Author's Note: This is a non-consent/reluctance story.
Caveat Emptor
and all that.
I know that I said chapter 6 was the final, but I realize I left it at a bit of a cliff-hanger, so here's another chapter.
Kara sat next to her lawyer at the side of a long, dark, and shiny conference table. Her eyes darted around the room as she listened to the arbitrator, taking in the books, the subdued paintings, the many empty chairs, the clear summer afternoon sky out the large window to her right. She looked everywhere but at Kyle who sat directly across from her, his own lawyer and the assigned arbitrator to his right.
"Mr. Taylor is only asking for visitation rights to his son. He wants to assure the boy grows up with a loving father. Miss Jenkins has refused to let him see his son thus far."
"Do we have paternity test results?" asked the arbitrator.
"Yes, we have confirmation that Mr. Taylor is the father of Miss Jenkins' infant."
Kara's eyes went to Kyle's face for just a moment and she saw his lips twitch into that infuriating smirk of his and she felt her face heat with anger at the implication that she had slept with someone else.
"Miss Jenkins has never disputed the child's paternity," Kara's lawyer interjected. "Miss Jenkins does not believe that Mr. Taylor's lifestyle is conducive to the stability of the child."
"Miss Jenkins has refused to speak to my client for over a year and does not know anything about his current lifestyle."
"Perhaps our first order of business should be to allow Mr. Taylor and Miss Jenkins to... ah... 'catch up' with each other," the arbitrator stated, his intense eyes meeting Kara's. "I assure you, you would rather come to a mutual agreement on your own. You are at the cusp of being forced into a custody agreement by an outside party, it would be far better for you both to come to an informal agreement."
"I don't...," Kara started weakly.
"I think that's a great idea," Kyle said, his voice firm.
"Excellent.
"Why don't you take a few minutes to get something to eat or drink and then meet back here in fifteen minutes, let's say?"
The three men on Kyle's side of the table stood to leave and Kara leaned into her lawyer to whisper something in his ear. The lawyer nodded and whispered back and then stood to talk to the arbitrator quietly.
"Please follow me, Miss Jenkins," the arbitrator said as he headed for the door. Kara grabbed a heavy black bag from the floor next to her and scurried out of the room following the arbitrator as quickly as she could.
He led her down a hallway past some offices to a small, windowless conference room with pink and blue wrapping paper taped over the window in the door.
"This is our lactation room. I apologize for not offering it sooner. You can use the refrigerator in there if you need to. Please take your time. We will reconvene when you return."
"Thank you Mr. Avers."
"Not at all, Miss Jenkins."
Kara got out her breast pump and set it on the table. She pulled out a picture of baby Liam and smiled at his pink face, fine blond hair, and the beautiful blue eyes he'd inherited from his daddy. She hooked up the bottles to the tubes to the pump and plugged it all in and then sighed with relief as the pressure on her breasts lessened and the bottle started to fill with her milk. Once she finished she cleaned up and stored the milk in the fridge. She made her way back to the room where the others waited for her and sat back down next to her lawyer, again studiously avoiding meeting Kyle's gaze.
"Okay, Miss Jenkins, Mr. Taylor," Mr. Avers said, nodding to each of them, "we are going to leave you alone to talk out what you both want for your son. Please have him at the forefront of your minds. I know you both only want what is best for him. Clearly at some point the two of you were able to get along with each other. Please try to put the animosity you have towards each other behind you and think of what is best for Liam.
"We will leave you to it." With that, Mr. Avers and the two lawyers rose and quietly left the room.
Kara and Kyle sat silently for several minutes, Kara looking down at her hands, her fingers woven together, Kyle looking at her face.
"Look at me," Kyle growled.
Kara's breath hitched at the command in his voice but she shook her head violently, tears in her eyes.
"Please look at me," Kyle said again in a slightly more gentle tone.
Kara took a deep breath, clearly trying to calm herself, and then raised her chin to finally look Kyle in the eye. She said nothing. Then arched one eyebrow, waiting for him to speak.
"Talk to me," Kyle said softly.
"I don't have anything to say to you," Kara said haltingly.
"Okay. I guess I'll start then.
"I am so sorry. I should have never taken you to the cottage. And once you were at the cottage I should have never left you alone there. I told you I'd take care of you and I didn't. I am sorry.
"I have all sorts of excuses... I had all sorts of reasons. But none of them matter now.
"I've missed you terribly and I want to be part of your life. And Liam's life, too."
Kara looked at him carefully, seemingly studying his face to see if she could see his sincerity.
"I still don't trust you," she said, warily shaking her head. "I can't.
"I'm not necessarily against you seeing Liam. I know he needs his father.
"But," she paused, her body tense, lips trembling. "I'm afraid to be alone with you.
"And you can't tell your family. I assume they already know he exists. But they can not see him. I don't even want them to know when