by Laura Pavlov
I turned to face her. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Piper. It’s been eating me up. I wanted Dad to tell you. I’m sorry this happened, Mama. I’m so sorry.”
“Stop apologizing. Your father has been out of control for a while now. He has a drinking problem, and clearly he struggles with remaining faithful. I’ve heard rumors for years, but I always brushed it under the rug. But what I witnessed tonight was not your fault, sweetheart. Tonight was about a man being caught and having a temper tantrum. I will never forgive him for striking you.”
“I want you guys to be okay.”
“Baby girl, we haven’t been okay for a long time. This is not your fault, do you hear me? You just helped me see things more clearly. We’re all going to be fine.”
I nodded.
But I knew nothing would ever be the same.
Chapter Twenty
Crew
Maura had gone radio silent, and I was going out of my fucking mind. I’d called Ivy who was just as concerned. All the girls were trying to reach her to no avail. I’d gone to the hanger and taken the helicopter home. My gut told me something wasn’t right.
I knew I couldn’t go to her house, so I just kept calling her.
Finally she picked up. “Hey,” she said, and she sounded like a wounded bird.
“Hey? I’ve been calling you for hours. The girls are worried sick too. Are you okay?” I drove toward my house.
“I don’t want to talk about it right now. Things aren’t good.” Her words broke on a sob and my chest squeezed.
“What the fuck happened, baby?”
She kept gasping and trying to catch her breath and I wanted to go to her. “My dad got really mad. He was drunk. He found out I was working for you and dating you.”
I pulled over on the side of the road. “What did he do?”
“He called me a whore.” She sobbed. “He just got really mad. My mom walked in and heard the conversation, so she knows about Piper. I think it put him over the edge.”
My hand came down hard on my steering wheel. “Where are you?”
“We’re at Lyle’s house. Wes is here too. My father wouldn’t leave. I’m going to stay here for a few days, Crew. I need to be with my mom. I love you, okay?”
Why did it feel like goodbye?
“I love you, too. Will you call me in the morning?”
“I will.”
Anger overtook me. This piece of shit had disrespected her. I ended the call and my phone rang within a few seconds. I saw Martin Powell’s name come across the screen.
“What’s up,” I said, trying to calm myself down.
“Hey. I’m with your brothers at the bar and I got a call from Dr. Wilson. It was about Maura Benson. Blade just told me that you and Maura are a thing, so I thought you’d want to know what’s going on.”
“I just talked to her. Why did Dr. Wilson call you?” Martin was a very well-liked police officer in Willow Springs and one of my oldest friends.
“I guess Arthur slapped her and she fell and hit the side of her face pretty hard on the stone fireplace. She had a bad gash, and he used some glue to close it up. He said Maura didn’t want to press charges, but he wanted me to be aware and to drive by the house to make sure they were okay.”
I saw red.
“That motherfucker laid his hands on her.” I dropped the phone and put my foot on the gas and drove as fast as I could to the Bensons’ home. I threw the car in park and left it running before sprinting up the driveway and the front steps. Never thought I’d be knocking on this door, but the thought of beating the shit out of the asshole was far too strong.
The door flew open, and a stunned Arthur Benson stood on the other side. He looked dazed, his eyes bloodshot and hair a disheveled mess. I’d never seen him in such a state. The man had clearly lost his mind.
“If you ever lay your fucking hands on her again, I swear to God you will regret it.”
“You think you can fuck my daughter and come threaten me,” his drunk ass was shouting, and I turned to see a car coming down the driveway with their brights on. I didn’t care who saw it. I punched him in the face and dove on top of him.
Shouting and screaming came from behind me and my brothers were yanking me off of him.
“Who the hell do you think you are? You can’t come on private property and attack me,” Arthur shouted. “I’m calling the cops.”
“I’m already here,” Martin said, and I whipped around to see him standing beside my brothers. “And I’d be very careful making that call. I was just driving by because I was informed that your daughter needed medical care after you assaulted her tonight.”
“My daughter will not press charges.”
“You piece of shit. What kind of man puts his hands on his own daughter?” I lunged at him again, and Blade and Dax yanked me back.
“Control yourself, brother. This guy will find a way to fuck you over,” Blade hissed.
“Get the fuck off my property now.” He pushed to his feet, and Martin moved in his space and warned him to go back inside before he hauled his ass into the station. Arthur stumbled back and slammed the door.
My brothers followed me home and I tried Maura again, but she didn’t pick up. She was in a shitstorm, and I’d probably just made things worse for her. Hell, just the fact that we were together had caused her father to lose his shit.
When I got home, my parents and my brothers rallied around me. Just like they always did. They all told me to give her time. She was dealing with a lot, and I needed to trust that she would come around.
And I knew in my gut that she would.
My father woke me up the following morning at the butt crack of dawn. I jolted up. “Did something happen?”
“You need to get back to Dallas right away. Arthur Benson has gone to the press and informed them that you were sleeping with his daughter while she was your intern. He said that you attacked him last night because he threatened to expose you. Your grandfather has the legal team on it, but you need to get back there, son.”
“Jesus Christ. This guy is unbelievable. He leaked a story about his own daughter?”
“I think he’d do just about anything to destroy us.” My father paced around the room.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I think I royally fucked up.” I ran a hand down my face.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Crew. I would have reacted the same way after what he did to Maura. We’re going to figure this out. Blade and Dax are on their way over. They’ll go with you back to Dallas. Knox is still taking finals, so we’re leaving him out of it, because you know he’ll drop everything if he hears about it now.”
I pushed to my feet and paced the room. “Okay. I’ll throw on some clothes and be ready in five minutes.”
He clapped me on the back before leaving my room. I reached for my phone and read the text from Maura that must have come in during the night.
Maura ~ Everything is a mess. My family is literally falling apart. I just heard that my father went to the press about us. Crew, I am so incredibly sorry. Please tell your family and your grandfather that I will speak up and tell the truth. I have made a mess of everything. Your legal team has already reached out and recommended we spend some time apart and cut off contact. I’m not going to my graduation because I’m sure you’ve heard by now that my face looks terrible. I’m just going to stay in Willow Springs and help my mom through this. I will do whatever you need me to do to make sure this doesn’t cause you or the company any grief. Remember that I love you no matter what happens.
Fuck. The blows just kept coming.
I was going to fix this.
I picked up the phone and dialed Diane Batone from Dallas Life. My story was coming out this week, and I was damn well going to tell my side of it. It was the only chance I had at fixing this.
The past three da
ys had been hell. Arthur Benson had caused a shitstorm in the press, painting the picture of a man in power preying on a young student. My grandfather released a statement that no wrongdoing had gone on. He knew that I’d spoken to Diane Batone and shared my side of the story, and he completely supported me in my decision to do so. I’d called over to the university and spoke to the dean of the business school to make sure there were no ramifications for Maura, seeing as we were the current flavor of the month in Dallas news. He informed me that they didn’t pay much attention to the personal lives of their students.
The gossip around the office was rampant, but Layla did her best to shut it down. Everyone that worked at Carlisle Ad Agency appeared to love Maura, so the concern was more that she might not come to work for us with all the attention on our relationship. No one seemed to care about the details. But I wanted them out there. I was done hiding.
There was a knock at my door. “It’s open.”
“Hey, there,” Layla said. The woman had been handling me with kid gloves as she knew I was struggling with all that was going on. “Maura’s brother, Wes, is here to see you.”
“Wes Benson?”
“Yep. He apologized for not having an appointment but said that it was important.”
I’m sure Maura’s family wasn’t happy about all the attention this story had gotten. All caused by their father.
“Of course. Send him in.” I moved to my feet as Wes strolled through the door. I wasn’t sure if he was here to punch me in the face for being with his sister, although Maura had told me her brothers had been aware of what was going on between us the whole time. My hope was that he’d come to have a civil conversation.
“Crew, thank you for seeing me. I thought about calling but I feel this conversation would be best face-to-face.”
I held my hand out for him to take a seat in one of the chairs across from my desk. “You don’t need to call. You’re welcome any time.”
I dropped down in my chair and he nodded. “All right. So, my brother Lyle and my mom and I are all really worried about Maura. She seems pretty broken up over everything that’s happened and I’m not just talking about the bullshit with my dad. She’s most upset about what happened with you. The press and this story running rampant. I’m hoping that means you feel the same way about her, because I’ve never seen her like this.”
I let out a long breath. “I love Maura, if that’s what you’re asking.”
He nodded and I didn’t miss the hint of a smile. “Glad to hear it. She’s going through hell right now. A lot has happened over the past few days. My mother gave my father an ultimatum and he admitted himself to a rehab program for both alcoholism and a mental breakdown. He doesn’t remember slapping Maura or calling the press, or at least that’s his story as of now. I don’t think the fact that he was highly intoxicated helped the situation, though it’s not an excuse. The man has been spiraling ever since he learned he had another daughter. He’s been drinking more than ever and his temper is clearly out of control. Of course we are trying to keep our family drama out of the press, but I won’t blame you if you choose to share this information. I’m coming to you because my sister is a mess. She’s beating herself up over our father talking to the press about the two of you, and she feels like your family probably hates her for the trouble that he’s caused. She’s concerned about my parents’ marriage, and her relationship with our father is rocky, to say the least. And I know your legal team has asked you both to stay away from one another for the time being, and she’s trying to respect that, but…”
“She’s drowning. I understand it, because I am too.” I was on my feet and pacing the room. “I’m done with all of this bullshit. I’m tired of this rift, I’m tired of being angry, and I’m tired of hiding. And I give you my word—if anyone finds out that your father is in treatment, it won’t be because they heard it from me.”
He closed his eyes and cursed. “My father is so messed up. I’m sorry about the trouble that he’s caused you now, and for what he did the day that Belle passed away. Maura filled us in, and my mother is very upset as well. She knew they’d had a court case, but she didn’t realize that your father had tried to postpone and that it was over something so ridiculous. There aren’t enough words to say how sorry we are. But I’m here because I need to do what I can to put my family back together, and right now, my little sister is hurting more than anyone.”
“Is she really not going to graduation tomorrow? She worked her ass off. She’s the top student graduating in her department, she needs to be praised for that.”
“Her face is pretty bruised and she’s just not in a place where she feels like celebrating. But I wanted you to know that the only reason she’s staying away is because she thinks it’s best for you. Your legal team asked her to stay away and she assumes you want her to do so as well, as they work for you. I understand why this is necessary, but I didn’t want you to give up on her. When all this blows over, hopefully the two of you can put all of this behind you and move on.”
I ran a hand down my face. “Fuck. I don’t know what to do. I want to fix this for her.”
“I can see that. I needed to come here myself and make sure these feelings weren’t one-sided. But you look worse than her and you didn’t have to glue your face back together.” He barked out a laugh. “I think just knowing you’re waiting for her is enough.”
I was definitely waiting for her.
But it wasn’t enough.
I was done waiting.
He moved to his feet, and I did the same. He extended his hand before leaning forward and pulling me in for a hug. I clapped him on the back. “Thanks for taking care of her.”
“Always.”
“Thanks for coming by to see me. It means a lot. I think it’s time the Carlisles and the Bensons bury this fucked up hatred.”
“I could not agree more. And I think we have you and Maura to thank for it.” He made his way to the door. “Thanks, Crew. Lyle and I are coming to town in two weeks to meet Piper. Maybe the three of us could grab a beer?”
“I would like that very much. And Piper is a hoot. You’ll love her.”
“That’s what I’ve heard. Looking forward to a fresh start,” he said before tugging the door open.
I walked out behind him and waved goodbye.
“Layla. Call Judy and tell her I need to meet with her as soon as possible. Right now, if she can swing it.”
“Okay. I’ll call her now.”
Five minutes later, Layla peeked her head in the doorway. “Judy can meet you now. But you have two more meetings this afternoon. What do you want me to do?”
“Cancel everything for the next two days. Clear my schedule.” I was walking to the door as I spoke, and she backed up.
She studied me and smiled. “You got it. Proud of you.”
“For what?” I said as I dialed my grandfather on my cell.
“For finally realizing there are more important things in the world than work.”
I chuckled. “Don’t get excited. It’s two days.”
I hurried to the elevator and dialed my grandfather. “Gramps, I need to talk to you. Change of plans.”
“So, what do you really have to lose? The story will blow over. It’s not the end of the world that you fell in love with your intern. This was a consensual relationship,” Judy said.
“Right. But the company doesn’t need bad press, and this has been a definite bruise to our reputation. So legal wants me to stay away from her for a couple weeks. At least until it blows over.”
“Well, you told your side of the story to Dallas Life, right?”
“I did. But that doesn’t come out for two weeks. And I don’t want to wait that long. Man, I’ve been waiting my whole life to feel things again, and now I’m not allowed to? It doesn’t seem right. And Maura’s hurting, and I’m here when she needs me most.�
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She nodded. “What does your grandfather say?”
“He said to follow my heart, which is shocking for him, as he’s always told me to trust my gut. I think Gram must have gotten through to him.” I chuckled because hearing those words come out of my grandfather’s mouth had surprised me.
“Or maybe he knows how much you’ve grieved after all you’ve been through. Maybe he’s happy that you’ve finally found what everyone is searching for,” she said, scribbling something down in her notebook.
“What’s that?”
“The kind of love that everyone wants. The kind you’re willing to risk everything for. I mean, you’re sitting here on a workday talking about risking everything for the girl you love. A few months ago, I couldn’t get you to even open up to the idea of letting someone in. I believe you told me that relationships were bullshit. I’d say Maura Benson has shown you a new perspective. I like this side of you and I’m guessing your grandfather does too.” She raised a brow in challenge.
“Don’t be cocky. It doesn’t suit you.” I smirked. I knew she was right. I’d let her gloat for a little bit. She’d pulled me out of a lot of dark times over the past fifteen years and I’d be forever grateful.
She laughed. “I vote for following your heart too. Now that you’ve found it again, I think you should trust it.”
I nodded. “Thanks. For everything. I mean it. You’ve helped me more than you know.”
“Crew Carlisle, did you just give me a compliment? The man who hates therapy? It was like pulling teeth to get you to show up, and here you are thanking me?” Her smile spread clear across her face.
“Don’t get carried away.” I pushed to my feet. “I need to go.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I haven’t figured it out yet. But I will.” I gave her a wave before hurrying out the door.
I dialed Kevin, he was the head of our legal team.
