Chapter 5

Lucas

It is my first day actually working. Tom has me shadowing him closely and I can’t say I’ve actually liked any of my previous bosses as much as I like Tom. He’s stern and can be intimidating, but he’s also a real coach. Everybody loves Tom and respects him.

I can already say the same.

Yesterday, he got my contract through the chain and got me an immediate start date and a meeting with the principal. After meeting with him this morning, I learned that Allie is the principal’s assistant.

I’ve come to the conclusion that maybe she was just in a rush the other day and I shouldn’t judge her based on first impressions. I probably just misread everything.

I noticed her empty desk outside of his office when I walked into the main office. There was a purse sitting on the floor beside the swivel chair and toys with an opened juice box. Looks like Jadon came with her to work today.

As the principal, John, and I were talking out in the hallway after our meeting, Allie and Jadon came walking up to the office in what looked like a hurry to get somewhere.

“Oh Allie, I thought you already left for your appointment,” John asks her.

“I am, I just forgot my purse then I’m off,” she rushes past us, ignoring me once more. I could be misreading her again, but it looked like she yanked Jadon to her other side when they got close.

“Lucas, this is my assistant, Allie,” he gestures between Allie and me. “And her son Jadon.”

Allie stops mid-rush in grabbing her purse and looks up at me for a split second before continuing in her haste. So… is she rude to people she just doesn’t know? She didn’t even smile to acknowledge me or make a sound. She just shoves past us to grab her stuff.

Unlike the last time I saw her, she didn’t have her sunglasses on and I realized she looked vaguely familiar.

I just can’t quite place it. Those eyes, though…

If I wasn’t in an otherwise serious relationship… Nope. Tom’s daughter is off-limits. Also, I’m pretty sure he mentioned she was in a relationship.

But, damn. She’s naturally pretty. Really pretty.

“If you ever need to set a meeting with me or anything, Allie will help you.”

“Great, thanks,” I look back at John and shake his hand with a smile.

“Alright, I have some calls to make. If you need me, let Allie know.”

“Thanks, John. Looking forward to working with you,” I tell him and head to the door to go out to my car.

I was going to call and check in on Katrina and then let my dad know about my good news. As I near the double doors, Allie flies past me with Jadon on her hip. She bumps into me, dropping her purse.

“Shit!” she whispers.

“Here,” I kneel down to help her gather her purse and a couple of things that fell out. It’s going to be a side mission to find out if I offended her somehow. I don’t need someone hating me before I really even start.

I mean, I don’t think I’m that bad of a person. At least, I try not to be.

She just dropped some papers out of the purse along with her wallet and keys. I tried to gather the papers for her, noticing they were applications for something, but she grabbed them from my hands.

“Nope. I got it. Thanks.” She still won’t look at me. I really don’t need her telling her dad or the principal she hates me for whatever reason, so I need to try and set this straight.

“Hey, listen,” I stand up, “I’m not so sure if I offended you for some reason, but if I did, I would like to apologize.”

She looks up at me, and that’s when it hits me. Memories of one fan-fucking-tastic night. We had sex once in my car that night Kat was passed out. I had to leave since my dad called me twelve times while I am pretty sure I took this girl’s virginity.

Turned out he was stressing out over calling his now-wife.

“Oh,” is all I can say. I never got her name before I kicked her out of my car, but I was also worried about my dad who never learned to just text.

By the time I got back out to that party, I couldn’t find her, and no one knew who she was.

“Oh?” she questions with a little bit of spite in her words. “If that is all you have, I need to go.” She turns to walk to her car while Jadon plays with her hair.

I need to apologize. I was rude to her that night and she’s apparently holding on to grudges.

I follow her to the parking lot toward her car. “Allie, I’m so sorry. I know what I did that night was really awful and I’m so sorry for mistreating you. I had something come up and, frankly, I was a stupid eighteen-year-old kid just looking to get la—." I can't possibly finish that statement in front of a child.

“Yes,” she pauses while looking for her keys in her purse, “you were very stupid. Now, if you’ll excuse m—”

I grab her arm, turning her. I really need this girl to get over whatever her hang-up is so she doesn’t tell her dad I fucked his daughter and left her in a driveway after I was done. When she turns around with Jadon on her hip, he looks up at me and something catches my eye.

His eyes. One blue and one gray. They look like…

I stop and stare between Jadon and Allie. It takes a minute to absorb it.

It's rare. Not that common, especially in this small town. But also... he looks, what? Four?

As I open my mouth to ask something that isn't possible, she cuts me off with a finger in the air as she put him in his car seat. That’s when she turns on me with fury in her eyes.

If I remember right, this girl was timid and innocent. I’m talking to a completely different person now. A mother.

“You may not use the ‘m’ word. He is not yours. You had a minor part in it and that is it. You signed your role away the minute you threw me out of that car.” She sets her course to the driver's side of the car. I'm not a grabber, but for the third time, I grab her arm to try and stop her.

“Allie wait!”

She abruptly turns on me and steps up close, looking me in the eye with something close to murder in hers.

I swallow whatever stupid thing I was about to say.

“No. Lucas, you got what you wanted that night, and I got a responsibility. You got to live your life and enjoy your college years and youth while I spent mine changing diapers, not sleeping, and everything else in between.

“Now, I would never change anything about my life, because he truly is amazing. But just because you’re back and realizing that actions have consequences, you don’t get to swoop in and play ‘daddy’ or whatever thoughts are rolling around in that stupid head of yours.”

She points up toward my head, swirling her finger around. “First, we are doing just fine without you, and second, he has a father figure in his life. Do not approach my son or try to have anything to do with him. We won’t bother you, and you don’t bother us.”

“Allie, I—”

“Will leave us alone. Now, I’m already late for a meeting. Goodbye, Lucas.”

She slams the door and leaves me behind completely blindsided and without words.

Allie has a son. He looks exactly like me. He has my eyes. My mother’s eyes.

I have a son.

I have a child, and his mother hates my guts.

Holy shit.

This was not supposed to happen. I planned to have kids once I started my career, not now.

“Shit!”

I get that she’s mad for now, but once she realizes I’ll step up to the plate, she’ll get over it. I mean, I will help pay for whatever he needs, that’s no big deal.

How much could a kid cost, anyways? She’ll be grateful when I help out with that. Maybe I’ll even watch him sometimes so she can go do whatever she wants. Probably spend time with the boyfriend Tom mentioned.

Yeah, okay, I’ll figure something out.

Oh, fuck.

Tom’s gonna kill me when he finds out. I was that absent father that impregnated his daughter that wasn’t there.

Well, that’s going to change, whether Allie likes it or not.

I'm just not sure which one I need to fear more. The protective father or the scorned mother I totally fucked over without realizing it...