“I’m so glad you could make it here. Our suite is ready, and I have already checked in.”
Ashleigh led Liam across the lobby to the elevator corridor. She jumped a bit when the thunder boomed again. Liam clutched her hand tighter and gave her a warm smile.
“This is quite a lovely hotel. Is this where you want to be married?” Liam asked smoothly while rubbing the pad of his thumb over Ashleigh’s engagement ring.
Ashleigh had been thinking a lot about the wedding over the last few weeks. She could hardly believe how excited she was to begin planning all the details, she had already asked Emily to be her Maid of Honor. Her list of wedding invites was minute by modern wedding standards, consisting of a few close friends and her small family. Something intimate would be the perfect way to celebrate spending the rest of their lives together.
Ashleigh would be moving to London soon, her beloved penthouse was going on the market next week, and it she felt that it would be easier to plan a wedding in the country where she was currently living.
“Actually Liam, I think I want a small wedding. What do you think about getting married at Frost Castle?” Ashleigh heard the irony in her voice. Such an event at a castle doesn’t exactly scream small wedding, but she had connections that could help make the event an intimate one.
A smile crossed Liam’s luscious lips, “Of course, anything you want. I think it’s a delightful idea. Have I told you how much I love you and how incredibly happy I am that you agreed to marry me?” He pulled Ashleigh in tight, delivering a long kiss to her full lips.
She knew, because she was happy, too. Finally, she let go of the past. In her mind Ashleigh had said goodbye to Nick and their baby, setting her free. Neither fear nor stubbornness would keep her from living her life to the fullest. The guilt finally escaped her mind, and for the first time in what seemed like years Ashleigh breathed again.
Taking a sip of scotch Alex peered at his notes then glanced out the window of the jet. Resting his head on the back of the seat, he closed his eyes, and his mind drifted to the enlightening conversation. As he replayed the exchange over and over, he realized there was nothing he could do that would prepare Amanda for the shocking news he was about to give her. Alex couldn’t believe what he had discovered—it was all so devious and underhanded. Summer was coming to an end, and along with it, Amanda’s world was about to be blown apart. Alex let out a deep sigh. “At least I can be there to help her pick up the pieces,” he muttered to himself.
Emily’s wine glass shattered on the tile floor. She tried to scream for help, but her head just went under the water again. Utilizing all her energy, Emily struggled back up for air and began coughing. She opened her eyes to find a woman with silky dark red hair dressed in black sitting on the edge of the tub. Wiping the bubbles from her eyes she realized who the woman was—Libby Westin, Ethan’s ex-girlfriend. Emily began to feel dizzy, she felt drunk and tired. How could I be drunk? It was only a glass of wine.
“Libby? What…what are you doing here?” Her breathing was becoming shallow. Emily’s body felt heavy. The power was still out, as darkness crept through the room.. Emily could hear the nonstop thunder, and the constant lightening sent electricity racing through the air.
“Emily,” she began with a seductive icy tone. “So nice to see you again, I hope you’re enjoying your nice warm bath, because it’s the last one you’ll ever have.”
Emily tried to pull herself up in the tub, but she kept slipping. “Lib…Libby what…are…you saying?” Emily noticed that Libby was holding a kitchen knife. Emily looked around the bathroom and started to feel around the ledge where she left her phone. She accidently knocked over one of the candles. The glass holder cracked, and the flame was immediately put out by the melted wax.
“Looking for this I assume?” Libby purred holding up Emily’s cell phone.
Emily tried to reach for her phone, but Libby pulled it back. “Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast. By the way, Ethan sent a message. He said he was on his way soon.”
Libby stood up from where she was seated on the edge of the tub and crossed the bathroom to the door. “Where are you two headed tonight? Some fancy dinner?” Libby ran the blade of the knife up and down Emily’s dress that was hanging on the back of the door. “What a pretty dress. Navy blue, huh? I’m not so sure this is your color, Em.” Libby took the tip of the knife and slowly ran it from the neckline to the floor, slicing the dress in two.
Emily tried to focus as she began to slide under the water again.
“No, not yet Emily.” Libby reached out and grabbed the top of Emily’s head pulling her up by her hair. Emily tried to cry out, but the word ouch came out in a low voice.
“Libby, why… why are you doing this? I must…be dreaming.”
“No Emily, I am afraid this is very real, but in a few short moments you’ll be sleeping and you can dream all you like.”
“Libby …did you…did you drug me?”
Heavy rain began to pour outside, and Emily could hear a loud thunder clap. She opened her eyes and saw flashes of lightening reflecting in the mirror.
Libby knelt down beside the tub and gently glided the knife over the top of the bubbles. “I just gave you a few of my sleeping pills and a muscle relaxer. You seemed stressed over the break-in and the scary phone calls you’d been getting, so I thought you needed to relax.”
Emily’s head bobbed, and she went under, face first. She felt soft hands pull her back above the surface.
“Emily, I told you to stay awake. It’s not time to sleep yet. You have to listen to my bedtime story,” Libby growled. “You see, once upon a time there was this beautiful woman named Libby, and she loves the most handsome man, whose name was Ethan. Ethan and the beautiful woman were living their lives happily ever after, until Ethan decides he wants to leave the beautiful woman for the wicked witch, whose name is Emily.”
Emily shifted in the tub again. She could barely keep her eyes open. “Lib…Libby that’s…not true…Ethan didn’t… leave you…you for me…he said you wanted diff…different things.”
Libby became enraged. She pushed Emily down in the tub again. Emily could hear Libby shouting, but it all sounded muffled. Emily tried to push back, but she just couldn’t muster the strength.
“It’s not nice to lie to people Emily!” Libby brought Emily up to the surface again pushing her back against the stone.
Libby crossed the bathroom to the mirror where she began to mess with her red hair. Reaching into the front pocket of her jeans, she pulled out a narrow tube of lipstick, which she expertly applied.
“Ethan belongs to me, Emily. He just needs to be reminded of why. When Ethan discovers you’ve died. I’ll be there to comfort him in his time of sadness. He will love me again.”
Emily’s eyes began to close. She felt so tired, the urge to sleep was almost uncontrollable. Thunder continued rumbling loudly in the distance, reminding Emily of how much she loved watching storms roll in off the lake.
The warmth poured over her pale skin as Emily drifted lazily on the raft in her parents’ pool. Her brothers began splashing her, and she yelled, “Come on guys! Stop it!” They just laughed hysterically. Emily saw her mom coming out of the house with a dishtowel in her hands. “You better come in now, the storm is approaching quickly. Emily did you hear me? Emily!”
Emily got out of the pool, but why was her mom still yelling at her?
“Come on Em, Emily please wake up….Emily! Oh God please let her be alright.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Ashleigh and Liam entered the Kensington Ballroom at the Plaza de Grand. Immediately Ashleigh spotted her old boss from Maison Bleue Magazine and paid him a quick greeting. She was impressed to see that the Mayor of Grand Rapids was able to attend the event and nodded a quiet salutation in his direction out of courtesy
. Ashleigh began introducing Liam as her fiancé to many of the people she knew in the business community. After having their picture taken with several prominent community leaders, Liam and Ashleigh walked to the bar and ordered a couple of drinks.
“The Kensington Ballroom, huh?” Liam quipped with a throaty laugh.
“Ironic, isn’t it?” Ashleigh replied taking his hand in hers.
“You look incredibly beautiful in this red dress. I cannot wait to peel it off you later.”
“Thank you my handsome fiancé. You look fetching as usual. I guess I will let you peel this off me later, but carefully,” Ashleigh teased.
Replying coolly, Liam asked, “Can men look fetching?” Handing Ashleigh her drink, he raised his glass and said, “A toast to you, my soon to be Mrs. Frost.” He paused for a moment then asked, “Wait, will you be taking my last name?” He looked at her as if pleading, please say you will.
She giggled softly, “Yes, absolutely I will be taking your last name. I cannot wait to be Ashleigh Frost.”
Relief washed over Liam’s face. Looking at her phone Ashleigh wondered where Emily was. It was unlike her to be late to an event. She scanned the room for Ethan, no sign of him either.
Amanda approached the podium to address the crowd and thanked everyone for their generous donations.
“Dinner will be served shortly. The silent auction will be closing in about fifteen minutes, so if there are any items that you wish to bid on, please do so as soon as possible. We will resume bidding after dessert has been served. Now, sit back and relax as we have prepared a short video to tell you a little bit more about the Phillip Cooper Foundation and how your donations will be helping so many of these wonderful families in Grand Rapids.”
Amanda stepped down from the podium and felt someone tap her shoulder. She spun around to see her ex-husband, Brandon, standing inches away from her in a black tuxedo. Even though they’d been divorced for a while Brandon still managed to take her breath away. He was smiling at her. That put Amanda on guard, not knowing if there was wickedness behind his expression.
“Amanda,” he greeted her, his tone was low and controlled.
“Brandon…” she swallowed hard then managed to find her tongue. “What are you…how are you?”
“I’m here with my fiancé,” he said motioning to the woman in a dazzling white, crystal beaded gown sitting at their table near the podium. Amanda recognized her from the photos she’d seen on Facebook; it was Erica Hamilton. She nodded politely in Amanda’s direction. A slow smile came across Amanda’s lips.
“Engaged,” Amanda sputtered out, managing not to sound too disappointed. “Brandon…truly that is wonderful news.”
He inched towards her, placing his hand around her waist and kissed her on the cheek. The familiarity in his touch and his soft lips made Amanda’s heart flutter. Memories of their relationship came flooding back. It was all too much for her to take in. She felt her breath hitch and her chest tighten. “Thank you, Mandy,” he whispered. “It’s good to see you, and by the way you look beautiful tonight, but then, you always do.”
A shiver curled around Amanda, and her cheeks heated. She hated being called Mandy, but Brandon was the only person she allowed to do so.
“Thank you, Brandon,” she replied squeezing his hand. “Now…go…be with that gorgeous fiancé of yours.”
Giving her a quick nod, Brandon pivoted and walked away, while the scent of him lingered. Amanda felt her eyes prick with tears. She walked quickly to the table where Vince was finally seated, excusing herself to the ladies room.
Staring out the window of the plane into the evening sky, Alex thought about Amanda. Realizing that he was about to inflict pain on her would be soul crushing. He told her he’d never cause her pain. Technically, he wasn’t the cause of the pain, but he was about to deliver news that would shatter her into a million pieces and break her heart.
Turns out, Amanda’s sister, Julie, had orchestrated a series of events that changed the course of Amanda’s life. Alex went to Chicago and met with Andrew Langston. Andrew was reluctant at first to give up the information, but Alex persuaded him that it would be best for his health to start talking.
The flight attendant approached Alex, “Would you like another beverage Mr. Robertsen?”
“Yes, another scotch would be just fine.”
“You’ve been quite the frequent flyer these past few days, Mr. Robertsen,” she said handing him the drink. “Your brother must love you a lot to offer you his jet at any time.”
“Yes, I guess I have, and my brother is one of the best men I know. Thank you.”
“Will there be anything else at this time?”
“No, thank you Scarlett.”
“Very well sir. The pilot thinks he should be able to land in about thirty minutes. The storm seems to be falling apart now. You can change into your tuxedo anytime you like, Mr. Robertsen.”
Alex felt a slight twinge of guilt as the flight attendant reminded him that he was falling for his brother’s girlfriend, but he had made Amanda a promise that he could give her the one thing Vince couldn’t—time. And, even though Alex couldn’t give Amanda the time back that she’d lost with her family, with the revelations that came from his meeting with Andrew Langston, it was now possible he could give her time with them that she thought she would never have.
Ashleigh looked at her watch during the round of applause. What could be keeping Emily?
Taking note of the time, Ashleigh felt cold fear bubbling inside her. She had not received a single text message or voice mail from Emily all evening. Ashleigh tried to call her, but there was no answer. Next she tried Ethan—nothing. Her mind drifted to thoughts of Nick’s accident. Flashes of Emily and Ethan meeting the same cruel fate twisted inside Ashleigh’s panicked mind.
“Liam we need to go. Emily isn’t here. She is never late, and I’ve not heard from her all evening. Something feels off.”
They both pushed to their feet and headed towards the doors of the ballroom. “Try to ring her again. Where is your car?” Liam asked.
As they had reached the lobby there was still no answer on Emily’s cell. When they reached the valet stand Ashleigh tried Ethan’s cell again. The humidity hung thick in the night air, steam billowed off the hot pavement, and the smell of wet mulch and fish enveloped their senses.
Dodging the puddles trying not to fall on the wet blacktop, Ashleigh instructed, “My car is the black BMW right there under the street light close to the door. Liam, have you ever driven a car in the United States before?”
“No, but I cannot think of a more perfect time to learn.”
“Nope. Absolutely not. No way,” she said shaking her head with a smile. “Not at night and especially not after it’s been raining. Nice try, Liam.”
Unlocking the doors to her car Liam slid into the passenger seat as Ashleigh pushed the ignition and sped out of the parking lot. Ashleigh knew Emily was getting ready at Ethan’s house, so she had Liam pull up his address on the GPS. With all the calmness she could muster Ashleigh dialed Emily’s number again.
“Ashleigh. Hi this is Ethan. Something,” His voice broke. “Something has happened to Emily.”
“Ethan.” Her voice was shaky. “What…what are you saying? Is Emily alright?” Ashleigh’s heart was pounding. “Ethan does this have something to do with the stalker?” There was silence on the other end of the phone. “Ethan!” Ashleigh shouted. “Answer me. Is Emily okay?” Tears were streaming down Ashleigh’s face. Liam felt helpless. He could hear the fear and pain in Ashleigh’s voice.
“Ethan, hello this is Liam Frost, Ashleigh’s fiancé. She’s terribly worried about Emily. What can you tell us?”
“Yes. Hello Liam. Sorry, I’m a bit panicked. I’m at Memorial Hospital. Emily was attacked and dru
gged. I’m not sure if she is going make it. Please hurry.”
“Not sure if she’s going to make it? Oh my God, Liam!”
Liam placed his hand on Ashleigh’s, “Darling, I know you are scared, but let’s think positively. That is the best thing to do for Emily right now. When we get to hospital you go find Ethan, and I will park the car.”
His calm tone washed over her, mildly comforting her aching mind. She knew Liam was right. Ashleigh was scared, that much was true. The drive to the hospital seemed like an eternity. Ashleigh managed to hit every red light, which only made her feel more anxious. Finally she arrived at the hospital and hoped she wasn’t too late.
Amanda walked slowly to the bank of elevators. She took another sip of her drink. She was breathing heavily, and the tears started to roll down her face. She never realized seeing Brandon again would conjure so many emotions. The last time she saw him, she was sitting across a cold glass conference table while their lawyers worked out the settlement of their divorce. Amanda and Brandon fought the entire time, he was relentless with his objections. Amanda begged for him to reconsider stripping everything from her.
The last thing Brandon managed to give her was a heated final screw on top of their divorce papers. Brandon asked for a moment alone with Amanda, and the lawyers left the room. Hiking up her skirt, he bent Amanda over the table and fucked her senseless.
When it was over, he said nothing except, “I love you, Mandy, but this is goodbye.”
With that he zipped up his pants, fixed his tie, smoothed her skirt and ordered her to fix her ponytail.
After a few minutes, he opened the door and said, “I think we’re done here, gentlemen.”
Brandon walked away, and Amanda was left standing there shaken, with only her memories and a Gucci handbag. She thought because Brandon said he loved her, she might be able to win him back, but Brandon never took Amanda’s calls or accepted any of her dinner invitations.
Fifteen Weekends Page 19
