Emergence (Awakening Series Book 2) (20 page)

Chapter 38

Lou

"Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you're here!" Liz said, opening the door to Carly and me. "Come on inside."

She stepped back so I could get through the door with my bag and Carly.

"Give me a hug and then hand over that baby! I haven't seen her since she was a tiny little thing."

I gave Liz a side hug so I wouldn't crush Carly and then handed her over.

"It's so good to see you, Liz. Are the kids already in bed?" I asked, hoping I'd get to visit with them because I hadn't seen them since December.

"Yeah, they went to bed about an hour ago, and Rick is playing poker with his buddies down the street. I have some wine open if you want some."

"That sounds amazing," I sighed, heading for the kitchen.

Liz cooed to Carly, following along behind me as I walked. "She is just gorgeous, Lou. I can't believe how beautiful she is. And she's so much bigger than she was the last time I saw her. It's hard to believe she'll be one in a couple months."

"Thank you, and I know. This year has flown by."

"Do you remember when she was born? She was so wrinkly and red, but we loved her in an instant."

"I do, I remember like it was yesterday."

I was laying in my bed a few days before Christmas when Liz poked her head in the door.

"Knock, knock."

"Hey," I said, stretching and yawning.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, coming to sit on the side of the bed.

"I feel like I got hit in the back with a Mack truck," I said, curling up into a ball.

"I think we should go to the hospital. You could be in labor, you know. It's been two days since you started feeling like this."

"Okay, I won't argue this time. I don't think I can take much more anyway. It's starting to radiate around my middle too, but my water hasn't broken."

"Well, it sounds like labor to me, so better safe than sorry. If nothing else, at least they could give you something for the pain," Liz reasoned.

I grabbed my overnight bag and let Liz drive me to the hospital where they confirmed I was in labor and admitted me immediately. Many hours later, I was holding my sweet baby girl in my arms.

"Oh Lou, she's so beautiful," Liz gushed. "What are you going to name her?"

I looked down at the little bundle in my arms and marveled at how tiny she was. Her dark lashes fell over her soft pink cheeks and her little mouth opened in a big crooked yawn that pulled at my heart strings. It was amazing how I could love someone so much after only having her in my life for a moment.

"I'm going to name her Carly after her father. Even though she'll never know him, I want her to have a piece of him with her always. I'll never forget him or the short time we shared together. The moment we met it was like the rest of the world ceased to exist. I know if we'd have had more time together that we would have been unstoppable. I found myself with him. It was one of the most memorable and awakening experiences of my life, and Carly is the beautiful result of our meeting. I hope when she's older she'll understand how special she is."

"I think it's perfect," Liz agreed.

"So, tell me why you're here. I thought things were going so well for you in Savannah that I was really surprised to get your phone call."

I explained to Liz about Derek showing up in Savannah and about finally telling Carson that he was Carly's father.

"So you really didn't even give him a chance to digest the information before you took off?"

I felt a little guilty for that, but mainly I thought I'd done the right thing.

"He said he needed some space and left the house right after I told him. He said I wasn't honest with him and wouldn't let me explain and when he left he was really angry with me."

"Understandably."

"I know. But he asked me to give him some time and I wanted to honor his request, so here I am. "

"Has he called?"

"Not yet."

"Lou, you know I love you, and I'm glad you're here because I've missed you, but with as much as you and Carson have been through and as much as he's supported you, don't you think that if he wanted you to leave he would have asked you to go?"

My shoulders slumped as I thought about what she said. I really wasn't sure. He said he needed space and time. Maybe I should have given him a chance to explain what that meant. Maybe he didn't intend for me to leave, but if he wanted me to stay, why hadn't he reached out to find out where I was?

I set my wine glass down on the counter and took a sleeping Carly from Liz's arms. "You're right as always, Liz. I probably should have waited for him to ask me to leave instead of taking it upon myself, but what's done is done. I'm going to try to get some sleep and I'll call him tomorrow when my mind is fresh to make sure we're on the same page."

"You need to call Charlie too, and tell her that Carson is Carly's father. That might put a stop to her talking about you with Derek."

"Right again," I said, kissing her on the cheek. "Thanks for taking us in. I'll see you in the morning."

After getting Carly settled and myself ready for bed, I crawled between the sheets and stared at the picture Kelly had sent until I fell into a restless sleep.

Chapter 39

Carson

"Carson, Derek is sterile. Carly's not his."

I pulled back to look Lou in the eyes, confused.

"But how can that be if..."

"Carly isn't Derek's daughter," Lou interrupted. "She's yours."

"What did you say?" I asked, incredulous.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Our entire relationship had been based on us being completely honest with each other, about feelings, about wants and desires, about life in general, and as it turns out, she was being dishonest the entire time!

"Carly is your daughter." I dropped my arms from around her and stepped back. "I know it's a shock but if you'll just listen I can explain."

"Explain?" I asked, my voice seething. "You're going to explain how you've kept this from me? How you've let me think that Derek was her father when this whole time she's been mine? How could you do this? You preach honesty, yet you don't practice it!"

Tears welled in her eyes, and while I wanted to comfort her, I couldn't bring myself to be nearer to her right then.

"Carson, this is different, I had to make sure..."

"No!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "Just stop, I don't want to hear it." At that very moment Carly started to cry from upstairs.

Lou hung her head as I grabbed my keys and headed for the front door.

"Where are you going?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

"I need space. Just give me some time," I demanded, slamming the door behind me on my way out.

As soon as I pulled the truck out onto the street, I called Caroline and asked her to meet me for dinner. She had always been my go-to person for advice and at that very moment I needed her more than anything.

I couldn't believe that Carly was my daughter. I felt like Lou had kept a huge secret from me. On one hand finding out that Carly, the most adorable human being I'd ever known, was my own flesh and blood was an amazing revelation, but on the other hand, I felt deceived. I was hoping that talking to Caroline could help me sort out my thoughts and decide how to move forward.

"So, what's going on?" Caroline asked as I slid into the booth opposite her.

"Lou's ex-husband showed up trying to get her back. He was telling her how much he misses her and how he wants to take care of her. He asked her to go back to Virginia with him."

"What did Lou say?" Caroline asked, pausing mid bite.

"She basically told him to fuck off, but he's staying through the weekend so he can try to convince her some more."

"Do you think she would go back? I mean, he is Carly's father, do you think that would have some sway for Lou?"

I swiped my hand over my forehead and through my hair, feeling one hundred different emotions.

"What is it?" Caroline asked, always able to read me.

"It's Carly. She's mine."

Caroline's stared at me for a moment not saying anything. Then she leaned back in her seat, and blew out a huge breath. "Wow, Carson. You mean the night you met her she got pregnant? That's... Wait... How are you feeling about all this?"

I dropped my head, setting my fist down on the table harder than I should have and causing the silverware to rattle. "I'm thrilled and excited and yet I feel like I've been duped. It's the best feeling in the world and the worst all at the same time."

My entire relationship with Lou hinged on honesty between the two of us but come to find out, she was hiding something huge from me. I suppose it technically isn't lying since she omitted the facts all together, but I still felt like she'd pulled one over on me.

"I get that Carson, but let me just play devil's advocate for a moment. As a mother-to-be, I can already tell you that I would do anything to protect my child from harm. I'm not saying that Lou shouldn't have told you sooner, but what did you expect her to do? You two had a one night stand and never thought you'd see each other again. She needed to take time to get to know you and find out if you were a nice and normal guy before she introduced you to her child, and even more so before telling you that you're the father of that child. What if you were unstable, or unfit to be a parent, or wanted to take Carly away from Lou? What if she just wanted to be sure she could trust you?"

"But after she realized I wasn't a stalker or something crazy, she should have told me."

"I agree that it would have been better for her to have told you sooner, but she didn't. And you can't change that now, but I'm sure she has an explanation, or maybe with everything else going on there just wasn't a good time. That's not the kind of news you just spring on someone. What did she have to say?"

I grimaced and scratched my neck. "I really didn't give her a chance to say anything. I had to get out of there."

Caroline put her fork down and glared at me. "So how did you leave things then?"

Rolling my head around on my neck to loosen the tension I leveled my eyes with Caroline's. "I just said I needed a minute to think about it. I mean, it was completely unexpected. I love Lou, and Carly, and of course I want them in my life, for the rest of my life. I just needed to get out of there and wrap my head around the fact that I'm a father. I didn't want to say or do something I'd live to regret."

Caroline shook her head at me. "So, what are you going to do now?"

Carly and Lou had become my entire world. There was no way I could let them go. I was mad at Lou for not telling me sooner but the revelation really didn't change my plans for our future together. However it did change my feelings for her. It strengthened them tenfold.

I felt that Lou was my future the moment I met her. When I found out she was married it was like a stab to the heart. Running into her again and being able to move our relationship forward was a blessing, and learning that Carly was my daughter was more than I could ever have asked for.

Lou and Carly had claimed my heart as much as I had claimed theirs. I wanted both of them for the rest of my life and there was nothing that could stop me from getting it.

"I guess I'm going to go back to the house and talk to her about it now that I've calmed down some. But I could use your help with a few things first."

"Whatever you need," Caroline said.

Chapter 40

Carson

I pulled into the driveway of my house with Caroline behind me. Lou's car wasn't in the driveway, which was probably best for what I had planned. I climbed out of the car hoping she'd be gone for a little while at least so I'd have time to get the truck unloaded.

"Hey," I said to Caroline. "Looks like she's not home right now, but I don't know how long she's going to be out for, so let's hurry up and get everything inside."

"Okay! This is so exciting!"

I opened the bed of the truck and slid out the big box that held the cherry wood crib I'd purchased earlier this evening. "Why don't you grab the bedding and whatever else you can carry. I'll come back for the changing table and the rocking chair."

Caroline grabbed as much as she could and we headed for the door and up to Caroline's old room. The sight that greeted me stopped me in my tracks causing me to lose my grip on the crib box. It slid out of my hands and crashed to the floor as I looked around the empty room.

"No," I said to myself before running to my room and finding Lou's clothes gone from my closet as well.

My first thought was that she couldn't have gone far. I tried not to panic, pulling out my phone to send her a text.

I just noticed all your things are gone. Where did you go?

"What's going on Carson?" Caroline asked, coming into my room.

"Lou's gone. All her stuff  is gone."

"Did you call her?"

I pulled out my phone and dialed her number, getting her voicemail.

"Hey, it's Carson. Please call and let me know where you are."

A moment later a thought struck me in the gut. Derek.

"Caroline, I have to go. Do what you can here while I go find her."

"No worries, I'll call in reinforcements."

I walked back out the front door, my heart pounding in my chest, and headed straight for the Marriott. I knew she'd never go back to Derek, but maybe she'd gone to talk to him.

When I arrived I practically threw my keys at the valet and raced up to the room I'd overheard Derek say he was staying in, pounding on the door.

"What is it?" Derek asked, opening the door. Then his eyes widened when he saw it was me.

"Are they here?" I demanded.

"Who?" he asked me, smugly.

"Don't fucking mess with me dude. Are. They. Here?"

Just then I heard a woman's voice from inside the room. My blood started boiling at the thought of Lou being in there, subjected to more of Derek's bullshit. I shoved the door aside and made my way into the room to find some trashy blonde laying naked in a disarray of sheets.

"Hey man, what the fuck? You can't just come barging in here like that," Derek said from behind me. "She isn't here, okay? She stopped by, but that was hours ago."

"What did she say?" I demanded.

Derek sighed. "She said we weren't getting back together. She was pretty adamant, especially after she heard Ella here talking to me."

I couldn't imagine what might have gone through Lou's head when she came here to talk to Derek and found out he had a woman in his bed mere hours after he'd been begging her to come back to him.

"You're a fucking idiot you know that? You never deserved her," I told him.

"Oh yeah, and I guess you're just her Prince Charming then, willing to take her on, bastard child and all that?"

My hand balled into a fist and I had to fight with myself not to punch him out.

"You listen to me, you sorry sack of shit. Lou is the most loving, caring, selfless person I know and she and Carly are the center of my universe. Even before I knew she was mine I loved that baby with all my heart."

Derek's eyes widened as my words sunk in. "You're Carly's father? You're the bastard that broke up my marriage?"

I laughed, finding humor in his words. "I am Carly's father, but I had nothing to do with breaking up your marriage. It was over before I ever met Lou. I'm sure she's told you that already, and I won't apologize for the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Get out," he sneered.

"Fine. But don't even
think
about trying to convince them to leave with you again, do you understand? They are
my
family, not yours," I said to him, jabbing him in the chest.

"You can have them," he said, trying to get the last word in.

I rolled my eyes at him as I stormed past him and out the door.
Douche.

After getting back in my truck I drove around town looking for her car at some of her favorite stores and restaurants, but I came up with nothing.

It was starting to get late, almost 10pm and I realized I probably wasn't going to find her that night. My pulse was pounding and I felt helpless. The last place I could think to look was Reece's place. I prayed that Lou and Carly were there with Kelly as I drove across town to his condo.

"Hey man," Reece said opening the door. "What's up?"

"I'm looking for Lou. Have you seen her?" I asked with baited breath.

"No, we haven't seen her. Hold on, let me get Kelly," he said. "Come on into the living room."

I stepped inside, shifting my weight from one foot to the next as I waited for Kelly and Reece.

"Hey Carson," Kelly said, coming down the hall, her long blonde ponytail swaying behind her. "You haven't talked to her?"

"No, I've called and texted, but she hasn't responded."

"She called me earlier."

I breathed a sigh of relief that at least Kelly had talked to her.

"What did she say?"

"She was pretty upset. She said you asked for space and she  thought it was best if she gave it to you so you'd have time to sort out what you wanted after she told you that Carly was yours."

Hearing someone else acknowledge that Carly was mine clenched at my heart. I had to get them back, and I wouldn't let anyone or anything stand in my way.

"Where did she go?"

"Virginia. She went to stay with Liz for a little while."

"Son of a bitch!" I yelled. "Why didn't she talk to me first?"

"Carson, you have to understand, as much as she wants you to be a part of Carly's life, she wants you to have a choice. She doesn't want to force you to have either one of them in your life. You asked for space, she gave it to you. It's what you wanted. It was your choice and she is trying to respect your wishes."

"God Kelly. You're ripping my heart out. I never had a choice, not from the moment I met Lou, before Carly even existed. She was always meant to be mine. I knew it from the second I saw her. And then, when she came back into my life and brought Carly with her, I never had a choice but to love her too. I never had a choice! But I never wanted one. All I ever wanted was them."

Kelly's eyes welled with tears. "That's so beautiful Carson. You two deserve each other more than any two people I know. You need to tell her what you just told me."

"Thanks Kelly," I said, giving her a hug.

I walked back to my truck feeling lighter. Lou hadn't run away, she was just trying to give me the time she thought I needed. I didn't need time to figure out that I wanted them in my life, but since I had a little, I was going to make the best of it.

Pulling out my phone I texted Lou one last time before heading home.

I talked to Kelly. I'm not mad at you Lou. I love you. Both you and Carly, and I want you to come home.

**

"Caroline?" I called, racing up the stairs to her old room.

"Hey, did you find her?" she asked stepping out into the hall. "I tried to call her too, but she didn't answer."

"They went to Virginia to see her friend Liz. I'm going to go get them first thing in the morning. I'm too exhausted to drive all that way tonight."

I heard commotion just then and stepped into the bedroom to see Eva putting together the changing table. Looking around the room I then noticed Anne Marie hanging pictures on the walls while Nick and Ben looked perplexed trying to assemble the crib.

"Coming through," I heard from behind me and moved out of the way just in time for Luke to pass through the doorway with a rocking chair.

"That's not the chair I bought," I said.

"Nope. I called Mom and when I told her what was going on she insisted that Luke pick this up on his way over. She found it in the attic at our grandmother's house over the summer. Apparently it was Mom's and Aunt Jillian's when they were kids. She remembered her father used to sit there, pull them into his lap and read them stories before bed. She thought it would be perfect for Carly to have something from her daddy's side of the family."

I choked up hearing those words from Caroline. I never doubted that my family would welcome the news that Carly was my own, but hearing it confirmed was more proof that Lou and Carly belonged with me.

"Where did all this other stuff come from?" I asked.

"When Caroline called, I ran by the shop and picked up a few things we had laying around," Anne Marie said.

"Yeah, anything for you, stud," Eva added.

Anne Marie and Eva owned a business called
Trash to Treasure
where they repurposed or refurbished furniture and other items that were donated to them, or that they found at yard sales. It was a thriving business, and from the look of some of the items they'd brought over, I could see why.

"Thank you all. I really can't thank you enough," I said, trying not to get choked up at the idea that my daughter would be coming home to a room of her own. A room she would grow up in, get ready for her prom in, and one day leave to start her own life.

"No problem Carson. We're all happy to help," Luke said, shaking my hand.

"I need to go pack a bag," I said. "Do you think you guys can take care of all of this while I go get my family back?"

"Don't worry little brother. By the time you get home, this room will be fit for your little princess," Caroline assured me.