The Terms Duet

by Rowe, Ruby

  “Exactly. She’s a good mother, Lawson. Better than good. My son’s extremely attached to her, and Camilla and I can’t worry every day that she could be taken away from him.”

  “And taken away from you?” he hints.

  “Can you help me or not? I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to make this happen.”

  “Not all the records are electronic.”

  “No, but most of them are. It would minimize the risk. Also, I want her identification officially changed to Camilla Rose. Somehow, she managed to get fake IDs, but I want real documents: a birth certificate, social security card, driver’s license and a passport… I want it all for her and her sister. Their information’s in that envelope.”

  “Seriously?”

  “I know I’m asking for a lot, but I promise to make it worth your while.”

  “You know I can’t take a bribe.”

  “No, but I can give my friend a gift once he retires, which could be at a fairly young age.”

  “You’re straying a little far from the red road, friend.”

  “I’ll do anything to protect Camilla and my child. Please, think about it.” Pulling out my phone, I scroll through my photos to find one of Liam. “Here, this is my son, Liam.”

  Tilting his head back, he eyes the photo.

  “You’re such a manipulative fuck.”

  “I like to think of myself as resourceful.”

  “Fine, but you’re still a fuck.”

  Smiling, I slip my phone back inside my pocket.

  “Do it for my kid. He needs both his parents.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Camilla

  Liam and I are eating lunch in the dining room, and Christopher is joining us. Irene put me on the spot, offering to feed him, too. I’m stressing out since Ellis doesn’t need another reason to be angry with me.

  “You’re picking at your food. That means you’re upset about something. What did he do this time?” Chris asks.

  “Ellis didn’t do anything. It was me, but I can’t talk about it.”

  “He probably convinced you of that. He never takes responsibility for anything.”

  “Please stop speaking negatively of him in front of Liam.”

  “I still believe you’ll come to your senses and realize I’m the one who would never let you down.”

  “Stop. I love him, and you bad-mouthing him won’t change that.”

  “Then I’ll let him screw that up on his own. We need to discuss Saturday night,” he adds, refusing to let me eat in peace.

  “Which part? The one where you bid over fifty thousand dollars for a painting?”

  “Tony left me that painting.”

  “Then he should’ve said so in his will or trust, whatever it’s called.”

  “I guess he was trusting that Ellis would believe me instead of being a greedy bastard.”

  “Bastard,” Liam says.

  I glower at Christopher. “I told you to watch your language around him.”

  “Sorry.”

  Wiping Liam’s mouth with my napkin, I give him a stern look.

  “You’re not allowed to say that word until you’re a grownup. Do you hear Momma?”

  “I can’t say bastard?”

  Chris chuckles, so I swat at him from across the table.

  “Stop encouraging him. I need to use the restroom. Can you stay here with him?”

  “Of course.”

  I walk to the bathroom, and once I’m finished, I grip the vanity and stare in the mirror. How did my life get so complicated? I thought not having two pennies to rub together was the biggest stressor in life, but I’m beginning to think otherwise.

  Once I’m back at the table, I eye Liam. He’s looking down at his lap and playing with a cheese cube. I always wonder when he does this if he’s thinking about the food in his hand or something else.

  “Sweetie, are you OK?” Nodding, he puts the cheese cube in his mouth.

  “Why did Ellis tell his family that Liam is…?” Chris asks.

  “I can’t talk about it.”

  “You say that a lot.” I don’t reply, hoping he’ll take the hint. “It was ridiculous, Cammy. Are you going to tell Liam a lie his whole life?”

  “Stop talking about him. He’s right here and staring at you. Make this right,” I say through gritted teeth.

  “All right. Liam, I saw the jungle gym’s finished out back. Would you like me to take you outside to swing?”

  “Chris, stop,” I say.

  “There’s a swing?” Liam asks.

  Lord, things keep getting worse. “Christopher, that was a surprise from Ellis. He’s going to lose his mind.” With my elbows on the table, I rub my forehead with my hands.

  “Shit, I didn’t know.”

  “Chris said another bad word, Momma. Boss!” I hear him shout. I jerk my head up, and Ellis is standing at the far end of the table, leveling Christopher with a dirty look, which is nothing new.

  “Boss, Chris is taking me outside to swing.”

  “He thinks so, huh?”

  “Ellis, I didn’t know it was a secret.”

  “Right. I only told you that a few times last week.”

  “Christopher,” I admonish. He tosses his napkin on the table and stands.

  “I forgot, OK, and it’s not like it’s the end of the world. You can still show it to him yourself. I’m going back to work.”

  “That’s wise of you. I left a file on your desk. I need you to see if there’s a backdoor on that website.”

  “Sure,” he replies sarcastically. “I want to speak with you later.”

  “After I take Liam out.”

  Christopher marches off, and the tension between the two of them couldn’t be stronger.

  “I had nothing to do with him eating with us. Irene invited him.”

  Ellis takes his seat at the end of the table next to me, and Irene steps up with his plate. Her eyes dart to mine, and I realize she overheard me.

  “It’s fine, Camilla.” He gives his housekeeper a reassuring smile. “Irene has always been kind and fed my employees, too. Speaking of employees, where’s Emma?”

  Returning a smile to Ellis, Irene leaves the room.

  “I called her yesterday and gave her the day off since we were at the hotel,” I say.

  “Oh, right. I’m sorry I messed with her schedule. I’ll pay her regardless.” Ellis takes a bite of his roasted chicken.

  “I wike Em and her shoes.”

  I snicker. “He likes her pair of Converse because they have superheroes on them.”

  “I’ll get you a pair, Liam.”

  “Ellis, you can’t buy him every single thing he wants.”

  “Don’t tell me what I can’t do, especially in front of him. It’s a pair of shoes.” Wiping his mouth, he stands up. “I’ve lost my appetite. Liam, are you ready to see your surprise? Well, your jungle gym?”

  “Yes!” His arms shoot in the air before he hops off his chair.

  “I want to take him by myself,” Ellis says.

  “Are you going to tell him now?”

  “Yes, and I’d rather do it alone. You can talk to him about it afterward.”

  “Oh, OK. I’m behind on my assignments, so I’ll be in my office if you need me.” I give Liam a hug. “Have fun and be careful.”

  My stomach sinks as I leave the room. In two sentences Ellis managed to make me feel unneeded. Before Saturday night, I thought we’d be telling Liam this news together, sealing our fate as a family.

  Instead, he’s defensive, obviously bitter that he missed out on time with his son. I can’t fault him for that, but I don’t think I’m the one who should be on the receiving end of his anger.

  For those first few years of Liam’s life, I didn’t know Ellis Burke was a good man, and I sure didn’t know he was my child’s father.

  I guess he views the situation differently. I want to believe the time he asked for will heal his heart, but I can’t help but wonder if it�
��s too late.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Ellis

  Liam skips ahead of me to go out the back door. He runs across the patio and into the yard. His feet dig into the grass as he forces himself to stop a good forty feet from the wooden jungle gym.

  “Wow, it’s so tall.” Looking over his shoulder at me, he grins. “This is all mine?”

  “Yes, I had it built just for you.” He runs over and surveys it, jogging around each side to get a good look. His smile is radiant, his silky hair shining from the sunlight. He’s in a yellow t-shirt, too, that only adds to his brightness.

  I experience a pang of guilt for not inviting Camilla out with us. Her smile would be radiant, as well, from seeing Liam excited. I’m angry with her one minute, not the next. This whole situation is fucked up, and I need it resolved.

  “Thank you, Boss. Can I swing?”

  “Of course. I’ll push you.” Liam skips over, meeting me at one of the three swings. He gets in the seat with no trouble, and I begin to push him.

  “There’s no kids here,” he says.

  “No. This isn’t like the park. You have your very own playset.” He’s quiet as I push him. “Do you wish there were kids here?”

  “I like playin’ with kids, but I wike that I have my vewy own swing and slide.”

  “When you go to preschool in a few months, you’ll have other kids to play with. You’ll make friends then. Would you like for a kid to come over here and play with you?”

  “Yes. That’d be fun.”

  “Liam, do you know what a father is?” Besides the swooshing sound after my push of the swing, it’s quiet. “How about a dad?”

  “Kids at the park come with their daddies. Miles on my show has a daddy, too.” Grabbing hold of his swing, I bring it to a stop and step around to face him. Here goes… I crouch in front of him and suck in a breath.

  “I want to tell you something.”

  “K. Then, can I slide?” Just like his mother, he bites his lip.

  “Sure. Uh, you know how kids have mothers and fathers?” I avoid an eye roll. “I mean mommies and daddies?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, Camilla is your mommy, and I’m your daddy.” Putting his finger inside his mouth, he looks to the ground. “I didn’t know I was your daddy before, but now I do, and it’s important for you to know that I’ll always be here for you.

  “Anytime you need something, you come see Boss. Anything at all. OK?” He nods but doesn’t make eye contact. “We’re going to spend a lot of time together and do fun things.”

  “Will Momma be there?”

  “Liam, your momma will always take care of you, but now you have two parents.”

  He glances up at me and smiles. “OK. Can I slide now?”

  I chuckle. “Yeah, sure, but can I have one hug first?” He hops off the swing, and I bring him in close to me. That was easier than I expected, and I wish life could always be this simple for him.

  Greyson

  Returning from a late business lunch, I stop at Rhonda’s office to check on Sasha. My paralegal looks up at me from her desk.

  “How’s it going?”

  “If you’re referring to Sasha, she’s doing fine. Her enthusiasm over her ability to file papers correctly is odd, but otherwise, she seems to catch on quickly.”

  “Where is she?”

  “Lunch.”

  Oh, shit. “She didn’t bring lunch, and she doesn’t have a car.”

  Her eyebrows lift, and I realize I’m busted for knowing too much.

  “I have to get to my office.” I disappear before she can reply and walk down a side hallway to the break room. Sasha isn’t inside, so I leave, and as I pass the conference room, I catch a glimpse of her through the cracked door.

  I step back and look inside. She’s sitting on the table, gazing out the picture window at the mountains. There’s empty saltine cracker wrappers on the table and an empty white cone cup from the water machine. Shit.

  “Sasha, hi,” I say as I push the door open. Scooting off the table, she turns around.

  “Hi.”

  “I completely forgot you didn’t have a car to go grab lunch. Would you like me to run out and get you something?”

  “No, I’ve only got a few minutes left, and the crackers were enough.” She picks up the wrappers and dusts the crumbs off the table. “I never eat three meals a day, anyway.”

  “You should.”

  Letting a laugh slip, she says something under her breath.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Nothing. I should get back to work.”

  “All right. Come find me if you need anything.”

  “Thanks.” Leaving her alone, I walk to my office. I no sooner sit down when my HR manager, Deedra, charges in.

  “When were you going to tell me you hired someone? And why would you do that without informing me first?”

  “Don’t raise your voice at me, and shut the door please.”

  She does as I ask and marches to my desk with crossed arms. Her face is as red as her short hair, and although I understand why she’s angry, she’s also getting a little too comfortable barking at me.

  “I’m sorry, but I’d appreciate a heads-up when you’re going to have a new employee start.”

  “It was unexpected, and if I hadn’t been on the phone all morning and had a lunch meeting, I would’ve told you already. She’s a friend, but that stays between us. I’m helping her out until she gets on her feet.”

  “Once I stumbled upon Sasha, I had her come to my office to fill out paperwork, and I’m fairly certain her driver’s license is bogus.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “I’ve been doing HR for fifteen years now. I know a fake ID when I see one.”

  I sigh. “I’ll find out, and keep this between us.”

  “Of course.”

  She leaves, and I rub my eyes before I pick up the phone to call Ellis.

  “Hey, cuz. Are you busy?”

  “I just put Liam down for a nap. What’s up?”

  “Damn, your life has changed.”

  “No, shit.”

  “Does Sasha know how to drive?”

  “I believe so because Camilla mentioned giving her sister her old car. Why?”

  “HR thinks her ID is fake.”

  “Uh, I’m working on remedying that.”

  “What? It is fake?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you going to explain, or do I need to get the pliers out like every other time you’re keeping something from me.”

  “It’s Camilla and Sasha’s personal business. It’s not my place to tell, and it can’t get out.”

  “You know, I thought you trusted me, but I’m not sure anymore. Fine, I’ll ask Sasha myself.”

  “Greyson, stop. I do trust you, but I need to ask Camilla if she minds if I discuss it with you since it’s so personal.”

  “Whatever, man. I have a lot of work to do, so I’m gettin’ off here.”

  “Look, it’s about their past, and I’m trying to straighten it out for them. As soon as I do, she’ll have a valid driver’s license. Can you cover for her in the meantime? It’s extremely important.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Tossing my phone on the desk, I lean back in my chair and lace my fingers behind my head. I figured Sasha had a few little secrets buried, but I’m getting the feeling they’re not buried or small.

  Maybe I jumped the gun on offering her so much help. It’s not normal for me to get this involved, but ever since I carried her in my arms out of that shithole apartment, I’ve felt a need to protect her.

  Deedra isn’t going to be the last person to bitch me out over Sasha. Whitney’s wrath will be unleashed once she discovers that another chick is living with me. Fuck, I just made my life a hell of a lot more difficult.

  Ellis

  Christopher sits down in a wingback chair in my office.

  “
What did you want to discuss?” I ask.

  “I need Greyson’s phone number?”

  “Why?”

  He purses his lips. “It’s about the painting. I came up with more cash, and I want to buy it from him.” I’m not surprised by his response. Who wouldn’t want to fight for a free house and all that money?

  “It’s not for sale.”

  He looks heavenward, and I guarantee that’s not where he’s headed after this lifetime.

  “Tony said if anything ever happened to him, he wanted me to have it.”

  “It’s a painting. You’ve never breathed a word about the expensive paintings displayed throughout my home, so I find it hard to believe you have an interest in art. You need to let it go.”

  With his leg resting on his other knee, he messes with the hem of his pants.

  “Why are you keeping me around? It’s obvious you don’t like me.”

  “If you want the truth, Camilla is the main reason you’re still here. She says you two are friends.” Stretching back in my chair, I tent my fingers and touch my lips as I stare him down. “You know what I think?”

  He gives half an eye roll. “No, but I’m sure you’re going to enlighten me.”

  “I believe she feels indebted to you for being by her side the last few years, but we both know the only reason you did that; you wanted her and still do.”

  “And how is that any different than the reason you’re supporting her?”

  “The difference is that she wants me in return. Once and for all, you need to stop trying to get with her. She’s not going to suddenly leave here to be with you, and she wouldn’t remove Liam from this house or his father.”

  Christopher laughs. “I think you’re the one obsessed with Camilla, and you’re obviously delusional, thinking Liam’s yours. I couldn’t believe you told your family that lie.”

  This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. I lean over and rest my elbows on my desk.

  “He is mine. Camilla and I slept together at one of my brother’s parties. We took a paternity test. He’s mine, not Tony’s.”

  His jaw drops, and I think he’s lost the ability to breathe. He struggles to swallow, too.

  “Camilla wouldn’t keep a secret like that from me.”