Page 32 of Falling for You

Carl's eyes soften, and I continue, “I know she’d prefer to stay in with a fake-away that she has prepared and cooked, preferably Chinese food than go out and that kids is something she wanted. I know that she loved school, but the only friend she had was her sister, who is her best friend. I’d bet my penthouse that Avery walking away to keep her lifestyle probably killed her. I know that when she was thirteen, she found a stray kitten and brought it home, hiding it for months before donating it to a little girl down the street.”

The woman next to Carl, who looks like my girl, gasps, her mouth hanging open as Avery coughs to hide her laughter.

“I know that she hates the feeling of strawberries but loves to eat them, that she’ll easily fall asleep when you gently twirl her hair in your finger behind her ear, and that sports bore the fuck outta her.”

She also likes her clit being sucked in pulses with two fingers inside her cunt and her ass being played with, making her squirt. Also that she kissed a girl in her teens because no boy held her interest but hated it, but I won’t say that out loud.

I sigh, “I know that she had a guard up, but still, she let me in that night. I know she felt the connection I did, still do feel, and I know she feels something for me because I could see it in her eyes when we finally saw each other after so long apart,” I hold my arms out, “Your daughter owns me, has since that day and if I had woken before her I would never have let her go.”

I drop my arms, keeping eye contact with Carl, even hearing sniffles from near Tony; I maintain eye contact with a man who tried to sell his daughter, succeeding with his youngest, though by the sounds of things, she more offered herself up.

Carl doesn’t have a leg to stand on, and he knows this. He knows he screwed up with his daughters, but now he needs to decide whether I mean what I say. He needs to determine if I’m going to make his daughter happy, but what he needs to realize is that I don’t need his blessing because she’s mine.

He licks his bottom lip, then wipes it with his thumb, thinking.

He knows I won’t give up on her and won’t allow him to keep her from me. I know her name now, I know who she is, and he will not stop me from going to her, from making her mine, and I know he is well aware of how connected my father is.

He nods, then states, “She lives at 284 Hallows Apartments Southside Brooklyn.”

My body relaxes, and I nod, then look at Tony, who grins my way, and I give him a smile back before turning. I pat Dylan on the back and state, “Make sure Tony doesn’t kick the shit out of his brother,” and he snorts while I rush out of the house like my ass is on fire.

Now I know her last name, I know where she lives; I won’t stop until she agrees to give me a chance, all while I come to terms with the fact that I’m a fucking father…

Fuck, I’m a dad.

Chapter 13

Penelope

I gently rock Hudson as he cries in my arms, squirming, and my head pounds. I’ve been home for twenty minutes, and in those twenty minutes, my darling son has picked up on my anxiety. He hasn’t stopped crying, which is making my anxiety heighten.

“Hudson,” I rasp as I maneuver him over my shoulder and pat his bottom before he makes a noise and suddenly I feel warm wetness spread down my back, and I pause.

Great, not only can I not control my emotions, which have all crashed down on me on my way home, hence the tear-stained streaks on my cheeks, but now I have baby puke down my back.

Awesome.

Hudson’s crying gets louder, and my eyes tear up and for the first time since returning home, I suddenly regret returning to my apartment.

It’s only been a month since he’s been born; my hormones are still all over the place, and this day has kind of tipped me over the edge. I’ve just spent two hours listening to Harry badmouth me and my son, something my sister had to be held back to stop hitting him for, only for my body to light up, shocking me before locking eyes with the ones I see in my son every day.

Taking deep breaths, I ignore the vomit and continue to walk back and forth in my living area, hoping to calm him down enough so I could maybe at least rinse the puke off of me, even though I would love a nice hot shower.

I can’t believe Taylor was at Harry’s; I can’t believe he remembered me.

For months, I’ve been trying to find him, but not once did I believe the connection between us would still be there, that I’d want to fall into his arms. I thought it was all in my head, even after seeing him on TV. I truly believed my feelings were down to the fact I gave him my virginity, or well, it’s what I made myself think anyhow.

Hudson’s screams get louder, and my tears fall as I gently hold him before me, my hands cupping underneath his head while his body rests on my forearms.

His face is red, tears soaking his cute chubby cheeks, and his bottom lip is out, even upset, the boy is adorable.

“Sweet boy,” I whisper, and he belches out another scream, making me wince.

Boy, does he have a pair of lungs on him!

“Please Huddy….” I rasp as a knock sounds at the door, and I look towards it, knowing it’s most likely my dad checking up on me, something he does every evening, and for once, instead offeeling irritated, I’m happy he is here because I think I’m about to break.

A knock sounds again, I gently place Hudson over my shoulder and walk to the door. I open it without looking through the peephole, and like de-ja-vu, I stand shell-shocked at the person before me, but instead of it being my dad, it’s the man I dream of every night. A man I’m pretty sure I gave my heart to as well as my virginity that one night.

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