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“I’m not a stalker. I didn’t even know that you were here until—” “What was it, huh? Money? Popularity? What the fuck did you expect to gain out of me?” His eyes darken, jaw clenching. “Because you really outdid yourself.”
“If you don’t believe me, you can take a test.” “I won’t be doing shit, but what you’ll be doing is getting out of my house. I swear to God, I never want to see you again,” he bitterly spits out, his words icy with rage, sending a chill down my spine.
“Don’t worry, you won’t.”
As I go to look away, our eyes lock. It’s as if he sensed me looking at him, and now we’re gazing at each other from across the club. A beat passes before I avert my eyes.
I also don’t want to turn around because I swear I can feel his eyes on me.
My friends, the alcohol, and girls aren’t enough to permanently erase her.
And I know I’m extremely fucked because I can’t stop looking at her.
Stunning isn’t enough of a word to describe how she looks.
I’ve never paid attention to the sky. Never paid attention to the colors that blend and spread vastly. Not until right now, in this very moment with Lola. She stares at the sky with awe, like it’s the first time she’s witnessing a sunset. But I stare at her like it’s the first time I’m seeing her.
“Just some girl, yet her face is tattooed on your arm,” he dryly retorts, his tone patronizing.
“Louise. My friends call me Lola. Strangers call me Louise.”
“What do you want? You told me to stay away from you, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. Actually, let’s pretend we don’t know each other. So kindly fuck off.”
“Hard to do that when you’re being careless.” She scoffs. “Careless?” “Yes, on top of being a liar, you’re being careless by being here by yourself. Do you not realize how fucking easy it is for any guy to come here and trap you? Drag you to one of those restrooms?”
“Yeah, I was careless sleeping with you. That’s for certain, but I’m not a liar. If you choose not to believe me, that sounds like a personal problem.”
“Just admit that you’re lying,” I demand. “I don’t need you to believe me, and honestly, I don’t care anymore. From now on, we’re nothing but strangers. Either way, it’s not like I ever knew you anyway.”
Our junior point guard, Theodore Jackson Kingston, also known as TJ, has a child with Louise Larson.
“Fucking bitch, that’s all these—” “Shut the fuck up,” Saint snaps and it’s the first time I’ve ever heard him sound so serious. “You don’t know if it came from her. Nowhere has it been stated that it did.”
“Don’t fucking talk about Lola. If I hear you talk shit about her, I don’t give a fuck that you’re my teammate. I’ll beat the shit out of you.”
So are you going to take a test?” I stare at him. “Are you serious?” “Yeah. I’d love to know if I’m going to be an uncle. I don’t have siblings, so I’ll never have blood nieces or nephews. This will be the closest thing to it.”
Hazel gasps loudly and then squeals like a child. “This is the Lola?” “The Lola?” Mom and Dad ask. “Lola is the girl from senior week.” I hear the giddiness in her voice. “The girl you had asked me to help you find. Oh my gosh, it’s that Lola. How did I not think of that earlier? No wonder she looks so familiar.”
“She’s not just some girl. Lola is the girl TJ got grounded for. The reason why he took the yacht without Dad’s permission. And if I remember correctly, we found the condom foil, so the baby has to be TJ’s.” I regret ever saying anything to her.
If I could, I’d slap everyone who’s talking shit.”
The thought of her makes my heart beat rapidly.
“You think you can just say enough and the comments will somehow disappear? They’re not, but don’t worry about what they’re saying about you. The majority pity you, and if they’re not feeling sorry for you, they’re just shocked you knocked up some random girl. Although the shock didn’t last long because they say it happens all the time. So don’t worry, you’ll be another guy who knocked up a girl, but me, I’m the one who ruined everything for you. I know you believe I said something, but I didn’t. You’re not worth any of this.”
Paternity Test Certificate Theodore Jackson Kingston May 26. Phoenix Larson March 6.
Conclusion: Based on our analysis, it is practically proven that Mr. Theodore Kingston is the biological father of the child Phoenix Larson.
“I want to be in his life, and I don’t want you to hate me.”
“Phoenix likes Winnie the Pooh.”
I remember thinking he looks nothing like her, and of course he doesn’t. He looks…just like me. He has everything I have while there’s not one part of him that resembles Lola.
He timidly smiles and I swear if I was looking at a picture of myself at his age, I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. The words leave my mouth before I can stop myself. “He looks nothing like you.”
I’m not sure what it is, but as I watch them, I feel the strong urge to hug them and protect them.
I reach out to him when he wobbles, but Lola lays her hand on my arm and stops me. “He’s okay.” She sheepishly smiles and removes her hand. “Sometimes he gets a little shaky but don’t worry, the worst that can happen is that he’ll fall.” My brows knit. “But if he falls, won’t he—” “He might, but he’ll learn to be careful.” She smiles at the look of confusion on my face. “I promise he’ll be okay. If we hover, he’ll become too dependent on us.” Us.
I think you won him over with the bear.”
“Absolutely not! It’s like saying Beetlejuice three times. The last thing I want to do is summon the devil.”
“We could live five hours away from each other and it still wouldn’t make a difference. Come on, let me take you,”
Maybe it’s desperate, but I just want her to stop avoiding me. I know why she does it, and I understand, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.
“What are you—” “God, I’m so fucking sorry.” Her eyes drop to my bouncing knee. I hate how embarrassed I get, but I push through my discomfort. “I know nothing is going to change what I said, but I just want you to know that I’m fucking sorry. If I could, I’d take everything I said back. I really would.”
I stay rooted to the ground, staring up at the pretty girl who’s flipped my world upside down.
“We’re going to be in each other’s lives forever. That’s never going to change. So I want us to get along. I want us to be friends without pretending, or whatever it is you think I want.”
I could tell her that Peaches remind me of sunsets. A vast sky with brush-like strokes of golden copper, fused with amber, and a fiery orange that makes the sky look ablaze. Maybe it’s a reflection of how I felt the last day we were together, ablaze. Burning fiercely but nothing I didn’t want to stop feeling, at least not in that moment.
But to me, she’ll always be my Peaches.
Lo, you’re stupid if you think I’m going to turn down free coffee. In this economy, I don’t think so.”
“Some of it is a little hazy, but I remember, Lola. There are just some things you never forget.”
“We’re in this for life.” He smiles. I return the smile. “We are.”
I may have absolutely no clue what I’m doing, but one thing I do know and I’m good at with all certainty is giving hugs, especially to Phoenix.
There are not enough words to describe the immense happiness I feel at this very moment or every time I come over. The serotonin that courses through my body when I see the pure joy on my son’s face as he runs to me. It’s something I never thought I’d love so much.
Seeing her smile for me and not someone else makes me feel really good.
“You prefer your coffee to be cold over hot. You really like wearing those colorful leggings and Converse. I’m certain your favorite colors are green and orange. You love Mexican food, and I bet if you could, you’d eat it all the time.”
“Your eyes, they get brighter and your smile gets bigger. I don’t know how to explain it, but your expression changes when you drink cold coffee over hot. You’re always wearing those colorful leggings and Converse. I figured you really like orange and green because you always wear them. And your eye makeup is always like a light peach color. And Mexican food is a given.”
“I genuinely love the leggings, and I’d be lying if I said your ass doesn’t look good in them. Although everything you wear looks really fucking good on you.”
