you do something so selfish like take advantage of my daughter?”
Olivia stands up and holds her arms at her side, with an indignant look on her face. “Nobody is taking advantage of me, Dad. Drake didn't pressure me into anything. I wanted to be with him.”
Once again, he shakes his head and refuses to accept the truth. “I can't believe that. You're a smart girl, Olivia. Can't you see him for what he is? All he wants is to use you and throw you away like the countless other women in his past.”
I stand up and put my hands on the table, too, staring at him with the passion I feel for his daughter clear on my face. “You're wrong. I care about her in a way I've never cared about any other woman, Leonard.”
He turns his attention toward me and narrows his eyes, walking around the table as quickly as he can to stand over me. I'm a pretty fit guy, but Leonard is a brick house. I understand his anger, but I didn't want to be on the receiving end of it.
“You disgust me,” Leonard seethes. “You're a pathetic excuse for a man. Leave my daughter the fuck alone.”
I don't know if he expects me to cower beneath him and submit, willingly giving up the best thing in my life right now, but I don't. I shake my head and straighten my spine as I look him in the eyes. “I can't do that, Leonard.”
I briefly turn my attention to Olivia, offering her a reassuring smile to let her know that I'm okay.
The moment I take my eyes off Leonard, his fist collides with my jaw and sends me crashing to the ground.
It takes me a minute to realize what happened and for the pain to catch up to me, but when it does, my entire face is sore.
Now, I'm angry. I've spent the day telling myself I wouldn't let myself get to this point, that he deserves to be angry. But punching me is the final straw.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Olivia shouts, running across the room to stand over me so her dad can't hit me again. “You wonder why I don't tell you things? This is why!”
“You don't know him like I do!” Leonard shouts back, pacing the room again and holding his aching fist. “I've practically grown up with him.
He uses women, Olivia. I've seen the heartache he's caused, and I don't want you to be hurt by him, too.
Please, just listen to me. You don't want to be involved with him.”
Olivia looks at me with tears in her eyes, and I slowly get to my feet to wrap an arm around her and let her know I'm here for her. If her dad doesn't support this, it will break her heart, but I'm here for her.
“I'm sorry, Dad,” Olivia says, her voice cracking as emotion spills out.
“You need to leave him before it's too late, Liv,” Leonard pleads. His anger is slowly dissipating, and I can see the desperation in his eyes. It breaks my heart to see that he thinks so little of me.
“You're going to have to get used to this if you want to be around me,” Olivia says, reaching for my hand to hold. I squeeze her hand tightly, silently letting her know I've got her. “I'm pregnant, Dad.”
Leonard freezes. “No,” is all he whispers.
Olivia nods slowly, tears spilling down her cheeks. “It's true. I'm going to keep the baby, and we're raising it together. I want you to be a part of this, so please–”
She doesn't get to finish the thought before Leonard storms out of the room and leaves my house. Olivia closes her eyes tightly, and all I can do is hold her and tell her it's going to be okay.