CALEB
December 30th
The banging and shouting just outside my window starts to pull me out of my deep slumber making me groan as I feel the shooting pain in my head as my hangover starts to kick in. Blinking my eyes open, I bring my wrist watch close to my face, scrunching my eyes up tight to try and focus on what time it is.
Fuck, it's only just past 0700, who the fuck is arguing at the door at this time of the morning?
Pulling myself into a sitting position I rub a hand over my face and neck, accidentally kicking over the near empty bottle of rum as I do. I'm not proud of myself for turning to drink once again when times get tough. I've got to cut this shit out. Enough is enough, I don't want to go the same way as my mum did a few years back.
My attention suddenly snaps to the window, when I hear Erin's muffled voice now from outside and I start to feel concerned that something serious is going on. Standing up, I pull the curtain aside and frown when I see Erin arguing with a man who looks like a local, but not anyone that I recognise.
Even though Erin has been a fucking pain since I landed, theres no way I'm having anyone scream in her face like this. Quickly grabbing a t.shirt and some shorts, I dash out of the room and throw open the front door to find out what the fuck is going on.
Erin's face snaps to mine, she no longer looks angry, if anything she looks worried.
The man's attention also snaps onto me. "Is this him? Is this the guy you've replaced me with?" He shouts at Erin, before storming over and punching me hard in the gut.
Fucking. Hell. Who the fuck is this guy?
The wind is knocked straight out of me and I double over on instinct from a mixture of shock and the pain. However, this guy doesn't know I've had far worse hits from years of playing football, so I'm quick to recover and tackle him to the ground as he continues to throw punches at me, but I just bat them away. Now looking at him he looks to be in his late teens at max.
I'm not fighting this kid.
"What's your fucking problem man?" I yell at him as he starts to grow tired and I restrain him as he puffs and grunts in frustration.
"Erin's my woman, that's my baby!" He screams at me and I freeze.
I look up at Erin who has her hand over her mouth and tears falling down his face then back down at the kid.
"What did you just say?" I grit out.
"He's lying! Jojo, leave! I told you to leave and not come back around here!" Erin shouts and I see the kids shoulders slump and he stops resisting me, totally losing his fight.
Slowly I stand up and offer him my hand to pull him up. He slaps my hand away stubbornly and rolls to the side, getting up on his feet.
"Erin." I say cooly.
"He's a liar!" Erin bites back, but she's not convincing anyone.
"Erin please. I know you think I'm too young and can't handle this, but I'm not walking away from my baby, from you!" Jojo pleads to Erin and I'm stood literally fucking speechless. There's less air in my lungs now than when the kid just winded me in the gut.
Jojo pulls out a baby scan picture and starts to wave it around in my face, until I snatch it out of his hands and start to analyse it. "Look at the dates, aren't you supposed to be some clever professor or something. Look at those dates and tell me if that baby is yours!" Jojo pushes again.
He's right. He's fucking right. The dates from the scan that has Erin's name on it make it impossible for me to be the father.
She only fell pregnant after I'd left. Holy-fucking-shit
My body trembles with anger.
"Erin." I seethe. "How could you do this?"
Erin sheepishly looks up at me, as I raise the scan up and I see her physically gulp.
"Jojo is my best friend's little brother, after you left we fooled around a bit and I fell pregnant. But look at him, he's only seventeen, what can he provide for a baby? Nothing!" She says to him bitterly and I see Jojo's face drop. I feel truly ashamed of myself for ever seeing anything good in this cruel woman. "He's not like you Caleb, you're educated, you have wealth..."
"So all this has been a fucking sham...because you wanted my money?" I run a hand through my hair and over my face to calm myself. After all, no matter how much I hate to even look at this woman right now, she is still pregnant.
"You know what's funny Erin. If you'd just asked me for the money, I would've given you every fucking penny you asked for." I say bitterly.
I turn to Jojo who looks completely broken. "Kid, you got a car?"
Jojo nods, looking at me with confusion.
"Good. Stay here, you're dropping me off at the airport." I say as I head into the bungalow to get my stuff.
"Caleb, what are you doing? We can make this work?" Erin pleads.
I look over my shoulder with disgust. "No Erin, I'm going home to my girl."
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December 31st
New York JFK
The last 24hrs have been fucking wild.
I'm tired, jet lagged to fuck and in desperate need of a hot shower but none of that matters because I'm on my way home.
I'm on my way home back to Joanie and I'm free of Erin and all her lies.
After dropping Jojo with the equivalent of $10k for giving me a lift to the airport and if I'm honest, to help him get on his feet so he can support Erin's baby. I literally had to accept any flight out of Ghana that was heading in the right direction that wasn't full. Two flights via Europe later and what feels like a million hours of travelling, I've finally touched down at JFK.
I've got a few hours left here before I board my plane home, which should get me into San Diego International for just after 2115, thanks to the time difference.
Then It's a two hour car ride back home. It's cutting it close, but I should arrive back at about 2320...giving me just Forty minutes to stop Joanie kissing Carter Green at the stroke of midnight. Just the thought of him kissing my girl makes me cringe.
As soon as I'm checked into my next flight, I pull out my phone and dial.
"Sammy!"
"Hey man, fuck. I'm still in fucking shock with all this. Are you in New York now? Don't tell me you're still in London?" Sammy waffles and I can't help but smile at my little brother, the only one that knows I'm on my way home.
"No, I'm here, I'm in JFK. Gonna get cleaned up whilst I've a few hours to kill. Did you get my suit? Are you still coming to get me in San Diego at Nine?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be there, but listen, are you sure you don't want me to go and tell the girls? You're cutting it close man. I can not miss this night with Phoebe. I promised her I'd be there!" he says seriously.
"Sammy, I promise you we will be there before Midnight. I've not come this far to fall at the last hurdle. I want to surprise J and sweep off her feet. Not just shell shock from a call at a random airport. I wanna do this right man, I need to tell her in person."
"Fine, but if I get in trouble with my wife, I will seriously kill you man."
YOU ARE READING
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RomanceAfter fleeing from her scumbag ex and quitting college over three years ago Joanie Collins has now rebuilt her life running a little bakery back in her hometown. Happy to be alone rather than being hurt again, Joanie has built up high ice walls to p...
