We walk up the large set of stairs in front of the house. It’s all brick with a porch that covers the entire front side. The garden is well kept and nothing seems to be out of place.
My hand rests on her back, trying to give her some form of comfort. I’m not sure it’s helping though.
“Darling.” Marta air kisses both girls before escorting them inside, paying no attention to me or Dallas.
I look over to see him rolling his eyes. “You ready for this, man?”
“Are they that bad?”
“Let’s just say, Chloe hasn’t been here in two years, and they refuse to come to Chicago. Marta didn’t even come to the hospital when we had Taylor, because she wanted nothing to do with being a grandmother.”
“Jesus.” We head down a long, narrow hallway. Leading to what, I don’t know.
The house is fucking immaculate. Don’t get me wrong. I grew up with money, but this house doesn’t look like anyone lives here. My mother let us make messes and enjoy our childhood. I have a feeling Maddison and Chloe weren’t allowed to do those things.
All the walls are painted a dull yellow color and as we continue down the hallway, I notice the furniture is much the same in each room; an awful gold color. It’s obvious they are trying to look wealthy, when really, it’s hideous.
We find the girls in the kitchen. The large counter is covered with an assortment of food. Hank and Marta went all out, having everything from sushi to a taco bar catered.
“Oh! My favorite girls!” A petite brunette woman pulls them both into a tight hug, and they relax into her arms.
“Anna!” they say in unison. “How are you?”
“Good. Good.” She eyes them skeptically. “Are you two all right being here with your parents?”
“We’ll be fine.” Maddison waves a hand in the air.
“Speak for yourself,” Chloe mumbles. “The sooner we can get out of here, the better.”
“Well, if Hank gives you any trouble, I’ll kick his ass.” We all laugh at her threat, and I think she’s shocked everyone. She appears to be proper, but it seems Maddison and Chloe are shown a side to her, not many others are.
“Thanks.” My girl kisses her cheek. “This is my boyfriend, Ian.” She points toward me, blushing. I love that I have that effect on her, and I hope I always do. “This is Anna. She’s been our cook since me and Chloe were little.”
The woman eyes me, and I like knowing she has someone who is so protective of her.
“Nice to meet you.” A small smile finally graces her face. “Take care of our girl. We both know her parents won’t be doing that.”
I nod in agreement. “Yes, ma’am.”
More people start trickling in and she talks to a few she recognizes, but the entire time, I can tell she’d rather be anywhere else. Her stepfather has yet to approach us since we got here. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.
We’re all sipping on some fancy wine when we’re interrupted by a booming voice.
“You couldn’t come find your father?”
Maddison’s head whips around at his words, and I know this is Hank.
“Hank,” Chloe practically spits fire from her mouth. “How lovely to see you.”
“Don’t be smart, Chloe Jane.” He turns toward Maddison. “Did you come to grovel at my feet to get your job back?”
I don’t know this guy from Adam, but I’ve held my tongue long enough.
“No. She’s got a job.” I pull her into my side.
The fucker scoffs. “You’re a little old for her, don’t you think?” he asks, as if his stepdaughter isn’t in the room.
I let go of her and start toward him, when she grabs my arm. I’ve never been much for violence to solve problems, but I want to bash this guy’s face in.
“Ian, just let it go.”
Hank walks out of the room without another word, which is probably smart if he doesn’t want to sport a black eye during his retirement party.
“Oh, God. I’m gonna be sick.” Maddison sprints out of the room and I turn to look at Chloe, who has a bewildered look on her face.
“What the hell? Has she complained about not feeling well?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m gonna go find her.”
“If she gets to leave early, I am too,” I hear behind me and I’m sure Dallas is rolling his eyes at his wife.
I hear gagging coming from a door at the end of the hallway and tap lightly on it.
“Maddie?” I twist the handle and it opens. My girl is hunched over the side of the toilet, losing the contents of her stomach. “You okay?”
She sits down on the floor and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. When I look at her face, she’s pale as a ghost. I find a washcloth in the closet and wet it with cold water before squatting in front of her.
She moans and tilts her head back when I place it on her forehead.
“I can’t believe you’re seeing me like this.” Her eyes close and she looks exhausted.
“I want to be here.” I caress her cheek with the pad of my thumb. “What was that all about?”
She shakes her head, “I don’t know. All I’ve had today is breakfast, so unless you poisoned the bacon, it’s not that.”
“I’m glad to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor. Did your stepfather make you that upset?”
“Yeah, he has that effect on people.” She grabs onto the wall, trying to steady herself, but loses her balance, falling back to the floor.
“Easy there.” I grab her arm. “You need to get something light in your stomach and lie down.” I expect her to fight me.
She rolls her head to the side to look at me. “I’m only agreeing because I’m too tired to argue.”
“Good girl.” I lift her off the floor, into my arms.
She instantly lays her head on my shoulder. I hate that she’s sick, but I want nothing more than to get her away from these toxic people.
“I can walk, but I’ll just lie in my old room upstairs.”
“I’ve got you. Just tell me where I’m going.”
Once we make it to the bedroom, after all the dirty looks we received, I deposit her onto the bed.
“We just gave all of Hank’s friends something to talk about,” she mumbles into her pillow.
“I don’t care. You don’t feel good.” I stroke at her hair. “What can I get for you?”
She scoots over and pats the spot next to her. “Hold me?”
I slip my shoes off and then gather her into my arms and kiss the top of her head.
“Thanks for taking care of me,” she says before drifting off to sleep.
“Always.”
I hope I can keep that promise.
Twenty-Nine
Maddison
“Are you sure you’re all right for the long drive home?” Ian asks as he strokes my hair, sitting on the edge of the bed.
I moan. “Yeah, tonight I want to sleep in my own bed.”
“You don’t have a bed. You’re staying with me.”
“But…” He places a finger over my mouth to silence me.
“No buts. You don’t want to get your niece sick, and it’s silly for you to sleep on that uncomfortable couch when you’re like this.”
He makes a good point. And there’s no sense arguing with him, because I’m too exhausted for a fight.
He stands from the bed. “I’m going to finish packing. Close your eyes for a few.”
I spent all of last night hovered over the hotel toilet, and I’m sure I kept the people in the next room awake as well. We were supposed to go back to my parents’ house this morning for brunch, but Ian insisted we skip because I’m too weak to do anything. I can’t say I’m disappointed.
“Do you want to stop for something to eat first?” he asks as we pull out of the hotel parking lot.
I shake my head. “Honestly, I think I’ll puke if I try to put anything in my stomach. I’m better off sipping on my Sprite.”
He gives me a sympathetic
look as my phone alerts me to a text in the cupholder between us.
“Who’s that?”
“Mother Dearest.” That woman is the last person I want to deal with when I feel like shit.
“You could just silence it and throw it in the glove box so you don’t have to look at it.”
I know he’s right, but apparently, I like torturing myself, because I look at it anyway.
Mother Dearest: Maddison, after everything your stepfather has done for you, the least you could do is show up this morning.
I toss my phone into my purse before throwing myself back in my seat. I’m sure Hank put her up to that. Marta can’t think for herself.
“Do I want to know what she said?”
“No,” I mumble and lean my head on the cool window.
He lays his hand on my knee. “Why don’t you try to get some more rest? You had a long night.”
I give him a small smile and then close my eyes, sleep finding me quickly.
The next morning, I wake when I feel a rough, calloused hand on my cheek. I stir at his touch, leaning into him.
“I have a meeting this morning, but I’ll be home by noon.” I yawn into my hand. I can tell he’s hesitant about leaving me. “Are you feeling any better?”
“A little. I’m just glad I didn’t puke all night.”
“I’m glad, too. I hated seeing you like that.”
I pull him down to my level so I can kiss him. “Have a good day and I’ll see you after bit.”
I had tried telling him that I was fine to work today, but Ian argued. He assured me that Nellie would be able to handle everything for the day, since there weren’t many clients coming in.
“Love you.” He pulls away and my heart melts at his words.
“Love you, too, handsome.”
Once I hear the door to the penthouse close, I lean back on my pillow, trying to catch a little more sleep, but the idea is futile. I think I could go into the office for a few hours. It’s silly not to, when I feel fine.
I sit up on the side of the bed, but as soon as I do, I immediately regret it. The room starts to spin and I feel like I’m going to be sick again.
I carefully make my way to the en suite bathroom, holding onto anything I can on my way, so I don’t fall. I’m dizzy, so it’s truly a miracle I’m able to make it without collapsing.
I somehow reach the toilet before I’m sick, but once I do, all bets are off. I haven’t eaten since last night when Ian forced me to eat a few crackers and some Sprite, but apparently that doesn’t matter. What the hell is wrong with me? I can’t remember a time I was this sick.
Once I’m done heaving over the side of the bowl, I lean against the wall, wiping my face on the back of my hand. I can’t imagine how awful I look right now, and I’m just glad that Ian isn’t here to witness this again.
Oh. My. God. I don’t know how I didn’t think of this sooner.
I grab the side of the counter, carefully pulling myself from the floor. I glance up at the mirror and cringe at my reflection. I look like total shit, but that’s the least of my worries.
Once I finally make it back to Ian’s bedroom, I grab my phone off the dresser and see that I have a few missed texts from him, but decide to ignore them for now.
“Hey, sis. How are you feeling?” Chloe answers after the first ring. I knew she’d be up because Taylor wakes at the crack of dawn every morning.
“Can… can you come to Ian’s?” I cry.
“I’m on my way. Be there in twenty minutes.” I knew that she’d stop what she was doing, without question. I’ve always been able to depend on her, unlike our parents.
“Wait!” I cut her off before she can hang up. “Can you stop by the store?”
“Do you think you’re…?” she questions carefully. “Never mind. Give me thirty.”
Chloe walks in with multiple bags in her hands. She sets them on the counter in the kitchen and starts pulling out box after box.
“I don’t really need this many, do I?” Worry surely is etched on my face.
“No, probably not. But if you get a negative one, it’s good to do multiples, just to be sure. It’s best to do it when you first wake up, but I think it’ll be fine to do it now.”
I grab one of the boxes from her.
“Hey.” She grabs my arm. “Whatever happens, I’m here for you, okay?”
“Thanks, Chlo.” I give her a forced smile before leaving the kitchen.
I carefully read the instructions and then pee on one of the sticks before setting it on the counter beside me. I set a timer on my phone and then look at my calendar. I don’t know how I didn’t realize that my period was late. I guess I had gotten so caught up with Ian, that I hadn’t paid attention. I mentally slap myself. We’ve used condoms, but I’ve also been on the pill for awhile now, so I never worried when we forgot or didn’t have one.
My phone goes off in my hand, letting me know that the three minutes is up. I somehow managed not to look at the test, but now, I want to be doing anything but this.
Pregnant.
That one simple word makes me feel sick all over again.
“Mads, are you done?” I hear my sister on the other side of the door.
When I don’t respond, I hear the door open.
“Surprise!” I say with mock enthusiasm as I hold the stick up for her to see. “You’re going to be an aunt.”
“Are you all right with this?” She walks slowly toward me.
I throw my hands up. “Yeah, sure. Why the hell wouldn’t I be?” I chuckle. “I’m sleeping on my sister’s couch and got pregnant by my boss. I got this.”
She pulls me off the toilet and into her arms.
“Everything will be fine. I promise.”
I pull away from her. “How can you say that? I don’t even know if Ian likes kids. He’s great with his nephew, but he’s never mentioned wanting his own.”
She grabs me by the shoulders. “Calm down. You’re assuming the worst before you’ve even talked to him.”
“You’re right. Can you take me home with you?”
She gives me a worried look. “Yeah, grab your things and we’ll go.”
Thirty
Ian
I get back to the penthouse an hour earlier than I had planned, because I couldn’t stop worrying about my girl. I sent her several texts throughout the morning, but she didn’t respond to any of them. I’m sure I’m just overreacting, but the caveman in me had me rushing home as soon as I could.
I hang my suit jacket up and throw my keys on the coffee table. I head to the kitchen for a glass of water, grabbing one for Maddie as well. I’m hoping she was able to eat a little something today, but she’s stubborn, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t.
I walk to my room and see the door is still open. I have a feeling she’s exactly where I left her. I realize I’m wrong once I’m through the door. The sheets are still rumpled from last night, but as I look around, I realize that all her things are gone.
What the fuck?
“Maddison?” I yell through the apartment, even though my gut is telling me she’s not here.
I check the bathroom attached to my room to make sure I don’t see any of her belonging, but as I expected, there’s nothing.
I dig my phone out of my pocket and quickly pull up her number. It rings several times before sending me to voicemail.
“Hey, sweetheart, it’s me. Just checking to see where you took off to. Call me when you get this. Love you.”
I’m sure she just went back to her sister’s apartment, but why hasn’t she responded to any of my texts today if she was well enough to leave? I had assumed she’d been sleeping all day.
I’m frustrated that I can’t get a hold of her, so I grab a drink before I do something I’ll regret. Everything has been perfect between us, and maybe I’m just jumping to conclusions.
Maybe she woke up and realized I wasn’t worth her time and energy. As much as that would kill me, I can’t say I’d
blame her. A woman like Maddison Monroe deserves so much better than me, but I’m a selfish bastard.
After I make a drink, I throw myself onto the couch. I’m lost in thought when my phone dings from the table beside me. I jump because it scares the shit out of me, but I’m hoping like hell it’s my woman. I don’t even care why she left at this point. I just need to hear her voice.
It’s Chloe. My heart stops. Her sister never calls me, which has me more worried.
“Chloe, what’s wrong? Where’s Maddison?” is my greeting as soon as I pick up.
“I need you to calm down, and then I need you to come to my place.”
I tug at the end of my hair in frustration. I wish that someone would just tell me what the fuck is going on.
“Is she okay?”
“She’s fine, but she doesn’t know I called you.” She pauses. “I need you to hear her out.”
I disconnect without letting her say anything else and grab my keys and wallet before sprinting out the door. What could be so bad that her sister had to call me? Secrets piss me off, although I suppose I hold enough of my own.
I pull into their complex parking lot and sprint to the door like my ass is on fire. I knock three times before the door finally opens. There stands my beautiful girl, looking worse for wear. She has been sick though, so it doesn’t surprise me.
“Are you all right?” I ask, out of breath.
The tears in her eyes don’t go unnoticed.
“Gorgeous, what’s wrong?” I pull her into my arms, and that’s when she loses all resolve.
She sobs into my chest, and she’s shaking uncontrollably.
“Come on. Let’s go sit down.”
I look around, noticing that no one else is here. Chloe must have left after she called me.
I walk her to the couch and then go to the kitchen and fill up a glass of water for her. I have no idea what the hell is going on, and I’m not sure I’m going to like whatever she’s about to tell me. But I love her so fucking much. Nothing could keep me from her. I’m not sure what she’s so worried about.
Her Arrogant Boss (The Wright Kind of Wrong Book 1) Page 12
