by Nikki Ash
I have left everything I own to you. I have filed for divorce but it will take time and so I made sure to change my will in case something happens to me before it’s finalized. Please don’t let Gloria threaten you. She can’t do anything to you. Everything I am leaving you is yours. The clubs actually make real good money. If you don’t want them, sell them. Just please accept everything I am giving you. Is it guilt money? Sure! But do you deserve it any less? Hell no!
In case she gives you any trouble please feel free to use this letter as a witness testimony to what she did to you. I also have a tape recording of her admitting what she did in my safety deposit box. Jason should have given you the key.
Please know I have watched you over the years from afar. I have watched you fight your way to the top. You are pursuing your dreams and I am so damn proud of you. You walked away with nothing but your dignity and pride and created a life for yourself. Take the money I left you and use it for good.
I love you, son.
Dad
I handed it back to him and tried to wipe the tears from my eyes before he could see. He reached over and wiped them for me.
“How do you feel about all this?”
“I feel like I am ready to move forward.”
And he has moved forward. He laughs more and is way more social than before. It seems like the weight has been lifted from his shoulders and he is finally free. I hope now that he has put it all behind him, he will one day be able to date a woman. Caleb is an incredible person and deserves to be happy, even if it’s not with me.
During the last few weeks I have been on a few dates with Alex. I haven’t spoken to Caleb about it and for some reason that makes me feel guilty. It’s not like I need his permission to date but because we are at a good place in our friendship and I don’t want to rock the boat, I haven’t actually told him I have gone out with Alex. He hasn’t made any indication he would even care who I date. I usually leave from the gym to meet Alex and we only go out when I know Marco is with Kayla or doing something with Caleb. The truth is I don’t feel a huge spark with Alex. While he is sweet and nice, he just doesn’t do it for me.
Today is Valentine’s Day and I am going to dinner with Alex. I know I shouldn’t lead him on but it’s been awhile since I actually had a date for this holiday. Caleb has been gone all day so hopefully I will leave before he gets home. Marco is at Bentley’s parents’ house for the night spending time with Chloe while they babysit Chloe and Faith so Bentley can take Kayla out. Alex insisted on picking me up and I couldn’t say no. I have tried to get the courage to tell Caleb all afternoon but have chickened out.
“Hey, want to grab a bite to eat? I didn’t even realize it’s Valentine’s Day. The restaurants seem to be all booked but we can go to the diner you love.” I walk out to the living room and Caleb is sitting on the couch looking down at his phone. He must have gotten home while I was in the shower.
He looks up from his phone taking me in from head to toe. I am suddenly self-conscious about my outfit. I am wearing a tight red dress that shows every one of my curves and I have paired it with black peep toe heels. I normally don’t dress up but with it being Valentine’s Day, Alex insisted on making reservations. I even straightened my hair after getting my highlights redone this morning along with a fresh manicure and pedicure.
“Going somewhere?” Caleb asks looking confused.
Of course that’s when Alex knocks causing Caleb to get up to answer the door. For a guy with a broken leg, he can move quickly when he wants to. That’s when I notice his cast is off! He has a walking boot instead of the cast, which mean he can now walk without crutches.
“Hey, man,” Alex says walking in holding roses in one hand and shaking Caleb’s hand with the other, completely unaware of the now thick tension in the room.
“What’s up?” Caleb asks darting his eyes from Alex to me.
“Nothing much. Taking Hayley out for Valentines Day,” Alex says to Caleb and then turns to me. “You look beautiful, Hayley.” He hands me the flowers and gives me a kiss on my cheek. I thank him and excuse myself to go put them in water.
While I am filling the vase I feel a warm body come up behind me, and know it’s Caleb. Nobody makes my body react like his does. Before I can turn around, I feel his front press up against my back. His hands lay flat on the counter caging me in, his cool breath so close to my ear I get the chills.
“How long have you been dating Alex?” he asks softly.
“We’ve just gone on a few dates.” I don’t know why I feel the need to downplay it.
He moves one of his hands to turn off the water since the vase is now completely filled with water and is overflowing. I am stuck where I am. I have never felt Caleb this close.
“Is that who you want, Hayles?” Oh did I mention since we have been hanging out the last several weeks he has started calling me Hayles? And did I mention every time he does, my panties go wet? Well, he does… and they do!
“He’s nice,” I say because it’s the first thing that comes to my mind. His closeness is causing my mind to go blank.
“Nice,” he repeats and then chuckles without humor. One of his hands comes off the counter and moves my hair to the side and then I feel his lips touch my neck as he gives me a chaste open-mouthed kiss right on my pulse point.
His hands move to my hips and he turns me around, not backing up at all. I can feel his cock up against the thin material of my dress pushing against my stomach.
I look up and into his glaring eyes. I am not sure why he is mad but I wait for him to say something else since he is holding me against the counter.
His face moves closer to me and I think he might be about to kiss me when he keeps going lining his lips right up to my ear.
“Enjoy your nice date.” Then he let’s go of me and saunters out of the kitchen to his room. I didn’t realize the warmth his body radiates until he is no longer touching me, causing my body to suddenly shiver. I want the warmth of Caleb back.
I put the flowers into the vase and try to compose myself as I walk back to the living room to let Alex know I am ready to go.
“Ready?” Alex asks. I want to cancel this date. I want to feign illness and find Caleb and his warmth. I want to stop trying to be into a guy who doesn’t turn me on at all. But I am not that woman, so instead I plaster a smile on my face and say, “Yep,” and follow Alex out the door leaving my warmth behind.
Caleb
What’s that saying…you don’t know what you have until it’s gone? I am pretty sure that’s how it goes and that’s exactly how I feel right now. I am lying in my bed in my bedroom with the door shut because I couldn’t watch Hayley and Alex leave for their date.
These past six weeks with Marco and Hayley have been nothing short of amazing. I haven’t been this happy and content since my mom and sister were both alive. We have somehow created our own version of a family and every day I look forward to the moments we spend together. Whether it’s the three of us, or just Hayley and me, I am falling hard… Fuck it! Let’s be honest… I have fallen hard!
I know realistically I could have moved out a couple of weeks ago. I could have found an apartment on the first floor but I made excuses to myself not wanting to leave. I have been busy getting my father’s affairs in order during the day and enjoying my afternoons and evenings with Marco and Hayley. If I am honest with myself, I don’t want to leave either of them.
I have kicked Gloria out of my dad’s house and put it on the market and sold all of his vehicles, donating all the profits to the charity Bentley and I started. It is another jump up from the one he started to help pay for the MMA classes Cooper runs. We are working together to build a sports complex next to the gym for kids to come to instead of going home alone. They will be able to participate in a variety of sports and have a safe place to go to instead of running the streets. We are still in the planning stage but it’s going to be cool as hell once it’s done.
My next step is to deal with Glori
a’s strip clubs since Gloria didn’t take Jason’s advice and has made it clear she is going to take me to court for ownership of the clubs. Turns out she owns two clubs, one of which is right here in Vegas on the strip. I have shut them both down for renovation with paid leave for all the employees while we go to court. I could have closed them down but I felt bad leaving so many people without an income. Plus, I had Liz take a look at the books and my dad was right, they turn a nice profit. Until it gets sorted out, the court has put a freeze on all things club related. Because Jason was the attorney for the will I need to find a new attorney to represent me in court.
I have also been attending physical therapy with Kayla for my shoulder. I won’t be fighting in the upcoming UFC fight anymore, which sucks, but I do plan to fight again in the future. No longer needing the money definitely changes my outlook on life. I can see myself taking a step back from fighting for a bit. I have spent so many years focusing on my dream I didn’t realize how much I was missing from life. I am definitely enjoying my time with Marco and Hayley.
There’s been so many times I have wanted to take things farther with Hayley, tell her how I feel, that I want more with her, but felt it was best to wait until I am no longer handicapped. So today when the doctor took my cast off and put me in a removable walking boot jokingly saying, “Happy Valentines Day,” it hit me that today would be the perfect day to tell Hayley how I feel.
I tried to find a restaurant to take her to but of course they were all booked for the holiday. I definitely didn’t think this through. Then as quick as this was all handed to me, it was taken away when she walked out of her room in a sexy-as-hell red dress and fuck-me heels. I almost came in my pants from just looking at her. The way the dress swoops down just low enough to show the outline of her amazing breasts, and how it’s formfitting enough to show her perfect curves that I want to grab ahold of in bed as I make love to her while she is wearing nothing but those damn heels.
Then it hit me, she didn’t know I planned to take her out, which means this dress wasn’t for me. So who is it for? And like the devil himself heard my question, there was a knock on the door, and on the other side was my friend Alex. Shit! How the fuck did I not see this coming? I tried hard to think if Hayley had mentioned Alex before and I am pretty damn sure she hasn’t. Other than the one night I saw his text, he never got brought up again.
I wanted nothing more than to slam the door on his ass but Alex is a good guy, and he didn’t do anything wrong. If I am being honest neither did Hayley, but she could have mentioned dating him during one of our nighttime conversations. Did she purposely keep this from me?
When she went to put the flowers in water I watched her fine ass sway to the kitchen and wanted to tie her up in my room and never let her out. I couldn’t help but corner her. I had to know if my feelings for her were one-sided. I know she felt something for me before but she hasn’t acted on those feelings in months. Maybe she no longer wanted me. But when I pressed my body up against hers I knew damn well she wanted me just as bad as I wanted her. And when she described Alex as nice, I knew I had her.
I’m not going to lie. I am new to this dating bullshit. I have no idea what to do. I have had sex hundreds if not thousands of times over the years, every single time not by choice. I had a girlfriend once. I was thirteen and we went to the skating rink. I asked her to be my girlfriend, she said yes, we kissed on the lips a few times, wrote a couple notes back and forth, and a few months later I was taken out of school to watch my mom die.
Now I am in my room while Hayley is on a date and I have no clue where to go from here. I know Kayla is probably on a date with Bentley but fuck it, she’s the only person I can ask about all this.
“Hello?” she answers the phone on the second ring.
“Are you busy?”
“Caleb? What’s wrong?”
“Are you busy?” I ask again.
“No, Bentley and I are picking up the kids from his parents’ house. They were going to keep them over night but Faith is teething and is super-fussy so we decided to call it a night after dinner. Everything ok?”
“Did you know Hayley is dating Alex?” My question comes out a lot harsher than I intended but of course Kayla doesn’t miss a beat. It’s quiet and then I hear laughter over the phone.
“Umm… yes, I know they have gone on a few dates but I don’t think she is really into him.”
“I don’t know how to do this, Kayla.” We have had a few discussions since I opened up to Hayley. Kayla always knew something was up but I confirmed her suspicions one day during therapy. She knows I haven’t been with anyone since my last night in Boulder when I fucked Norma before moving to Las Vegas.
“Well, I am assuming you aren’t referring to not knowing how to have sex…” She laughs and tries to play it off with a cough successfully lightening my mood.
“I watched her leave with Alex on a date. Shit, Kayla. I didn’t think it was possible to feel so jealous of another man.”
“Well, you have to tell Hayley that, silly.”
“That’s it? Just tell her how I feel? What about the fact I am living here still?”
“Hayley is a grown woman, Caleb. You both put Marco first. Just tell her how you feel and see where it goes. I have Marco for the night so maybe tell her when she gets home from her date.”
“Ok…”
“And Caleb? You can’t hold it against her if she has slept with Alex. She doesn’t know how you feel.”
Oh fuck! I didn’t even think about the fact she has probably slept with Alex. Would I hold it against her? No, I wouldn’t. But it still sucks thinking about the fact he has had his hands all over the body I should have claimed months ago.
“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” I say before hanging up.
I consider texting Hayley there’s an emergency to get her to come home but decide against it. I will just wait until she gets home and speak to her then.
After about an hour I say fuck it! And shoot her a text.
Me: You should come home.
Hayley: Everything ok?
Is everything ok? Technically it is… but also technically it’s not because she’s out on a date with another guy. I don’t want to worry her so I go for vague.
Me: Yeah but we need to talk
Hayley: About what?
Me: About the fact that I saw you calling out my name while fingering yourself in Boulder yet you are on a date with a guy that isn’t me.
Straight forward much? Yeah but if I am going to go in I might as well go all the way in. I stare at my phone waiting for a response that never comes.
Chapter Nine
Hayley
Alex and I are at dinner and while I should be focusing on him, I can’t help but focus on Caleb… His lips touching my neck, my earlobe, and the way his body touching mine sent shocks of pleasure straight to my core. We are finishing up our dessert when Caleb sends me a text telling me to come home because we need to talk. At first I was worried it might be something serious and then my curiosity got the best of me. When I asked him what we needed to talk about I didn’t expect the text he sent.
Luckily Alex was in the bathroom because having to explain the wine that shot out of my mouth and all over the table would have been awkward. I can’t believe Caleb saw me that night in the hotel room. My eyes were closed and thinking back I thought I heard something but I was so caught up in imagining it was Caleb getting me off I didn’t even think about it.
I don’t even know how to respond so I put my phone away knowing I am going to end things with Alex. I should have ended things sooner.
“Is everything ok?” Alex asks sitting back down at the table
“Yes… No… I’m not really sure. Caleb needs to talk to me. I need to go home tonight. I’m sorry.” I leave out the part about him letting me know he watched me finger myself while calling out his name.
Alex’s look of disappointment solidifies my decision to end things tonight. I don’t want to lead him on.
/>
“Alex, I have had a lot of fun with you but I don’t think it’s going to work out.”
He gives me a small smile and nods. “Yeah, I kind of figured that when I picked you up tonight.”
I raise my eyebrow in confusion.
“Hayley, I knew you had a thing for Caleb but I still took my chances. I saw the way you acted around him. It’s obvious something is going on between you two. And by the glares he was giving me tonight, I would say it’s no longer one-sided.”
“I’m so sorry, Alex. I honestly don’t even know what’s going on.”
“It’s ok, Hayley. You are an amazing woman. I can’t blame the guy for wanting you.” He gives me a wink and it gives me a sense of relief things aren’t ending on a bad note.
Alex pays the bill and drops me off at home. As he walks me to the door like the perfect gentleman he is, I notice a car sitting a few houses down. It’s an expensive vehicle and while this is a nice neighborhood, this car looks to be worth more than even the houses are worth. It clearly doesn’t belong here. I look closer and notice two dark shadows inside. This horrible feeling of being watched again comes over me but I shake it off.
Alex gives me a small kiss on my cheek and says goodnight before walking back to his car. I wait until he takes off before I go to unlock the door. As I place my key up to the lock the door swings open and I am met with Caleb’s beautiful blue-grey eyes staring daggers into me.
“You didn’t text me back,” he growls out.
My eyebrows shoot up making it clear I am not ok with how he is speaking to me. He closes his eyes briefly and when he reopens them the dark blue in his eyes have lightened a bit taking the grey away. He is no longer towering above me but has slouched a bit calming down.
