Lexi, Baby (10 page)

And Layla?
Ugh!

Twenty minutes
! It only took him
twenty minutes to get me naked and he’s still inside me! On a
desk!

I’m no better than Destiny!

I squeezed my eyes shut. I refused to see
the satisfaction on his face when I started crying.

“Yeah,” he said arrogantly while pulling out
of me to stand up. “Tell me again the past doesn’t matter.”

I shot off the desk and snatched up my
clothes. I hurried to dress and as soon as I finished, I turned and
met Landyn’s eyes. All he had to do was zip up his pants and put on
his shirt. He never even fully undressed which disgusted me
further.

“Everything you just said to me was a trick,
wasn’t it? About you missing me? You just had sex with me to prove
a point, didn’t you?” I asked sadly, already knowing the
answer.

His face gave nothing away, but his words
did. “When you go home and explain this to your
Ryan
, at
least you’ll find out just how I felt six years ago when I tried to
explain things to you. Hopefully he’ll leave you like you left me,”
he said spitefully.

I felt like I was about to choke. I wrapped
a hand around my throat and nearly clawed through it just to get
the lump out.

“What?” I breathed out the question
unsteadily. He continued, “I’d bet every possession I owned that he
can’t make you lick your lips or get you off like I can. If he
could you wouldn’t have given it up so easily.”

I was going to be sick.

“You son of a bitch. I can’t believe I just
let you hurt me again,” I said in a embarrassingly tortured voice.
“I hate you.”

“Nothing new there,” he responded swiftly
and mockingly.

I fought against the tears threatening to
make an appearance. I sucked in just enough air to speak again.
“Layla and I will meet you at the park across from my complex
tomorrow at five o’clock. You can spend time with her any way you
want and I’ll keep my distance, but I will be there. Just please,
for Layla’s sake, pretend that you at least like me. I’ll do the
same.” I paused for a second trying to make sense of my chaotic
thoughts.

“Just so you know, Ryan won’t be finding out
about my sickening error in judgment. If you open your mouth,
I’ll lie
. Who would believe the asshole that everyone knows
ripped out my heart. I’ll even make sure everyone finds out that I
was pregnant when you did it too,” I sneered at him, my words
filled with bitterness.

I didn’t stay to see his reaction. I stormed
out the door.

By the time I made it to my truck after
being thrown several smirks from Landyn’s employees I was near
hysterics.

I’m such an idiot!

I was trying wildly to get the key in the
lock of my truck when two bulky arms wrapped around my body and
twisted me so my back was pushed against the truck. Landyn pressed
fully against me and rested his forehead on my shoulder; against my
neck. “Lexi, baby...” he started in his sweet, deep voice, that
held a hint of pain, but I cut off the speech that was coming and
struggled to push him away.

“Fuck off Landyn. You’ve caused me enough
pain to last the rest of my life. It
will
last the rest of
my life,” I raged. I pushed harder, but his arms only squeezed
tighter.

“Baby, I didn’t mean what I said. I want to
hate you so damn much for keeping my daughter from me. I want to
hate you for ever leaving me in the first fucking place and it
pisses me off that I can’t. Please just stop crying.”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to talk about
this Landyn, just forget it ever happened. I promise it won’t
happen again.”

He lifted his head and his expression was
that of disappointment. He stared into my eyes as his thumbs
caressed my temples. “Not five minutes ago you were calling me
‘Lan’ when I was inside you. Don’t call me Landyn again, baby.”

I gasped. “Excuse me?” I whispered,
completely stunned. I never realized I had been calling Lan. I
screwed up and my pride took a major hit.

He ignored me.

“I’ll see you and Layla tomorrow at five.
You and me, we’ll talk after.” He leaned in without warning and
gave me a deliciously wet kiss right before demanding, “No more
Ryan. Get rid of him.”

I was too distracted by the kiss, and all
that was messed up in my life to respond right away.

He started to turn and walk away, but I
grabbed frantically at his arm to stop him. “Landyn, don’t do this.
Please don’t do this. What happened in your office never should
have happened.” I got quiet for a moment; processing.

“That was just the closure we never had,” I
said gently. It was the only stupid excuse that I could think of
off the top of my head.

His response was to cup my cheeks with his
hands. “There will never be closure between us Lexi. Now that I
know about Layla, I’m never letting you out of my life, and that’s
a promise.” He dropped his hands, turned and disappeared back into
the bar.

Fuck me!

My life was a disaster and to make matters
worse, Ryan was sitting outside my apartment when I got home. He
stood as I walked up. I felt dirty.

“Sweetheart,” he greeted me as though
nothing catastrophic had happened between us. I just ignored him
and opened the front door. I really didn’t want to argue to Ryan
right now and after just having sex with Landyn, I didn’t even
deserve to be in Ryan’s presence, but I wanted to get this over
with.

He showed his true colors last night on the
phone when he had the nerve to say he wasn’t worried about Layla.
How he couldn’t care for her after two years was lost on me, but it
was a painful reality. I was no better. I just showed my true
colors by hoe-bagging it around with my baby daddy.

Ryan and I were finished as a couple so it
didn’t matter which one of us finished it first.

I walked inside and gestured for him to come
in. Once the door shut I headed for the couch and plopped down.

Ryan sat next to me which made me feel even
more uncomfortable. I didn’t want him touching me. “What happened?”
he asked, but before I could answer I heard Trish. “So! How’d
it...” her voice trailed off as soon as she rounded the corner and
saw Ryan.

“Oh. Hey Ryan, I didn’t know you were here.
I was just having a tea party with Layla... so umm.... Lex, just
call me when you’re done.” Then she took off back the way she
came.

I turned to face Ryan. “Look, we’re done. I
met with Landyn so we’re over. That was your demand, remember? Why
are you here?”

He took a deep breath and released it.
“Alexis, I just don’t like this whole situation.”

“Yeah, well neither do I. What I needed was
your support, and what I got from you was the complete opposite,” I
responded with major attitude.

He countered. “I just didn’t want you seeing
him, Lex. I’m worried about what’s going to happen between you two
and I honestly think you’re stupid enough to go back to him.
It’s making me crazy.”

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa...

“Did you just call me stupid?” I asked in a
scary whisper and narrowed my eyes.

When he answered me by shrugging his
shoulders, I raged, “What has gotten into you Ryan? You’re not even
acting like the same person!

“What did you and Landyn discuss?” he asked,
completely ignoring my comment

“We talked about Layla and how we’re going
break the news to her. We’re meeting at the park tomorrow so they
can spend time together.”

“Is that all?” he asked in a disbelieving
tone which really pissed me off even though I really didn’t have
the right to be. He had every reason not to believe me. I was so
confused. I massaged my temples.

“There’s nothing you can do about this
situation, Ry. Landyn’s obviously going to be in his daughter’s
life and I have no idea what to say to make this better for
you.”

“Just thinking about you with him infuriates
me! So while you were meeting he didn’t try to get you back? He
didn’t try anything with you?”

Ryan was too out of control for me to admit
to anything.

“No! You’re acting insane, what’s the matter
with you?”

“This is different. When we met you were
still in love with him and it took me a long ass time to get you to
trust me! I’m starting to think you were a waste of my time.”

I shook my head. This conversation was going
downhill fast and my little girl was here. “Lower your voice, Layla
is in the other room and I don’t want her to hear us,” I
demanded.

“I already told you I’m not worried about
her. Who gives a shit if she finds out that asshole’s her
father?”

I heard a tiny gasp in the distance.
Layla
.

“Get out Ryan! We’re over,” I yelled at
him.

“What?” he asked, aggressively, but I
ignored him and stood up. “Please leave.”

He stood up to me and he had fury in his
eyes. “What did you just say?” he asked.

All I could think about was getting to my
baby girl so I put my hand on his upper arm to guide him backwards.
I wanted to move him toward the front door so he would leave, but
he wouldn’t budge. “I want you to leave Ryan. Layla just heard
everything you said. Get out!”

He reached up, wrapped his hand around my
wrist and squeezed hard enough to break my grip. “I’m not leaving,
do you understand me? She’ll get over it.” His eyes were
crazed.

“Ryan, you’re hurting me. Let go.” His grip
tightened and his eyes blazed. “You’re hurting me.” I
screeched.

“Get the fuck out of here before I call the
cops!” Trish screamed from the hall. I glanced at her carefully,
too afraid of what Ryan was going to do. She was holding one of our
wrought iron lamps in her hands as a weapon.

Immediately Ryan let go and stepped back. I
started rubbing my wrist.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you Ryan,
but don’t ever come back here,” I told him.

He smiled arrogantly. “Oh, you’ll be seeing
me. Don’t think you can just string me along for two years only to
have your little girl’s piece of shit father come back in the
picture and take you away. Forget it!”

“Please just leave,” I pleaded softly.

“I’m calling the cops,” Trish threatened as
she pulled out her cell. “No need,” Ryan said and turned for the
front door. He looked back at me before walking out, “This isn’t
over.” The door slammed behind his back.

“Fuck Lex, are you okay?” Trish dropped the
lamp and ran to me. I nodded, too stunned to answer.

I wanted to drop to my knees and start
bawling, but I had to get to Layla.

“Layla!” I called out as I ran to her room.
“Baby, where are you?” I called out again, searching. I heard her
sniffles from the closet and ran to it. When I saw her, I dropped
to my knees in front of and pulled her into my embrace. She was
crying so hard.

“Shhh... Baby, it’s okay. Everything’s going
to be okay. Ryan’s gone now.” In between her sniffles she asked,
“Who was he talking about Mama? You know where my daddy is?”

Shit!

Landyn’s going to be so pissed. “Yes, baby,
I know where he is.” I said quietly.

“Ryan scared me. Does he know daddy? Why was
he calling my daddy such bad names?”

“Sweetheart, look at me.” I grasped her baby
face between my palms and when I had her full attention I went on.
“Ryan doesn’t know your daddy well enough to say bad things about
him. You’re too young to understand this now, but something
happened between your daddy and me a long time ago. When we broke
up, he had no idea you were growing in my belly. It’s very
important that you understand that your daddy knows about you now
and he wants to see you really, really bad. He wants you to like
him and eventually love him.”

“Really?” she asked curiously as she started
to cheer up.

“Yes, really. You’re going to see him
tomorrow.”

“Who is he?”

“Do you remember the man that came over the
other day and spoke to Aunt T?”

Her little face scrunched up in thought.
“Yeah, the giant. Is he my daddy?” Now she sounded thrilled. “Yes,
baby, he’s your daddy. We’re meeting him at the park tomorrow to
play. Does that sound good to you?”

“Yeah! Will he teach me to play football?” I
smiled. “I’m sure he will. Are you sure you’re okay with meeting
him?”

“I’m happy, Mama. I’ve always wanted a
daddy.” Her wistful tone and strong words broke my heart.

“I know you have baby, and Landyn will be a
good one.”
At least he better be
.

“How about we get out of the closet so we
can go play?” I needed a distraction and more than anything, so did
my princess.

She jumped up. “Okay, let’s go Mama! Hurry,
hurry! I want tomorrow to be here already.”

“Wait a minute! Give Mama some sugar!”

She threw her arms around my neck and gave
me a kiss. “I love you.”

“Love you too Mama!” she said excitedly
before running out of the room.

I considered calling Landyn that night to
warn him about the new developments, but I decided against it. I
cried myself to sleep instead.

It was five o’clock the next day and I was
sitting on one of the few benches in the park waiting for Landyn to
show up.
He better be here soon or I’m going to hurt
him
.

Layla couldn’t contain her excitement about
meeting Landyn. She begged me to come out here, but I couldn’t let
her be around when I told Landyn the news.

“Lexi,” I heard Landyn call from behind me.
I turned to watch him walk around the bench and sit down at my
side; so close his thigh touched mine. I pretended not to
notice.

“Hey,” I said softly. “Where is she? I don’t
see her on the playground,” Landyn asked.