Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 167

The police process the bail faster than I thought they would - though, as I consider it, I realize that I h go get Jerome.

idea how long it usually takes. Daniel gathers the car keys off the table, nodding to us after he hangs up with the police, letting us know that he's going to

ever had. But I don't have much time to think about it before Janeen tugs on my sleeve.

and call goodbyes to dad as we walk down the stairs and out the back door, heading for the beach. It's gorgeous out now, just as the sun is going down, the gives me with all of the dread building up in my body.

"Fill 'er up when you're on the way back, son," my father says to Daniel, clapping him on the shoulder on this way out. Daniel smiles and promises him that he will. I smirk as I see it, watching Daniel interact for the first time with the warm and indulgent fatherly figu "Hey," she says, her voice quiet for once. "Let's go for a walk, hmm? Maybe get something to eat?" I take a deep breath and then I nod, knowing that I need it. Janeen and I grab sweatshirts from her be sky all pink and purple and golden. I sigh as I look at it, admiring its beauty but struggling to match th "Sooo, Fayyyy," Janeen says, knocking her shoulder into mine in a familiar, sisterly way. "How's it feel t I laugh, needing it, relishing it. "Who says I'm not slutty, Janeen? After all, I've got a baby daddy, a fian "Seriously!" she interrupts, looking at me with wide eyes. Then she laughs, shaking her head at me. "V "How's it feel to be the good one for a change?" I ask, smiling a little as I look down at my feet, scuffin "Meh," she says, giving a shrug. "It's kind of boring. I want my 'slutty sister' title back."

e sister who got knocked up out of wedlock even though you're not the slutty one?"

a cop who showed up this afternoon offering to help me raise this child -" ne, sis! We raised you right!" g in the sand.

We laugh together and then we just keep walking, enjoying the breeze and the companionship. A warroth builds in me again as I look at my sister, thinking how much I love her. Everyone should have a Janeen in their life to tease them, support them endlessly, and make them laugh. She turns and smiles at me too, like she's just as grateful for me - even though I know I haven't alway But, well. I did give her a beach house.

"So," she says with a sigh, more serious now. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," I say honestly, my voice starting to shake with my emotions already. Because I have be

Janeen just nods, walking beside me, letting me have my emotions. After a while, she starts again. "Yo

I snap my head to her, frowning, but she holds up a hand to stop me.

the same for her.

king all of my emotions away for hours, and they're starting to bubble to the top now. that Ivan kid is right, in some ways."

"Give me a minute before you bite my head off, baby," she says, so I keep my mouth shut. "But," she comes, "you are free. Kent gave you this house, he gave you that money. He is away in jail and apparently in a shitload of trouble. You don't...owe him anything, Fay. Unless you want to. You understand that, right?"

I take a minute to really think about what she's saying before I answer.

"I do understand," I say quietly as I look up at her. "But..." I hesitate.

"You want him," she finishes for me, her mouth quirking a little in a sad sort of understanding.

"Yeah," I say, looking out over the ocean, perhaps realizing it as I say it. "I want him."

"So, are you guys like...together?" she asks, wanting clarity. "Like is he your...mafia boss boyfriend or something?"

"We never really talked about it," I sigh, frowning a little as we continue along the beach. "But it's definitely...something."

"Are you in love with him?" she asks quietly, and I look at her, very serious.

"Yeah," I reply simply, admitting it for the first time. "Yes, I am."

"Is he in love with you?"

And I look away from her then, not really knowing what to say. Because while I think I know...it's not really my question to answer, is it?

But I think she can tell from my expression what I mean.

Janeen slips an arm around my shoulder. "He never had a chance, baby," she murmurs, leaning in to give me a kiss on the temple. "Who wouldn't fall in love with you."

I laugh at this, not really believing her flattery but accepting the compliment nonetheless.

"So, you're keeping that?" Janeen asks, pointing to my belly.

I laugh, shaking my head a little. Because honestly - I've been thinking about it. A lot. I've always been pro-choice and really support a woman's right to make choices about her own pregnancies, but I've never thought - really - about having to...end a pregnancy myself. I've always either been a virgin or with a guy who told me - vehemently - that he couldn't get me pregnant. So, it's never been a reality for me.

But now that it is?

"Yeah," I say quietly, my voice breaking a little as tears sting my eyes. "Yup, I'm going to keep it."

Janeen takes a soft minute with me, turning me so that I look at her, making soft shushing noises and wiping my cheeks free of my tears as they fall down my face. "Hey, hey!" she says, "what's all this! No, this is a happy day! A little baby - a real cutie, probably, considering its parents!"

This just makes me cry harder, and Janeen wraps me in her arms. "What's wrong?" she murmurs, comforting me as I wrap my arms around her waist and hold her close. "What could be bad about this? This baby's got a great mom, an amazing auntie, like two guys offering to step in as dad even though its actual dad is locked up, a gay uncle, a grandpop - plus you are like, stupid rich - what could be bad??"

_"

"Kent's going to be so pissed," I murmur into her shoulder - and then I start to laugh, hard, as I realize that that's what's really bothering me, beyond everything. "Kent got a vasectomy because he didn't want any more kids - he's going to hate being a dad in his 40's "Oh well," Janeen says, pulling away from me and frowning at me, "then fuck Kent."

And something about this - probably combined with my stress, and my fear, and the insanity of these two days - has me crackling with laughter, throwing my head back and shaking with it.

"Screw him, Fay!" Janeen says, laughing too, leaning into the joke because she knows it's making me feel better. "Honestly, if he's jerk enough to knock you up and then be mad at you for being knocked up, then he doesn't deserve to have this baby! Which we're going to make super cool, by the way! I'm going to dye its hair pink as soon as it gets some."

And I nod, brushing at my cheeks with the palms of my hands, letting her put an arm around me as we turn around and start to walk back.

"It's all going to work out, Fay," she says quietly to me. "Forget about Kent's feelings for a minute. Let's worry about you. Because," she smirks at me now, "we've still got to tell dad he's going to be a grandpa."

And I groan, closing my eyes and slumping against her.

"No, it will be fun!" she says, laughing and picking up the pace, excited. "We can give him three guesses to figure out who the dad is. He'll never get it."

"Fun for the whole family," I mutter.

Hungry, Janeen and I decide to grab a bite to eat on the way home. It's dark by the time we get back to the house and we're both surprised to see the headlights of the car pulling into the driveway.

"How long were we gone?" I ask, surprised. I didn't think it could be long enough for them to get back so soon.

"Whoa," Janeen says, looking at her watch. "Like, four hours. You cried a lot more than I thought you did."

I glare and give her a shove, but she just grins at me as we walk up to the car.

"Hey, you," I say, making Jerome jump a little bit as he steps out of the driver's seat. But his face bursts into a big smile when he sees me.

"Oh hi, money bags," he says, wrapping me in a big hug as Daniel comes around the front of the car to both of us. "Thanks for the bail money." "What!" I say, glaring at Daniel. "You took it out of my account?"

"It was your call," he says, smirking at me. "I was going to let him rot in there."

I look up at Jerome, deadpan. "See? Now you have proof of who truly loves you."

"Oh, I always knew that," he says, planting a kiss on the top of my head before turning to his boyfriend.

But Janeen's already at Daniel's side, smirking up at him. "Nice of you to make your boyfriend drive the moment he gets out of jail, passenger princess."

Daniel blushes and opens his mouth to protest, but Jerome cuts in. "Oh come," he says, smirking at her. "I wasn't safe on the road with him behind the wheel. Or this one," he says, nodding down at me. "Spoiled rotten, both."

"I like you," Janeen says instantly, breaking into a sudden grin as she looks Jerome up and down. "You're mean."

He just smirks and gives her a wink, making her laugh.

"Come on," I say, rolling my eyes at all three of them and starting towards the house. "Let's go see dad - he's probably wondering where we all are."

As we come upstairs we find dad sitting in the kitchen, waiting for us, a frosty beer at his side. "Oh hey, team," he says, grinning around at all of us. But as Daniel and Jerome come into view, dad's eyes immediately go to their clasped hands. "Oh," dad says, sitting up straight and then looking Daniel right in the eye.

Realizing his mistake, Daniel blushes furiously and drops Jerome's hand. But it's too late.

Dad narrows his eyes at Daniel for a moment, putting the pieces together before he speaks. We all wait in silence.

"Well if you're with him" dad says, pointing at Jerome, "then who the hell did that?"

And to all of our shock, my dad points a single finger right at my stomach.