FOREVER SERIES: COMPLETE BOX SET

by Lynn, Sandi

  “Whoa, bro, slow down,” my friend Brett said. “It can’t be that bad.”

  “You have no idea,” I said as I finished the bottle and grabbed another one.

  I looked at my watch and it was one in the morning. Shit. I had to be at the office by seven for a meeting. The party was still going strong and Aiden was up in one of the bedrooms with some chick. I found Brett and asked him if he could call me a cab so I could get home. He laughed and led me to his car.

  “Forget the cab, Collin. I can drive you home. I’m the designated driver for tonight.”

  “Thanks, man. I owe you.”

  I had Brett drop me off in the parking garage so I could take the elevator right up to the penthouse. I stood there and felt sick to my stomach as the elevator went up. Ugh. I didn’t know if I was going to make it. I drank way too much. As the doors opened, I tried to make it up to my room, but stumbled up the stairs and fell. I didn’t care. I just needed to lay down and that’s exactly what I did. I passed out at the top of the stairs and slept in the hallway.

  I felt jabs in my side and when I carefully opened my eyes, I saw my dad staring down at me.

  “What the hell, Collin!” he yelled.

  I put my hand on my forehead and closed my eyes. “Dad, stop.”

  “Get your sorry ass up right now! You reek of alcohol and you need to be at the office in an hour. Go get in the shower and clean yourself up. I don’t have time to deal with you right now. This isn’t over,” he said as he stepped over me and walked downstairs.

  I lay there, my head pounding and vibrating like a train racing down the tracks. I didn’t want to get up and go to the office. I wanted the comfort of my bed for the rest of the day. Suddenly, I felt someone grab my arm.

  “Come on, Collin. Get up,” my mom said as she helped me. She took me into the bathroom and set me down on the toilet. She started the shower and lifted my shirt over my head.

  “Okay, Mom, stop. I can undress myself.”

  “Be careful, and your cocktail will be waiting for you when you get out and come downstairs. You better hurry up because your dad is pissed off.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I said.

  “Sometimes I look at you and I don’t even know who you are anymore,” she said with disappointment as she left the bathroom and shut the door.

  I carefully got up and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water stream down my body. I washed up and then got dressed. I walked downstairs and to the kitchen where my dad was sitting at the table and my mom was standing by the counter holding that shit cocktail I’ve come to drink on a regular basis.

  “Drink it now!” she said in a stern voice.

  “Mom—”

  “Don’t you ‘Mom’ me, young man. You go sit down at the table and don’t say one word. Do you understand me?”

  I nodded my head and sat down. My dad glared at me from the opposite side. “We’re going to talk about his later and you’re not going to like it.”

  “Dad—”

  “Don’t dad me. Finish your drink and get your ass down to the parking garage. We have a meeting to get to,” he said as he shook his head and got up from his chair.

  After I managed to choke down the cocktail, I put my shoes on and kissed my mom goodbye.

  “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  “You’re always sorry, Collin, and sorry just isn’t cutting it anymore.”

  I stepped into the elevator and looked down as the doors shut.

  * * *

  Once again, I held my composure in the meeting. Julia kept staring at me from across the table and all I could see was disappointment from her too. It seemed like I couldn’t make anyone happy anymore. Once the meeting was over, my dad told me to follow him to his office. He told me to have a seat and then looked at his watch.

  “Diana will be here soon so I’m going to make this quick. I think you are one of the smartest people I know, and you have an excellent business sense. You need to get your damn head out of your ass and stop acting like a spoiled rich kid. Because make no mistake about it, I will fire you from this company and completely cut you off. Do you understand me?”

  I nodded my head as I got up from the chair and started to walk away. I put my hands in my pockets and stopped before I reached the door.

  “Hailey told me yesterday I need to move on and that she’s seeing someone else. Just imagine what it would be like if mom said that to you.” I slowly opened the door and went to my office.

  I sat down at my desk, turned my chair around and stared out the window at the busy city. My head was still pounding so I opened my desk drawer and took out the bottle of ibuprofen. As I was about to pop them in my mouth, Julia walked in.

  “Hey.” She smiled.

  “Hey. If you came to lecture me again, don’t bother. Dad just threatened to fire me and cut me off.”

  “He’d never do that to you, Collin,” Julia said as she sat down.

  “A long time ago, I would have thought the same thing. But now, I’m not so sure anymore,” I said as I looked down.

  “I think you need to get some help and talk to someone about Hailey. Go see a shrink.”

  I chuckled. “Yeah, right. I’m not going to see a shrink. I’ll be fine.”

  “You’re fine when you’re drinking. Don’t you see, Collin, alcohol is a band aid and without it, you won’t stop thinking about her.”

  “You don’t understand, Julia. No one understands what it’s like to walk in my shoes right now. Maybe I’m crazy. Who the fuck knows.”

  “She was your first love and first loves are hard to get over. But you can’t drink your troubles away. Mom and Dad always taught us to deal with our problems head on and find a solution. Alcohol is not the solution.”

  “You talk like I’m an alcoholic. I’m not an alcoholic, Julia.”

  “I didn’t say you were. I’m just worried about you heading down the wrong path.”

  I sighed as I got up from my chair and grabbed a bottle of water from the mini fridge. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I promise you.”

  “Did you forget your birthday is in a couple of days?” she said.

  “No, I haven’t forgotten, and mom and dad haven’t mentioned it either.”

  She smiled as she got up from the chair.

  “That’s because they’re throwing you a surprise party. Don’t you dare tell them that you know. Jake and I are taking you out to dinner and then back to the penthouse. The only reason I’m telling you is because you’ll go off and make plans and you’ll ruin it for mom and dad. So I’m giving you notice right now.”

  I walked over and hugged her. “Thank you for letting me know. I would’ve made plans.”

  “I know you would’ve.” She smiled.

  I placed my hand on her stomach and felt the small bump she had. “How’s my niece or nephew?”

  “Fine. I need to go shop for maternity clothes; I can’t squeeze into my regular clothes anymore.”

  “I’m sure mom is really excited to take you.”

  “She is. We’re going tomorrow,” she said as she opened the door. “I love you little brother.”

  “I love you, big sister.” I smiled.

  Chapter 7

  Connor

  I sat at my desk thinking about Collin and what the hell I was going to do with him. I picked up my phone from the desk and called Denny.

  “Hi Connor.”

  “Hi Denny. How are you, friend?”

  “You know me, I’m doing okay.”

  “Enjoying retirement?” I asked.

  “Somewhat.”

  “I was wondering if I can stop by later. I need to talk to you about Collin.”

  “Sure. I’ll be here all day.”

  “Great. I’ll see you soon.”

  I could always count on Denny to give me the right advice. After all, he always put his two cents in when it came to Ellery. I met with Diana and she accepted the position I offered her as my secretary. Valerie spent the day with her
and showed her the ropes. I finished up some paperwork and stopped by Collin’s office to see what he was doing and to let him know I was leaving the building for the day. When I walked in his office, he was standing and staring out the window with his hands tucked in his pants pockets. He reminded me so much of me at his age.

  “Son,” I said as I walked in.

  “Hey, Dad.”

  “I have somewhere I need to be so I’m leaving for the day.”

  “Okay. I’ll either catch a cab or get a ride home with Julia. You know, you really need to hire someone to replace Denny,” he said.

  “I know I do. I’ll see you later at home.”

  I walked out of the building and climbed into the Range Rover and headed to Denny’s house. When I arrived, he was sitting in the backyard, so I walked back and gave him a hug. I hadn’t seen him in about a month and I really missed him.

  “Sit down and talk to me about Connor Jr.” he said.

  I sighed as I sat down and took the scotch, he already had waiting for me. “Why are you calling my son that?”

  “Because, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I told you that your past would come back to bite you in the ass one day.” He smiled.

  I rolled my eyes. “His heart is broken and he’s partying too much. God knows how many women he’s had sex with already.”

  “Like I said, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” He chuckled. “The boy has your genes, Connor. Put yourself in his shoes because you’ve been there. You’ve walked in his shoes already. Your heart was broken because you thought you were responsible for Amanda’s death. His heart is broken because the love of his life, or so he thinks she is, left him and left the country. His defenses are up now just like yours were. He’s killing the pain with booze and sex, just like you did. The difference is, you can help him now. Your father wasn’t there for you and I tried to be the best I could, but you’ve been there, and you can talk some sense into him.”

  “I tried. He won’t listen to me.”

  “Yeah, I know the feeling.” He smiled as he held his glass up to mine.

  “I think you need to come clean with your son and tell him about the list of rules you had in place for your women.”

  I looked at him in horror. “There is no way in hell I’d share that with my son.”

  “Step outside your perfect box, Connor. Collin is hurting something awful. He’s doing the same thing you did. You need to make him see that it’s wrong and if he continues walking that line, he’ll regret it. You were a miserable bastard until the day you met Ellery. You need to tell him about Ashlyn and what she did to you and your family. You never know, he could run across a psycho bitch like that himself if he keeps up his ways.”

  I threw back my drink. “I’ve already thought about that. The difference is I was more responsible at his age where work was concerned. I threatened to fire him and cut him off today if he didn’t straighten up.”

  “Was that really a wise move? Just be there for him, Connor. What does Ellery say about all this?”

  “Of course she’s upset, and she’s worried about him.”

  “He’s a Black, and he comes from an outstanding and loving family. He’ll be okay. But he will need your guidance.”

  “Thanks old man. I knew I could count on you.” I smiled. “You are coming to his birthday party, right?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Maybe I’ll even have a few words with him.” He winked.

  I got up from my chair, gave him a light hug goodbye and drove home.

  * * *

  I was in the kitchen having coffee when Collin came downstairs.

  “Good morning, Collin,” Ellery said as she kissed his cheek.

  “Good morning, Mom. Dad,” he said as he looked at me.

  “You’re going to need to go upstairs and change your clothes,” I said.

  “Why?”

  “Because you and I are going to play golf today.”

  He looked at me strangely. “Huh?”

  “We’re not going to the office. We’re going to skip work today and spend some way overdue father/son time together.”

  “Oh,” he said in shock. “Okay.”

  “Does Julia know?” he asked.

  “Does Julia know what?” she said when she walked into the kitchen.

  “Hello, princess.” I smiled as she walked over and kissed me.

  “Me and Dad aren’t going to the office today. We’re going to play golf instead.”

  “Good for you!” She smiled. Me and Mom are going maternity clothes shopping.”

  “It looks like the Black family is playing hooky today.” Ellery laughed.

  I got up from my chair and wrapped my arms around her. Even after all these years, her scent still drove me crazy. I brought my lips closer to her ear as I whispered, “We can play hooky together later. All night if you want.”

  “Mhmm,” she moaned. “I can’t wait.”

  “Hello! Children in the room!” Julia yelled.

  Ellery and I laughed and kissed each other goodbye for the day. Collin and I climbed into the Range Rover and headed to breakfast before tearing up the golf course.

  “I love the omelets here,” Collin said as he took a bite.

  “This was always your favorite place to eat breakfast.” I smiled.

  Collin looked at me as he took a sip of his coffee.

  “Okay, Dad, confess. Yesterday you were about ready to fire me and cut me off and today you’re taking me to breakfast and golfing. What’s up? Are you going to lecture me?”

  Chapter 8

  Collin

  I sat there and listened to my father spill about his past. His women, his stalker, and the reason he was the way he was. I was blown away when he told me about his rules. It was hard for me to hear. I could see why I reminded him of himself. He saw almost the same behaviors in me that he once had. I felt sorry for him. I felt sorry that I had pushed him far enough that he had to relive his past. I told him that I was okay and not to worry, but he could tell I wasn’t and said that he’d worry no matter what.

  “One day, son, you’re going to meet the love of your life.”

  “I already did, Dad.”

  “I’m sorry to break this to you, but no you haven’t. Hailey wasn’t the love of your life and you’ll finally understand when you meet that special person.”

  It didn’t matter what he said. Hailey was the love of my life and nobody could tell me otherwise. They aren’t inside my heart and they aren’t inside my head. Nobody had any clue as to how much I loved that girl and still do. After breakfast, we golfed for most of the day. It was great to spend the day with my dad. But no matter how much time I spent with someone else, Hailey was always still front and center in my mind.

  “I need to talk to you about your birthday,” my dad said.

  “What about it?”

  “Your mom and I have to attend a charity function that we can’t get out of. So we’re going to take you out the day after.”

  I smiled to myself because if I hadn’t already known, I would have actually believed him.

  “That’s okay, Dad.”

  “Julia and Jake are taking you to dinner, so don’t make any plans.”

  “Okay,” I said.

  He gave me a strange look and continued to golf. We finished up our game and then headed home where we took my mom, Julia and Jake to dinner. After dinner, I came home and spent the rest of the evening with my mom and dad. That made my mom smile and it felt good to make her happy.

  * * *

  “Happy Birthday my darling baby boy,” my mom said as she walked into my room and kissed my cheek.

  “Thanks, Mom.” I smiled.

  “I made you all your favorite breakfast foods. So get dressed and come downstairs.”

  I reached over and grabbed my phone from the nightstand with the hope that Hailey had at least wished me a happy birthday. Disappointment washed over me as I scrolled through all my text messages and not one
of them was from her. I climbed out of bed, showered and got dressed before heading down to eat the wonderful breakfast my mom prepared for me. I put on my fake smile as I entered the kitchen.

  “Mom, it smells great in here.” I smiled.

  “Thank you. Sit down and I’ll bring you your plate.”

  “Happy Birthday, son.” My dad smiled.

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  My mom set down a plate of eggs and French toast and then took her seat next to me. “I feel so bad that we won’t be able to take you out tonight.” She pouted.

  “Don’t be, Mom. We can do it another night. It’s not that big a deal. I’m a big boy now.” I winked.

  “Well, at least you’ll be with Julia and Jake tonight.”

  Yeah, I thought to myself. As much as I loved my family, the only person I wanted to spend my birthday with wasn’t here.

  I spent the rest of the day at the office, catching up on work that I’d been slacking on over the past few weeks. I decided that maybe it was time for me to throw myself into my work because this was going to be my company one day and I wanted to be just as successful as my dad, plus I wanted to make him proud of me.

  “Happy Birthday, bro.” Jake smiled as we shook hands.

  “Thanks,” I said as I sat down at the table.

  The three of us had a great dinner and I couldn’t wait to get home and really start drinking at my party. If there was a night that I needed to get drunk, tonight was it. The whole day had passed and not one word from Hailey. Once again, she had managed to break my heart and I let her. When dinner was over, I climbed in Julia and Jake’s Range Rover and they took me back to the penthouse.

  “Now remember to act surprised,” she warned me.

  The elevator doors opened and suddenly the lights went on and everyone yelled surprise. A wide grin graced my face as I took a step back and pretended to be in shock.

  “OMG! I can’t believe you did this.” I smiled at my mom and dad.