Page 257 of The Baby Twist
“You planning on moving again?”
“No. I’m having him look for an apartment for Marley.”
“Oh. Does she know?” He took a seat.
“No. Not yet.”
“I thought things were going good between you two,” he said.
“Things are okay.”
“Then why are you kicking her out?”
I stared at him and didn’t say a word.
“Enough of this crap, Charlie. I know exactly what’s going on here.”
“You don’t know shit, Chase.”
“Yeah. I do. You’re falling in love with her, if you’re not already, and freaking the fuck out.”
“I am not in love with her.”
“Yes, you are, my friend. Fuck. Just admit it. Stop trying to deny it. Loving someone is being human. You’re human, Charlie. As I’ve said before, I know the reason you are the way you are. You don’t think I know, but I do.”
“And like I said. You don’t know shit.”
“Fuck, I do, man.” He shook his head. “Do you remember back in college when you were fucking that chick named Grace, and she told you that she loved you, and you flipped out on her?”
“Barely. If I recall, I was a drunken mess that night.”
“You were, and I picked your ass up off the steps of our dorm and took you back to our room. You told me that love will never be part of the deal for you in your lifetime because you’re tooscared of losing someone like you did with your parents. You said that the pain and suffering of losing someone you so deeply love isn’t worth it and that you will never allow it to happen again because you can’t control what happens in the outside world, but you can control your feelings and emotions.”
I stared at him in shock because I had no idea I’d ever spoken those words to him.
“So when I tell you that I know why you’re fighting your feelings about Marley and the twins, I know what the fuck I’m talking about.”
I brought my hand up and ran it down my face.
“It’s too much, Chase. Too fucking much. I’m not denying I have feelings for Marley because I do. But I can’t be a father.”
“But you can be. You’re just too scared of what might happen. It’s not because you had a bad father figure. From what you told me, your father was an amazing man, and the two of you were very close. He was your role model, Charlie. God, I can only imagine what he’s thinking about you right now up in Heaven and hearing you say this shit. You told me he and your mother were always so proud of you and showed it. Do you think they’d be proud of you now?”
“Shut the fuck up.”
“No, I won’t. It’s the goddamn truth, and you know it.” He pointed at me.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me what I said to you that night?” I asked.
“Because I knew you would never say that sober, and I didn’t want to upset you. So, I kept it to myself until I knew when the time was right to use it. Now is that time.”
“You’re an asshole.” I shook my head.
“I know.” He grinned, standing up from his chair. “I’m your best friend, and I’ve stood by you all these years and watched you become a man who deserves so much more in life than justthis company. I’ve never really said much to you about it, but now I am because the time has come, my friend, for you to step into reality and out of that place you’ve been hiding in since the death of your parents—the place of fear.” He turned and walked out of my office.
Glancing at the time, I had to leave for Marley’s doctor’s appointment. Climbing into the back of the sedan, I gave Mateo the address.
When I opened the door to the practice, I saw Marley sitting in a chair. Walking over, I sat next to her and stared at all the pregnant women waiting. One man was sitting next to his wife, softly stroking her belly as she looked like she was about to give birth any day.
