In Due Time

Chapter 15

JASON'S POV

I place my keys on the white console table near the front door and slide my luggage underneath. I take in a deep breath, inhaling the lemony scents of the house. This was my favorite vacation home to visit whenever i had a lot on my mind.

"Nice of you to finally get here." my dad said coming inside from the patio out back.

"What are you doing here?" i ask icily. "How did you know i would be here?"

"Well for starters, i own the place and two my phone has been blowing up from that little camp of yours saying you just left so i figured something must've happened and your first stop wouldn't be home." he said with a smile.

"Convention." i said shortly.

"What?" he asked confused.

"It was a convention not camp." i said walking to sit on one of the red leather couches in our movie room. "And yes something did happen while i was there." i say putting my head in my hands.

"Well are you going to tell me or not?" my dad asked impatiently.

"Do you even care?" i ask staring him directly in the eyes/

"I mean, if it's a mess i have to clean up you might as well tell me now." he says nonchalantly sitting on the couch across from me and crossing his ankles.

I begin telling him everything that happened and admitted to falling for Carissa. I told him about Alice and what she'd done and then i ended with what she told me.

"Well what did you say when she told you?" my dad asked looking at me.

"Nothing, i just left." i told him shaking my head.

"Well we'll handle it. This girl you kept speaking on, if it means that much to you then make it right. Maybe i can pull some strings and get you set up with her. What did you say her name was again?" my dad asked seeming genuinely to want to help.

"Carissa." i breath out. "Carissa Carmichael."

Instantly my dad's face changes. "You've been spending all that time with a CARMICHAEL? A Carmichael of all people?" he asks angrily.

"Dad I don't understand she's really chill, she's a good person." i say confused.

"I don't care what type of person you thinks she is! That girls family is bad news for the industry. We nearly went bankrupt because of them from a little stunt that happened a few years ago." he yells. "Whatever you two had is over and i don't want to hear about her EVER again!"

"What stunt a few years ago?" i ask.

"Your little pregnant side pieces older brother did a silly thing to her a few years back and instead of them letting it go they had them ostracized meaning we also felt the heat financially from association. Big brands wouldn't even look our way that first year.I begged her father to chalk it up to petty children's drama but he just wouldn't get off of his high horse! That family thinks their better than everyone."

"That's not true. He was just a dad trying to protect his kid. They seem down to earth." i say standing.

"You don't know anything!  Speaking of dad's call your PR manager to get you a press kit ready to announce to the world that you're going to be a dad with your playmate Alice! Let's see how you do at being a dad!" he yells walking out the front door and slamming it behind him.

I sit on the couch absorbing the words my father had just hurled at me. I had to tell the world. Everyone would know. Everyone including Carissa.

Oh God. I hadn't even thought about what she would say about it or how she would feel. I definitely  would need to tell her before she found out through the media. I take out my phone and pull out my phone to call Alice.

"Helllooooo." she purrs into the phone.

"Are you sure this baby is mine?" i ask getting straight to the point.

"How dare you." she starts.

"Look, i know you and i know what you're all about. Is it mine or not? I just want you to know i'm not claiming this baby until it is proven to be mine."

"What do you mean?" she asks

"I mean let's try to keep this under raps until paternity is proven."

"You mean like a secret?" she asks slowly.

"If that's how you want to put it then yes. Precisely."

She takes a deep breath. "Ok." she says.

"Ok." i say before hanging up.

CARISSA'S POV

"Oh sweetie, i'm honestly glad you're back. It was kind of quiet around here without you." my mom says forking through her salad.

"I bet." i say adding some more brussel sprouts to my plate. 

"So what brought you back so suddenly?" my mom asks looking at me. "You sounded like you were really settling in and having a blast."

I clear my throat. "Yeah, but you know i wanted to spend time with Mel this summer too." At that moment i heard our door bell. "I got it." i say getting up.

I open the door to Mel standing there with her overnight bag. 

"I want to know all of the details from the beginning maybe you overreacted." she says walking in.

"Shhhh, after dinner." i say pointing towards the dining room.

"Ohhh, heyyy Mel! I didn't know you were coming over for dinner tonight but it's so lovely to have you here." my mom says smiling up at Mel.

"I had to come and see my girl! We don't have any time to waste." Mel says excitedly.

"I hear ya." my mom says laughing and pointing the remote towards the tv. "I know, i know. No tv during dinner time but we're eating late so technically this is my Gossip Entertainment World time." she says looking at my dad with a silly sad face.

"I'm not saying anything." he laughs while getting more mashed potatoes.

"We'll be right back after this break with breaking news on Jason Douglas, John Douglas's bad boy son!" 

"Did that tv just say, Jason Douglas?" Mel asks looking at me while fixing her plate.

"It sure did. Do you girls know of him?" my mom asks looking between the both of us.

"Uh yeah, he actually came to the convention this summer." i say shoving mashed potatoes in my mouth.

"Well i hope you weren't associating with him. His parents are trash and he's on the same exact path." my dad says with a huff.

"Honey!" my moms says giving my dad a stern look.

"What? As long as she never brings home a bloke like him i'll be proud." my dad says getting up from the table.

Mel and i look at each other and keep eating.

"Oh look it's back on." Mel says pointing to the tv.

"Earlier we learned some juicy news!" the anchor said looking into the camera with a huge smile. "Jason will be welcoming a baby with his on again off again partner Alice Moore. She shared the news earlier on Instagram along with the words "in the end true love prevails". We are so happy for these two young love birds and hope that."

"Can you turn that off?" i choke out.

"Uh, yeah sure." my mom says switching off the television. "You definitely don't need to be watching that mess anyways." she says with a small giggle.

"Right." i say picking up my plate and heading towards the kitchen. "Dinner was good, i'm going to go start unpacking i call out.

"I'm coming to help." Mel says as i hear her chair scrape the floor.

"Yeah i could definitely use you right now." i say walking up the stairs as a tear slides down my cheek.