Only One Night (Only One Series 3)

by Natasha Madison

  “Okay, fine, I just . . . I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

  “I’ll be fine,” I tell her. “In the end, we will all be fine.”

  “Can you please call me when you leave there?” she says, and I tell her I will, then hang up the phone. I sit down and wait with my heart beating so fast in my chest. I want to get up and pace the room, but she can’t see me frazzled.

  I refuse to let her see me frazzled. She doesn’t get that from me. The front door opens at the same time that my phone pings again and again. I look down quickly and see it’s from Candace.

  Candace: Sent and it’s live already.

  Then there is one from Nico.

  Nico: Just hit my phone. Call me after. I’m here for you.

  I swallow, knowing that all the pieces have been set for this one moment. I didn’t want to do it this way, but she left me no choice.

  “Manning!” she yells. “Where the fuck are you?” I see her walk by the room toward the family room. The sound of her heels are clicking on the floor. “Manning!” She yells my name, and I hear her running up the steps before I talk.

  “I’m in here!” I shout, and I hear her heels click on the floor. The sound gets louder and louder once she comes into the room.

  “What the fuck? Why are you sitting in the dark like a freak?” she says, walking over to the light switch and turning it on. Her eyes go from me to the two black bags sitting on the floor in front of the doorway.

  “Hello, Murielle,” I say to her and see her eyes move from the bags to me.

  “What the fuck is this?” She puts her hands on her hips, and my phone pings again. “You’re leaving me,” she says in horror, and then she laughs. “Try it.”

  “I have something you should see,” I tell her, leaning forward to put my phone on the table.

  “What is that?” she says, coming into the room now, the carpet swallowing the sound of her heels. She reaches for the phone, and the color drains from her face. “I told you not to fuck with me.” I lean back on the sofa, picking up the scotch in my hand and taking another sip. “I warned you.” I put the glass down, and she looks back down at the phone, looking at the headline.

  “All of this for that fucking whore,” she says.

  “I’d tread carefully right now, Murielle,” I tell her, and she throws her head back and laughs.

  “You want to leave me. For a fucking whore.” She yells the last word, and I want to choke her but me staying calm is the key to this. “Do it. Leave me.” She folds her arms over her chest, thinking she has the highest card in the deck, but little does she know I’m going to call her bluff. “You’ll never see Jaxon again.” Her phone starts ringing, and she ignores it. “Where is he?” She runs out of the room now and yells for Jaxon. She comes back into the room, her ponytail swinging back and forth. “Where the fuck is he? Where is he?”

  I get up now as she stands there, grabbing the manila envelope that I had beside me. “I’m not the one leaving,” I tell her, and I know she is going to fight this part. “You are.” I hold out the envelope for her, and she snatches it out of my hands.

  “What the fuck is this?” She opens the envelope, and her house of cards comes crashing down.

  “Those are divorce papers,” I tell her as she reads it. “You’ve been served by the way.”

  She flips the pages over and over again, bending the envelope, and now pictures fall out, and I look down. “What the fuck? You spied on me.” She bends down and picks up the nude photos of herself.

  “We could have done this the easy way,” I tell her. “We could have done it privately and amicable. But”—I shake my head— “you couldn’t just do it. You stayed with me just to be at the top of the food chain. Now look at you. A cheater for the whole world to see.”

  “So what,” she says of the photos, pretending it’s not eating her up, but I know her image is everything to her. I know that this is killing her inside, and I know that I did it to her. “So they know I cheated on you. Obviously, you didn’t satisfy me, so I had to go elsewhere. This makes you look much worse than I do.”

  “Here it is,” I tell her, putting my arms out. “I don’t give a fuck if they caught you gang banging a whole circus of men,” I say. “This is my out.” I laugh now. “Don’t you see? Don’t you get it? You can’t hold anything over me anymore. Nothing.” I take a big breath. “Not even Jaxon. I’m not going to be low like you and use him as a pawn. I won’t hold your son from you. Ever. I’ll never stop you from seeing him. But until we decide on a couple of things, you can only see him when I’m there. I’m not going to lose him again.”

  “You want to ruin it all,” she says. “You are going to ruin it all for her. Everything we built.”

  “No,” I say, shaking my head. “That is where you’re wrong. You ruined it all. You ruined it. This, Murielle, is all you.” I’ve had enough of her, and it’s done. I make my way to the doorway past the bags that I packed for her. “Oh, and also . . .” I turn around and look at her as she stands there with the divorce papers in one hand, gripped so tight her knuckles are white. “If you think for one second of going to Evelyn again . . .” I walk to her, my voice going low, and I look into her eyes when I say the next words. “You better fucking think twice.” My voice goes even lower. “I have lots more pictures of you. Next time, don’t fuck your trainer in my house. Next time, it’ll be a home movie.”

  “I fucking hate you,” she says the words with clenched teeth.

  “Actually, I’m feeling generous. You can have the fucking house.” I look around. “I always hated it anyway. It was like my jail,” I tell her, walking right out the front door and slamming it behind me.

  Chapter 30

  Evelyn

  I can’t stop pacing. I sit down for a second, but then my leg starts to twitch, and I get up again. I have read the article so many times that I almost know it by heart.

  I search the web on my computer, on my iPad, on my phone. I search his name, then his wife’s name. I wonder how he’s doing. I wonder how Jaxon is. There is so much going on that my head is spinning.

  The soft knock comes, and I run to the door. I open it before looking outside and see him standing there. “Oh my god.” I literally throw myself into his arms. “Are you okay?”

  “You didn’t even check to see who it was,” he says, and I lean my head back to look at him or, better yet, glare.

  “Your life is literally falling apart, and you’re worried about me answering my door?” He pushes me in and closes the door behind him. Reaching for me, he pulls me to him, bending his head, and takes my lips in a kiss. My lips are half open in shock, and he takes that opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth. My hands go to his arms, and I move them up to his neck. His kiss is soft as we take our time.

  “Fuck,” he says when he lets go of my lips, and my eyes slowly flutter open. “I missed that.”

  “Me, too,” I say softly.

  “I can’t stay long,” he says. I nod and grab his hand as we walk into the house.

  “Do you want something to drink? Water, beer, tequila?” I ask, and he laughs, shaking his head.

  “I’m good,” he says, and I just look at him. “I’m guessing you saw the article?”

  “I did,” I tell him. “Manning, I’m so, so sorry.” My heart breaks for him knowing that he’s the most private person I’ve ever met. “You must be beside yourself.”

  “It was me,” he says, and I just look at him, not sure I heard him. I must spend too much time blinking because he continues. “It was all me.”

  “I don’t.” I start to say. “I don’t understand.”

  “I told you before that I started this plan before today,” he says. I walk to him, and I put my hand on his chest. He puts his hand on mine. I tilt my head back, and he bends to kiss me. “Let’s sit down.” He walks over to the couch and sits, and I sit next to him. “When I left here after we broke up . . .” The way he says it hurts my heart. “I knew that I lost my shot
at happiness.” He looks at me shyly and then looks back down. “I called Becca, my agent, and I asked her to hire a PI.”

  “But you knew she was cheating?” I say, and he nods.

  “I did, and I had video and pictures, but I didn’t want to use those. I needed to have neutral pictures so no one would know it was me.”

  My mouth opens and then closes again with no words coming out. “When she came after you, I knew it was now. It was going to be today. I didn’t care what pictures I used or if they knew it was me. End of the story, it was happening.”

  “Your reputation is on the line,” I say. “Why would you do that?” I get up now. “For me.” I shake my head. “I could handle her. I mean, now that I know she knows, I can handle her.”

  “But it’s not about that,” he says, leaning forward and putting his elbows on his knees. “It’s about me being free of her. It’s about me starting my life. It’s about Jaxon living in a normal household without a mother and father who hate each other.” I just look at him. “She did not take it well.” He tells me about the showdown at the house. “I don’t know what the future holds,” he says, his eyes suddenly looking tired. “I know she is going to fight me every single second.” His head hangs down now, and I walk to him.

  I get down on my knees in front of him, touching his cheek with my hand. “Manning,” I say, leaning in and rubbing my nose on his cheek.

  “It’s not going to be easy. I already filed for divorce with an emergency order that she not leave the state with him, and she has twenty days to respond. It might be the longest twenty fucking days of my life, but the first step is done.” I lean in and kiss his lips softly. “I was going to kick her out of the house, but then I thought about it. I hate that fucking house. It was my jail cell. I felt trapped and after spending time here”—he looks around— “this is a home. I want to give Jaxon a home.”

  This man sacrificed everything he has for his son. “Becca rented a house, and I didn’t even know. I had no other thoughts except getting away from her.”

  “What about Jaxon?” I ask, and he looks at me.

  “He’s with my mother,” he says, his voice cracking. “Becca called her, knowing I would need help.”

  “I wish I could help you,” I tell him. “I wish she didn’t know about us, and I could help you and be by your side.”

  “I don’t know what the future holds, Evelyn.” He takes his hand and puts it on my face, moving his thumb up and down. “I know it’s not going to be easy, but what I can tell you.” He moves his hand to trace my lips with his thumb. “That it’s going to be worth it.”

  “I will be here with whatever you need,” I tell him, my heart hammering in my chest. “You just tell me what you need.”

  “You,” he says softly. “All I want is you.” He puts his forehead on mine. “Knowing that.” My hand touches his face. “Knowing you’ll be there is . . .”

  “It’s us,” I tell him. “In here,” I say. “In here, it’s just the two of us.”

  “I don’t know what I did,” he says as his other hand cups my face. “But I’m so fucking happy that I went to that dinner.” I smile now. “I’m so happy that . . .”

  “That you flirted with me shamelessly,” I joke with him. “You know this is the second time today you’ve come to see me.” I smile.

  “Never a third without a second,” he says, and I kiss him. “I have to get to Jaxon. I know he’s being taken care of, but I have to talk to him.”

  “Of course,” I say, getting up from in front of him. I walk with him to the front door, sad he’s leaving me again and sadder that I can’t be there with him as he goes through this.

  “I’ll call you later,” he says, and I just nod.

  “Okay,” I say. “Let me know if I can do anything.”

  “I hate this,” he says right before he walks out the door. “I hate leaving. I hate that you can’t come with me. I hate that.”

  “Hey,” I say, putting my arms around his waist. “There will be time for all of that.”

  “That is what I’m counting on,” he says, kissing me softly. “Lock the door, and for the love of god—”

  I start to groan, and I push him out. “Go,” I tell him. “Take care of Jaxon.”

  He starts walking away. “Evelyn.” He calls my name and turns to walk backward. “I know I’m married and all, but will you be my girlfriend?” I shake my head, laughing. “I mean, after my divorce and all that.”

  “I think we went backward on that train, Manning,” I tell him, and he laughs.

  “Best night ever,” he says, and I just take a deep breath and watch him leave, knowing that he is taking a piece of my heart with him.

  I close the door and walk back inside. My phone rings, and I see it’s him. “I want to tell my mother about us.”

  “What?” I say, shocked. “Don’t you think you should wait?”

  “No,” he says. “Actually, I want to tell Jaxon and my mother so they know I’m going to be okay.” He stops talking. “Is that okay with you?”

  “Then I guess I should tell my parents, too,” I say, sitting down and feeling like I just woke up on Christmas morning and all the gifts I asked for are under the tree waiting for me. “I mean, my father was there when the showdown happened, and although he didn’t ask me anything, I’m sure he has a lot of questions.”

  “Okay, so I’ll tell my mother and Jaxon, and you tell your parents,” he says. “I’ll call you after I talk to them.”

  “Oh my god, you’re doing this tonight?” I shriek. “Don’t you think that’s going to be a big thing? I’m leaving Murielle, and I have a girlfriend.”

  “I figured like a Band-Aid, I’d just rip it off,” he says. “I also have to call your brother.”

  “Wait, what?” I sit up now.

  “I have to tell him what is going on. He needs to know in case.”

  “In case?” I say, my hands getting clammy.

  “Baby,” he says my name softly. “I don’t know what Murielle is going to do. She can go quietly, or she can go like a bat out of hell.”

  “I think she’s going to go with plan B,” I tell him.

  “Me, too, which means that I don’t want you to get caught by yourself,” he says, “so we have to make a plan.”

  “Shouldn’t I be a part of this meeting?” I ask, and he laughs.

  “I’ll fill you in. I just got to the house,” he tells me. “I’ll call you later.”

  “Good luck,” I say, taking a deep breath.

  “With you on my side, who needs luck?” he says, disconnecting.

  Chapter 31

  Manning

  I walk up the pathway toward a house I have never seen before. The front door is unlocked, and as soon as I step inside, I smell cooking right away—my mother’s cooking.

  I also hear laughing, something I’ve never heard before when I walked into my house. It was always dead ass quiet. “Hello?” I shout as I pass the staircase and walk into a huge family room adjoined to a kitchen.

  My mother stands at the island with Jaxon as he helps her cook. Her eyes come up, and when she sees me, she immediately gets teary-eyed. She grabs a hand towel to wipe her hands and then comes to me. “Dad, Nana came.”

  “I see that,” I tell him.

  “My boy,” she says, and I have to bend to hug her. “You and me, we are going to have a talk,” she says as she holds my face. “A nice long overdue talk.” I laugh now, and then I look over to see Becca walking into the room. “I think your attention needs to be someplace else right now.” She motions with her head and then walks back to the counter to stand beside Jaxon. “Now leave my grandson and me by ourselves while we cook dinner.”

  “Dad, I’m cooking,” he says, smiling and then turns to my mother. “Can I pour it in now?” he asks her, and she nods her head.

  I walk over to Becca, who just looks at me. “Well, you seem to be intact,” she says, looking me up and down. “No bullet holes. I guess that’s a good sign.
” I shake my head, laughing, and then I hear a knock on the door. “That should be Nico and Candace,” she says, walking to the door and opening it.

  Nico walks in wearing jeans, a white T-shirt, and a leather jacket. “Hey,” he says to me and then looks at Becca. “Good to see you.”

  She just nods at him as the bell rings again. He moves over to me. “You okay?” I shrug my shoulder when I see Candace come in. Her eyes go soft when she sees me.

  “Manning.” She comes over to me and hugs me. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Okay, I set up in the dining room,” Becca says, walking toward a door that I didn’t even see when I got in. I step in and see Becca’s computer out and her legal pad next to it with writing all over it.

  I slip off my jacket and sit down, grabbing a water bottle from the middle of the table. “What a day,” I say, chuckling.

  Nico sits next to me. Candace sits next to Becca and takes out her own legal pad. “So what happened?”

  I shake my head. “I gave her the divorce papers, and I’m hoping to fuck she doesn’t fight me on it.”

  “She put out a statement,” Candace says, and I look over at her in shock. “She did it herself.”

  “What did she say?” I ask, and my leg starts to move up and down. “I didn’t see anything.”

  “Well,” Becca says, laughing now. “She did call me two seconds after you left her and told me that I better make sure that I take care of this shit, or you’ll regret it.”

  “What did you tell her?” I ask.

  “I told her to eat my dick,” Becca says, and Nico laughs. “Then I hung up on her.”

  “And then she called me,” Candace says, looking down. “I didn’t tell her what Becca said, but I did tell her that she was not my client. She then told me to eat a dick and hung up. The minute she hung up, I put out the press release that we wrote up.” I nod, knowing she took care of it. “It contradicts what she says, though.”

  “That’s her problem,” I say, then look over at Nico. “Any news on your side?”