Fallon // Chapter Nine

I studied him closely, taking him in. Taylor looked tired, but in a different way than I was tired. He looked emotionally exhausted, and stranger yet, he looked fragile as he stood there looking at me with blue eyes that had lost their sparkle. Whatever he needed to say, I’d hear it, but I wasn’t about to let him in my apartment without laying down the law.

“Fine, but you’re going to keep your voice down and if you talk to me the way you did yesterday, I’m throwing you out,” I said.

He nodded, deeming my rules fair, and stepped inside. With a deep breath that shuddered slightly, I closed the door behind him. Taylor went straight for the island bar, settling himself in on one of the stools, and I went to the counter to pour us two cups of the coffee I’d brewed once Fallon had woken up for the fifth time that night.

I didn’t ask if he wanted a cup, I just set it in front of him. For some reason, I thought he needed it, and when he eagerly took the mug and drank down half of it in what had to have been a tongue-scalding sip, I knew I was right.

“First of all, I apologize for the way I acted yesterday. I’m not making excuses for myself, but I haven’t been sleeping and it’s been putting me on edge,” he explained.

I didn’t tell him that it was okay, or that I understood, because I never could have been as rude to someone as he had been to me down in the mailroom. No matter what kind of stress I was under, I never could speak to someone I didn’t know that way.

When he realized I wasn’t going to say anything, he continued.

“This fall, my daughter, Maggie, started to get really sick. She kept getting urinary tract infections and had been diagnosed with acid reflux, which is really uncommon in five year olds. One day, she was complaining that her stomach really hurt, and I could feel that her stomach was hard in places. So, we took her to the doctor and found out that she has Polycystic kidney disease, which is genetic.

“Apparently, she’d been living with pain for a long time and just hadn’t said anything, because that’s how Maggie is. She may only be five, but she’s strong. She’s the kid who falls off her scooter, scrapes her leg open, and then gets mad at us when we try to make her hold still for five seconds to put a Band-Aid on her.

“But, she’d gone so long without saying anything, that the cysts on her kidneys had taken over, and she was heading straight for kidney failure. So, the doctor told us that the best option, the one that would be best in the long run, was a kidney transplant.

“The list for a deceased donor in her blood type was long, and we didn’t want to take any chances. Kenzie is diabetic and therefore at risk for future kidney issues, so there was no question that she wasn’t going to be the one to donate. I started the process of getting checked to see if my kidneys would be a good match.

“They checked my kidney function and blood type, but since I’m her father and am healthy, I didn’t anticipate any complications,” he said, letting out a bitter laugh as he finished. He took another sip of his coffee.

“What happened?” I asked, urging him on. As horrible as his story was, I didn’t see what it could possibly have to do with him being such a jerk to me about Fallon, and if I needed to encourage him to finish, I was happy to oblige.

“They told me I wasn’t a match, and it was because of my blood type. I asked what the problem was specifically, and the nurse told me that my blood type was O positive and Maggie’s is B negative, so I couldn’t donate. Obviously, I was devastated and got online and started researching kidney transplants to see if there were any other options. I came across several articles on blood type and donations, and came across a chart about how blood types are determined.

“I knew then, but I asked Kenzie anyway, she was distracted and wouldn’t really think before she gave me an answer. As she was changing our son while he was screaming one day, I asked what her blood type was, telling her it was for some insurance paperwork I was filling out. She gave me an annoyed sigh and told me that it was B positive, and then I knew I was right,” he said, his voice getting tight as he continued.

“Right about what?” I asked, though I already knew the answer. My heart sunk to my stomach as I watched him cling to his cup, staring into its dark brown depths.

“Maggie isn’t mine. I knew right then that it wasn’t possible, but one afternoon, I went to see her at the hospital while Kenzie was busy, and I told the nurse that I wanted a paternity test done. They were drawing blood out from Maggie at least once a day anyway, so it didn’t make her suspicious, and within two weeks I knew,” he said

“I’m sorry, Taylor.” He waved me off and shook his head.

“Maggie is my daughter. I’ve raised her, I love her more than anything. Nothing can change that. That’s not the real issue here,” he said, “Six years ago, I was dating Kenzie. I was in love with her. She was funny and smart and didn’t care about the fact that I was Taylor Hanson. And then she got pregnant and I didn’t give it a second thought. I asked her to marry me, and we’ve been together ever since. Six years ago, she was my world, but I wasn’t hers.

“When I confronted her about it, DNA results in hand, she didn’t cry. She got mad at me for bringing it up, like it shouldn’t matter because I love Maggie. But it does matter, because she tricked me into marrying her. She flat out told me that when she found out she was pregnant, it was either me or the personal trainer she’d been sleeping with after every session for six months. She said ‘Taylor, look at what my options were. Any woman in my position would have done the same thing,’” he told me.

“Would have chosen the famous guy with money,” I continued and he nodded.

“Max is mine, I checked,” he said, blinking heavily before fixing me with a stern gaze, “So now do you understand why I’m not jumping on board with whatever you and Isaac are doing?”

“I understand that you think I’m trying to pull one over on Isaac, but I’m not,” I said, “He was the only person I was with then and I was crazy about him.”

“I was crazy about Kenzie, too, and look where it got me. Now I’m in the middle of a divorce, and am going to the hospital every day to spend time with my daughter while she waits for a kidney transplant that she wouldn’t even need if she was actually my daughter,” he spat, setting the coffee cup down hard on the counter.

“He was the one who passed it to her?”

“Neither Kenzie or I are carriers,” he said.

“I promise you, I am not like her. I didn’t expect Isaac to even believe me, let alone want to be part of her life. I’ve been fighting him every step of the way, because I don’t take things I haven’t earned. I might be a poor girl from New Jersey, but I’m fine being one. I don’t need a famous musician to take care of me and my daughter. I can do just fine on my own and have for the last twenty-six years.”

“I still don’t believe you. I can’t, I’m sorry,” he said, looking even more tired than he had when he’d walked in. It was as if sharing his story had sucked all the bits of remaining energy from him.

“Well, I hope you’re at least willing to change your mind, because we’re not going anywhere,” I stated. He rose and started for the door.

“Now you know what my problem is,” he started, “And I have to be honest and say that if you hurt Isaac like Kenzie hurt me, I will do everything in my power to make your life a living hell. Isaac is a good person and he always sees the best in people, even if he has to make it up.”

And with that, he left, leaving me at the counter with my coffee and a headful of swarming thoughts. He had spilled his story so fast that I hadn’t really had time to process it fully. It had been a huge information dump, one so full of important information that I was happy to have some time to think things over.

Taylor’s story was horrible. I couldn’t imagine the kind of betrayal he was feeling. He didn’t need to say it out loud for me to know he was wondering if Kenzie had ever really loved him at all, because from the way he claimed she’d spoken to him when he had confronted her about the truth, I found myself wondering the same thing.

Of course he’d been mad at Isaac for believing me so blindly. The situation he was going through had started out similarly and with such terrible consequences. And of course he’d been mad at me when his anger at Kenzie was still so fresh and painful.

My anger at Taylor slipped away as I mulled things over. It still hurt that my first encounter with him had gone the way it had, but knowing what I now knew, I honestly couldn’t fault him. Having a sick child would have been enough of a stress on its own, but coupled with a crumbling marriage based on lies, it was a wonder he was functional at all. But what I found most interesting was that as my anger at Taylor diminished, a new one was building. One directed right at Isaac.

When he knocked on the door a half hour later, he was grinning and expecting me to be happy and ready for him to take Fallon away. The reality he was faced with, however, was far different. I didn’t give him a chance to ask what was wrong.

“Why didn’t you tell me about Taylor?” I asked as soon as I’d closed the hall door.

“How did you find out about that?” he countered, “Did Zac tell you?”

“No, Taylor overheard our phone conversation yesterday when I was down in the mailroom, and he confronted me. And, he just showed up here an hour ago to tell me the whole story.”

“He was here?” he asked.

“Yes.” He sighed and closed his eyes in frustration for a moment.

“Why didn’t you tell me he talked to you yesterday?” I opened my mouth to tell him that Zac had been the reason, but changed my mind and lied.

“I could tell that things are strained between you two, and I didn’t want to make things worse. I was planning to confront him about it, but he came up here before I had the chance,” I said quickly before getting back to the real point, “How could you just trust me knowing what’s happening to your brother?”

“Are you mad at me for believing you when you told me that Fallon is my daughter?” he asked incredulously.

“You’re rich and famous, Isaac. And I’m not lying when I say she’s yours, but given your circumstances, how can you afford to believe me without proof? Taylor isn’t the only one who’s going to question things,” I said.

“I can not believe you’re upset with me over this. This is just ridiculous, Julianne!” he cried.

He looked hurt, but Taylor had been right. Isaac wanted to see the good in people, and he was choosing to see good in me. I knew that if we were going to make things work and raise Fallon together, there couldn’t be any doubt in anyone’s minds that she was truly ours. Whether or not Isaac had doubts now, he might later, and I didn’t want to give that the chance to happen. I cared about him too much to let him open himself up to that kind of potential hurt, no matter how much I was offending him at the moment. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at me carefully. There was something strange in his eyes, something clouding over the warmth that usually resided in them.

“What else did he say to you?” Isaac asked.

“He just told me what’s happening with Maggie and how he found out that Kenzie had just picked him even though there was a good chance that the other guy was Maggie’s father,” I said, “I feel sorry for him, Isaac, and knowing his story makes me understand why he’s been so upset, why he hasn’t been around. I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me about it.”

“Because I didn’t want you to think that I didn’t believe you, because I do!” he exclaimed, rubbing a hand over his forehead, “I don’t understand what Taylor’s marital issues have to do with us.”

“He’s part of your family, Isaac,” I said, “Have you even told your parents about Fallon?” He lowered his eyes to the hardwood floor, tracing the wood grain with his gaze. “You haven’t told them about Fallon because of what’s happening with Taylor. Am I right?”

“My parents never trusted Kenzie,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

“We’re getting a paternity test done. I don’t want there to be any questions about it. She’s yours, and I want documented proof,” I said definitively. His shoulders slumped in defeat and he raised his gaze to look at me once more.

“Fine,” was his simple reply before heading down the hallway to get Fallon. He gathered her things and left without a word to me, but at the moment, I was so emotionally drained and physically exhausted that all I could do was lay down on the couch.

I’d had a hunch that he hadn’t told his parents about us, but hearing it from his lips had been like a dagger to the heart. On the outside, he’d seemed so genuinely happy, I’d really thought that he would have shared the news. With what was happening with Taylor, I understood why he hadn’t, but it still hurt.

I didn’t care much for being a dirty little secret.

Chapter Ten

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