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“That’s enough!” I yelled, almost spitting the words out. Holding her in my arms, I could feel Natalie’s breathing quicken, and my left shoulder had become soggy with her tears. I knew she wasn’t a confrontational person, and especially in light of earlier that evening, it seemed she was going to hold her silence, rather than fanning the flames. I would do my best to defend her.
“Natalie is my girlfriend, and I love her,” I continued. “Whether or not you make peace, that is your prerogative. But what I absolutely will not tolerate is for you to come tomyhouse—I’m sure I don’t need to remind you,Papáleft it to me in the will—and disrespect the woman I love. You want to talk aboutcommon? I don’t think anything that either of you have said tonight is very classy. In fact, I’d say it’s all rather boorish, no?” I looked down at Natalie again, feeling her more at peace; the crying had stopped. Then, looking back up, first at my mother and then at Isabella, I said, “I want you both out of here, immediately.”
They were both speechless, but it was clear neither of them would fight me on this. I saw Isabella eyeing her bags in the corner of the room, a massive lump in her throat. I took Natalie by the hand and guided her to the bedroom, not turning to look back until we reached the base of the staircase. And with that, Natalie and I left them both behind.
“I’m so sorry,” Natalie and I said, almost in unison, after I closed the bedroom door behind us.
“Me first,” I said. “Natalie, the way they treated you was unacceptable, and I hope you took none of it to heart. It’s not only untrue, but hypocritical. Isabella’s wife was a customer service worker when they met, and my mother was a waitress before she and my father met. It’s easy for them to get so caught up in their world of wealth, but that’s no excuse for their behavior. I love you, Natalie, and I’m always going to be here. Right here, right by your side, okay?”
Her eyes glistened, and I saw tears well in her eyes. She nodded, setting a few of them free. “Alright, my turn,” she said, wiping them away. “I’m sorry for the way my parents treated you. It was uncalled for, and you didn’t do anything wrong. They were projecting insecurities onto me, assuming I’m with you for your money, when we both know that’s not true. My family worries a lot about me, but, like you said, that’s no excuse. I love you, Lucas, so much, and that love isn’t conditional. Remember that, if nothing else.”
I was moved by her vicarious apology, and for a moment I felt my vision become hazy. I looked into her eyes, happy to know what we had was ours and ours alone, that we’d found each other and, despite the odds, managed to keep each other. I held her in my arms, overwhelmed by feelings of pure contentment.Natalie.My Natalie.
I felt her hands wander down my torso. Looking up, I saw the naughty smirk on her face. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” she asked, biting her lip.
Without responding, I began kissing her passionately, fumbling to unbutton my dress shirt as I did. Downstairs, I heard the front door slam shut, announcing my family’s departure, and in my excitement I began nibbling at her neck, growling playfully as I did. Natalie moaned, bringing her shoulders back to reveal her perfect breasts. Reaching under her top, I unhooked her bra and set them free, and she let out a cry as I brought my mouth to her nipples, flicking my tongue across them. She slipped off her pants and underwear, and an overwhelming sensation overcame me. Before I could restrain myself, I was throwing her onto the bed and burying my face into her pussy, tasting her sweetness as she purred with delight.
“I want it,” she said, once I’d licked her clean.
I grabbed my cock, throbbing and engorged, and slid it in. She cried out in pleasure, grabbing my ass and pulling me deeper into her. Her warmth coursed through my body, until I felt like our bodies were on fire, ablaze with our passion, and I found myself calling out her name, over and over, like my only prayer.
Natalie… Oh, Natalie…
27
The Results Are In
Natalie
A few days before the family fiasco, I’d met with Daniel, in a public place, to get a DNA sample for the mail-in paternity test and had Sophie spit into the collection tube. I told her it was “for a science project,” and luckily she hadn’t asked any questions. The following week, almost two weeks later, the results came. Daniel’s DNA, tested against Sophie’s, had a 0% probability of inclusion; in other words, Daniel was not the father. Feeling triumphant, I messaged Daniel to meet me downtown, where I hoped he wouldn’t make a scene. He replied almost immediately, and we made plans to meet in an hour. I didn’t disclose the results—maybe it was petty of me, but I wanted to see the look on his face when he found out I’d been right all along. Just to be safe, I texted Lucas as well, letting him know where and when we’d arranged to meet. He responded with a thumbs-up emoji, and with peace of mind I headed out of the apartment, paternity results in hand.
I got to the agreed-upon meeting spot—the bench across the street from the restaurant. On principle, I hadn’t gone back since they fired me, and generally tried to avoid that part of town, but Daniel didn’t know where my new apartment was, and I planned to keep it that way. I arrived a few minutes early, and instead of sitting awkwardly across from the restaurant, where I could see several of my ex-co-workers clearly through the front window, I opted to stroll up and down the street, looking vigilantly for Daniel’s truck. Within a few minutes, I spotted it. Before he had a chance to spot me I scurried back to the bench, where I sat and rehearsed what I was going to say. He parked and stepped out of the car a few moments later. I could see that he had recently shaven, and was wearing a dress shirt, and suddenly felt a surge of embarrassment for him. But I swallowed that sensation as I stood to greet him.
“Natalie, it’s nice to see you,” he said.
“Daniel,” I responded cordially.
Daniel lingered awkwardly, unsure of what to do with his arms. It seemed as if he wanted to hug me but didn’t know if it was quite appropriate. I did nothing to entertain it, and eventually they fell back to his sides, and he took a seat on the bench. I sat next to him, procuring the results letter from my purse.
“Before we get into it, I want to say something.” He took a moment to clear his throat, then continued. “I know I haven’t been the best partner, and I’m sorry, you deserve so much better, Natalie, I know that, and I want to be the one to give that to you. And now, hopefully, I can be the man you need me to be—for you, and for our daughter.”
I almost laughed but restrained myself. “Daniel,” I managed, in my most neutral tone. This was it, the moment of truth. Suddenly I forgot everything I’d planned to say, and in a panic I looked down at my lap, where the results were tucked neatly into an envelope.
“What is it, Natalie?” he asked, his voice wavering.
“Daniel, I already told you… you’re not Sophie’s father.” I lifted the envelope and pulled the document out, handing it to him in confirmation.
He took the document and scanned it thoroughly. Once his gaze reached the bottom of it, where the results were printed, I saw them shift back to the top of the page, as if he’d missed some vital fine print that called into question or outright negated these findings. When he discovered there wasn’t, he looked up at me. Something in his eyes was different.
“I don’t believe it,” he said, almost accusatorily. When I didn’t respond, he doubled down. “I can’t believe you would stoop this low, Natalie, to forge these results.”
At this point, I laughed out loud, unable to restrain myself. “Come on, Daniel, are you being serious? Think about what you’re saying… Iknewyou weren’t the father, but no, you just couldn’t accept that—you needed to have proof. And here’s your proof! And now you’re even questioning that?” I took a deep breath, unsure of what else there was to say, and was about to keep tearing into Daniel, when I noticed Lucas’s car in my peripheral vision. I exhaled a sigh of relief, turning to face the car. Daniel, noticing this, followed my gaze.
“Who’s that?” he asked, his voice dripping with disdain. He stood up.
“Lucas,” I said, offering no further explanation. I stood up, too. “Please, don’t—”
Before I could say anything, Daniel grabbed me by the shoulder rather aggressively. “Why’s he here, huh? You didn’t think you could be alone with me? Is that it?”
