Prologue

The drinks begin to flow, and I'm taking shots like they're water.

"Get me two beers." Nik orders a waitress with a cheeky grin. He eyes her chest and she gives me a wink, and then him. I appraise her for a moment and lick my lips in appreciation.

"Actually, make that four!"

"You're already fucking hammered, you need more?"

"My brother, it's a celebration. That's what you told me, at least. And you and I both know it isn't truly a celebration unless your cock is being sucked and you're wasted."

He laughs loudly and shakes his head, "I'll second that." The waitress shimmies back over and hands us our drinks. "Cheers then, you old fuck."

"I'm 25, back off."

We sit in silence for a moment, sipping our beers and eying the room with pure hunger. Nik nods at a few scantily-clad girls that pass by, giving them his signature grin. Our nights to go out were becoming more and more rare, but I considered this a top priority. It was also my birthday, and why wouldn't I want to spend my birthday with my best friend?

"That girl over there could bring me to my knees." he says with a smirk, bringing me out of my thoughts. He motions to a blonde in the corner who's shaking her ass like it's on fire. She catches my eye and gives me a little coy grin before turning and laughing with her friends. I smile and bring the beer to my lips.

"She seems like a winner for the night." I say with a lick of my lips. I finish the remaining drops of beer and slam it onto the table.

Bodies move and grind to the music, the whole club practically thumping. While I don't dance-at all- I do appreciate watching girls like the one ahead of me do it. I glide over and give her a smile that no one can resist.

"Do you want to dance?" Such a typical opener.

"No." I say honestly.

Skipping the dirty details, we make it outside the club, laughing at how tipsy we both are. She smiles seductively at me and then pushes me against the wall. "You," she starts, gyrating her hips against mine, immediately getting me hard, "are really hot." She giggles and I bury my face in her neck.

Her hands travel across my chest, scraping before she attaches her lips to mine. She tastes like...fruity drink and mint, which isn't bad at all. I kiss her back with equal fervor, running my hands up and down her back before cupping her ass in my hands. She lets out a little moan and I bite down a little on her lip.

Without any coercing at all, she willingly reaches for the button to my jeans. I give a look around, still sober enough to know I didn't want any perverts getting a free show, and put my hands in her hair. She runs her hand over my dick, giving a squeeze and bites down on her lip.

"Is this okay?" She asks me. I try not to smirk. I nod at her and she falls to her knees in front of me.

She pulls my cock out from it's confines and right before she puts her lips around me, my fucking phone rings.

Great.

If it's Nik, I'm going to murder his ass.

"Hey, hold on a second." I awkwardly reach down to my jeans and pull my phone out, trying not to answer angrily.

Which is hard to do, you know? I'm sexually frustrated.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Jacob Salvatore?"

I furrow my eyebrows and bite on my lip. "Who's this?"

"This is Stacy from Child Services. Is this Mr. Jacob Salvatore?"

And I already fucking know. Just because I have the worst luck in the world, I can basically taste the next words on her mouth.

So I've got this girl on her knees in front of me who gets up, because she's pissed I'm not paying any attention to her, and then I've got another girl on the phone with me trying to tell me something I know isn't true, and I'm still hard as a fucking rock.

And it's my birthday.

"Yes." I breathe, closing my eyes.

"Okay, well-"

"I don't have any fucking kids."

The woman's tone changes and she practically snarls the next few words at me.

"Be at our offices at twelve tomorrow, Mr. Salvatore."

Couldn't she have said please?

Chapter 1: I'm Your Dad!

"It's the most ridiculous bullshit I've ever heard."

"You wear a condom, don't you?" Matt says, poking his hands in my chip bag. I shake my head.

"Every time."

"Well, take a paternity test."

"I am."

"But," Bonnie says in a patronizing tone, "what if it's yours." She lets her black hair fall over her shoulder in waves as she gives me that little smile; it's the smile that says you're fucked.

I glare at her. "It's not. Aren't you supposed to be on my side? You're supposed to be my friend."

"Exactly. I'm looking out for you. This could potentially be yours." She said it with a laugh that displayed just how much she was enjoying this.

"It's not." I snarl, defiantly.

"It could be."

"But it's not, Bennett."

"But it could be, and what if it is?"

What if it is? I'd fucking be a dad then. I'd have to man up, I guess. I wasn't putting it up for adoption and abandoning it. If it was mine, then I'd own up to it. I wouldn't do what my dad did to me.

But it isn't mine.

I'm so particular about those things. I always wrap it up; there are no exceptions. I wasn't as promiscuous as my friends made me out to be, but when I was I made sure I was safe. I'd maybe fuck a girl every two weeks? If that. And it wasn't like I used them. They never really thought it was going anywhere either. I never picked up a girl from the library or something and made her swoon or anything. I was always clear about my intentions.

"When do you have to be out there?"

"She said twelve. Fuck, I don't even want to go."

"If you know it's not yours, then just go." Matt says simply, eating his sandwich hungrily. I glared at him too, and he shrugged, a piece of lettuce falling from his mouth.

I shake my head, "I'm wasting hours going to this little shit meeting or whatever. I need the money." I tell him with a sigh.

"You've never even used a sick day."

"That's because-like I said-I need the money. This shit hole barely pays enough to pay my rent and phone bill."

They nod in understanding and Bonnie leans toward the clock. "It's going on 11:30."

This is such bullshit.

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Salvatore." I nod and look around the place.

"We have your daughters things, you can pick her up to-"

"She isn't my daughter."

The woman in front of me's face turned to steel and she gave a tight lipped smile. "Mr. Salvatore, I assure you she is yours."

"How old is she?"

"One month."

"Only one fucking month?"

"Watch your mouth." she regards, messing around with some papers. "Her birth certificate clearly states that you are her father."

"Yeah, that's believable."

"If you're asking for a paternity test, then be my guest." I lean back with a satisfied smirk. "But there's a little girl in a home right now, being passed around random people and will continue to do so until her dad picks her up. So I ask you to have a little respect for her mother who passed away, and take up on your responsibility."

A little shocked at the death of her mom and at how easily she made me feel like an ass, I scratch at my jaw. "What's her mom's name?"

"Lexi Branson."

Lexi? Of course.

I'd been wanting to fuck Lexi since last year when I met her at Nik's birthday party. After months of endless teasing, she gave in to me...right around the time this baby would've been conceived. Suddenly, I didn't feel as confident as when I first walked in.

"How did she...you know."

"Die?"

"Yeah." I mutter, kind of sadly because Lexi was a cool girl. I was sort of upset when she didn't keep in touch.

"Car accident."

"Got you." I say with a nod. "She doesn't have any other relatives?"

"No, Mr. Salvatore, none that were very happy with her, at least."

I sit for a moment, staring at Stacy and her staring back at me with small blue eyes. She glares at me for a couple seconds and then doesn't for the next and I wonder if she's crazy or if I am.

"Well, do I just go get her?"

"Yes, and we'll perform a paternity test."

"Can I get her tomorrow?"

She doesn't seem to pleased with the answer but nods anyway, "You can."

I don't even know about babies.

I don't know how to hold them, or what they eat, or what they like, or how to take care of one or anything. At all.

I press a little harder on the pedal and adjust the car seat next to me with my left hand. Babies couldn't sit in the front of the car, could they? I didn't fucking think so, either.

My muscle car accelerates and I let out another breath. Just fuck my life. What was this little girls name anyway? I guess I need to pick up some baby food too? The only thing I had at my house was pizza rolls and alcohol.

When I reach the little building, my stomach turns into knots. I'm not nervous to meet this baby. It's just a baby; it probably doesn't even know what's going on right now. Let's face it, in twenty years she won't remember half this shit anyway.

Good thing, too.

It was an adoption center, and why they kept her here was beyond me. I didn't like it. Several kids peered up at me longingly and my chest pounded a little harder. I used to be one of those kids. I used to wait, and wait, for some asshole to come and pick me up, even if it were just for a night. I hated that place.

I felt for these kids. I gave them my least creepy smile and opened up the doors to the building.

God, it smelt bad.

A woman approached me with a happy smile. "I'm Rebekah, how can I help you today?"

I awkwardly tug at my hair, unsure how to deal with any of this. "I'm Jacob Salvatore."

Her eyes light up and she nearly squeals. "I could just tell! You look just like little Nellie!"

Nellie? Huh.

It wasn't that bad.

I decide against getting defensive and denying the baby as mine, and instead just give her a shaky smile. She grins at me and hands me some papers. "You need to sign these, and then we'll go wake her up from her nap. Such an adorable little thing."

"Is she?" I blandly ask, scribbling my signature on random papers. Rebekah feeds right into my attention and goes on and on about the baby, smiling and gesturing about what she looks like whenever she eats.

"She loves banana. Adores it, actually. Do you?"

"Yeah." I say offhandedly, "banana is okay."

Then I start shaking a little and tap my foot. I hand her back the papers and let out a gust of air. She eyes my expression and continues on. "She's so adorable, you're going to love her. I'm so sorry about her mother." she says honestly.

I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack and she just keeps talking. I don't know if I'm ready to take this thing home with me.

"We've had couples come in and see her and they just love her."

"She's not on the market." I kind of gasp, and she gives me a weary look.

"Mr. Salvatore, are you okay?" She asks me, but she sends one of the aids to get Nellie anyway. I look at her and shake my head.

"Can I get a glass of water?" She smiles a knowing smile and then rushes off toward the little kitchen. When she returns, I take the glass and practically chug it down.

"Is it coming?"

"Nellie, Mr. Salvatore?"

"Yeah, Nellie."

"They're probably just grabbing her things." she says, watching me in amusement.

Then the aid rounds the corner with a grin, cooing at a little pink bundle in her arms. My breath catches and I bite down on my lip over and over again. Why am I acting like this?

Maybe it's because you know this child is yours, and you're going to be a dad.

The aid walks closer and I blink my eyes tightly. "Here's your daddy, Nellie." She motions for me to hold out my hands, and I awkwardly do a cradle with my arms that Rebekah quickly adjusts.

The aid carefully puts her arms in mine, and then I'm holding a baby.

I'm holding my baby.

This baby was fucking mine.

Not because she looked like me. She was only one month old, you couldn't tell who she looked like.

I could just feel that this baby was mine.

She peers up at me with blue eyes and her tiny mouth and nose scrunch up and then she mashes her little lips together. She must smell this place too.

Thank fuck she didn't cry. Instead, she nuzzled into her soft pink blanket with a contented sigh.

Words kind of fail me, so I just grab the baby bag from the aid and put it on my shoulder, still holding the baby. Rebekah watches with a silent happiness and I give her my thanks as I walk stoically out of the building.

I ignore the kids watching me because I know what they're thinking. Of course he picked the baby. They always pick the babies.

I keep her cradled in one arm and carefully open up the passenger door. I put her in the little car seat and bite on my lip. I adjust the straps and make sure everything's all locked and shit before I get in on the driver's side.

Soon, we're both in the car, and it's quiet. I look at her and notice how tiny she is.

"Alright Mini," I try the name out on my tongue, "I'm going to drive really slow."

She looks up at me curiously and mashes her lips together again. "I don't know how to f-" I pause, "do this, so just tell me if you aren't comfortable."

Nothing.

She rolls her head to the side and sighs.

Fuck my life.

"When we get home, I'm gonna have to go find you a crib. I didn't actually think you were, you know, real."

I start up the car and she gives me a little look before rolling her head to the other side. I shake my head and start my drive home. Nik and Bonnie called but I wasn't going to drive and talk on the phone with Nellie in the car with me.

I still should call my parents and my brother, but I decide to hold that hell off for another time. I knew exactly what their reactions would be. Damon was always the more favorable one, who could do zero wrong. While we were close, I couldn't help but be distanced from my 'parents'. I just don't think I was family to them. I think I was a moral obligation.

When we make it home, I cringe at my little apartment. A moving truck is outside, and a woman with brown hair is talking to the driver, gesturing wildly with her hands. A man next to her puts a calming hand on her shoulder and she shrugs him off. I couldn't see her face, but she had a nice ass. I could feel Nellie looking at me watching them.

"This is going to take a lot of getting used to." I tell her honestly.

I ignore the looks of my neighbors and grumble my way upstairs to my apartment, which is just as dingy as the outside.

"This is home." I say, dropping her bag on the floor. Mini looks up at me like she doesn't understand what I'm saying and scrunches her nose up again. "It doesn't stink." I say.

I look around at the empty beer bottles and pizza cartons. My house wasn't completely baby proof, but Bonnie was working on it, I guess.

"Are you tired, Mini?" She looks at me again. "Are you hungry? Bonnie left you some mashed peaches and diapers." I keep her in her carrier that was a gift from Matt, and put it on the couch.

"You're going to have to stay in that thing until I clean up."

Why am I talking to a baby?

I inspect the gifts from my friends: food, a shirt that said 'daddy's girl' two packs of diapers, a pacifier, and some more toys, I guess. I wasn't going to complain, because how I was going to afford this stuff regularly was beyond me.

I leave my keys on the table and decide to dress down. I pull off my shirt on my way to my room and before I can get my pants off, I hear the most awful noise ever.

She's fucking crying.

She's basically heaving over, her little mouth open so wide and her eyes squished into nothing. She screams and screams, and if I didn't know any better, I would think she was dying.

"Mini, please be quiet." She continues to scream. "Nellie, please."

She cries and cries and whimpers and so I reach for the bag of baby stuff. I grab at the pacifier and wonder if I should wash it first.

I look at her and then at the sink.

Probably.

I jog to the sink and hurriedly run the pacifier under the water for a couple of seconds. Do I just...put it in her mouth? I don't want to force her.

She cries harder.

Fuck it. I slowly ease it into her mouth, and it was like I pulled the cord on her or something. She immediately stops and garbles a little around the magic piece of plastic.

Not bothering to put on a shirt, I open up my laptop.

I needed to do a little research.