Page 19 of Daddy's Good Girl

Emma nods thoughtfully, her gaze faraway for a moment.Then she turns back to me.“But did he tell you about how I grew up in Florida with my mom?And how he hardly ever saw me, except for the occasional holiday?Not even every other holiday, because my mom was a bitch and was intent on keeping me in Florida.I probably only saw Rick three or four times a year, for a few days at a time.”

I stare at my friend.

“Okay, yeah, he did mention that your mom had primary physical custody, and that he battled long and hard to be part of your life.But that’s over now, Em.You live here, he lives here, and he texts you every day.Rick is absolutely a part of your life.”

“Right,” my friend responds.“Nowhe is.But he missed out on a lot and really regrets it.Plus, I think he used to try and meet ladies when he was younger so that he could have more kids, but I don’t know what happened.It tapered off for some reason, and I can’t exactly remember why or when, but I did notice that as I got older, he stopped mentioning girlfriends, or lady friends, or anything of that type.That’s why I wasn’t that surprised when you said you met on a dating site.”

I appreciate Emma’s candor, and feel obligated to be truthful myself.

“Sweet Lies isn’t exactly a dating site,” I state in a low tone.“It’s more akin to paid companionship.It’s not like your dad and I were two people who swiped right on each other.Your father saw my profile, saw what I was offering, and paid me to spend time with him.Things took off from there.”

“So sex work,” Emma says without flinching.

“No, not sex work.Well, not exactly,” I hedge.“I was only available for platonic dates, like coffee, dinner, and movies.Of course, Ihavegotten handsy with some of my more handsome clients in the past, but your dad is the only man I’ve had full-on sex with.”

Emma continues to radiate calm.

“It’s fine.I don’t judge a woman for what she does to put food on the table, and I know you were in foster care before college, so you have a different background,” she says in a low voice.“But that gets to my point.I think my dad was dating women in the hopes of finding a second wife, but that he gave up after a while.I don’t know for sure, but that’s my feeling.”

I stare at Emma.

“Really?I mean, I know I’m biased, but Rick is a good catch.Your dad could get any woman he wants.He’s rich, handsome, and a physician, and there are tons of ladies out there.I refuse to think that he had trouble meeting someone.”

Emma shrugs.

“I don’t know.I mean, one thing is that Rick’s always been a doctor, and that means he has no time.It’s almost like he already has a wife, which is his job, and you know he was ensnared in a custody battle with my mom for years.So there’s that too.But yeah, I think my dad wanted to be arealdad, and tried to find a suitable partner for a really long time.But somewhere along the way, I think he gave up and started to use Sweet Lies to meet his sexual needs.Pretty sad, huh?”

I stare at my blonde buddy.

“It is sad.But it doesn’t excuse what he did.I mean, a placebo?Knocking me up without my consent?”

Emma immediately holds up her hands, her expression apologetic.

“It doesn’t excuse his actions at all.I just think ...well, you should talk to him, Jenna.I mean, do you want the baby?Do you want to be with my dad?”

I think for a moment.

“I’m not sure,” is my truthful reply.“I love babies, and I love children.But after what Rick’s done, how can I ever trust him again?”

Emma nods, her expression careful.

“Yeah, that’s a good point.I don’t know, Jen.Of course, I want you to be my stepmom.Is that weird to say?”she says, perking up for a moment with a playful smile.“Not that you’d be a maternal figure to me at all, but I think it’d be cool if you stayed with my dad and had a cute baby.Not that I’m biased, of course, but I’m just throwing things out there.”

I smile a little in return.

“I know,” I say in a soft voice.“But Rick betrayed me in the worst of ways, and I might never be able to get over that.I hurt so much right now that my stomach literally acts up, and it’s difficult to sleep.”

My friend looks empathetic, and nods.

“And I don’t blame you, girlfriend.Not one bit.I totally get it, and I feel what you’re going through.But what are you going to do?”

Now, it’s my turn to look away.I stare out the window of her dorm and blink hotly, tears threatening to make an appearance.My heart contracts painfully for the umpteenth time because I’ve been betrayed, and my heart literally hurts because of Rick’s actions.Of course, Emma’s background info on her dad is compelling, and gives context to the choices he made.But still, what my lover did is one hundred percent wrong, and I can’t just let it go because what would that make me?A doormat.A wimp.A loser, full stop.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” I say in a soft voice, watching as students make their way down the path outside.“But I can’t wait forever.”After all, my child is already gestating and my heart expands whenever I think of him or her.But how can we have any kind of a happy future when I can’t trust the father of my baby?

11

Rick