*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. they were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much.
JOHN
As soon as Zach and I got to our hotel room I wanted to relax because we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow but Zach has other plans apparently. "John, who is that woman you were talking to downstairs?" He asks me.
"A friend from West Newbury," I answer. I'm not really sure why he is so interested.
"Did you ever go out with her because you guys seemed a little more than friendly," he asks.
"We dated for like a month. Maybe a month and a half," I say. "Why? What does it matter?" I am not sure why it matters maybe he has some underlying reason. I don't know but I really don't like to discuss Natalie with my friends.
"I was just wondering. Calm down. Why are you getting so upset?" he asks.
"I don't know. Natalie is just a touchy subject," I say. "She just broke up with me for no reason. I never knew why. She just broke up with me out of the blue. I thought everything was working out and then next thing I know we were broken up."
"Did you two ever talk after that?" he asks.
"No. She completely disappeared. This is the first time I saw her since then."
"Oh," he says. "And I assume the little girl is her daughter?"
"Yeah. I never expected her to have a daughter or a kid for that matter. She was really determined," I say. I am really shocked that Natalie is a mother. I never really expected that from her. She seemed genuinely happy so I'm happy for her but seeing her again made everything I ever felt for her come back.
"She is a pretty little girl. What do you think?"
"I think she is beautiful," I say. It's not a lie. The little girl is absolutely beautiful.
"I think she looks like her father," he says.
"How would you know? You don't even know her father," I say. There is no way he knows that little girl's father. Even I don't know her father. Zach is full of it. He is really tired. I think he needs some sleep. Just like me.
"I know her father. In fact I am pretty sure I know her father," he says sitting down on his bed.
"That guy she was with is not her father if that's who you think it is."
"It's not," he says.
"So then how do you know who her father is?"
"Because I am looking at him," he says.
"What? I am not her father. There is no way," I say. "I mean, Nat would have told me."
"Would she?" he asks.
"I think so," I say. I would hope so. I mean me being a father is pretty big news. Why wouldn't she tell me?
"Well, it looks like she didn't," he says.
"Zach, you're being ridiculous," I say. "That little girl is not mine. Natalie and I were together for a month and a half. And if I remember correctly every time we had sex we used protection."
"John, she looks JUST like you. She is the spitting image of you. She looks nothing like her mother. She has your blue eyes, your brown hair and she definitely has your mouth. Your jawline is very unique. She has it."
"My jawline is unique?" I ask. That is some pretty creepy stuff and a creepy way to word something. "Are you checking out my jawline?"
"John, you know not everyone has that jawline. That little girl is a Cena."
"I think you're crazy," I say. "I told you. Natalie would have told me."
"And if she didn't?" asks Zach.
"I know Nat and she would have told me. Becoming a mother is a big deal and becoming a father is a big deal." The more I think about it Natalie's little girl does have a pretty descriptive jawline. The only one like that that I have seen is my own. My mind starts wondering back to 8 years ago. "How old did she say she was?" I ask. I think she said 7 but I'm not 100% sure.
"7," says Zach. "When did you two break up or when did she break up with you?"
"8 years ago," I say.
"And 9 months from now would make her about 7 or 7 ½ years old," he says.
"It can't be true," I say. "There is no way. Like I said every time we had sex we used a condom because she wasn't on birth control and we were very safe about it."
"Did the condom ever break?" he asks, "because I am telling you that little girl is YOUR daughter. There is no denying."
"No the condom never broke," I say. "We always used a condom," I say and then I remember the first time we had sex together. We were both drunk, I stuck it in without a condom and then put a condom on. It couldn't be possible that ONE time made that child. There is no way. Is there? I am now questioning myself. "Except…"
"Except what?" he asks.
"The first night we had sex. I went in without a condom but halfway through put one on. I didn't cum or anything. I got the condom on before that."
"There is a such thing as pre-cum," he says. I forgot about pre-cum so I guess it is possible the little girl is my daughter. MY daughter it sounds so weird. I don't know.
"This is true," I say.
"And she never told you why she broke up with you?"
"Never," I say. "She never said why. She just said it would be better if we broke up. She went her way and I went mine. I tried calling her numerous times but she never answered and never called me back. I gave up after a while. I asked about her a lot though. I heard she moved away from West Newbury and never returned back. Her brothers did fail to mention her little bundle of joy to me though."
"And maybe she found out she was pregnant after you two broke up and she didn't want to tell you."
"I don't know," I say. "She should have told me. I can't get upset about this. I don't even know if she's my daughter or not."
"John, did you see her?"
"Yes I did," I say.
"She is your kid. There is not a doubt in my mind."
"But why would Natalie keep something like that from me if it is true?"
"I don't know, John. That would be a question for Natalie. Do you think she's your kid?"
"I don't' know what to think," I say. "A part of me wants to say yes but another part of me wants to say no. I know there is a possibility but does the time and ages add up. She's 7. Natalie and I broke up 8 years ago."
"Yeah. You broke up 8 years ago and the girl is 7. It is possible. What month did you break up?"
"End of March beginning of April," I say. I don't really know for sure. It was all a blur. Everything is a blur now because it is very possible that Natalie's daughter is mine. She does sort of resemble me from when I was little. Okay; who am I kidding, she is the female version of John Cena. Maybe she really is mine. I think my heart stops at the realization. I don't want to be a father. I never had any intention of being a father. I don't know if I should be angry, sad or scared right now. I don't know how to feel. What if I am a father? I don't know how to be a dad. What does this mean? What does it mean for Natalie and me? Does she want me to be there? Does she want some support? Those are the questions running through my mind. Will her daughter even want anything to do with me? What if she does? How will I be a father? What is Ashley going to say? Oh my God! Ashley is going to kill me…
"John," says Zach as he snaps me out of my thoughts. "So you broke up in March/April. I would assume she was about a month or two. So you go, March is one, April two, May three, June four, July five, August six, September seven, October eight and November nine or March could start off at two. I don't know. I'm not a gynecologist but we are looking at her possibly being an October/November baby," he says. "Does that make sense?"
"We had sex in February 8 years ago," I say.
"So then February is the first month, March is the second and so on," he says. "John, are you convinced yet?"
"I don't know," I say. The fear running through my body right now is a fear I never felt. What if she is my daughter? I don't know if I could ever look at Natalie the same ever again.
"I'm convinced. And Natalie NEVER gave you a reason to why you broke up or never answered your calls afterward? She never said anything to you?"
"Not one word, Zach. Not one. She completely cut me from her life."
"Maybe the baby is why," says Zach. "I don't know but I think you should talk to Natalie. You two need to talk. I think you two have a lot to discuss."
"You think she's still here?" I ask.
"Maybe," he says. "Go check."
"Okay," I say. I have to talk to Natalie tonight. I can't wait till tomorrow. I need to know now. I need to know if her daughter is mine. I get up off my bed and walk over to the door. I open it and walk out. I take the elevator down to the lobby. As the doors open I walk off the elevator and over to the front desk where that annoying girl is standing. I am not looking forward to talking to her. She is like a love sick teenager. "Hello," I say to her.
"Mr. Cena, is everything okay?" she asks in a panic. I wish she would relax and just treat me like a normal person.
"Yes everything is fine. I was just wondering if Natalie was still here?"
"No. She left with her daughter and our boss shortly after you went up to your room," she says. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No," I say. "Boss? She's dating her boss?"
"Yes," she says. "I think it's unprofessional but she's the boss she can do what she wants," she says. I'm getting the idea that there is some animosity between the two women.
"Okay. So will Natalie be here tomorrow?"
"Yes she will. She usually comes in around 9 after she drops her daughter off at school. I believe she works till 5 tomorrow. Are you sure there isn't anything I can help you with?"
"I'm sure," I say. "Thank-you and goodnight," I say as I turn back to the elevator.
As soon as I get back to my room I just want to rest up for the next day. I have a lot going on. I try my best to get some sleep that night but I think I end up only getting an hour because I was tossing and turning. I was having bad thoughts about being a father. I was worried about hearing Natalie say, "Yes John she's your daughter." I don't know if I can handle that.
I wake up at 7 in the morning. I take a shower and get dressed. I run out to get some coffee and some breakfast to pass my time. I don't even know what to say to Natalie when I see her. I make my way back to the hotel around 8:45. As I am walking in Natalie is coming in the door. I stand and I wait for her. "Natalie," I say startling her from her thought.
"John," she says in her sweet voice. She is absolutely beautiful. Her dark brown eyes, her brown hair, her beautiful smile and she smells like roses. She is always beautiful. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk to you about something, Nat. Can we please go somewhere private?"
"John, just let me get settled in and then we can talk okay?"
"Okay," I say.
I wait for what seems like an eternity before she comes to get me from the couch. I follow her to a small conference room where no one is around but us. "So?" she asks. I can hear some nervousness in her voice. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Remember when we broke up 8 years ago?" I say as the words are just coming to me.
"Yes," she says pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She only does that when she's nervous. "What about it?"
"Why did you break up with me?"
"John," she says with some annoyance. "I don't want to talk about this. I told you. It wasn't going to work out."
"Fine," I say. "I have another question for you."
"What?" she asks.
"Is your daughter my daughter?" The words are out. I feel relieved but Natalie lost all the color in her face.
*A/N: So what did you think? Please review and thank-you for reading.
*Don't you just LOVE cliff hangers? ; )