Burning Up

by Marie Coulson

  “Hi, sweetie. Can I come in?”

  “Are you dressed?”

  She nodded. “Of course I’m dressed, Layla. So, can I come in?”

  I nodded and gestured at the end of the bed for her to take a seat.

  “Layla, I’m sure you’re probably all kinds of traumatized by what happened downstairs, but, your father and I aren’t teenagers. We’re two consenting adults in a loving relationship, and it’s perfectly natural for two people to …“

  The poor woman was rambling. Holding up my hands, I shook my head. “Totally none of my business. Can we just forget it ever happened?”

  Pressing her lips together, my mother nodded enthusiastically.

  “Of course, darling. Not another word. So, this is a nice surprise!”

  I nodded and smiled. “I’m definitely surprised.”

  My mother’s face lit up, and she beamed at me. “How is everyone? I thought Lucy was simply lovely when we met at Thanksgiving. And that baby, oh, what a sweetie.”

  I smiled back at her. “Elliot is a gorgeous baby. He’s also just as demanding and short-tempered as the other Garrett male in his life.”

  Tilting her head a little to the side, she gave me a quizzical look. “Something happened between you two?”

  Slouching against my headboard, I scoffed. “You could say that.”

  Placing her hand on my leg, she smiled. “I’m sure you’ll work it out. You usually do. He’s a little hot and cold sometimes, huh?”

  I nodded slowly. “It’s not just that, though. It’s all this other stuff between us, and then being here, and how I feel when I speak to my friends, family and …“ I was about to mention Ollie, but stopped myself quickly. “I’m torn.”

  “What a surprise,” she said sarcastically and laughed a little. “Layla Jennings doesn’t know what she wants. This doesn’t have anything to do with a certain dark haired, guitar playing rock star, does it?”

  I frowned at her. “No! Of course not!” If I couldn’t believe it when I said it, she certainly wouldn’t believe hearing it.

  Patting my leg, she stood and headed for the door. Turning back to me, she shook her head and chuckled. “Oh, Layla. One day, it’s going to hit you like a bolt of lightning. And when it does, everything will suddenly just make sense.”

  I gave her a confused look. “I wish you made sense.”

  Opening the door, she smiled to herself and walked out into the hallway. My father was standing just outside the door and seeing me, he shifted uncomfortably and coughed deep in his throat.

  “Well, uh, Layla, what happened, I just want to …“

  Kissing his cheek, my mother chuckled. “No need, Andrew. She’s an adult, after all.”

  He nodded. “Well, that’s good. In that case, there appears to be a stunning Mercedes parked outside, Layla. I’m assuming it’s waiting for you?”

  I rolled my eyes and groaned in frustration. Jumping off of the bed, I stormed out of the room, past my parents, and downstairs. Flinging open the front door, I marched over to the car, and as I approached, Daniel hurried to get out of the driver’s seat.

  “Are you freaking kidding me, Daniel? Is there nowhere I can go, nothing I can do, without being watched by Jared or his damn watchdog?”

  Holding his hands up defensively, Daniel backed himself up against the car.

  “I know, I tried to tell him how upset you’d be, but I couldn’t just refuse. He’s my boss!”

  Growling, I stomped my foot and waved my hands around as I ranted, raved, and fumed.

  “I am so sick of this bullshit! Where is he?”

  “At the office. I’m supposed to take you back to the house and ask you wait there for him.”

  I scowled at him. “Wait here.”

  Heading back into the house, I slipped on my shoes and grabbed my cell before kissing my mother and father quickly and storming back to the car. Daniel watched me anxiously.

  “Get in the car, Daniel.”

  He nodded and opened the rear passenger door for me before climbing into the driver’s seat.

  “I’m sorry, Miss Jennings. I really had no choi …“

  Anger boiled in my veins. “Yes you do. But it’s beside the point right now. Take me to the office.”

  “But he asked me to …“

  Leaning forward, I cut him off abruptly. “And now I’m giving you a choice. Either you take me to him, or I’m not going at all!”

  * * * *

  The tension in the car was tangible as we drove in silence to Jared’s office. Sitting in the back of the Mercedes, I raised an eyebrow at Daniel as he repeatedly looked at me in the rear view mirror. I was in no mood for polite conversation, and he knew it. I had suddenly found myself turning from the hunted gazelle to a fierce lioness ready to roar with anger. Had Jared not heard a single word I’d said to him? Or did he simply decide to ignore it? Either way, I had come to the end of my rope with it all. He was about to get the sharp end of my tongue, and not in a good way.

  Pulling up outside the Garrett properties office building, I didn’t wait for Daniel to open my door. Shoving it open forcefully, I stormed toward the door where the doorman hurried to open it for me. It was a good thing, too. The way I was feeling, I might have pulled it off of its hinges at that point.

  The heels of my boots clanked loudly across the marble floor of the vast entrance hall as I marched over to the elevator and punched in the code for Jared’s floor. It always made me laugh that he used the same code for each of his offices. If anyone found out that code, it would be remarkably easy to cause some real trouble. I mean, what else was the code for?

  The ride up to the top floor had taken less than a minute. Elevators in Jared’s building never stopped on other floors once that code was entered. Maybe it was his way of avoiding mindless chit-chat or interactions with his employees. God, he really was rude!

  Sitting at his desk, looking very proper and extremely tired, was Jared’s London assistant, Henry. Seeing me approach, he stood abruptly and smiled.

  “Miss Jennings! So lovely to see you. Is he expecting you?”

  I halted in front of his desk, and deciding that I was likely to catch more bees with honey than venom, I returned his smile.

  “No. I wanted to surprise him. Is he here?”

  He shook his head ruefully. “Sorry. He’s in a meeting, but he should be all wrapped up in a few minutes. Did you want to wait in the office?”

  I thought for a moment before nodding my head enthusiastically. “That would be great. Thank you, Henry.”

  Grinning to myself, I waited for him to buzz the door open and sauntered in, closing it behind me. The office was spotless, and as usual, Jared’s desk was cluttered with paper. Setting myself down in his chair, I browsed at the various contracts and correspondences. It was mostly concerning the Europe deal. Picking them all up, I began to tidy the mess when a large and thick grey file fell onto the floor. Skirting around the desk, I hurried to clean it up when I came across some disturbing letters and documents. Pages and pages of legal forms, restraining orders, cease and desist notices, and letters. Picking them all up, I began filtering through every page. My stomach churned and flipped with every word I read.

  Each restraining order was protecting Jared against various women. There had to be at least twenty of them in the file. The letters made my breakfast suddenly want to make a re-appearance. Each one highlighted intimate and detailed descriptions of sexual encounters, contact, and desperate begging from these woman.

  What the fuck was going on? Why did he need so many of these damn things in the first place? Was he just a natural magnet for these crazy ass bitches, or did he drive them to it?

  I slumped onto the floor and rested the back of my head against the wood of Jared’s desk. Glancing down, I noticed another piece of paper that I had previously missed. It had been highlighted with a red marker as ‘urgent.’ Picking it up, I held my hand to my mouth.

  “Mr. Garrett, while Mrs. Felix appreciates th
e shock and disruption this has brought to your life, she requests that an agreement be reached as soon as possible as to avoid any further unpleasantness between the two of you. After consulting with a medical professional, we can confirm, without doubt, that Mrs. Felix is indeed expecting a child. While your argument of paternity is being taken very seriously, we request that on behalf of Mrs. Felix, a meeting be set up for August ninth. Your cooperation in this matter would be greatly appreciated.”

  Sincerely,

  Jacob Roberts

  H & Roberts Law

  I stared at the letter in horror. Alicia was pregnant? The letter was dated back to April, and quickly, I began counting back the dates, trying desperately to convince myself that Jared couldn’t possibly be the father, but no matter how many times I did the calculations, there was still every chance that he could be. We’d been apart for so long, and I would be an idiot to believe that he couldn’t possibly have slept with her. My mind spun as I remembered that night at the club, the two of them together, her tongue in his ear. My stomach lurched, and scrambling to my feet, I ran for the en suite bathroom across the room. Grasping the toilet, I heaved and coughed dramatically. Flopping onto the floor and resting my back against the wall, I held my head in my hands. Tears were stinging my eyes, but I was determined to stay strong.

  The click of the office door caught my attention.

  “What the …”

  Jared had clearly seen the mass of papers on the floor. Getting to my feet and with anger coursing through my body, I thrust open the bathroom door. Jared froze on the spot, standing rigidly in the center of the room and gave me a confused look.

  “Layla? What the hell are you doing here? Did you do this?”

  He gestured at the splayed papers. Storming over, I shoved him hard on the chest. He staggered back slightly. Fury, pain, and hurt filled me as I slapped him hard across the face.

  “You asshole!”

  Taking my wrists tightly in his hands, he held me close to him.

  “Layla, stop. What’s going on? What are you even doing here?”

  I tried to struggle free, but it was no use. He was too strong. Falling to my knees, I lost control, and sobbing, I broke down with Jared still clasping desperately to my wrists. He knelt in front of me, released my hands, and searched my face as I stared at him, shaking with anger and distress.

  “Layla, please. I don’t understand what’s happened. Please, baby, talk to me. I beg you.”

  Shaking my head, I sniffed and swiped at my eyes.

  “You just can’t do it, can you?”

  His eyebrows pinched as he continued to look at me in bewilderment.

  “Honesty, Jared. You just can’t do it. First you send your damn watchdog to find me and drag me back to your house. And then, I come here and find out not only do you have a whole host of crazy bitches stalking you, but I also discover that you’re a father!”

  Cupping my face in his palms, he forced me to look at him. His deep blue eyes pierced my heart.

  “No, I swear to you, I am not the father of that child. You have to believe me, Layla. I can’t be. It’s impossible. I never had sex with Alicia. When you left me, I was devastated. I couldn’t even look at another woman, let alone fuck her. Please, you have to believe me. She’s sick. She’s fucking twisted and she’s desperate. I’m not the father of that child, Layla. Please, you have to believe me.”

  I could hear the panic and desperation in his voice. I wanted to believe him, but I couldn’t.

  “I’ve tried to prove it but every time I even suggest a DNA test, she bursts into tears and threatens me with a lawsuit for emotional distress! Her lawyer is a damn Rottweiler! He’s ruthless and she’s playing every damn card in the deck. Swear I am not the father.”

  I sniffled and shook my head. “I don’t believe you. I can’t. You lie to me all the time and I’m so caught up in your web that I can’t even fight myself free of them. I can’t do this. Is that what she wanted at the Hyatt that night? Is that what you were arguing about?”

  Taking my hands in his, his eyes scanned my face. “Layla, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I couldn’t. I was trying to protect you.”

  I snatched my hands from his grasp. “No! You decided, once again, that you knew what was best for me and you were trying to protect yourself, not me! I’m done. She wants you so much? She wins. She can have you!”

  Scrambling to my feet, I ran for the door. I glanced behind me as I reached the elevator, but he wasn’t following me. Good. I didn’t want Jared Garrett anywhere near me ever again!

  My heart in tatters, I shuffled out of the building and stood on the sidewalk. Rain was pouring heavily and my mascara-stained cheeks were burning from the tears I’d been crying. I started walking. I had no idea where I was going or what I would do. I headed for my parents place. It was the only place I could imagine to go. I’d have to send my father for my things. I didn’t want to run the risk of seeing Jared again.

  The wintry shower was a reminder of just how far I was from home, my real home. The evening was drawing in, and the darkness had already fallen. Trying to calm my nerves, I stopped a moment and held my hand to my chest. I looked around and spotted a bar on the far side of the street. Marching over, I pushed my way through the doors and breathed a sigh of relief. It was quiet, and I was grateful for it. I was desperate for some space, silence, and room to catch my breath again. Walking up to the bar, I ordered a whiskey and lime.

  “You won’t like it. Cosmos seem more your drink.”

  Shaking my head a little, I wondered if I was going crazy. It couldn’t be. Pushing the thoughts from my mind, I told myself that I was simply overtired, and my mind was playing tricks on me. Taking my drink, I pressed it to my lips and took a large mouthful. It was awful. The sharp and burning liquid slid down my throat, and I cringed. The voice came again, behind me. This time it was closer. It was right behind me.

  “I told you that you wouldn’t like it.”

  I definitely didn’t imagine that! My body instantly reacted to the smooth, warm and delicious tones of his voice. My blood heated, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and my entire body became acutely aware of his presence.

  I turned around slowly. My heart was racing and the rain dripped gently from my hair and over my heavily rising and falling chest. My breath caught in my lungs as my eyes landed on the beautiful man in front of me. His long dark hair was tousled as it always was and had that damp, yet sexy rock god look. His lip ring glistened in the dim light and his delicious brown eyes gazed at me with an intensity that caused my heart to skip a beat. I held my hand to my chest firmly. He sauntered over, and as his body stood inches from my own, I could feel the warmth of his breath on my face.

  "Hey, super star."

  Chapter 20

  Heart Strings

  My heart was in my throat as I stared into the pair of big brown eyes currently gazing back at me. My pulse was racing as adrenaline continued to surge through my body, and for a moment I wondered if I was hallucinating from grief!

  Reaching out his hand, he brushed the wet and limp strands of hair from my face and smiled.

  “Wow. Layla Jennings is speechless. I never thought I’d see that happen.”

  I stammered and stuttered as I struggled to get my head around what was happening.

  “Ollie? I … what? What are you doing here?”

  I could hardly force the words from my mouth.

  “Business,” he said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

  I shook my head and backed away from him slightly.

  “Ollie, I …”

  Shoving his hands into his pockets, he shrugged. “Well, this was fun. I’ll see you around.”

  He turned on his heel and moved to walk away. A bolt of fear ran through me, and I found myself suddenly reaching for him. Catching his shirt, I clasped it and pulled him back toward me. He spun around, and opening his arms, he pulled me close into a tight embrace. My head rested on h
is shoulder as tears streamed down my face. Ollie’s arms tightened further around me and his damp hair pressed against my forehead.

  “Careful, Layla. Anyone would think you were pleased to see me.”

  Pressing my palms on his chest, I pushed away from him gently and shook my head.

  “I’m so mad at you right now. I’m shocked, confused, angry, and upset, but I’ve also never been so happy to see you.”

  He nodded gently and glanced over at the window. The rain was getting heavier. My hair now resembled a wet mop, and my clothes were soaked through to my underwear. Squinting, Ollie gave me a half smile.

  “You look like you could use a drink. I mean one you might actually be able to stomach. You’re still new at this shit, I see.”

  Holding out his hand for mine, the corner of his mouth curved up.

  “I won’t fucking bite it, Layla. Christ.”

  I gave him a sarcastic roll of my eyes and placed my hand in his. It was surreal. Five minutes ago my whole world was falling apart, and now I was being led to a table by my ex in a bar in London. If I wasn’t utterly freezing and shivering from the cold and crying, I would have been convinced that I was dreaming! Though this still had the potential to turn into a living nightmare. I mean, Ollie was hardly in London to go sightseeing, but I was desperate to know exactly what he was there for. Life was about to get a whole lot more complicated. I’d had enough complicated to last me a lifetime. I had a million questions, and staring at Ollie, I wondered if I really wanted to know the answers.

  * * * *

  The bar was dimly lit and had the style of a typical English pub. It was fairly empty aside from a handful of men in sports jerseys sitting at the bar and a few older groups and couples dotted around the room. Ollie sipped his beer and cringed.

  “That is disgusting. What the fuck is that?”