Sequel: Move Along ›
Dirty Little Secret
Chapter 48: This Is Different
*POV Switch*
She looks at me with a puzzled look on her face. “What is it, Zacky?”
I take a deep breath, thinking of the best way to put this.
“Angel,” I hold onto her hand tightly.
The door opens and a nurse I haven’t seen before walks in with the baby in her arms. She looks older than the other nurses we’ve had filtering in and out of the room and she gives off a sweet grandmotherly vibe. From the bits of grey in her hair I’d guess she’s in her early fifties.
“Are you ready to try feeding her?” she asks Angel.
“Oh… Yeah, I guess so.”
“I’m just gonna… I’m gonna go…”
I quickly get up from my seat.
“Now you don’t have to leave, dad,” the nurse says with a smile. “You’re not planning on running out of the room every time your girlfriend feeds her, are you?”
I feel like a fucking deer in headlights.
“Uh… Of course not.”
I sit back down, averting my eyes from the scene. I'm sure Angel doesn't want me looking.
I hear the nurse give a soft laugh.
Apparently this is just fucking hilarious to her. Of course if I had just told her that I’m not Angel’s boyfriend she probably would have let me go scot-free.
Why didn’t I say that she isn’t my girlfriend? I guess it was the shock of being called ‘dad’ distracted me.
“You did a great job, mom!” the nurse exclaims.
I hope that means that Angel’s done feeding the baby.
I check and see that the coast is clear.
Angel’s cheeks look a bit red. I guess she wasn’t all too comfortable with me in the room either.
The nurse takes the baby from Angel and walks over to me.
I raise an eyebrow at her. What does she think she’s doing?
“Have you got to hold her yet?” she asks with a smile.
“No, not yet,” I reply softly.
“Would you like to?”
My eyes dart to Angel and she nods gently, encouraging me.
“Yeah, I would.”
The nurse hands her over to me.
I carefully cradle her in my arms, recalling how I held my sister Zina’s daughter.
But this is different from how it was when I held my niece. It’s an entirely different experience because this is my daughter.
I can slowly feel my world begin to change as I cradle her in my arms, knowing that I helped bring her into this world.
I gaze at the infant in my arms, taking in all the features that I couldn’t see when she was in Angel’s arms.
Her eyes are closed, her pink lips gently parted as she takes small breaths in and out. I can already see a couple freckles along the bridge of her nose. She got her freckles and her nose from Angel. She’s beautiful.
Her eyes open and I finally understand what people mean when they tell me that my eyes are mesmerizing. They stand out against her pale skin and I can tell that I’m probably going to have problems keeping boys away from her when she gets older.
“Hey there, sweetheart,” I murmur.
She coos and I smile widely.
“She loves her daddy already!” the nurse exclaims happily.
“Yeah, she does,” Angel says softly.
I look over at her and see she’s smiling.
“Now I’m sorry, dad, but this little lady’s gotta go back to the nursery,” the nurse informs me.
“Alright. Bye, sweetie,” I whisper to the baby before I give her back to the nurse.
She lets out a couple cries in protest before she calms down and goes peacefully into the nurse’s arms.
They disappear from the room, leaving me and Angel in an awkward silence. My gaze falls on her and I notice her eyes are tearing up. A tear gently rolls down her cheek.
“Hey, why are you crying?” I ask, wiping away the tear.
She sniffles. “Seeing you hold her just… God, I feel so bad for not telling you sooner!”
I lean forward, embracing her in a hug. “Shh, Angel, it’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up about this.”
“But I lied to you, Zack!” she whimpers.
She pulls away from me and looks up into my eyes, her brown eyes filled with tears. I feel a pang in my heart.
I wipe her tears away. “Angel,” I whisper softly.
She looks up at me with teary eyes. “What is it?”
“I lied too.”
She sniffles. “What did you lie to me about?” she asks, her tears slowly subsiding.
I sigh. “I haven’t been entirely truthful with you about what happened that night we slept together.”
“Oh no, don’t tell me that I really did sing Crushcrushcrush in front of everyone at the bar.”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Then what is it, Zacky?”
I take a deep breath; it’s time for the moment of truth.
“I wasn’t drunk when we slept together.”
She looks at me with a puzzled look on her face. “What is it, Zacky?”
I take a deep breath, thinking of the best way to put this.
“Angel,” I hold onto her hand tightly.
The door opens and a nurse I haven’t seen before walks in with the baby in her arms. She looks older than the other nurses we’ve had filtering in and out of the room and she gives off a sweet grandmotherly vibe. From the bits of grey in her hair I’d guess she’s in her early fifties.
“Are you ready to try feeding her?” she asks Angel.
“Oh… Yeah, I guess so.”
“I’m just gonna… I’m gonna go…”
I quickly get up from my seat.
“Now you don’t have to leave, dad,” the nurse says with a smile. “You’re not planning on running out of the room every time your girlfriend feeds her, are you?”
I feel like a fucking deer in headlights.
“Uh… Of course not.”
I sit back down, averting my eyes from the scene. I'm sure Angel doesn't want me looking.
I hear the nurse give a soft laugh.
Apparently this is just fucking hilarious to her. Of course if I had just told her that I’m not Angel’s boyfriend she probably would have let me go scot-free.
Why didn’t I say that she isn’t my girlfriend? I guess it was the shock of being called ‘dad’ distracted me.
“You did a great job, mom!” the nurse exclaims.
I hope that means that Angel’s done feeding the baby.
I check and see that the coast is clear.
Angel’s cheeks look a bit red. I guess she wasn’t all too comfortable with me in the room either.
The nurse takes the baby from Angel and walks over to me.
I raise an eyebrow at her. What does she think she’s doing?
“Have you got to hold her yet?” she asks with a smile.
“No, not yet,” I reply softly.
“Would you like to?”
My eyes dart to Angel and she nods gently, encouraging me.
“Yeah, I would.”
The nurse hands her over to me.
I carefully cradle her in my arms, recalling how I held my sister Zina’s daughter.
But this is different from how it was when I held my niece. It’s an entirely different experience because this is my daughter.
I can slowly feel my world begin to change as I cradle her in my arms, knowing that I helped bring her into this world.
I gaze at the infant in my arms, taking in all the features that I couldn’t see when she was in Angel’s arms.
Her eyes are closed, her pink lips gently parted as she takes small breaths in and out. I can already see a couple freckles along the bridge of her nose. She got her freckles and her nose from Angel. She’s beautiful.
Her eyes open and I finally understand what people mean when they tell me that my eyes are mesmerizing. They stand out against her pale skin and I can tell that I’m probably going to have problems keeping boys away from her when she gets older.
“Hey there, sweetheart,” I murmur.
She coos and I smile widely.
“She loves her daddy already!” the nurse exclaims happily.
“Yeah, she does,” Angel says softly.
I look over at her and see she’s smiling.
“Now I’m sorry, dad, but this little lady’s gotta go back to the nursery,” the nurse informs me.
“Alright. Bye, sweetie,” I whisper to the baby before I give her back to the nurse.
She lets out a couple cries in protest before she calms down and goes peacefully into the nurse’s arms.
They disappear from the room, leaving me and Angel in an awkward silence. My gaze falls on her and I notice her eyes are tearing up. A tear gently rolls down her cheek.
“Hey, why are you crying?” I ask, wiping away the tear.
She sniffles. “Seeing you hold her just… God, I feel so bad for not telling you sooner!”
I lean forward, embracing her in a hug. “Shh, Angel, it’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up about this.”
“But I lied to you, Zack!” she whimpers.
She pulls away from me and looks up into my eyes, her brown eyes filled with tears. I feel a pang in my heart.
I wipe her tears away. “Angel,” I whisper softly.
She looks up at me with teary eyes. “What is it?”
“I lied too.”
She sniffles. “What did you lie to me about?” she asks, her tears slowly subsiding.
I sigh. “I haven’t been entirely truthful with you about what happened that night we slept together.”
“Oh no, don’t tell me that I really did sing Crushcrushcrush in front of everyone at the bar.”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Then what is it, Zacky?”
I take a deep breath; it’s time for the moment of truth.
“I wasn’t drunk when we slept together.”
♠ ♠ ♠
Alright, so it was really mean of me to leave you guys with that cliffhanger, so I decided to give you guys more. I really do spoil you guys, even if I don't give you everything that you want. And I hope this doesn't count as a cliffhanger... If it does then I'm really mean because then that's two in a row. And that's not cool.I know you all still want them to get together already; I know you guys wanted him to tell her he loves her and not the fact that he wasn't drunk when they slept together; I know you want Chuck out of the picture; and I know you want her to come to her damn senses and admit she loves him. These things will come in time, at least I'm pretty sure of it.
Thanks for reading, commenting, and subscribing! I hope you guys liked the chapter and please don't kill me for not letting him tell her he loves her. It just wasn't the right moment.