by Imani King
But he was doing it right now, for me.
“You’re a real jackass, you know that?” I told him. “You whisk me away to experience things I’d never see otherwise, you set me up in my career field, you give me these opportunities…and then you come to my house? And you apologize for all of it? You?”
Blaine looked surprised. “I don’t think I’m following…”
I could feel my glowering wrath diminishing as my eyes gazed upon this foolish man…and I thought to how isolated he must have been, with all that prestige and wealth. I could see him now – a young child, raised by tutors and kept behind doors, unable to comprehend how to handle social interaction, blindly stumbling through life…and then he saved me.
He saved me, and I never even knew it.
And he saw me for what I was – equally foolish, prone to disaster, and unable to take care of myself. I was gullible, overly trustworthy, and naïve. But he wanted something more for me – something better. So he stood in the shadows, guiding me away from trouble, steering me towards a better life.
He needed me to stay the course that he had chosen, based upon what I wanted; and when I veered off-course, he stepped in personally, purposefully taking over. Of course I wouldn’t be able to turn down his offer; of course I would submit to his gilded cage, not realizing how much control he had over me until it was too late.
After taking a deep breath, I finally opened my mouth. “There’s something you have to realize, Blaine. I’m more mature than you think. I don’t need your help anymore. Maybe I did back then…but I’ve outgrown this cage you want to keep me in. I know you just want what’s best for me, that you just want me to be happy…”
I reached across the table and took his hands into mine.
“…And I am happy. But I need you to let go. You’re too domineering…too controlling. I’ll never be truly happy with you interfering in my life…not unless we’re on the same level.”
Blaine swallowed briefly. “The same level?”
“You’re an idiot, but you’re heart’s in the right place. It always was. It just took me a while to really understand that. And I’m willing to swallow my pride and admit that I appreciate everything that you’ve done for me…so long as you promise that you’ll let me live my life.”
He nodded quietly. “I never meant to hurt you, Sierra.”
“You didn’t hurt me,” I told him, shaking my head. “You just disappointed me. That’s all. But disappointment is forgivable. And Mama told me what you did, in her own words – and how grateful she has always been to you for that.”
“Did she?” He seemed genuinely stunned.
“She did,” I nodded. “And no matter how angry I am, there’s a big part of me that can never repay you for saving me – before I ever knew you.”
Blaine smiled softly, his eyes twinkling.
“But there’s something else she told me. Something you probably don’t know.”
“And what might that be?” He asked with bated breath.
“That you loved me with all of your heart,” I answered, trying to suppress a wide smile – it didn’t work. While he widened his eyes in astonishment, I pressed on. “She could see it in your eyes, just like I do now. She told me that she could never believe that someone would be as selfless as you were for her daughter, and that she knew in a heartbeat that you wanted to protect me – that you loved me. Even back then.”
Blaine glanced down at my hands, clasped around his, and back up to me. All those years of womanizing and tabloid coverage, living a lavish lifestyle to fill the crushing void in his heart… It all seemed to melt away from his face as he gazed longingly into my eyes.
I whispered the words that my heart longed to say – words that my pride, my determination, had refused to let me even conceive. I was willing to let it all fall away, to let the past be the past, if he would just let me fly…and the look in his eyes told me that he was ready to let me be who I needed to be – without his constant care from the shadows.
The only words I could bring myself to say then were the words that really mattered.
“I love you, Blaine.”
32
Sierra
* * *
One long, happy year later, on a beautiful beach terrace in Greece, Blaine Winguard and I were wed. My mother, Keesha, and his receptionist – I mean, little sister – Ivy were all present, as well as a number of my friends. On Blaine’s side, he didn’t have any other immediate family, but work associates of his lined his half of the procession: directors, actors and actresses, and several producers. A solid few of them were even household names, and took the constant hidden selfies and attention from my half of things in stride.
It hadn’t been easy at first. That night that Blaine arrived at my house, he laid out everything from start to finish. The billionaire spoke of his actions with complete humility, willing to prove to me that he understood the mistakes that he had made. The man who had done so much for me knew that he had gone too far, and he accepted that he had to work on his severe control issues, and let me be the woman I really was.
I couldn’t overlook the fact that he had saved my life, both figuratively and literally. He had also done everything in his power to keep me happy from afar for years…
The career he’d helped me with had kicked into high gear. When my story broke, it put me on the map as a rising star in the journalism field. I eventually turned down the majority of work I’d face in front of the camera to perform on-the-ground investigations. It seemed like there was always bad people out there, trying to take advantage of the less fortunate…and for my work uncovering a national child trafficking ring, I earned myself the esteemed Pulitzer Prize for Journalism.
Every cent that I had earned off interviews and speaking arrangements was put into a charity organization that Blaine and I started together – dedicated to fighting sex violence, trafficking, and those who would dare take advantage of young women devoid of opportunities. Blaine, eager to leave the film industry life, began to funnel his time into spearheading the campaign – and with his considerable resources, we were making solid headway into fighting the good fight.
Blaine, true to his word, let me make my own mistakes. Although I accepted the help he offered, he never tried to directly steer my path, and I grew care deeply for him for the tremendous love in his heart.
Stroking my small but growing belly during the wedding reception, I knew that our child would have two parents that would love her with all their hearts – and bestow upon her the kind of compassion and support that my husband had once shown me.
My husband would be there to steer our child clear from the shadows, letting our baby grow confident and strong. I would be there to keep Blaine in check, and to allow our little seed of joy to learn humility, self-control, and to stand on her own two feet. Whoever that little child grew up to be, they would be able to solve their problems with or without money…and carve their way into the world.
Blaine reached his hand out to me, and I joined him for the first dance. With our loved ones and friends around, we pulled in close. I rested my head on his shoulder, and I knew from that moment on that everything was going to be perfectly fine.
Dear reader… I just want to take a minute to thank you personally for reading this novel. I put a lot of love into my work, and it makes me happy to see the positive reviews and e-mails I receive from all of you! You’re the reason I write, and I’ve already started on my next novel! Until then…
Imani
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