Page 48 of Shameless
“Oh my god!” Sarah screeched and hopped out of bed to deal with her puppy.
Even though I wasn’t ready to be a father just yet, it made me feel good to know that our paths could potentially lead us to be a family, but for now, I needed to celebrate not being a parent with the woman who had cheated on me and revel in how amazing Sarah was.
18
Stacey
I shouldn’t have checkedmy personal email while at work, but I couldn’t help wondering if the paternity results were in. And now, I stared at the email and hesitated to read the answers I needed. Everything was so discombobulated in my life that I wasn’t sure who I wanted to be the father.
After a meltdown at my mom’s and moving out of the apartment I shared with Blake, I moved in with Molly and Theo because my job was in Houston and not San Antonio, where my mother lived. It felt as though I was going backward rather than toward the future I had been working so hard for.
Living with Molly and Theo would only be temporary because once I learned who the father was, that information would decide where I needed to live. If the father was Blake, I’d find my own place in Houston. If Eddie was the dad, then I would probably relocate to Dallas, because having to share custody with someone who lived almost four hours away wasn’t ideal for anyone.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the email and read the results confirming Eddie was the father. In my gut, I’d known that would be the case, but still, seeing it on the screen made my heart race and my stomach knot because I didn’t know how he’d react. As far as Blake went, the results sealed the deal that we were officially over. I had known we were the moment I raced away from our wedding, but now, knowing without a doubt that he wasn’t the father meant there was no reason for him to want to be with me anymore. Would Eddie?
I was still in love with both men, but in my heart, it was always Eddie who I loved more. Maybe it was because of our connection from when we were younger, or how we’d spent so much time together even when I was on tour with Maze. With Blake, we had gone months without seeing each other, and I didn’t necessarily miss him. Maybe I should have never said yes to him when he’d asked me to marry him, but Eddie had no longer been in the picture, and I’d thought he’d moved on.
Maybe he had.
When I last reached out to him, it was only about the paternity test. I’d called, left a message, and then followed up with a text about how and where to get it done, just like I had with Blake. He had replied with just an “Okay” to my text.
Grabbing my cell, I sent a text to him.
The paternity results came in. Can we talk?
I hadn’t heard from him by the time it was time to head home, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I got into my car and drove to the apartment. When I pulled up, I realized Eddie had responded while I was driving, but it was just a simple:
Yes
He had to have gotten the results. For reassurance, he’d wanted to take the test too. What did his one-word reply mean? Was he upset? Happy?
Grabbing my purse, I got out of the car and headed toward the apartment. As I rounded the corner, I found Eddie sitting on the steps that led up to Molly’s. My steps faltered, and he stood. He looked as handsome as ever dressed in a white button-up, blue tie, and black pants. If I had to guess, he’d come straight from work.
“Hi,” I greeted timidly.
“Hey.”
“Wow, you’re here.”
He blew out a breath. “Figured it was better to talk in person.”
I nodded. “Probably.”
“Do you want to go somewhere?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You know, to talk in private.”
“Molly and Theo won’t be home for a while. Theo is at practice with Maze, and Molly works for another hour or so. We can go upstairs if you’d like.”
“Yeah, that’s fine.” He motioned for me to lead the way.
After unlocking the door, we stepped inside and I turned on the lamp next to the couch. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Water is fine. Thanks.”
I set my purse on the dining room table and went to the kitchen for a bottle of water from the fridge. Grabbing two, I headed back toward Eddie and handed him one. I sat on the opposite end of the couch and faced him with my leg bent underneath the other.
“Can I go first?” Eddie asked after taking a swig from the bottle.
“Please,” I whispered. The vibe between us was awkward, to say the least, and I didn’t know how to start the conversation we needed to have.
