Notice me

CHAPTER XIV

"Tate! What the hell man! Why are you trailing that damn car?" Rory was still in shock. What was she doing here. Her name was Erica if his memory serves him right . A part of him wanted to forget the whole night and forget it even happened but he at least deserved to know the name of the woman he gave himself to.

"T that girl driving the car. I think she has something of mine" Why was this happening now of all times. Was the signs not pointing him to his Zo.

If this child that looked exactly like him proved to be his then his life would be ruined for sure. His actions had lead to a major consequence and he couldn't risk it airing out to anyone especially Beckham or Zoe. Those eyes. Those damn eyes mirrored him in every way.

The car stopped at the local sheriffs department. What was she doing there? He parked the vehicle not too far and got out watching her take the overactive toddler out of the vehicle and into her arms. She pulled him further to herself gently closing the door and walking up the sturdy wooden stairs he made himself.

Blinking back his fear he walked behind her entering the office of colleagues he hadn't seen since the incident. It felt heavy on his heart when he remembered how he shut the door in Zoe's face when she was trying to find out what happened but her safety was his priority then and if this child was his a second one— the most important.

"Is there a Rory Tate here?" Her voice wasn't shrill or annoying nor was it deep and masculine. It sounded like the average woman but not particularly one he'd find attractive.

She was a slim woman, the once thick kinky hair straightened and pinned back, her eyebrows line with body, shiny naked lips swelling her heart shaped face. Her chest was average as well as the rest of her body guarded in a flower peach button down, comfortable looking ripped jeans and sandals.

Zoe would never have her hair straightened, she always feared damaging it with heat so the most she ever did to it was faux loc it. Her lips were smooth and glossy and that was what he adored about her seeing that deep pink tang whenever she bit her lip. Her chest was small but ample— the perfect size for his hands, her stomach was smooth and flat he yearned to see it swell with his first child—"first child" he hadn't known he said that aloud until the woman turned around staring at him.

"Can we talk?" She asked looking at him with firm eyes. He nodded gesturing to his office.

Closing the door behind him he couldn't help his eyes sticking to the little boy on her lap staring back at him with just as much curiosity. He switched on the shredder placing it at the door with heaps of blank paper in it so no one could hear them speak.

"I haven't seen you since that night at the bar-"she started.

"Is he my son" he blurted. Small talk now out of the window. He needed answers.

"Yes" her head was cast down.

"How did you find me?" He changed his identity as soon as he was ruled 'dead' the last time he checked she was only a private, was she discharged like him?

"I'm a member of the pentagon now as an internal investigator, after that night I became displeased with myself when you told me that I was a mistake and what you did was wrong, I felt disgusted with myself at that time. A few months after I began to notice changes within my body and went to see a doctor but was called in" she took a breath and began again.

"It was when I was in the middle of a shoot out and my car was flipped over in the dusty sand that I saw blood leaking through my pants. A friend of mine was a resident trauma surgeon at the base and took a look. I was crowning. She helped deliver the baby that I didn't even know I was carrying. We managed to escape though my other colleagues weren't as lucky. You were the only man I slept with at that time so I knew it had to be you. I looked into the computer but you were ruled out as deceased however a member of your troupe looked into you too and I knew it couldn't have been a coincidence, I followed their web footprint and it led me back to you. I made sure to clear my searches but I think it's time you met your son his name is Kade" he looked at her with wide eyes.

If she found him through a troupe member that meant she followed Beckham. If Beckham checked my searches that meant anyone could trace him back to Ivory.

"Why am I just now seeing him"

"I was recently called in for duty back to my previous position in the army and I don't know how long i will be gone. My family had long disowned me and so I thought why not his father?" Her nervous laugh filled the room but she was only rewarded with a harsh glare.

"You think this is funny! Keeping my child from me! What if you weren't called in would you have told me I had a child! Or would he know about me when he becomes eighteen and wanted to know about me. What then!" How careless could she have been.

"I know you're upset and you have all right to be but I didn't know you were alive until a year ago plus you told me I was a mistake up until last year I thought you were dead until I investigated further. What could've possibly been my motive to see you then!"

"It's not your f****** motive it was my son's how are you even sure that he's mine. You are the only woman I've had sex with and from what I can tell I'm not your fist or last" He instantly regretted it when the little boy began to wail at the sound of yelling.

He saw her stand and began rocking him in a pulling motion but he wouldn't stop. As if on que he stepped in taking the smaller replica of him kissing his forehead and rocking him in the similar notion his mother used to. A minute passed and he was quiet, three minutes passed and his eyes started flickering between open and closed and in five minutes he was out snoring his little chest out.

"Give me his things and leave"

"You can't expect me to just stay away from my son completely" she looked angered but what right did she have to be angry with him when she was the one who kept a man from his child.

"Your job is greatly demanding and now more than ever I doubt you'll survive in a time like this at war, just leave his things with me and go until you come back" could she really trust him. Her face scrunched in trepidation.

"Don't bother wasting my time not sure if you can believe me if you came all this way just to be stupid" why was he so crass all of a sudden

"Why are you so mean" she couldn't understand.

He spun the gold ring on his wedding finger, he always had it on for no reason at all despite his mother telling its bad luck for an unmarried person to wear a wedding band on their ring finger since it'll show they'll never get married.

"The woman I love is waiting for me at home" he shrugged half lying adjusting the little boy to his body .

"Oh" she looked disappointed.

"What" this woman was leaving a horrible first impression on him.

"I thought you'd want to know the mother of your child is all" she was too naive to be a person in leadership.

"Just because you had my son doesn't mean I'll refer to you as the mother of my child. My Zo is the only woman fit for that title" scuffling past her he switched off the shredder opening the door to push her out lock by the door on his way out.

He walked out seeing judge outside the car. He opened the trunk grabbing the baby bags.

"Can you get me the car-seat please" He looked at a bewildered Danny and confused Judge shaking his head as if to ward them off from questioning him.

who was he becoming by in the span of an hour. A man searching for his enemy or an inexperienced father.

'What the hell am I doing?' He thought.

Thank you for reading💞 stay tuned for the next chapter!!! Word count:1498