Unlike other chapters, this one is completely in present day. :)
"Louis Tomlinson, get your lazy arse out of bed, you have to get ready!" Harry pounds on the door. I look up at the suit hanging on my closet door and whine.
"You sound like my mother." I complain, throwing my duvet to the floor. Today is the court date, the day that decides whether or not I get to meet my daughter. The day I have to see Jennifer.
I dress and comb my hair. I brush my teeth and climb into my sleek black lamborghini and drive to the courthouse. I slam the door and stride inside. Sitting up front, speaking to her lawyer, is Jennifer. She looks up and catches sight of me. I study her face. Dark bags under her eyes, dull hair, make up trying to conceal the fact that she hasn't had a good night's sleep in weeks.
But that's okay. I haven't either.
The weeks have been hard, but the tour is finally over. there's no more need to pretend to be the happy, quirky, witty boy who likes girls who eat carrots.
"Louis!" Michael greets me and shakes my hand, but I don't take my eyes off Jennifer. Soon court is called to order.
****
"Mr. Tomlinson never had the chance to get to know his child. Honestly, he was never informed he even had a child, your honor." Michael argues. My eyes scoot over to Jenna. She puts her hand over her stomach, as if she was wishing my daughter was never born.
My daughter. I don't even know her damn name.
****
"Louis you should be excited! You got what you wanted, didn't you?" Harry smiles that cheeky grin at me and I can't help but smile back at him.
"When do you get to meet her?" Niall asks. I finally broke the news to the rest of the boys, and they were very supportive.
"Tomorrow afternoon." I reply.
"Louis probably wants some time alone with her at first." Liam says. I nod in agreement. Sensible Liam. Sensible Uncle Liam. God, that sounds so weird.
"So," Zayn licks his icecream cone, "what's her name?"
"Nikki." I answer, looking at the picture that sits in the middle of the table. The blue eyed, brown haired little girl looks nothing like black haired, green eyed Jenna. She looks like... me.
"I better get home," Niall grabs his coat from the hook. We all mumble goodbye, and one by one, all of the boys get up and leave. I take off my clothes and fall into bed, awaiting the next day.
"Daddy?" The little girl toddles across the expensive carpeting of my flat.
"Come on Nikki," I pick her up in her arms. She starts to cry. "Shh, Nikki, shhh."
"Where's mommy?" She screams, kicking. I pick up the phone and dial Jenna's number.
"I can't handle being a dad." I tell her. "Come get Nikki." Jennifer's laughter fills my ears.
I bolt upright. Of course, it was just a dream. I look up at the clock on my nightstand. 10:17. I get out of bed and head into the bathroom. I take a long, relaxing shower and pull on a pair of jeans and a grey tee-shirt, and then mess up my hair with gel. I pour myself some cereal and milk and eat breakfast, consulting the news on my iPad. Lots of shitty rumours about me and some chick called Serenity Grace. Sounds like a slut to me. A picture pops up on the screen
"Serenity Grace wants to chat".
'Decline' I press. I drop the cereal bowl into the sink as the doorbell rings. I walk cautiously to the door and open it up. Jenna doesn't make eye contact with me, but the little girl with brown pigtails looks up curiously.
"Daddy?" She asks, just like in the dreams.
"This is Daddy." Jenna tells her. The little girl reaches for me and I hold out my arms. She sets the little girl into them gently and Nikki wraps her tiny arms around my neck.
"Be a good girl, Nikki. Have fun with Daddy." Jenna sniffs, a tear forming in her eye. "And if you do one thing to hurt my daughter I will" her voice drops down "murder you." She swipes her bangs out of her face, turns her heel, and struts down the hall.
"Bye Jenna." I whisper, closing the door.
