A Good Hiding (complete)

Chapter 18

Chapter 18 - Steve

Forty five minutes after Steve called Travis he stormed into his office.

"We'll I think the door is still on its hinges, just about. What's up?" Steve joked

"She was loaded! She has millions! Stacey is going to inherit millions!"

"What? How? She was an estate agent how can she be worth millions?"

"According to the offshore accounts I found she has got three million in those, a million in her ISA, three hundred thousand in her bank and a trust fund for Stacey with another two million in that! Not to mention the house and its all frozen until Stacey turns twenty!"

"Hang on so She had all this money and yet she still worked a low paying job, lived in that small house drive that shitty car and even borrowed from us now and then, I think you may have messed up somewhere." Steve said hesitantly not wanting to piss Steve off too much.

"Messed up? MESSED UP! I did no such thing you called me and asked me to do this! You think I'm happy about all this? I thought I knew her and here I am giving you info that she was a secret fucking millionaire and not only that but.... Stacey is my daughter!" And he fell to the floor and broke down the first time since he heard about Eve's death.

"What? That's impossible you only met when she moved here Stacey was eight I think you understand that, for you to be her dad is impossible." Steve joked trying to calm Travis down he could see he was getting worked up.

"This isn't a fucking joke Steve! I'm being serious. She is my daughter and she kept her away from me all this time! Why? Why would she do that?"he yelled as he jumped up and started pacing the office for the first time since Eve Steve saw his friend looking tired and lost and he wanted to help him but he couldn't he didn't have the answers to the questions Travis was asking.

"Erm.... You are going to have to explain to me how this is even possible because I thought the first time you met her was when we introduced you at Ben's birthday party."

"We'll obviously it wasn't was it or I wouldn't have just found out I have a nineteen year old daughter!"

"So?"

"What?"

"How?"

Travis took a deep breath and began to tell Steve how he and Eve had met and the events leading up to her obviously getting pregnant.

"So let me get this straight. You were on a course in Birmingham and she was a waitress you met in a cafe. You ask her out you begin dating for the two weeks you were there, and then you leave and that's it. I still don't see how you can be Stacey's dad"

"Because we started sleeping together the second week and the first time was well a spur of the moment and we hadn't used anything but the rest of the time we did, then we swapped numbers, we really liked each other and wanted to see more so when I got home I called her two weeks later as we agreed I would do."

"Wow okay so what happened when you called?"

"Nothing she didn't answer the first ten calls then I rang once more and she picked up, she told me I was just a bit of fun and that she didn't want to see me again because long term relationships never work. I tried to change her mind, but she wouldn't listen even at the time, I thought she sounded too upset to be saying all that but I hardly knew her so I had to take her word."

He stepped away from the wall he had been leaning up against and went over to the free chair and slumped down in it.

"And then she moved here and became friends with you when I walked in that day I thought I had died and gone to heaven, I couldn't believe she was here and I could make her see how much I loved her. Yeah we were only together for two weeks but I hadn't gone a day where I didn't think about her. You always want what you can't have right? So anyways she looked as shocked as I was to see me and we got talking she agreed to go on a date and as you know we started dating again for a while and then she called it off again. She could have told me then and I could still have been apart Of her life, I would have still got to see some of those firsts, but she didnt."

"Shit, I'm so sorry Trav. I don't know why she did what she did but she must of had her reasons."

"I know but it still hurts like a bitch I missed my daughter, MY DAUGHTER growing up, first smile, first steps, first word everything and now she's in trouble, I could of prevented that, I could have stopped her getting hurt!" He yelled as he began sobbing.

Steve was immediately out of his chair and wrapped his arms around Travis's shoulder he needed to show him that he was there for him.

"Trav this isn't your fault, but all that you missed you can make up for there is plenty of time. Stacey won't hold it against you if you never knew she existed. She has met you and likes you. Now all we have to do is tell her."

"How do I do that? I haven't even told shelly yet! How do I do that? This is so fucked up!"

"Call Shelly now get her to come over and we will tell Stacey tonight. Did you find anything else that we can go on?"

"Yes, turns out that Eve possibly knew Jake I checked her phone records from six months before she died. There were calls to an unknown number that was linked with a major drug dealer. So I ran checks on the known associates of Jake and up pops that same number. Still in use. Well until a few days ago that is."

"So what are you saying that Eve was involved with drugs?"

"Well it would explain the money she had. And possibly the reason she broke things off with me when she moved here and we started dating again, it couldn't have been good for her buisness sleeping with a copper"

"Maybe, look don't beat yourself up about this okay. It's all fucked up but we will figure it out."

"I hope your right" Travis sighed.

"I just can't believe I have a daughter! And I already love her so much it hurts!" He choked out as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I know what you mean and just to let you know Ben will take good care of her."

"What?"

"Oh did I not say Ben has wanted to marry her since thay were kids they are finally together."

"Stacey's the one he's been hung up over all this time? Well if your son hurts my daughter I'm gonna kick his ass."

"This is so fucked up" Steve joked.

"Um you think."Travis laughed.

Now all they had to do was tell Stacey both were worried how she was going to take this bit of news.

But this was Stacey she would understand right? She would give Travis a chance to make things right. She had to.

And the pair began to plan exactly how they were going to drop this little bomb