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“I’m sorry, are you okay?” I ask my daughter pulling her into a hug so she can cry without anyone seeing her tears. She buries her face in my chest, and I can feel her body shake with silent sobs. Tracey is glaring at us, her cheeks red, and the absolute mortification written all over the wrinkle lines on her forehead. This sort of thing is the end of the fucking world for her — what will people say? Fuck people, my daughter’s whole life is falling apart, and I do not give a fuck about anyone else in this room right now. I can see some of our guests making a silent exit, slinking out not wanting to be a part of this. I’d kick them all out if I could right now, but Tracey has the music put back up and moves away from us. I know she is trying to divert attention; that this will be dealt with later behind closed doors. Dirty laundry doesn’t get aired in public.
Luke stays close, trying to apologize, but no amount of sorry or groveling can fix this. In his defense, it would have come out, but this really wasn’t the place or time. “Kalon,” he says, but my stare silences him immediately.
“Fallon, take Tala downstairs. She doesn’t need to be here with all these eyes on her,” I say, and my son puts an arm around his sister. “I have some things to deal with then I’ll be there. Try not to let your mother at her until I get back.” He nods, Lycan and Emily follow them out. The party is over for them, but Tracey makes sure no one notices that. Her entertainer smile is plastered on her face, and she’s ushering people to dance and drink.
I turn to Luke now, having a hard time not laying hands on him.
“I am sorry, Kalon, I have had too much to drink.” I don’t dignify that with an answer. “It just came out, I didn’t even think that you might not know. Tala tells you everything.” Right now I am not worried about Tala because she's with her brothers.
“You said, Tala and Channing.” I grit through clenched teeth, “Explain.”
“They were at my office together, I honest to goodness thought you knew. Channing even filled your name in as father on her paperwork. Talk of the town is that you bought her a car, I just assumed you two…were…and that you’d know. Fuck, I have screwed up so bad.”
“They should both fucking sue you.” I look at the man I have known since college and wonder if he realizes how badly he has messed up. “And if I have my way, I’ll help them do it.” He doesn’t know how to respond, because he knows I am right. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have something to go do.”
Tracey sees me making my escape, and I manage to get in the elevator before she can catch up to me. Fucking Channing. How dare she put my name on a form — I made it clear I wanted her. To try to trap me with a baby though, she knows I had a vasectomy. Was she planning to blackmail me? This is not fucking possible. Is it?
I don’t even bother with Uber, I hail a cab right from the curb, bark her address at the driver, and slam the door. While he drives the few minutes, I check in on my kids, calling Fallon.
“Is Tala okay?”
“Yes, she’s okay. She’s lying down and Emily is with her.”
“Your mother?”
“Still acting like Martha Stewart upstairs. Lycan has gone up to keep her there as long as he can, but we all know she’s going to come in here guns blazing the moment the last guest is gone.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. I need to do something first.”
“I get it, Dad. I’ll make sure Tala is fine until you’re back.”
“Thank you, son.” I hang up as the cab comes to a stop, pulling off my jacket and tie. I roll up my sleeves, pay the driver, and get out. Take a deep breath, walk up the few steps, and knock on her door. I wait for her to answer. I knock again, and a third time. My irritation and anger at her fucking audacity. To try to pin some other man's child on me.
Eventually she opens the door, she’s in my shirt and nothing else. Despite my anger, she takes my breath away.
“Do you have something you want to tell me?” I say before she can even say hello.
