Chapter 19

I had caught the earliest flight out that I could. I had just landed in LAX & I had every intention of hunting the bitch down & giving her a piece of my mind. I was not surprised when I stepped off the plan & was greeted by the flashes of the paparazzi's cameras. Word must have gotten out that I'd decided to fly back home to see my so-called "Baby Mama". She was a gold digging whore. That's all there was to it. She had told me that she wasn't able to have children, so I really didn't think she was actually telling the truth about being pregnant with my child, or any child for that matter. "Nick! Nick! Are you hear to see your baby's mother? What about Alaina & Grayson? Have you forgotten about them already?" They were yelling questions left and right, but over the years I'd learned to ignore them. I just pushed through & made my way through the airport. I'd packed everything I'd need in my carryon so I wouldn't have to worry about baggage claim. I was relieved when I saw AJ standing off to the side. I'd called him to see if he could possibly pick me up from the airport & give me a ride to where I needed to be. I had told him what had happened & he was just as pissed as I was. He'd been there through the whole Carly fiasco to begin with.

"Hey J. I'm sorry to drag you out this early."

"It's cool, man. It's something that needs to be taken care of. For the record, I just saw Carly last week in town & she sure as hell didn't look knocked up." We made our way out to his car. "And Rochelle said that she saw her out the other night with some people at a club downtown, and she sure as hell wasn't acting it either."

"That's because she's a lying piece of shit trying to ruin my life."

We got in his car & he drove me to Carly's apartment. "You want me to come up with you?" He asked me.

I shook my head. "No, I can handle it. Just wait here & I'll be back down soon." I walked inside & took the elevator up to her floor. In mere minutes I was standing outside her door. I could hear the TV on, so I knew she was home. I knocked on the door. "Carly, open up."

It took her a few minutes to come to the door. "Nick? What are you doing here?"

I pushed my way in. "I think you know."

"Uhm, actually no, I don't." She shut the door. "Please enlighten me."

"Why the fuck are you telling people you're having my baby, Carly?" I looked at her stomach. "You're clearly not pregnant. We haven't slept together in months, Carly."

She rolled her eyes. "I needed the money, so I told a few papers I was knocked up."

"Are you fucking kidding me? So to make a few bucks you're willing to not only screw up my life & Laney's life, but Grayson's as well?? An innocent little child? You are a piece of work, you know that? I'm sorry I ever fucking got involved with you in the first place."

"Look Nick, I'm sorry. It was a horrible thing to do, but what's done is done."

I shook my head. "No, Carly. YOU are going to fix this so that I can go back to Laney & tell her it was all a big misunderstanding. Do you understand me? WE are going to go on the record & let the world know what a lying whore you really are. Then after that you & I will no further contact, do you hear me?" She didn't say anything, just stood there staring. Sure, I had lost my temper a little bit, but I think it was warranted. This woman, no this immature little girl in front of me had sabotaged my life & for what? Not to get me back, no that would've been semi-understandable, but because she needed a few bucks. "I'll give you money if that's what you need, but you will fix this."

"Nick, I don't want your damn money. When I emailed you a few weeks ago you never responded, it made me angry. I didn't know what was really going on. Hell, I didn't even really know where you were or who you were with," she paused. "Then I turn on the radio yesterday to hear her....telling the world that you guys were back together & that you were her baby's father." She paused again, this time to wipe a few strays tears off her cheek. "Nick, it hurt me because I knew at that moment there was no 'getting you back'. I know how your childhood was, I know that you would never want that for your son. I knew at that moment that there was never going to be another chance for me. I had accepted that fact & had actually typed up an email to send you to say congratulations & goodbye.z88; That was when I started to receive the phone calls & emails from various radio stations & magazines. They were offering me wads of cash just for any little bit of information I'd throw at them. I'll admit, I got greedy & took them up on their offers, but I regretted it the moment it happened. All because deep down I realized the hurt I was going to cause you & your family. All because a part of me is still hopelessly in love with you."

It was a beautiful speech. I didn't know whether or not she was telling me the truth, but I felt in my heart that she was. The look of pain & regret on her face couldn't be hidden. I realized that a part of this was all my fault. I had left her to go to Laney. Anytime Laney needed me I was on the next flight out to wherever she was, whether her husband was there or not. It's always been me & Laney & I think somewhere deep inside her heart, Carly knew that. I had to admit that I felt a bit of saddness for her because not only had my entire world been turned upside down, but Carly's as well. "Carly, I never meant for any of this to hurt you. I've been so confused the past few months & well I think this is what's best. No, I know this is what's best. Laney & Grayson are where I belong. Let's just fix all of this so that we can both get on with our lives. You're young & beautiful, some man will be lucky to have you, I'm just not that man."

She nodded. "I still have the phone numbers of the magazines & stations that I spoke with. I guess I will call them back & set them straight." She walked over to her laptop, sat down & turned it on.

I went and sat next to her. "I think that would be a wise decision, Carly." For the next couple of hours, I sat there while she made all of her phone calls. Telling everyone that truth. I had called down to AJ and let him know what was going on & that I would call him when I needed him to come pick me back up. Finally, the last phone call was made & I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe, just maybe I was going to get my happy ending after all. "Thank you, Carly." I said to her as I stood by the door getting ready to leave.

She smiled & nodded. "I really am sorry. I hope that I didn't screw things up too bad with Laney."

I didn't want to tell her just how badly things had gone wrong when Laney heard Carly's bullshit being broadcasted over the airwaves, so I just simply nodded. "Have a nice life, Carly." And with that I turned and made my way out of her apartment. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted, like I could finally move on & be that family man that I so badly wanted to be now.

AJ picked me up & took me back to the airport. "You sure you don't wanna stick around for a few, Carter?"

I shook my head. "I need to take care of things with Laney now that this whole mess has been cleaned up, but I promise we'll be back out soon for a visit."

"I'm looking forward to it, bro. If you need anything at all, please call us," he said, giving me the typical 'guy hug' at the terminal gate.

"Thanks, Man. See ya." I told him as I turned and headed down the ramp to board my plance back to Virginia; my plane back to my new life.

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