Scripted Attraction

My Angel

Three months later, Jared was nearing the end of Thirty Seconds to Mars' European tour. Within minutes, he was to go on stage for one of their final shows, but fate had other plans. His assistant told him that Andrea was going into labor earlier than expected. He was rushed to the airport for the next flight to the states. He made it to the hospital in Los Angeles within just a few hours of his child's birth.

He was given Andrea's room number and she seemed surprised to see him. "Oh, Jared." She pressed a button on a cord that lay on her bed. "It's a girl. Lana Marie Rule." He almost winced at the notion of the child having the same middle name as Krickitt, before realizing something else. "Why doesn't she have my last name?" "Well dear, you simply weren't here-" "I'm here now!" He shouted and then cleared his throat. "If she's mine, I'd like for her to have my name." "I thought you wouldn't want the attention from the media." He was becoming infuriated. "I don't give a shit, Andrea!" They heard footsteps. "Is there a problem here?" A nurse asked. Andrea piped up, "No ma'am. Bring my baby in, please."

The same nurse carried the baby into the room in a soft pink blanket. She handed the baby to Andrea and walked out, eyeing Jared on her way. He watched from a few feet away. "I'm sorry, hon." She said to Jared, "But what's done is done. Come meet her." He walked over to the bed. He looked at the baby girl sleeping  in Andrea's arms. She was a pretty baby. "Wanna hold her?" He nodded and Andrea placed her in his arms. He had read that fathers feel an instant connection to their babies when they hold them for the first time. He didn't really feel anything. Perhaps it had to do with despising the little girl's mother.

........

Krickitt was running a tiny bit late for work, so she rushed out the door of her building. The sight before her nearly took her breath away. "Jared?" "Hey." He said, smiling at her. "What are you doing here?" "Are you not happy to see me?" He stepped forward and embraced her. She pressed her hands to his back. "No, I am! I'm just surprised." She giggled. "How are you?" She asked. "Could be better. Andrea had the baby a couple of weeks ago." "Oh, I guess congratulations are in order?" He laughed humorlessly. "I guess you could say that."

He continued, "Andrea is letting me have her this week. I feel awful because I don't feel any connection to the baby. I don't know if I'm meant to be a father. I'm not happy." His voice cracked. "My mom and Shannon are watching her now. I miss you so much." He held her face. "My angel." He whispered against her lips before kissing her softly. Krickitt melted into his arms, feeling sympathetic to him. He kissed her harder, proving his passion for her was in tact.

"Jared, I'm seeing someone." She said as she pulled away from him. He looked at her, stunned. He collected himself. "Of course you are. You're a beautiful, intelligent, and talented young woman. How stupid of me to think you were still single." He again laughed with the absence of amusement. "I'm sorry, Krickitt." "It will get better, Jared. You will watch her grow and you will love her. You'll see." She caressed his cheek. "You're always right. I'll see you around, okay?" He gave her a fake reassuring smile, and walked away down the street.

Krickitt couldn't keep her tears from falling as she watched him walking away. With every fiber of her being she wanted run after him, wrap her arms around him, and never let him go. Instead, she walked to her car. She sat in the driver's seat and slammed the door shut. She started sobbing. Just as it was getting easier to stop thinking about him, he shows up on her doorstep clearly depressed, pouring his heart out to her. She wanted her career. She and Jared has completely different lives. She didn't want to be the woman who gave up her life for a man.

But she loved him, and she hated herself for lying about someone else being in the picture. It was the only way she could think of to get him to not want to be with her. She also didn't want to be a stepmom, to Andrea's child of all people. She hated seeing Jared in the condition he was in and she wished to God she could change it. Nonetheless, she drove to work.

Jared returned home and saw his mother on the couch holding the baby, who was awake. "I think she missed her daddy." Constance said, standing up and taking the baby to Jared. He looked at the baby in his arms and smiled. His mother certainly had taken to the child like any grandmother would. She was thrilled to finally have a grandchild. "She'll probably want this." Shannon entered the room and he handed Jared a bottle.

He took the bottle and sat down, cradling the baby as he put the bottle to her mouth. The tiny girl gripped Jared's pinky as he fed her. He smiled at the heart-melting move. Yes, he had been sad, but he felt hopeful for the future with his daughter. He wished Krickitt could be there, too, but he knew he had to come to the realization that it was over and they wouldn't be visiting each other as they had promised.