DISCOVERING THE TRUTH

Chapter 6

James

Here I am, stalking Isabella again, wanting to surprise her. I know it's been almost a month since I last came. I have made so much progress with my therapy. Work was flexible when I took a leave of absence for my wellbeing. They agreed to six weeks. I had wanted to see Isabella before it finishes in hope I can spend some more time with her.

I see her walking towards me. She hasn't noticed me yet. She looks radiant, if not a little tired. I smile at her as she looks up at me. The look she gives me is not a good omen. My eyes drop to her body and I freeze. My mouth drops open. Her little bump isn't huge, but it's clear she is very pregnant.

I look up at her face and read all I need to.

Guilt.

"James...I just needed some time. I was going to tell you."

I feel a rush of so many emotions, anger, happiness and relief...?

"Is it mine?"

"James, please understa..."

"Is it my fucking baby you are carrying?" I shout at her.

She flinches and looks away, wringing her hands.

"Yes," she whispers.

Fuck my therapist and fuck Torian. I have been begging this woman for weeks, to no avail.

"You're coming home with me."

"James, don't be absurd. I can't just leave my course or the University."

I walk over to her and grip her wrist.

"I will arrange for you to continue from my home. You will not be leaving my sight."

I pull her along towards my car as she continues to try to twist her wrist out of my hold. I open the passenger side door for her. Crowding her between myself and the open car door so she has no choice but to move inside the car.

"Seatbelt."

She looks up at me with her pleading dark brown eyes.

"Now!" I snap at her sharply.

She puts her seatbelt on. I rush to the driver's side and sit in, immediately engaging the door lock. As I drive back to the city, I think of everything that needs to be done. My home is a bachelor's pad. I need to make accommodations for her and now a baby.

Fuck me, I'm going to become a father.

"When is the baby due?"

"In five months' time. In September."

"And when the fuck were you going to tell me, Isabella?" I say, glancing at her angrily.

"I wasn't sure, James. You were a prick to me after you fucked me up a wall. I was going to tell you I just didn't know when the right time was. I haven't even told Riah yet."

"Fucking, unacceptable. You haven't been looking after yourself. You look run down. You're studying and obviously working. Maybe you shouldn't keep the baby if you can't even look after yourself and the baby now. What the fuck were you planning after you had the baby? Were you going to put it up for adoption? Get rid of it? I should just fucking get my solicitors to ensure I keep the baby." I say, rambling on and unable to keep calm now.

"I get you are angry, James. But don't you ever fucking threaten to take my baby away from me. I would do anything to keep my baby. No, I would never give my child up." She retorts.

I say nothing. I'm doing what Torian did. He made Riah his with his underhanded tactics. I will do the same.

"Fine. I'm keeping you both."

"What? You can't just keep me. I'm a person. In fact, this is kidnapping right now."

"Thanks for letting me know. I will make sure you are locked up in my house. I might even tie you up till you have the baby."

I can feel her looking at me. I glance over at her. Her jaw has dropped open and her eyes are wide in shock.

"All these weeks I have been begging you, sending you flowers, emailing you every day. You didn't respond once. I have apologised and begged for forgiveness. We do this my way now. If you want to fight me over custody and leave. That is fine. I think the courts would look favourably towards me and my current position."

"Sure if they are okay with a man-whore raising a child." She says grumbling.

"Actually, I am a reformed man-whore." I say, smiling. "It doesn't matter that's my baby in there, too. I had every right to know I was going to become a father."

"I just didn't think you would want anything to do with the baby. That's why I was waiting. I would have told you either when I went to see Riah after she had the twins, or I would have told you after I had the baby."

I don't reply. Simply because if I do, it will be an entire load of vitriol which will escalate matters. I sit there and fume.

How fucking dare she hide the fact that she was carrying my baby?

She is about to find out what kind of man I am.