Read Online SWOLLEN: A Secret Baby Sports Romance by Stephanie Brother - Free Book Online
Authors: Stephanie Brother
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and ripped dramatically away from me.
That wouldn’t be too far from the truth. A tornado of information turning me from one thing into another.
A bare fist boxer is one thing, a bare fist ex-drug addict, in debt to the mafia is a different prospect entirely.
I’m about to give up and call the waiter over for real, when the doors to the restaurant open and Jasmine comes confidently striding back out. I almost can’t believe it, as she takes her seat again, kisses me and then pushes her hair casually away from her face as though nothing has changed between us at all.
“ Jasmine, are you okay?” I ask, worried the opposite may be true. Worried she’s come back to tell me it’s over.
“ Sorry”, she says, and my heart sinks for a moment. “That was a lot to take in, I had to take a moment. I still don’t know.”
“ Take as long as you need”, I say. “Fuck, I thought you were going to leave.”
“ I nearly did”, she says. “Fuck, Liam, this is serious.”
“ It’s under control”, I say. “I promise you. The end of this year it’ll be over.”
She doesn’t look entirely convinced, but then again, what else can I do? I’ve been honest with her, probably more honest than I needed to be, and she’s still come back. If that’s not a good sign, I don’t know what is.
Her eyes go to the table briefly and then back up to me.
“ My secret”, she says, pausing briefly to compose herself.
“ Don’t tell me you’re in debt to a mafia family as well”, I say, trying to be light-hearted.
Jasmine shakes her head. When she looks back at me she’s biting her lip and trying not to cry.
“ Jasmine, what’s wrong?” I ask, closing the gap between us immediately.
“ I tried to tell you before”, she says. “I tried to find you after that night, I went to your apartment but you had already gone. I tried, Liam.”
“ Okay”, I say, unsure of what she’s about to tell me.
“ I-”, Jasmine begins.
“ Take your time”, I insist. “There’s no rush.”
Jasmine wipes tears away from her cheeks with the heel of her palm. “You know”, she says. “She looks like you.”
I watch a tear roll slowly down her cheek to gather in the crease of a smile, and it hits me like a haymaker to the temple.
“ Fuck”, I blurt out. “Holy fuck.”
I’m on my feet before I realize it, the chair thrown behind me and tipped to the ground.
Jasmine nods, and even before she says the words I know what’s coming.
“ We have a baby”, she says, looking at my reaction as though I’m a madman.
I don’t know what to do. I spin around, I put my hands on my head, I laugh like a maniac and I want to scream at the top of my lungs.
I have a child. A her. She looks like me. Fuck.
“ I don’t know what to say.”
I really don’t know what to say. Jesus, talk about trumping my fucking story.
“ That’s what you mean by complicated?”
Jasmine nods, the tears still rolling out of her cheek.
“ Why didn’t you tell me this the other day?” I ask, a little upset that this was her second chance to do so. “What if I hadn’t called you?”
“ Sit down, Liam, please”, she asks.
I gather the chair but I can’t sit still on it. I’m a fucking dad with a capital D. Me. Liam Dougherty. Barefist boxer extraordinaire, in debt to the mafia, world’s worst dad.
“ I should have told you, but I didn’t, I’m sorry. I know it’s wrong, but I didn’t think it was fair on Maggie.”
“ Maggie?” I ask. “Oh, fuck, she has a name.”
“ Margaret Alice Cooke”, Jasmine says. “Maggie. Magpie. Maggers. Magson.”
“ Fuck.”
“ It’s real, Liam”, she says.
“ You should have told me before”, I say. “This is-. I can’t wrap my head around it.”
“ Do you want a drink?”
“ Yes. Fuck, yes.”
Jasmine calls the waiter over and orders two more drinks.
“ Are you okay?” Jasmine asks, when the drinks are on the table and I haven't said anything for the whole time we’ve
That wouldn’t be too far from the truth. A tornado of information turning me from one thing into another.
A bare fist boxer is one thing, a bare fist ex-drug addict, in debt to the mafia is a different prospect entirely.
I’m about to give up and call the waiter over for real, when the doors to the restaurant open and Jasmine comes confidently striding back out. I almost can’t believe it, as she takes her seat again, kisses me and then pushes her hair casually away from her face as though nothing has changed between us at all.
“ Jasmine, are you okay?” I ask, worried the opposite may be true. Worried she’s come back to tell me it’s over.
“ Sorry”, she says, and my heart sinks for a moment. “That was a lot to take in, I had to take a moment. I still don’t know.”
“ Take as long as you need”, I say. “Fuck, I thought you were going to leave.”
“ I nearly did”, she says. “Fuck, Liam, this is serious.”
“ It’s under control”, I say. “I promise you. The end of this year it’ll be over.”
She doesn’t look entirely convinced, but then again, what else can I do? I’ve been honest with her, probably more honest than I needed to be, and she’s still come back. If that’s not a good sign, I don’t know what is.
Her eyes go to the table briefly and then back up to me.
“ My secret”, she says, pausing briefly to compose herself.
“ Don’t tell me you’re in debt to a mafia family as well”, I say, trying to be light-hearted.
Jasmine shakes her head. When she looks back at me she’s biting her lip and trying not to cry.
“ Jasmine, what’s wrong?” I ask, closing the gap between us immediately.
“ I tried to tell you before”, she says. “I tried to find you after that night, I went to your apartment but you had already gone. I tried, Liam.”
“ Okay”, I say, unsure of what she’s about to tell me.
“ I-”, Jasmine begins.
“ Take your time”, I insist. “There’s no rush.”
Jasmine wipes tears away from her cheeks with the heel of her palm. “You know”, she says. “She looks like you.”
I watch a tear roll slowly down her cheek to gather in the crease of a smile, and it hits me like a haymaker to the temple.
“ Fuck”, I blurt out. “Holy fuck.”
I’m on my feet before I realize it, the chair thrown behind me and tipped to the ground.
Jasmine nods, and even before she says the words I know what’s coming.
“ We have a baby”, she says, looking at my reaction as though I’m a madman.
I don’t know what to do. I spin around, I put my hands on my head, I laugh like a maniac and I want to scream at the top of my lungs.
I have a child. A her. She looks like me. Fuck.
“ I don’t know what to say.”
I really don’t know what to say. Jesus, talk about trumping my fucking story.
“ That’s what you mean by complicated?”
Jasmine nods, the tears still rolling out of her cheek.
“ Why didn’t you tell me this the other day?” I ask, a little upset that this was her second chance to do so. “What if I hadn’t called you?”
“ Sit down, Liam, please”, she asks.
I gather the chair but I can’t sit still on it. I’m a fucking dad with a capital D. Me. Liam Dougherty. Barefist boxer extraordinaire, in debt to the mafia, world’s worst dad.
“ I should have told you, but I didn’t, I’m sorry. I know it’s wrong, but I didn’t think it was fair on Maggie.”
“ Maggie?” I ask. “Oh, fuck, she has a name.”
“ Margaret Alice Cooke”, Jasmine says. “Maggie. Magpie. Maggers. Magson.”
“ Fuck.”
“ It’s real, Liam”, she says.
“ You should have told me before”, I say. “This is-. I can’t wrap my head around it.”
“ Do you want a drink?”
“ Yes. Fuck, yes.”
Jasmine calls the waiter over and orders two more drinks.
“ Are you okay?” Jasmine asks, when the drinks are on the table and I haven't said anything for the whole time we’ve
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