Liam & Gwen - Entirely Yours: A Romance Novel (The Adair Series Book 1)

by Tania De Melo

  The Adair Series

  Liam & Gwen – Entirely Yours

  Tania De Melo

  The Adair Series: Liam & Gwen – Entirely Yours is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2018 Tania De Melo

  All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 9780359149902 (softcover)

  First Edition

  Chapter One

  -Gwen-

  Most of us choose our way of life, based on our inner desires, and the opportunities offered to us. Others have their journey mapped by familial obligations and societal conformity. Then, there are that select few like myself, who live life in the unknown, day-by-day living with a tormenting uncertainty and fear, of the over-shadowing darkness waiting to rear its deceitful head.

  Yesterday, I was celebrating my twenty-first birthday, preparing to start a new chapter filled with adventurous exploration of the world and all it had to offer. I was going to be able to live life on my terms. Live a life which no longer made me feel trapped and apprehensive as to what tomorrow may bring; finally be in control. I just finished my last year of University with a degree in Political Science, and last summer scored a 173 on my LSATS, earning me a spot at Harvard Law this coming fall. With my life headed in the direction I had once only been able to dream of, I was happy. That is until I sat down this morning in my late Grandfathers study with my mother and Mr. Reardon, one of Papa’s old friends and our Family Attorney…I just call him Uncle Martin.

  Uncle Martin has been here for my mother and I since Papa passed away. Although his intentions are honorable, I feel he fears to let my Grandfather down, taking our safeguard to an extreme.

  I never had a normal upbringing. Never allowed play dates or friends of any sort, for that matter. I was always to remain in the security of our home. My mother taught math, science, and literacy to me from home. Aunt Agatha, Uncle Martin’s wife, would work with me on music, she was also the one who would take me out for any appointments I had in the city.

  I always enjoyed when Aunt Agatha would come over. Once a week, we would venture out beyond the walls of Papa’s nine-floor, Fifth Avenue townhouse, and I would get to see the city…even if it were only for a little while. Aunt Agatha was also the one, to convince Mom and Uncle Martin, I was ready to go out and experience life the way every other teenager did. Shut out from the world around me, when the opportunity to go school presented itself naturally; I jumped all over it.

  “Gwyneth my love, do you understand what we are telling you?” My mother looks to me with saddened eyes.

  I say nothing…I can’t. I look straight ahead, coldly into the eyes of the man who has taken my strategically painted canvas of life, the one I worked so hard on, as he tells me I need to throw it aside and start over; walk away from all I have achieved in the last four years.

  “Gwyneth?”

  I look at my mother, then back to my uncle. My tears are now flowing, along with the overcoming feeling of betrayal, as now fear washes over me. The memories are there, but they don’t seem real...like they’re not mine.

  “Understand…Understand what? That everything you told me as a child were nightmares, were my actual realities? That you, made me think I was an overly nervous child, with delusional thoughts. As a little girl, you sheltered me from people, and the world around me because you were afraid, of what I have no idea, but regardless; it terrified me. An insecure child, so scared of her mind, I didn’t begin to live until recently when I finally felt comfortable enough to be in my skin.”

  I take a deep breath, stand from my chair, and walk to the other side of the room. My papa’s office always had the best view of Central Park. I would spend countless hours sitting in front of the floor to ceiling window waiting for him to take me on his morning walk, and share stories about his time spent here as a boy. I would like to think he enjoyed his time with me, and maybe I was the reason he snuck away. I want to believe he was honest with me, and not hiding things, but the reality is sinking in, now I look out this window and wonder…was any of it real?

  “Gwyneth, we don’t have much time; you have everything you need to start over. Your mother and I had prepared prior for some things, the only thing left is your signature to transfer the money.” He pauses for a moment, “Gwyneth, once you complete the paperwork, you will need to be on your way.”

  This cannot be real! Still standing at the window, refusing to look at my mother, I start to replay in my head what they told me, ‘move, new identities, not safe,’ all this time they were lying to me.

  “Why now? Why did you wait so long? And why is it all up to me?” I ask, taking another deep breath.

  Turning back, I see my mother and Uncle Martin are sharing a silent thought. They do that a lot, and now I am starting to wonder if there is something more to this. I have a sick feeling in my stomach, whatever this is; moving away is not going to stop it. It will merely prolong the inevitable, an inevitability which will change more than my career path or where I live. It will affect the inner depths of my soul, the one part of me, only I ever had claimed.

  My mother turns to me, tears streaming down her eyes and her hands clasped in her lap. She has looked tired lately, and I wonder if the decision to send me away has played a part in that, or is it the secrets over the years now coming to light, that have done this to her.

  “Gwyneth, I promise you will come to understand everything in time, but right now, you need to get going.”

  “What if I refuse?” I know they thought they had justification for what they did, and did so with my best interests in mind; but how is that fair? When will they no longer have control over me?

  Uncle Martin stands and walks over to me. Places a hand on each shoulder, looking into my eyes, “Gwyneth, I hate having to say this to you, but you have to do what we tell you; you have no choice in the matter. Sweetheart, you know I love you as if you were my Granddaughter, and promised your Grandfather I would look out for you until the day I die. Gwyneth, I intend to keep that promise.”

  I return his gaze, knowing myself; there is no other way, no way to stand against them. I have tried for years, and each step I took toward what I wanted, the reality of life pulled me two steps back, reminding me I was not in control.

  “Where do I have to sign?” To anyone else, the defeat would be overwhelming, but for me…this is life.

  ***

  We are sitting in my mother’s SUV as she drives to the bus station. I don’t recall that I’ve ever seen my mother drive before, come to think of it, I don’t even think I was aware she had a license. I guess living in New York and having a driver, she never really had reason to chauffer herself around the city. We haven’t said much to one another, and the silence is becoming more like an echoed awakening of the secrets buried for years, rather than a reflective moment to gather our thoughts. We pull into the boarding area at the station. My mother turns to me, her body reading of undying conviction, but her eyes reflect a truth of blinding torment and uncertainty.

  She hands me a white envelope and set of keys. “Put these in your bag; do not lose them. You will ride the bus to Kansas City, Missouri. When you arrive there, you are to take a cab to Wilson Storage unit. One of the keys on this will open unit number 114, inside there is a car. The car is in your name, your new name. The glove compartment will have the registration and all paperwork for the car as well as your new I.D. This envel
ope has enough money to get you to the address written on the paper in the envelope. Gwyneth, that is where you will start your new life, but no one can know where you are going. When you get on the bus, keep your head down, and don’t talk to anyone.”

  I take the keys and envelope, my hand shaking. My mother cradles my face in her hands and looks into my eyes. “Gwyneth, I love you so much and if there were any other way…” she stops mid-sentence and looks away as she tries to conceal the tremble in her voice.

  I look into my hands, “There is no other way!”

  She looks up shaking her head. Clearing her voice, she continues, “Also remember…no one in the new town can know of your past. We have kept your story pretty close to your old one; other than what your real name is, and that you went to university…so, you will have to start over. Memorize whom you are to be now…know the story because it will have to become your new truth. You will not be able to have contact with anyone from your past ever again…Gwyneth, not even me; it’s for your safety.”

  I look out the car window; the burning behind my eyes is getting stronger. It’s not as if I had friends before. Other than my mother, Uncle Martin, Aunt Agatha and the woman who did my hair and nails; I didn’t know or talk to anyone.

  “I’ll be all alone,” I say, with the tears gathering in my eyes starting to fall.

  “Gwyneth, look at me!” I turn to my mother, “There is a letter I put in your bag, read it once you arrive at the house. Also, there is a safe in the main bedroom closet, under the floorboard. The code is your birthday, Month, Day, and Year. It has more paperwork and information to the accounts. You need to go love; the bus will be leaving in a few minutes.” She leans over and gives me a tight embrace, but I can’t seem to move my arms around her. “I love you more than you will ever be able to imagine, and hope one day, you will be able to forgive me. Now go!”

  With that, I grab my bag out of the back, close the door and before I can turn to say goodbye, she drives off. I take the ticket my Uncle handed me before we left the house and head to the bus for the long trip to Kansas City. The bus still somewhat empty, I make my way to the back, keeping my head down.

  ***

  The trip to Missouri took about 20 hours, with a stop and driver change part way through. Once I arrived, I grabbed a cab to Wilson Storage Units. I went to the office, and the man inside pointed me in the direction of unit 114. Finally able to get the lock open, I lifted the door and in front of me, as my mother said, was a car, a silver sedan; nothing fancy, but newer. I walk over to the driver side door, throw my bag in before me, and sit inside. I immediately reach for the glove compartment and retrieve the registration and new I.D. “Gwen Batin. Well, at least my name is almost the same.” I look at the address on the license; it’s the same as the one in the envelope, which I had opened on the bus. Throwing it all into my bag, I back out, and then quickly jump out to lock the unit door. The car has a navigation unit, which I program with my new destination. I take a deep breath and head out, with no idea what this new life will mean for me, all I can do is hope it will be mine to live.

  ***

  Not accustom to driving, I made a few overnight stops along the way, having me reach Oregon several days later. It is mid-afternoon by the time I reach Emerson, a small town with the city sign boasting a population of ‘3500 and growing’. As I pass through what seems to be the town center, I see it has everything I will need to get by here: Bank, grocery store, small medical center, and Jenny’s Java Hut. I will be stopping there very soon.

  I make my way to the address, and pull on to the street located on the edge of town; it’s a quaint area, with a few houses. The GPS indicates I have reached my destination, and when I look up, I see a beautiful craftsman style home. Not overly grand, but not small either. “Holy crap!” I double-check the address, and sure enough, this is it. After parking the car and grabbing my only bag, I walk to the door, keys and alarm code in hand and make my way inside. Taking in my surroundings, I cannot help, but notice how beautifully decorated everything is; the open concept area is picture-perfect…Simple. Finished with light grays and soft ivory touches; I wonder if my mother was the one who chose all of this. I would like to think if she did, she had hoped this would be a place, I would be happy and feel at home. I walk in further, noticing a set of three French doors off the living/dining area leading to a partially covered patio. Each opening draped with beautiful top to bottom curtains to match the décor.

  “I can’t believe this!” I think to myself, walking through the rest of the well-decorated home, and try to make sense of it.

  Remembering the safe my mother mentioned, I make my way to the larger of the four bedrooms. Assuming it is the Master, I head to the closet in search of the safe. Finding it, right where my mother had said it would be, I punch in my birthdate and look inside to see a package. I pull out the large yellow envelope and open it on the bed. Inside, I find what seem to be documents of bank accounts, a black book with pin codes and passwords to each of them, and the deed to the house in my name. After skimming through it all, I reach for the letter my mother put in my bag, in hopes that it could explain more. As I open it, a picture falls out of myself around five years old, and I am sitting on the couch at Papa’s holding a baby in my arms. Curious, I turn the photo over and on the back are the names, ‘Gwyneth and Matilda.’

  “Who’s Matilda?” Hoping for answers, I begin to read the letter.

  ‘My Sweetest Daughter,

  If you are reading this, it is because something, which I feared for many years, has happened, something in time I believe you will come to know. With the possibility of this happening, a decision made to keep you safe now has to happen. Many things have transpired in the past, and I have had to live with them, all while trying to keep you from having to become a victim of them any further.

  The demons you were continually fighting in your sleep were images I had hoped and prayed you would forget. You were so young, Gwyneth and I did not want those visions taking away what innocence you had left.

  Unfortunately, the monster was all too real, my love. After your father passed, I was alone, and his best friend comforted me. The more time we spent together, it seemed to both of us, getting married was the right decision.

  Everything happened so quickly, and the evil inside him temporarily blindsided me; darkness I once saw before but had forgotten. Things happened I do not wish to speak of, but know this, when I finally realized, I made sure he paid. However, he has escaped, and the only way to keep you safe is to make you disappear. He can never find you!

  Your grandfather and I, took extra precautions because we could never be sure what the extent of your stepfather's reach was. He was a very well connected man, but so was Papa, and Papa did everything in his power to make sure you were always going to be safe.

  This is the part which is difficult my love. You have a half-sister, Matilda! She was born six months after this man went to jail. He never knew I was pregnant, and I wanted to make sure it stayed that way. I delivered Matilda at home; she was given the Batin name at birth; an old family name, which belonged to Uncle Martin's mother, like your last name; Williams, was my mother's maiden name. Your stepfather would not know enough to look around because he never knew of her birth or her legal name. Matilda was raised in Brazil. Then when she was fourteen, she went to Albrecht Preparatory school in Oregon. She knows I am her mother and told her father has passed. I would visit her as often as I could over the years, and tried to develop a close bond with her. She knows of you, always has, and would love nothing more than to get to know you. Her identity must remain unknown, again for reasons in time you will come to learn, then one day when you feel it is the right time, you can tell her. Go to her Gwyneth; she is your Family!

  Love always,

  Mom

  Shock is all I feel; there is no other word. More and more keeps coming to the surface. At first, I thought it was only about me and the things I saw in my head, which I could never reall
y made sense of, but this goes so much deeper… so many more secrets. I can’t seem to wrap my head around it. “I have a sister!”

  Now resting on the bed staring at the ceiling, I lay there for a moment. My mind a chaotic hurricane of unprocessed information, stopping me from trying to keep at bay the impending anxiety attack I feel coming.

  “This can’t be real!” I sit back up, reaching for the picture again; 'this must have been right after she was born.' I pack up the papers and letter, putting them back in the safe, but lay the picture on the bedroom dresser.

  Walking out to the Livingroom, I feel as if the walls are closing in on me, 'I need to get out of here.'

  I decide to head into town; maybe a little walk will help calm some of these emotions running through me. I have no idea what to make of any of this.

  About fifteen minutes later, I am walking down the boardwalk; the view is gorgeous. I manage to find the little coffee shop I had passed on my way in, Jenny’s Java Hut! Walking in, I head to the counter to order.

  “Hi, Welcome to Jenny’s! What can I get for you, Sweetheart?” The woman behind the counter asks.

  “Are your pastries fresh?” I ask.

  “Absolutely!”

  “Perfect! May I have one of those, and a large black coffee?”

  “Is that for here, or to go?” She asks.

  I take a quick look around and notice it’s relatively quiet. “For here, please!”

  The woman gives me a quick nod as she turns to get my order, but then quickly turns back, “Oh, I’m Jenny by the way.”

  I lend her a warm smile, “Hi I’m Gwynet…Um, Gwen, my name is Gwen, nice to meet you, Jenny!”

  Jenny nods, heads to the back, then shortly returning with my order. I take the seat nearest to the window with the view of the ocean. I am going to have to watch what I say, be a little more careful.

  I spend a few moments eating my pastry and sipping my coffee, while also thinking about what the letter from my mother had said; it all seems so unreal, I mean escaped convicts, and secret sisters…this is all a little too daytime TV for me. How can this even be…how did I never know until now? For my mother and Grandfather to have pre-planned all this, only in anticipation that this man 'may' get out, must mean that he is a pretty bad guy, and now that he escaped...what does that even mean. Why would I be on his radar, it was years ago...this is all so overwhelming.