Chapter 9: Where Will You Go

(Song: E.S. Posthumus - Nara)

Jacob looked up from where he was studying at his desk in his room when he heard his dad call his name. Getting up, he walked down  the hall and looked over the railing to see his dad in the foyer looking up at him.

Billy smiled up at him as he said, “The lawyers are here, with the test results from the doctor.”

“Okay, I’ll be right down.”

Billy nodded and walked back to his office as Jacob ran back to his room to put on something a little more decent than the old t-shirt and shorts he was wearing.

It didn’t take long before both Billy and Jacob were seated across from the lawyers in Billy’s office. One of the lawyers had an envelope with the documents from the doctor that Vanessa had picked to get the tests done with. As soon as everyone was ready, the main lawyer took the paperwork out and slid it across to Jacob and Billy. Both father and son looked at the top document, reading it carefully to process all of the information that the doctor had been able to gather from Vanessa’s visit.

Jacob was the first to understand as his eyes went wide with the news. He simply sat there staring in disbelief as Billy finished reading all of the information. As soon as Billy realized what he’d read, he pursed his lips and looked at his son with a bit of disgust on his face. Neither one of them said a word as the lawyers busied themselves with shuffling through other papers.

Finally one of the lawyers cleared his throat and slid more documents towards the Blacks. “We’ve already prepared more documents to conclude the proceedings now that we have the results. All we need now is your signature, young Mr. Black, then we’ll get the ball rolling to make sure both you and Ms. Roper receive the outcome we discussed before.”

Jacob nodded as he pulled the documents towards him and began signing his name wherever he saw the highlighted lines that had been marked for him. When he was done, he slid the pile back to the lawyer, who quickly made sure Jacob hadn’t missed a page before nodding to the other lawyers.

“All right, Mr. Black we’ll take these stipulations and make it legal just as we discussed. The judge has already been alerted, so it should only take a day or two to make this legal.”

Again Jacob nodded, but remained silent.

Finally Billy sighed, looked at Jacob and spoke in a low voice. “Are you sure this is what you want to do son? Once they start this process there’s no going back. No matter what happens from here on out, you have to accept this decision you’ve made.”

Jacob closed his eyes, taking a few moments to compose himself. The truth was out now and there really was no going back. All the lawyers had to do now was take the signed documents to the judge who would then put everything into effect. That meant his life would change once again, but it was something he would learn to deal with.

He knew he had no other choice.

Opening his eyes, he looked at the lawyers and gave them a firm nod. “Do it.”

All three of them gathered up their belongings before shaking hands with Billy and Jacob, then as the Blacks saw them out, one of them turned to hand Jacob a manila envelope.

“You can have this as a copy until the official one comes back from the judge. I’m sure you’ll want to go discuss matters with Ms. Roper.”

Jacob nodded as he accepted the envelope.

“Congratulations Mr. Black…and good luck.”

This time it was Jacob who pursed his lips, looking exactly like his father had moments ago.

“Thanks,” came his short reply.

He waited until they had left before bolting up the stairs to his room. Grabbing his cell phone from his desk, he hit the speed dial and tried to calm his trembling hands as he listened to the phone ring.

(Song: Nightwish - Sleeping Sun)

Please, he prayed to himself, please pick up the phone, Bells.

Her voicemail came on.

He sighed and waited for the beep before he spoke, leaving a message that he hoped she would listen to. Then he hung up and dropped the phone on his desk before he stumbled over to his bed and fell onto his stomach. He buried his face in his pillow for a few moments, letting the enormity of the situation sink in.

Slowly he turned his head and leaned the side of his face into the pillow, wishing his best friend was there so that he could hold her. He really needed her there, just to feel her warmth and to hear her soothing voice. Closing his eyes, he tried to hold back the frustrated tears, but one escaped to slide slowly down into his pillow.

****************************************

Bella waited until her phone buzzed to let her know there was a voicemail waiting for her before she picked it up. When she did, she wasn’t surprised to see that it had been Jacob who had called her. However, she was surprised that he had left a message this time.

She stared at the little voicemail icon on her phone for a few moments before finally retrieving the voicemail to listen to it. Jacob’s voice came through, sounding plaintive and hurt.

“Bells…I wish you would talk to me, honey…I…I really miss you and I…I just found out…Vanessa…” There was a sad sigh before he finished. “Just please…please call me? I need to talk to you…so badly. Please?”


The message ended.

Bella erased the message and set her phone down with a sigh. She stared at the phone wondering what had happened to make him sound like that. She knew she could get the answer if she just called him, but she still wasn’t ready for that.

She was sure what he really needed right now was a friend to talk to. Someone who would offer him comfort and support. However, she wasn’t in a place to do that for him yet. She knew she was still too hurt and too in love with him to be simply a friend. In fact, she wasn’t sure if there would ever be a time when she would be able to be just that for him ever again.

She had given him too much of herself, and most of it she could never take back. He owned her heart. Even though he had no idea about it, it was still his. Maybe someday she would tell him the truth, but now wasn’t the time. He had his life to fix and she had to try to keep living hers. There was just too much going on for her to dump the truth on him now.

She shook her head. No, she wouldn’t call him back just now. She would wait until she had a clearer head and a calmer disposition.

Yeah, that was for the best.

**************************************

Jacob stood before Vanessa’s door steeling himself for the talk he now had to have with her. He’d put it off long enough and since the call from the lawyers had come quickly after the meeting, he knew it was time to do it. Apparently it was true what they said about having the right connections and money since the judge had wasted no time at all to make everything official.

He knew Vanessa would soon get the official documents herself, but he needed to clear up some things with her before she received them. He knew the lawyers had understood when they had given him copies at the meeting the evening before. At the time, all he’d wanted was to be with Bella, but that hadn’t happened. Instead, he’d gone to sleep miserable and alone, trying not to think about having to face Vanessa.

But when the lawyers had informed him that everything was now official, he knew the time had come.

Taking a deep breath, he let it out and knocked on the door. He waited a few minutes, but heard nothing but silence. Frowning, he wondered if he should just leave and return later. He really didn’t want to deal with this. He was just about to leave when he heard the lock click and the door opened slowly to reveal a tired-looking Vanessa.

(Song: Within Temptation - Ice Queen)

Her eyes went wide as she realized it was him. “Jacob?”

Then a smile spread over her face as she threw open the door and launched herself at him. “Oh Jacob! I’m so glad you’re here! I’ve missed…”

He pushed her away from him as gently as he could, not wanting to hurt her or the baby. When she saw his pursed lips, her smile faltered.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy to see me? I knew you’d come…”

He held up his hand to stop her gushing. “We need to talk.”

Tears formed in her eyes, but she held them back and nodded, gesturing for him to walk inside.

As he stepped over the threshold, the smell of chlorine hit his nose with a vengeance. His eyes began to water, making him blink before he rubbed his eyes to clear his vision. Looking around, he noticed her condo was as spotless as usual.

In fact, it looked a little too spotless. Too clean and too uncluttered. Something was off about the place, but he couldn’t figure it out. It wasn’t until he heard her close the door and turned to look at her that he realized what was different.

The condo was pristine, but Vanessa herself wasn’t. She wore a crumpled, dirty white sundress which looked like she had worn it for days on end. Her once perfectly coifed hair hung in oily strands around her haggard face. Even her normally manicured nails were chipped and ragged, just like the once pedicured nails of her bare feet. There were dark circles under her eyes and her complexion seemed a bit washed out from her normal olive tone.

She tucked her hair behind her ear as she walked past him. “Sorry, I was cleaning the kitchen when you knocked. That’s why I took so long.”

He watched as she walked into the kitchen and picked up a sponge and spray bottle. She sprayed chlorine water on an already pristine counter and proceeded to scrub the imaginary spot away with the harsh sponge.

He frowned at her odd behavior as she glanced up at him.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” she asked.

He opened his mouth to respond, but she noticed the manila envelope and grinned.

“Oh good! You’ve got the results back from the doctor! I was wondering how long it would take!”

She threw down the sponge and bottle before grabbing the envelope.

“Does it also say what I’m having? The doc said he’d put it in there for us to see too!” She practically skipped out of the kitchen towards the living room, clearly excited to read the results.

Jacob sighed heavily as he followed her into the living room. His breath hitched when he glimpsed her bedroom through the far door. The rest of her condo was perfect, but her bedroom resembled her appearance. The bed was unmade with clothes and other items strewn haphazardly all around the room. Plus, there were many dirty dishes, empty food wrappers and takeout containers littering many surfaces throughout the area. Even the walls appeared dirty with any hanging items looking crooked or barely hanging on.

All he could do was stand and gape at the sight as she pulled the documents out of the envelope. She then tossed the envelope over her shoulder like it was an irritant fly before she began to read the results. Her eyes quickly moved over the printed words, her face beaming without shame until she reached the part that had gotten a reaction from both Jacob and his father the night before.

The smile left her face, but it was her whispered, “No!” that got Jacob’s attention. He tore his gaze away from the bedroom to see the look of shock and disbelief on her face.

She shook her head as her hands gripped the papers, making them crinkle in protest. “No!” She repeated in a shrill voice. “It’s not true! It’s wrong! He did the test wrong, Jacob! Make him give me another one!”

Jacob shook his head. “It’s not wrong Vanessa. Read it all. The doctor tested it several times and the result was always the same!”

She swallowed. “How…how can that be?”

He frowned at her. “You tell me…” He waited a beat before he added, “how could you lie to me?”

“I didn’t! I swear I didn’t!” She tossed the papers down and held her hands out to him. “Please! You have to believe me! I love you! We’re going to have a baby! I swear!”

He stepped back, avoiding her touch as he scowled at her. “You’re wrong Vanessa! We’re not having a baby! We’re not doing anything together! Ever!”

Tears began to fall down her face. “Please! Listen to me! You have to believe…it’s your son! Jacob, he’s your…”

“That is not my son! The results don’t lie Vanessa!”

“He is…Jacob…”

Jacob growled at her. “You can read the rest of the documents on your own! I’m done! You hear me! I can’t believe you would lie to me about something like that!”

“I wasn’t lying!” she cried. “I thought it was yours! He was supposed to be yours!”

Jacob’s eyes narrowed. “You planned this?”

She shook her head. “Not that way, but yes, I was trying to get pregnant by you! I thought it had worked!”

“Apparently you slipped up!” he sneered.

Her lips trembled. “It was supposed to be yours.”

Jacob closed his eyes for a second, trying to get himself under control.

“Jacob? You have to believe me…I thought he was yours.”

His eyes flew open as he glared at her. “You know, as much as people like to say that I like to chase women, I was never unfaithful to you. We may have broken up several times, but when we were together, I never cheated on you! Now I find out you couldn’t even give me that same courtesy!”

She wiped her cheek before sniffling. “I didn’t…”

“Stop lying!” he roared.

She shook her head. “I’m not! I swear! That last time we broke up, I was seeing someone else, but when you and I got back together, I told him goodbye!”

He scowled. “So you dumped him to get back with me?”

She nodded. “Yes! You wanted me back! So I told him we were over. He tried to come back later, but I told him that I was engaged to you and we were having a baby. He left me alone after that.”

“He knew you were pregnant?”

“Yes! I told him it was yours! I thought it was!”

Jacob shook his head. “You should tell him the truth Vanessa. He deserves to know.”

Her eyes went wide as she began to beg. “No! It doesn’t matter! I don’t love him! I love you! We can still raise our son together!”

He gritted his teeth. “It’s not my son!”

She began to sob openly, but he ignored her tears.

“What’s his name? The father of your child…do I know him?”

She shook her head, trying to talk through her tears. “No. Riley…Biers.”

He made a mental note of the name before speaking again. “You should tell him the truth. He’s the father of your son and because of that…you get nothing from me. It’s all in the documents.”

Her face darkened as she scooped up the papers from the floor and ripped them to shreds. “I don’t accept your terms!” she screeched. “You hear me, you bastard! I won’t let you leave me! You’re mine! You’re mine!”

He sighed as he turned away from her and walked to the front door. He looked over his shoulder at her and spoke again in a tired voice.

“That was just a copy. The judge already made everything legal and you’ll get those documents in a day or two. You knew this was going to happen, Vanessa. It’s best if we just parted ways.”

“You can’t do this!”

He opened the door. “I can and I will…Have a nice life.”

Without me, he added the thought to himself, as he finally shut the door on a part of his life he was glad was over.

As he walked to his car, he pulled out his cell and called his dad.

“Hello?” came Billy’s voice.

“Dad, I got the father’s name. She claims she really thought it was mine. Broke up with him right after I took her back. Apparently he tried to see her again, but she was already pregnant and engaged to me so she told him to leave her alone.”

“Hm, so he thinks she’s pregnant with someone else’s baby.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, we should set him straight. What’s his name?”

“Riley Biers.”

“Okay, I’ll get the lawyers on it.”

“Thanks Dad.”

*****************************************

Vanessa was on her knees frantically scrubbing a hole into the kitchen floor while muttering to herself.

“How dare he leave me! Fucking doctor! The baby is his! They’re lying! They’re all lying, the bastards! I know the truth! He will be mine! I’ll make them all pay! I’ll have him soon! Yes!”

She threw the sponge at the wall before crawling over to the refrigerator and yanking the door open. Her eyes took in all of the contents before she noticed the half-eaten chocolate mousse cake she’d put there a few weeks ago. Pulling it out, she sat back against the cabinets and put the cake in her lap. With her bare hand, she scooped up some cake and popped it into her mouth.

As she swallowed the food, she felt the baby kicking. She smiled down at her stomach and rubbed her other hand over it.

“Don’t worry son,” she cooed, “he’ll be back soon. And we’ll all be one big, happy family.”

Her smile widened as she giggled maniacally and popped more cake into her mouth.

********************************

(Song: Evanescence - Where Will You Go)

Jacob couldn’t believe how much lighter and freer he felt now that the worst was over. The lawyers were now busy trying to track down the real father of Vanessa’s baby, which left him free to move on with his life. With that huge weight gone from his shoulders, he knew what his next step was going to be.

As he took the stairs two at a time with his phone against his ear, he listened to it ringing. When Bella’s voicemail answered, he resisted the urge to yell and hit something. Instead, he hung up and continued to his room. Sitting on the bed, he sent a text message to Bella.

Got best news ever! Call me ASAP! We need 2 talk!

Once he sent it, he tossed his phone aside and let his frustration rise. She still seemed too busy and he was getting tired of missing her. It didn’t feel right anymore and he was now sure she was purposefully ignoring him. He knew she wouldn’t be able to ignore him forever.

He remembered the last time she had tried.

Fifteen year old Bella sat in Jacob’s dining room scowling down at her Algebra book when she really wanted to scowl at Jacob. The two of them had been studying together and Jacob had been trying to help her out with the problems to no avail. Bella just couldn’t understand anything he was trying to show her and had finally snapped at him to just leave her alone.


He had done as she asked until her frustration seemed to only get worse. Deciding she needed cheering up, he began to tease her that there were other things she was better at. He told her not to worry, Algebra wasn’t worth anything anyway and she should just stick to what she knew.


Unfortunately everything he said only seemed to make her angrier. Then she’d yelled at him, telling him to quit rubbing it in.


“What am I rubbing in?” he asked in a confused voice.


“Your genius at mastering Algebra!” she snapped.


He shook his head, “That’s not…”


“Just shut up Jacob! Stop talking! You’re giving me a headache!”


He flinched. “Sorry Bells.”


She didn’t say anything else as she went back to studying. 


Nearly thirty minutes later Jacob was bored and Bella was still scowling. “Bells, how about a break? We could go swimming!”


“No Jake!”


“Oookay, how about we watch TV! There’s some funny cartoons…”


“Shut up Jacob!”


He put on the pouty face he knew she couldn’t resist and pulled her book away, forcing her to look at him.


“Aw c’mon Bells! Pwease?”


She glared at him for a moment before getting to her feet to begin shoving books into her bag, ignoring him completely.


“Bella? What are you…?” He watched helplessly as she slung her bag over her shoulder with a disgruntled huff before marching to the back door in a pique.


He scrambled after her. “Wait! Bella, don’t leave!”


She continued to ignore him as she stomped out of his house, past the pool and headed towards the gate.


“Bells! Honey, please don’t be mad! I’m sorry!” He ran around her until he was in front of her, blocking her path.


She tried to sidestep him a few times, but Jacob was faster. He kept begging her and apologizing until he was on his knees. Finally, the sight of him mock crawling towards her as he whined was too much for her to ignore.


She stopped and stared as he crawled to her feet and began kissing the tips of her shoes. 


“Please? Don’t go! I’ll do anything! I’ll lick your shoes clean! Dig a hole in the back yard and bury your Algebra book in it! What do you say?”


This time a smile spread over her face at the image of him doing just that. She giggled.


He perked up and scrambled to his knees. “Was that a laugh?”


Her smile widened.


“Yes! There’s that smile! So? Am I forgiven?”


She rolled her eyes. “Nope!”


He pouted. “Why not?”


“’Cause you’re bad!”


“Huh? What did I do?”


“You said you were better than me!”


“I didn’t mean…”


She tossed her bag on the ground and pushed his shoulders until he was lying on his back. She put her foot on his chest and her hands on her hips.


“Say it, Jake! Say I’m better!”


He grabbed her leg and tugged, making her fall to the ground besides him. Without wasting a second, he began tickling her sides, making her shriek with laughter.


“Jake! Stop! Oh my God!”


They rolled around on the ground, each of them trying to tickle the other more. Their laughter and shrieks filled the air, as well as other funny exclamations. As they continued to tumble together, it was becoming clear that Bella was gaining the upper hand.


Finally, Jacob was on his back again, tears streaming down his face from laughing so hard, while Bella straddled his stomach with her arms folded over her chest.


“Do you yield?” she asked.


All Jacob could do was nod as he wiped his face.


She grinned and got off to sit on the grass besides him. He sat up too and they remained silent for a few moments.


“Thanks,” she finally said, breaking their comfortable silence.


He bumped shoulders with her. “What are friends for? You know I love to see you smile.”


“I know,” she replied, giving him another bright smile.


He grinned. “Oh and Bells?”


She turned to him to look at him in question.


“You are better…at tickling.”


They laughed.

Jacob picked up his cell phone and stared at it. Bella hadn’t responded to his text. He sighed.

One more day.

He would give her one more day then he was going to go make her talk to him. Enough was enough. It was time for both of them to move on.