Fight For My Heart (6 page)

They shake hands and my dad sizes Vincent up and down, like he knows him from somewhere. I don’t like that either, it’s just weird, because I am starting to get a friendly vibe, and then….

“Vincent! I knew I knew you, my boy, I haven’t seen you in a while. How’s Marco? Hmm? That nut buster is always into some shit.” My dad is really happy right now, and I wish I knew why. I look between them confused and then suddenly it clicks! NOO!!!!

“No! No!” I cannot believe I didn’t see it! He’s my father’s old high school friends’ son. Why didn’t I put it together before? I think I’m sick, I run to the bathroom and throw up. I sit back against the wall opposite me and close my eyes, memories of the dark haired boy start to rush forward. I remember the laughs, him not letting Tony pick on me, riding bikes to the corner store. Us running to our favorite hide outs when we played hide and seek. No no no.

Its Vinny, we played together growing up, but haven’t seen each other since we were 8, when my mom walked out on us. This can’t be happening, all of a sudden it clicks into to Vin’s head.

“Old Man! Wow! I knew Taleah sounded familiar, but I had no idea! Baby we were definitely supposed to fall in love.” He winks at me.

This isn’t happening, not to me. I don’t want it to.

“So, let’s get out of here.” My dad says.

We pull into the parking lot of a townhouse, my dad is too giddy for his own good knowing Vincent is the father of my baby. What he doesn’t know is there is NO happily ever after in this situation. I’m not looking to be a wife, and after everything I have seen and heard about Vin, that shit is far from coming true. On the way over Vincent gave my dad his dad’s number and now Marco is supposed to meet us here.

Just on time, Vin stops my truck and we see his father looking just chipper. “My man!” Marco yells as my father exits the back of my truck. I’m taken aback by the displays of affection coming from both parties. You’d think they were brothers by the way they hug and clap backs.

As we move up the building Marco pulls me aside. “Taleah, I really am sorry I didn’t recognize you. We have been in the works with Carmen’s family for a while, but if I thought you were a prospect in Vincent’s life I would have tried to get you two together a long time ago. I am really happy about this baby now that I know who you are, I know it’s selfish to say, but you have to understand. We come from a lot of money so there are plenty of women who will use a fake pregnancy to get ahead.” He pats my shoulder and walks away.

He acts like I know where he is coming from, but really? Me?! Use a fake pregnancy? Oh, I don’t think so. I am not that type of girl to try and get ahead and if he thinks what he just said was ok he has another thing coming to him, that mother of bitch! This is about that time where I reach into my bag, but seeing as Daddy looks back at me to see if I’m following and I know he had to of heard what was just said, because he slightly shakes his head and taps his heart where I know he keeps his own problem solver holstered, I detain my inner thoughts and keep walking.

We all walk up the stairs of a really nice looking townhouse. It’s got a neighborly feel to it and I don’t know why I’m surprised. My father has only ever given me and my brother the best. I don’t know if it’s because he was hardly around when we were kids and he felt guilty or because he was the reason my mom finally had enough and left us. But, whatever the reason I never had a complaint.

When we all reach the door Cadence is basically bouncing around like a puppy waiting for you to throw a ball, I have to hold her shoulders down to make her stop. I know she’s new to all of this, but come on her own family is pretty well off. You’d think she just hit the mother lode.

We all walk into the house and I immediately fall in love. There’s a spacious living room meant for people to able to relax without it being too much, floor to ceiling windows line the living room doors leading to a beautiful backyard, there’s a kitchen with all the top of the line equipment that would be any chefs dream, I turn and head up the stairs to see there are 3 bedrooms, wow my dad set this up quick. The first bedroom looks like a mini-master bedroom huge space with more floor to ceiling windows line the whole opposite wall, the view is absolutely amazing. There’s a walk-in closet that I know Cadence will take no time at all to fill. The other side of the room has a bathroom with a built in glass shower with overhead spray, I love those kind, and there’s a deep claw foot bath tub in the middle of the floor. She’s really going to love this.

“I call dibs!” I hear Cadence yell from the closet. I can’t help but laugh. In the short amount of time I have come to know her more than I thought I would want to. She’s an amazing best friend.

I walk back into the hallway and down a little bit until I reach the next room, I’m suddenly in awe of what I find. You can tell this was a baby’s nursery. There is still stenciling on the walls of zoo animals, it was a little boys room and it was perfect. I just walk into the room and stand there taking it all in for a moment. I cannot believe this is my new life. I’m going to be the one picking these things out sooner than I wanted to, but when I look around this is what I wish I would have thought of for myself.
I feel someone watching me and I turn around; standing leaning against the door is my brother Tony. He comes over to me and just, looks down at my hand that I have been unconsciously running up and down on my flat stomach. I think he looks sad, but when he lifts his eyes he has tears brimming. I guess it’s the hormones because now my own eyes are filled with tears, too. We stand there a moment before he pulls me into a hug and then the water works really start to fall.

“I can’t believe it sis. We just got here, and I already feel like I’m losing you again. I wish I never betrayed you because then I wouldn’t feel like this is all my fault. I cannot believe you’re going to be a mom so soon.” He whispers into my ear. I rest my head against his chest and breathe in that familiar cologne and Tony smell. He’s not just my brother, but my best friend, twin, and the only person who was ever really there for me. I know he’s not saying all this in a hurtful way, but the way he’s so emotional over all of this is really too much to handle right now, I just want us to go back to where we once were.

I pull back and look into his eyes that are so much like my own. “All you can do is be here for me now. I did something dumb when I thought I was ready; I just wanted to feel something and I thought Vin would help. I didn’t plan on any of this, but this is where I am now and I can only pray to God that it was always supposed to happen. Just be here for me now and don’t worry about the past. I need your niece or nephew to know the Tony I do and I need you to be with me every step of the way on this. If you hate me I won’t be able to make it on my own.”

“Of course I’m with you all the way Te. You have me and anytime you need a midnight snack feel free to call me. Now let’s stop with the tears and get back to checking out the kick ass house, shit I may move into this room until lil nugget gets here.” He winks and puts his arm around my shoulder leading me back into the hall into the room across from the nursery.

Now HO-LY SHIT! This is the room of all rooms, I mean DAYUMMM!!! I thought Cadence had the closet of her dreams, but obviously whomever used to live here had a major clothing and shoe obsession. There glass mirrors along the walls, shelves upon shelves on one side for shoes, jewelry, and purses (seriously purses shit!), the other side is obviously for hanging clothes and there are even built in drawers for underwear and other accessories. This is a freaking queen’s dream of a closet, Cadence is going to flip her shit. I have got to get out of this space because I can already start color coordinating where to put my things and that could take quite a while. Sensing my thoughts Tony physically lifts me from the space and turns me around setting me outside the door and closing the sliding panel.

I finally, take a look at the rest of the room and I’m still gawking at the sheer size of the bed that will eventually be placed in here. I definitely need to go shopping ASAP. There’s a gray color on the walls so I already have the perfect pallet in my head that can be relaxing to fit into. I walk into the bathroom and stop in my tracks. Now that’s what you call a bath tub! It can easily sit 4 or 5 people in it. Oh how I love that my father remembered my love of long baths for hours right at this moment. There’s also a glass shower in the corner with gray and black tiles lining the walls and his and her sink with the same coloring only it has glass bowls as the setting for the sinks. I think I have died and finally realized I have hit the jack pot in bathrooms.

I finally tear myself away and turn back to the hallway and back down the stairs to see what everyone else is doing.

XoXoXoXo

After much discussion on when we will finally move into the townhouse we all head out to dinner, this time I ride in my dad’s car. I just need some space from everyone else to be able to deal with what has become of my life. I can’t help but to think about how quiet Vin had been when he looked around and walked the house without me. He never said a word to me; just silence between us. I know I shouldn’t want or care about his opinion in where I live but being as he is the father of my baby you would think he’d have something to say.

Even as his father and mine talked about old times and then how crazy it was that Vin and I had ran into each other after all these years, Vin acted like he was in a trance. He barely even looked my way. He went from being concerned when I hovered over my brother when he was about to hit him. To not caring to speak or look at me at all. Weird ass.

We finally reach the restaurant downtown and are quickly seated around the table. I take the seat next to my father and Cadence. Across from me sits Vin, Tony and Dom. I order a sprite because after all this I’m a bit queasy and not feeling like eating much. I basically pick at the appetizer not caring if I eat or not.

Vin catches my attention before looking behind me but it quickly turns to worry. I turn around and there she is no other than Carmen and her father Frank walking towards our table. Oh this gets better and better.

“Marco, can I have a word?” Frank asks. He looks around the table at everyone and then stops on me giving me an evil smile that seems to attract my father and brother’s attention as well.
“Excuse me, I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m Anthony Bryant, Taleah and Tony’s father and Marco’s old friend.” My father stands and shakes Frank’s hand. He seems to have a firm grip on Frank because I see Frank wince a bit. I look to my father’s face and see a smirk line his mouth, GO DADDY! It’s all I can do not to laugh at this situation.

“Hi, nice to meet you, too. Since you’re her father we all might as well get to know each other seeing as your daughter got knocked up by my daughter’s fiancé.” My father quickly turn to look at me and all I can do is look down at the table. I guess I should have mentioned that little piece of information, huh? But, HELL Marco should have mentioned it as well. Now that I come to think of it, neither Marco nor Vin said anything about Carmen all night. I quickly snap my head back around and look at Vin who seems to be having some type of private eye conversation with Carmen right this minute. He must feel my eyes because he looks at me then back to Carmen then back again like he doesn’t know whom to choose.

“Yes, why don’t we have a chat?” my dad is pissed now, he’s using that do not fuck with me right now voice. My brother must feel the tension because he reaches under the table and squeezes my hand into his.

“After earlier today’s revelation my daughter and I have discussed the options for which she wishes to proceed. You see my family sponsors Vincent’s fighting career and seeing as he is about to reach his maximum level as a fighter I cannot let him stray away from all the arrangements we have in store for both of our families. This has been in the works for years and I won’t stand by while your daughter taints everything we wish to accomplish.” Frank is either suicidal or just as pissed off as my father is. I look to Marco hoping for some help to diffuse this time bomb, but he looks lost. Like he doesn’t know what to do. He looks towards me and gives an apologetic smile, and I know whatever is about to go down is not going to make me happy.

“If I may…” Marco speaks up before my father can get control of his what he is sure to fire back. “I have known the Bryant family for more than half my life, and Taleah is a good girl, I don’t believe that she set out to trap or ruin Vincent’s career in any way at all. Excuse me, but the wedding is still on I never said it was off. I only wish to be a part of my grandchild’s life. Vin knows he has to step up and take responsibility for his actions and hopefully Taleah understands there are some things that must not and will not change. I’m sorry Taleah, but you have to understand this is what must be done.” He looks from my father to me to Vincent then finally back to Frank, whose sitting there grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“Bull SHIT!” Suddenly Tony is on his feet my father jumps to hold him back. “How can you continue with your fucked up ass relationship while my sister grows your baby?!!! Is that the kind of man you are?!!! Fuck this shit! Come on Te let’s get the fuck outta here. Gimme her fucking keys dip shit.” He yells at Vincent, who surprisingly just hands my keys over to him.

I get up from the table and grab Cadence’s hand on the way to kiss my father good night, Ant follows behind us not saying a word. I kiss my father then look to Marco and just smile, I guess this will always be the way it is, he’s not trying to hurt me and I’m a big girl; I knew Vin was with someone and I still laid on my back and created a life with him, without meaning to of course, but it is what it is. Before I walk away I take a glance at Vin he’s looking at me with sad eyes, but doesn’t make a move. It’s done.

When we get back to the dorm, I try to finish packing everything away. My father insisted that the Townhouse would have furniture delivered over to it in the morning. Now all I can do is wait and see what happens. I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get a say so, but he says he promises I won’t be disappointed so whatever, I guess.