Chapter 3

DAXTON'S POV

After watching Ari leave, I went back into my office, closed the door, and slumped back into my chair. This can't be happening. She's lying just like the others, I thought. I let out a frustrated sigh and picked up the phone.

"Lisa, cancel my 2:00. Thanks." I hung up and leaned back, closing my eyes. I was not in the mood for sex right now. Arielle ruined that for me. She was still as beautiful, if not more, since the last time I saw her. The tabloids always had her face in it, but it was different seeing her in person. The way her red dress hugged her figure...pregnancy fit well on her.

I shook my head, trying to get rid of these thoughts. I broke up with her because I couldn't settle down. Not yet. I was having too much fun on my escapades with different women to just settle down, like I almost did after spending six months with her.

My door opened and my childhood best friend, Marco walked in, determination set on his face.

"What did you say to Arielle to make her cry like that?" He asked angrily. I sighed, ignoring him. I did not have time for this. "Answer me, Dax." I opened my eyes and looked at him.

"Nothing that didn't need to be said." I said bluntly, gathering the papers I needed for my meeting later.

"Which was?" I rolled my eyes and motioned for him to sit. His hazel eyes looked at me intently, waiting for me to explain.

"Apparently, I'm the father of her child." Marco's eyes widened. "But she's just bullshitting me. She probably wants money or something."

"She told you you were the father? And really Dax? You know damn well Ari is probably just as rich as you, if not more." Marco commented.

"Whatever. You never know with women. They always want something." I scanned the documents, done with this conversation.

"Dax-"

"Marc, c'mon let it go. I'm not the father. There's no way I'm the father."

"Okay, but I just have one more question. Did you guys ever have sex without protection?" Marco asked, eyeing me closely. I closed my eyes and thought about that one time she mentioned, after my big Christmas party.

*FLASHBACK* FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS AGO

I woke up, feeling Ari shift beneath me. I kept my eyes closed, not wanting her to know I was awake just yet. She pushed against me and I felt the wet feeling of my dick sliding out of her. I groaned at the feeling and turned around, still closing my eyes.

She gasped and I felt her gaze on me. I tried to wrap my head around what happened last night. We stumbled in from the party, threw our clothes off, had sex......fuck. I forgot to put a condom on. Oh man and I came inside her AND stayed inside her all night.

I was fucked. I didn't know if she was on the pill or not. What if she got pregnant? No, that wouldn't happen. I'll just assume she's on the pill and not say anything, I thought. Yeah, I'll do that.

*END FLASHBACK* NOW

"Oh, fuck." I whispered, raising my eyes to Marco, alarmed. He raised his eyebrows and I groaned. No way. No fucking way. But the time adds up, the dumb voice inside me whispered.

"It's yours then. Problem solved." Marco said and I frowned.

"No. Problem not solved. She could've slept with some other guy and he probably knocked her up." I stood up, rubbing my clean-shaven beard. Marco scoffed.

"Really, Daxton. Ari doesn't sleep around and you know that. Plus, it is time for you to settle down." I paced around my office, not liking what my friend was saying. In all of my twenty-eight years, I never thought about settling down, having kids, or getting married. Just having fun till I got old.

Marco was right. Arielle was never the type to sleep around. Besides losing her virginity to her first asshole of a boyfriend, the only other person she's slept with was me.

"But after we broke up, the papers all said she was hooking up with different guys." I tried using that. Marco rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Those are tabloids, Dax. They say shit that's not true about you all the time. You should at least get a paternity test. They can do it before the baby is born nowadays." He suggested.

I kept pacing, shaking my head. "No, man. I can't. It's not my baby. It's just not."

"But-"

"It's not my baby, okay!?" I pulled my hair, the situation eating me up. "It's not." I whispered, pressing my fingers against my eyes.

"Whatever man." I kept my eyes closed until I was sure Marco had left. I sat down in my chair, contemplating what I should do next. Knowing Arielle, she was never going to stop until I did the test. Maybe I should just do it and get it over with.

I stayed there for the next two hours, mulling over this. Finally, I shot up grabbed my coat, and walked out my office. I'll take the damn test.

Ari lived in the exact same place and I cut the engine in her driveway, looking at her Lambo that was parked outside the garage. A red Ferrari sat next to it and I frowned. That was definitely not one of her cars. I stepped out, admiring her castle of a house. Memories of our days together hit me like a hurricane and I shook them away, walking up to her front door.

I adjusted my suit and prepared to knock on the door. Before I could, I heard people yelling my name.

"Daxton! Over here!"

"Mr. King look over here!"

"Are you and Arielle back together?!"

"Do you know why she hasn't been out in public for the past month?!"

Cameras flashed and I turned back around, gritting my teeth. This was not how I wanted to approach Arielle. Now, she probably won't even speak to me, thinking I led the paparazzi here. They stood outside the gates, going crazy.

"What do you want?" I turned around and saw that a cute brunette had opened the door. She looked me up and down before a smile broke out on her face. "Oooo Daxton King. Here for Ari?"

"Rayna." I said cordially to Ari's best friend. She rolled her eyes and opened the door wider, letting me in.

"So formal, as always." She mocked, locking the door behind her. I looked around the foyer, admiring the paintings that I knew for a fact Ari painted. I cleared my throat when Rayna caught me staring around the room.

"I need to talk to Arielle." I said. She nodded.

"I'll go get her." She walked down the hallway. "Arielle! Come out, come out wherever you are!" She yelled, her hands on her hips.

"What the fuck do you want, Ray?!" I heard Ari's muffled voice. A smile appeared on my lips. Feisty.

"Your hot piece of ass ex boyfriend aka Dax is here for you!" I chuckled at her use of words. She was still as crazy as she was last year. She grinned at me and held up her thumbs when we heard Ari shuffling around in the room she was in.

"Tell him to go away." Ari responded. Rayna frowned and put her thumbs down.

"Ari, can we talk, please?" I asked, hoping she would say yes. More shuffling was heard and she finally stepped out of her room, upstairs. She leaned on the banister, looking down at me. Her long hair was in a messy ponytail and her eyes were bloodshot from crying. I cursed under my breath, knowing I was to blame.

"Well, I'm here now.....so talk."