He's Mine Not Hers

by Gianni Holmes

  He chuckled, the sound warming my insides. “What do I have to do or say for you to believe it?”

  Marry me instead of Becca?

  But of course I couldn’t say that because it was quite insane, right? I’d known him for many years, but we’d only started dating. Marrying him so quickly would be madness. Or would it?

  “You’ll have to tell me at least five times per day,” I quipped, pushing marriage to him from my mind. It really had been nothing but a temporary lapse in judgment. Thank heavens thoughts were private or he would have found out how stupid I was being.

  “Only five times?” he replied.

  I stuck my tongue out at him, and he leaned forward quickly to kiss me, drawing the offending tongue into his mouth and punishing me thoroughly. I moaned, clutching his shoulders and allowing my lover to get me worked up.

  “You’re really excited about us, aren’t you?” he asked when our lips separated.

  “Try waiting years for you to realize we belong together,” I answered, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead. “I was so afraid to hope even when you made a man out of me, but I was willing to take you any way I got you. Even in secret, but I’m sure glad I don’t have to be secretive about us anymore.”

  “I want to say I’m sorry for keeping you a secret despite the way I feel about you, but I couldn’t give you up.”

  I placed a hand on his chest, feeling the steady thrumming of his heart.

  “I’m glad you didn’t give me up. Now let’s go share the good news with Becca.”

  I got out of the car before he did and ran ahead of him toward the entrance of the apartment building. He wasn’t far behind, but I had to hold the elevator open for him. I watched him walk toward me, and my heart flip-flopped in my chest. He had me weak in the knees, and I couldn’t believe he was all mine.

  We rode the elevator alone, standing on the opposite sides of each other and just staring like we were discovering each other for the first time. As soon as the elevator halted, the doors were barely open before I was out heading for the apartment.

  “Jace, wait up!” Lucas called after me, his voice sounding so amused.

  “You catch up!” I told him, coming to a stop at the apartment. I unlocked the door and ducked inside, leaving it open so he could let himself in. Bubbling with the excitement of Lucas having his job back, I hurried along the hall and to Becca’s bedroom. I remembered to knock, three frantic raps on her door before I got too anxious to wait and turned the lock.

  “Becca, the most awesome thing happ—eeek!”

  I shrieked in horror and probably would have fainted if I wasn’t still holding the doorknob. I clung to the door for support.

  “Jason, get out!”

  Becca threw her pillow, and even when her aim was perfect and the pillow bopped me on top of my head, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Lucas’s father standing in the middle of the bedroom buttoning his shirt.

  Lucas’s impossibly rude, unlikable father.

  I threw up in my mouth a little as my gaze wandered to Becca, who had to be naked under the covers considering the way she was clutching it to her breasts. My eyes shifted back to the man frowning at me.

  “You heard your mother,” he said, his tone still as disapproving as every other time he spoke to me. “Leave.”

  I straightened my spine and glared at this man, wondering just what the hell Becca had gotten herself into. Lucas Sr. wasn’t someone she could toy with like she’d done every other guy. This man wasn’t just Lucas’s father but a powerful businessman in Washington who could crush her. My first instinct was to protect Becca. I’d had run-ins with this man before, and he was nasty.

  “No, you get out!” I spun to Becca. “I can’t believe you’re sleeping with Lucas’s dad?”

  “Say what?” Lucas chose that moment to walk into the bedroom. I felt better about my reaction when I saw his the moment he spotted his father. He went pale, eyes bugged out so wide that at any minute they might actually pop out from their sockets. “Dad, what are you doing here?”

  Such a stupid question. I’d been able to put two and two together, and I really hated math. Lucas seemed to be struggling to come up with the right answer.

  “It’s a no-brainer,” I answered, glaring at Lucas. “I’m sure this is his fault. He’s preying on Becca, and I can’t believe she fell for it.”

  Lucas’s attention turned to me. “Wait, what? Why does it have to be my father’s fault?”

  “Because we all know the type of man he is, completely without scruples.”

  “Becca’s not exactly picky about who she takes to bed either,” Lucas pointed out.

  I opened my mouth to snap at him but ended up frowning instead with my hands planted on my hips. Both his father and Becca wore similar expressions of astonishment as though they couldn’t fathom what we were arguing over.

  “Um, so that means they are perfect together?” I asked, now just as bewildered.

  This couldn’t be right.

  Lucas clutched my shoulders, and he spun me out of the bedroom. “We’ll be waiting in the living room, and we expect answers, so you might want to make up something while you’re getting dressed.”

  He pulled the door shut behind him and steered me down the hall. “You’re going to let them get away just like that?”

  “What am I supposed to do?”

  “Our parents are sleeping together, Lucas,” I answered, a shudder running down my spine. “That’s yucky. Plus, your dad’s a complete asshole, remember?”

  He didn’t answer but kept steering me until we were in the living room. I walked away from him then, not even interested in my favorite corner of the couch. He sat, but I paced. It was the only thing I could do considering how confused and pissed I was. This was supposed to be easy. The hardest part was supposed to be over the minute Lucas got his job back.

  “Jason, sit,” Lucas told me. “You’re giving me a headache with all this pacing.”

  “I can’t sit still knowing our parents have been bumping uglies.” I halted abruptly and stared at him. “What if they’re in there now bumping even uglier?”

  “Oh Jason, grow up,” Becca replied, entering the living room. Lucas Sr. was right behind her.

  “Well then, I should get going,” he announced.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Lucas stated, getting to his feet. He pointed at the sofa. “Both of you, sit. Now.”

  Lucas Sr. bristled. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

  “You sound like a five-year-old,” I mumbled.

  “Jason, not another word,” Lucas said without taking his eyes off the other “couple” in the room. “I’m not kidding. Have a seat.”

  Becca and Lucas Sr. shared a look between them. How the hell they got to the point where they were comfortable exchanging knowing looks was beyond me. They were too confident in themselves, not even showing a hint of remorse about it, and I didn’t like it one bit.

  “We need to know what the hell was going through your minds when you thought it was a good idea to sleep together,” Lucas demanded, and I went over to stand beside him for moral support.

  “Yes, Becca, what were you thinking?”

  “This is the woman I’m supposed to marry,” Lucas continued. “And you willfully slept with her knowing this? I thought you wanted grandkids. Isn’t that the whole purpose of you forcing my hand to marry?”

  “And you knew his father was forcing his hand to marry,” I added. “How can you hate the guy one minute and then bring him back to your apartment the next day?”

  “For God’s sake, will you two stop acting as if you’re our parents?” Lucas’s father snapped.

  “Believe me, we would like to,” Lucas replied. “But neither of you are very good at being parents. You manipulate and make bad choices, going around hurting people and not thinking about anyone else but yourselves.”

  “Yes, very selfish of you, I must add,” I piped up.

  “Are you done now?” Becc
a asked, staring at her nails and completely unbothered by the way Lucas and I were snapping at them. “Because really, you’re both making mountains out of a molehill.”

  “I know you’re not marrying Becca out of love,” Lucas Sr. stated, tilting his head in my direction. “Nobody needs glasses to see you’re head over heels in love with that impudent—”

  “You’re just going to sit there and let him insult me like that?” I asked Becca.

  She shrugged. “Well, you are being impudent. Both of you are. We’re adults here. Lucas’s father and I hit it off. Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious, but we find we like umm, doing stuff together.”

  “And how long have you been doing stuff together?”

  “The night of our engagement party,” she replied.

  I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands. “That was him?”

  “You’re a fine one to talk,” Lucas Sr. remarked. “We caught sight of the two of you by the pool that night, so there was no sense for Becca to hide the truth from me anymore.”

  “So what?” I asked, glancing from one to the other. “You’re now an item but still expect Lucas to marry Becca?”

  Lucas Sr. rose to his feet then. “The wedding is off,” he remarked. “This farce is no longer required. Lucas, I already paid off the restaurant, and your inheritance has been wired to your account. You still have that job if you want it. Now I really must get going.” He turned toward Becca and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

  Becca’s cheeks turned rosy. She never blushed. I was too dumbstruck to say anything. Too dumbstruck to respond when Lucas Sr. walked from the living room and Lucas threw a hasty goodbye over his shoulder at me as he hurried to catch up with his father.

  Their departure left the living room in silence that would be more fitting at a cemetery.

  Here lies the body of Rebecca Moone. That would be on a headstone somewhere when I got through with her for sleeping with my partner’s father.

  “Now Jason, don’t get all excited,” she muttered, climbing to her feet. “I’m an adult, and I had no issue when you started sleeping with my best friend. I wished you all the best. In fact, I remember trying to help you to achieve that goal of no longer being a virgin.”

  She stalked from the living room, and I followed her, hesitating when we got to her bedroom. I didn’t want to enter that place which surely reeked of sex with Lucas’s father. There was only so long I could hold my breath.

  “You could have said something,” I insisted, taking the plunge and entering the room. “For once you could have thought about how this would affect Lucas and me, but you didn’t.”

  “All I’ve been doing since the day you were born was to think of you, Jason, so sue me for not thinking about anyone else but how good it feels being in Lucas’s arms.”

  I bristled all of one second before I remembered both men had the same name. What a nightmare!

  “You’ve always been thinking about me?” I scoffed, deciding that since we were already arguing, now would be a good time to tackle everything else I had bottled up. “That’s hardly likely.”

  She yanked the top sheet from the bed. “Yes, Jason, as hard as it is to believe, I was.”

  “You never wanted to be a mother!” I cried, bringing up the huge elephant in the room. “Just be honest about that. You got knocked up by some lousy guy who left you to deal with the situation alone, and you couldn’t even bear for me to call you Mom, so you created this illusion all my life that we were best friends.”

  “Let it go, Jason.”

  “I’m not letting it go this time, Mom, because this time you went too far.”

  She dropped the sheet onto the floor and turned toward me. “Okay, you want the truth, Jason?”

  “Yes,” I said, losing steam. “Why don’t you want to be a mother? There were times I needed a mother and not a friend.”

  “I-I thought this was best for you,” she answered.

  I started for the bedroom door. “I think I know where this is going.”

  “You stop right there Jason!” Becca demanded with more authority in her voice than she’d ever spoken to me before. “You turn right around and listen to what I have to say. You’re right, I’m your mother, and as your mother, I’m telling you to-to-please don’t go. Just listen.”

  I turned slowly but didn’t move from where I was. “I’m listening, but make this fast because we’re five minutes away from bullshit.”

  She pointed at me. “You know what, Jason? Lucas was right, and you are impudent. You’re rude to me all the time. You’ve no respect for me.”

  “What do you expect? You wanted me to be your friend, not your son. Well, friends are rude to each other all the time, and it says nothing about respect. I’m just giving you what you wanted.”

  “Jason, I know you probably won’t believe me,” she replied, taking a deep breath. “And I don’t blame you either. I’ve fucked up your life from the first breath you took. I had you and I had nothing to give you. I had no life to offer you. My own parents didn’t want me home because I decided I was going to keep you. I should have given you up for adoption. I really should have. I had the papers and the family was waiting and everything, but then I saw you, and I couldn’t. A good mother would have handed you over to people who could care for you and love you. A good mother would have something to offer you, a life to give you. I didn’t even have any idea what I was doing, and God knows I never had a good example from the beginning.”

  I licked my lips, my heart pounding in my chest. I thought we were close. Becca shared everything with me, and yet I’d never heard this story before. I realized she never talked much about my childhood.

  “I didn’t want to be a horrible mother to you,” she continued. “And I knew from the beginning I probably would be, but that’s not the mother you should have. You were so sweet and not a fussy baby at all. I didn’t know how to be a mother, especially as you got older and life became tougher with you needing answers I didn’t have. So I became your friend because a friend can mess up and you just laugh it off and forgive them. A friend doesn’t always have their shit together, but they’re still there. That I could do. I’d rather be your friend than a screwup mother. I’m sorry if I got it wrong and it still wasn’t enough for you. It’s hard being a mother when you know you’re not cut out for the job but still loving your kid so much you can’t bear to let them go.”

  I wanted to stay mad at her. I didn’t want her rambling to make sense, and it probably wouldn’t have to anyone else. It was utter nonsense about her being a better friend than a parent.

  Sad to say because I’d lived with her for all my life I understood her well enough to get what she was trying to get across. In all honesty, she was probably a horrible mother, but she had always been there for me. She gave me advice, even though sometimes unorthodox, and she supported my dreams.

  “I’ve got something to say to you too,” I remarked, walking over to her. “You’re wrong. You were not just my friend. You were a mother too, and maybe I have been too blind to see that. Hell no, it wasn’t perfect by a long stretch, but you’ve loved and cared for me like nobody else has. You’re a mother, Becca, and it’s time you and I accept it.”

  She gave a cry, extending her arms to embrace me. “Oh Jason, you’re the best son a mother could ask for.”

  I backed away before she could touch me. “Oh no, you’re not touching me when you’ve been in bed with that man just recently. Hurry up and get him out of your system, Becca, because I don’t like him nor am I sure I ever will.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Lucas

  “What’s going on, Dad? Come on, tell the truth. What scheme do you have going on this time?”

  Dad sighed and straightened his tie. I’d been right at his side since he came home from Becca’s apartment. I hadn’t given him a moment, even standing outside his bathroom while he showered, peppering him with questions he still hadn’t answered.

  “Can’t you
accept it that I had a change of heart?”

  “To have an actual change of heart, you’d need a heart first,” I answered.

  “Look, son, all you need to know is that what’s done is done. You don’t have to worry about your future anymore.”

  “I’m sorry, Dad, but that’s not enough.” I stood my ground, determined to have answers before he left for work. “I need to know if this is some twisted game of yours that I’m going to pay for later down the line or if this is you being a decent father again?”

  “I was always a decent father to you.”

  “Right. That’s why you tried forcing me to join your company and to marry a woman?”

  “So sue me because I had a different idea of what I wanted for you,” he replied. “I’m not going to apologize for wanting the best for you and doing everything possible including blackmailing you so you can inherit all the wealth I’ll leave behind when I kick the bucket. I had to be tough on you.”

  “Now that’s the father I know.”

  “What do you expect from me, Lucas?” he demanded, eyebrows knotted and lips twisted. “Everything was going right until I married that Jamaican witch who poisoned your mind against me. Suddenly everything was about her. You’d rather spend the time in the kitchen with her than go golfing with me or playing tennis. You talked about real estate so much. Loved it when I showed off our properties, but then Nadine came into our lives and you got caught up with what she was doing.”

  “I was a kid. I didn’t know what I wanted at the time. I only had access to your world, and it all seemed cool, but Nadine showed me something else that was out there. You could have shown a little bit of support about my dreams.”

  “I resented all the time you spent with her in the kitchen,” he snapped. “It was as if you became her kid instead of mine.”

  I stared at my father, who trudged over to the bedside table to take up his watch. Suddenly, everything made sense. “You were jealous of the relationship I had with Nadine.”