Chapter 13

I get in after cursing the hell out of the damn door and prepared her food. I picked her outdoor crib and made it to the door, but my vision spurns from the amount of blood rushing to my head. What is happening to me? Why do I feel this powerless? I halted to take a breather.

Get a grip, Debby. You look like you are on fire. You cannot show him how affected you are by him. He is just toying with you, and you are falling right into his hands. You are stronger than this. Show him that two can play this game.

His intense gaze connected with mine like a radio to an antenna, and I can tell what is coming. He wants answers to the questions playing around in his head. The curiosity in his eyes makes me more nervous than I was about meeting him. He licked his lips, and I tucked mine in with my teeth as I brace myself.

"Debby."

Here we go.

"Forgive my intruding enquiry, but… How are you a single mother at such a young age?"

"I am not that young, Samuel."

"You can't be over eighteen."

"I just clicked twenty."

"That is quite young, Debs… What happened?"

I do not know the answer to give him. I have never had to answer this question before. So, I was on a hot seat regarding putting the right words in a context that would sum it up nicely without revealing too much.

"Ohm, hm… hm… because... I guess. I had sex… and got pregnant… how else do people end up as teen moms?"

He stretched forward, and I felt warm as he placed my hand in his palm, comforting me as he repeated the question.

"Why are you a single mom?"

"Um… because I got pregnant... I got pregnant." That was my weak answer.

He squeezed my hand to encourage me, and I looked into his eyes. Something about the way he is looking at me did it. It is not the look of pity I am used to getting. His ego is not present either. Something about his eyes made me want to trust him. It is not just sheer curiosity shining in them. I can see the warmth in them. So I swallowed and blew out the hostile air in my stomach.

"Her biological father was not interested in giving her the world. We would ruin his future."

His grip tightened around my hands.

"When was the last time he made contact?"

"The last time I saw him was when I was two months pregnant, and I hope it remains that way. He insists she is not his child, so she is solely mine."

Cold ran down my spine after I said it out loud. I never talk about it. My family does not push me to do so either. It is a touchy subject, so we avoid it altogether. I could feel the tears in my eyes, but I held them back. I will not break down in front of someone I just met today. I wiped the stubborn stray tear running down my cheek, and the pain in his eyes is as clear as day. Keep it together, Debby.

More tears drowned my eyes, and I looked up to keep them locked in.

"So, you have been doing this on your own?" His eyes searched mine in hopes of a different answer.

"Yes…"

"Fuck." His face squeezed painfully, and he ran a hand over his face repeatedly.

"It is not as bad as you think. Sam is an angel, so she makes it easy for me."

His grip tightened around my hand with unadulterated anger radiating from his body, and I squeezed his right back to calm him because he looks as if he is about to burst into flames.

"For the loving love of God, who is insanely stupid enough to abandon a wonderful girl like you whilst you were pregnant with his child?"

"The answer is Martin."

"Martin? What a douche name for such a dickhead. Fucking bastard!"

"Cheers to that."