Chapter 38: Empire of Desire: Chapter 37

“I’m pregnant, Dad.”

I choke on the water I’ve been drinking, the splatters scattering on the table.

There are only a few things that can make a father lose his shit. Having my baby daughter, my little angel, telling me this news nearly sends me back into a coma.

We’re having dinner and she just blurted it out as if she’s talking about how much vanilla ice cream she needs for the week. No, it’s worse. She’s dead serious when she talks about vanilla ice cream. Now, she’s just apathetic—meek almost.

My little Gwen has left and there’s only the shadow of her that is left behind. She hasn’t been eating or sleeping well, and she’s constantly in this daze that I haven’t been able to reach inside of.

And it’s not for lack of trying.

I’ve been preparing her favorite green tea with vanilla, but she gets teary-eyed whenever she sees it. She barely touches any of her vanilla stuff anymore.

She didn’t even eat ice cream for a week. That’s when I knew something was really wrong. It’s possible to get a drug addict of decades to quit, but it’s not possible to separate Gwen from her vanilla obsession.

After my coughing subsides, I clear my throat. “You’re what?”

“Pregnant. I have a baby inside me. You’re going to be a grandfather.”

Whoa. Okay.

When they said I’m the best at working under pressure, they didn’t fucking mention this.

They didn’t include the little tidbit where my daughter would be fucking pregnant. At twenty. By my lowlife of an ex-friend.

I slam my utensils on the table. “That’s it. I’m going to kill that fucking bastard.”

In fact, I should’ve killed him when we first met. That way, this would’ve never happened.

Ordinarily, when I threaten Nate’s life, Gwen would get up and stop me. She’d hug me and hold my hand because she knows she calms me, but she doesn’t move from her spot and continues pushing the ham around on her plate.

“Then you’ll just leave me a widow and a single mother. Not to mention. your grandkid will be fatherless.”

My fists tighten on the edge of the table and I regret not having my Zippo with me, because this is a fucking perfect time for it.

“Is Nate the father?”

She stares up at me then, fire igniting in her eyes. I always loved that part about her, the determination and the fight. I thought she got it from me, but now that I look closely, it’s like I’m staring in her mother’s eyes.

Fuck Aspen.

Fuck her existence and for being the mother of the most precious thing in my life.

I can’t believe I fucked her once upon a time. Young me was a goddamn idiot for falling for that witch.

A hot witch, but I digress.

“Of course, he’s the father. Do you think I was two-timing him or something? You raised me better than that.”

“I didn’t mean it that way.” Though I fucking wish she did. At least then I could cut him off in a nice and simple way.

Now, it’s complicated.

My life is taking a sharp turn for the second time because of an unplanned pregnancy.

Or maybe it’s planned.

I narrow my eyes on Gwen. “How long have you been pregnant?”

“Five weeks.”

“When was your last period?”

“About six weeks ago.”

“You were on the shot. Why aren’t you anymore?”

“The date expired and I forgot about it.”

“You don’t usually forget about the date. You’re not the forgetful type.”

“I had so much on my mind, like your accident, how you almost died, and Susan coming after me. I forgot about the appointment.”

“How many tests have you taken?”

“Three.”

“How about the doctor?”

“I went to an OB-GYN.”

“Can you repeat what he or she did and said?”

“He ran a blood test and said I’m five weeks pregnant, because they detected the pregnancy hormone but I forgot its name.” She sighs. “Now, are you going to stop interrogating me like I’m a witness in court?”

I stagger in my seat, still narrowing my eyes. Usually, people can’t withstand my rapid-fire questioning. It’s how I crush my opponents since, for normal people, it takes them a long time to think of a lie.

I’ve never used it on Gwen before, but she could’ve known about it. Did she come prepared for my reaction?

“So?” She lifts her chin.

“So what?”

“Are you going to do the right thing?”

“The right thing would be to abort the baby and divorce Nate so you can live your life.”

“No!”

“Gwen, listen to me—”

“No, you listen to me. If Mom had aborted me, I wouldn’t be here, I wouldn’t have known you, and I wouldn’t have been born as your daughter. She was fourteen and had every right to want to get rid of me. She was younger than me, a damn kid, and look at how far she’s come. This is my life, my body, and I have the right to decide whether or not I want to have a baby now, ten years from now, or never. I decide what’s right for me, not you or anyone else, Dad.”

“Fine, come here.” I walk to her and pull her up by the shoulders because she’s shaking. Fucking hell. Nate was right. I am scaring her; I’m scaring the only person who’s ever meant something to me.

She starts crying as she holds on to me, and that fucking shitty feeling resurfaces.

The feeling that I might have screwed things up as a father. That when it mattered, I wasn’t there for her as I should’ve been.

“Angel, stop crying. You know I hate it.”

“I can’t.”

“Gwen…I only want what’s best for you.”

“Daddy, can’t you see?” She lifts her head and stares at me with those expressive fucking eyes that stab me in the soul.

I’ve been taking care of her for such a long time that I didn’t realize she really isn’t a kid anymore.

She’s a woman now, my Gwen, and she has feelings—lots of them, as she said.

Fuck.

When did she grow up this much? It was easier when she was young. When she used to cling to me and tell me she didn’t really need superheroes because she already has me—her own superhero that she doesn’t have to share with anyone else.

And for a long time, I truly believed I was the only one she needed, but I’m learning the hard way that she has another superhero now. One I didn’t see coming, though I really should have.

I should’ve suspected something when she started hiding and blushing around him and he tactfully avoided coming to my house.

I should’ve suspected something when she started collecting his things and forbidding anyone from touching them. I thought she only idolized Nate, I could’ve never guessed that her feelings for him would grow so deep that she’d be in physical pain due to being separated from him.

“See what?” I ask.

“He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me since you, and if you weren’t so blinded by your anger, you’d see it, too.”

“So now you’re replacing me?”

“You’re my father. He’s my husband. Neither of you can replace the other. So please, please stop hurting me, Dad. I beg you.”

Well, fuck.