by E. L. Todd
“Yes.” My voice didn’t falter as I spoke. “I love Silke with all my heart. I would never hurt her.”
His aggression faded away. His eyes lightened noticeably and he finally seemed at ease. Then a smile stretched his lips. “Just had to make sure. Of course you can marry my daughter, Arsen. There’s no other man I’d want to give her to.”
The tension in my chest eased and my heart started to beat at a normal pace again. “Scared the shit out of me, Ryan.”
He chuckled. “Don’t mistake my niceness for weakness. I’m a laid back guy but I do have a protective side to me. I just wanted to make sure you really understand what you’re asking me.”
“Of course, I do.”
“Then marry her.”
“Okay. Now I want to talk to you as a friend.”
“Didn’t realize I wasn’t one a few minutes ago.”
“With that little speech, no,” I said with a laugh.
“Then what else, Arsen?”
“Want to pick out the ring with me?”
The smile on his lips immediately fell and his eyes filled with emotion. Ryan wasn’t the touchy-feely type. He usually made jokes and told people to toughen up with they got too heartfelt. But now he’d succumbed to obvious emotion. “You want me to?”
“You’re my best friend…” I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“I get to help you pick out the ring my daughter will wear for the rest of her life…I’d be honored.”
“Great…you want to go now?”
“Yeah.” Ryan left the chair then put his arm around my shoulders as we walked out. “Do you know how you’re going to ask her?”
“I have an idea.”
Ryan smiled. “Spill it.”
Chapter Nine
Clementine
I sat on the floor in front of the TV and watched Ward Jr. He tried to crawl around but he wasn’t strong enough quite yet. Instead, he lay on his stomach and looked around with wide eyes. Sometimes he would try to drag himself across the carpet but he didn’t get anywhere.
Everything my son did was absolutely fascinating. Now I was grateful Ward asked me to be a stay-at-home mom. There’s nothing else I’d rather do than sit here and watch my son.
At this age, he didn’t do much other than eat, poop, sleep, and cry but it was still fascinating to me. Looking at my son and seeing Ward’s face was the most beautiful thing in the world. I never saw myself as the motherly type but I quickly realized I loved being a mom.
It was the best job ever.
The front door opened and Ward walked inside. “Darling, when are you going to marry me?”
I turned his direction, confusion stretching through me.
He tossed his jacket over the back of the couch and hung up his satchel. “Darling?”
“Uh…hi?” He usually kissed our son and I before he launched into a conversation.
“Hello.” He kneeled on the floor beside me and gave me a quick kiss. Then he turned to our son. “Hey, champ. Daddy is home.” He picked him up in his large hands and pulled him to his chest.
Ward Jr. immediately giggled and his eyes brightened. His small hands reached out to touch Ward’s face.
“What a handsome chap.” Ward kissed his forehead before he cradled him against his chest. “As I was saying, when are you going to marry me?”
“I don’t know…I haven’t picked a date yet.”
“Well, will you?” he asked. “I’m tired of being your fiancé.”
“Someone’s in a hurry…”
“Well, we need to do it soon.”
“Why?” What’s the rush?
“I want to have another baby and I know you don’t want to be pregnant when we have our day. So let’s pick a date and do it.”
“Well, Skye is pregnant…”
“You were pregnant at her wedding.”
“And I couldn’t do much. It was lame.”
“We aren’t waiting on other people for our day. Then Trinity will be pregnant and maybe even Silke too.”
“Ward, why are you anal about this?” Perhaps I was missing something.
“Because I want to be a proper family. I want to be your husband. Do you not want to be my wife?”
“Of course I do. I’ve just been so busy with our son that I haven’t had a chance to plan anything.”
“Well, let’s start.”
I tried not to roll my eyes.
Ward caught the look. “What?”
“You’re just…being a girl about this.”
“A girl?” he asked. “I proposed to you months ago and we haven’t gotten anything done. Women are supposed to be obsessed with weddings. Why aren’t you?”
I shrugged. “I guess because I feel like we’re already married.”
His eyes softened at my response.
“I used to want a big wedding but now I don’t really care anymore. I already have a husband and a child. All I’m missing is a piece of paper.”
“Really?” He tilted his head and regarded me closely.
“Really what?”
“You don’t care about having a big wedding?”
“Not really. I’d rather just get it over with, honestly.”
“Get it over with?” he asked coldly.
“You know what I mean, Ward. I don’t want something ridiculous like Trinity and Skye where they had five hundred guests at their wedding. Sometimes people forget what weddings are all about, the two people committing their lives together. Now that our baby is here I don’t have the time or energy to plan a wedding. I would much rather focus on him.”
“So…you want to go to the court house or something?”
“What do you want, Ward?”
“I don’t care,” he said. “I just want you to call me your husband.”
“We could do something small at my parents house. Just immediate friends and family and have a barbeque afterward. Those are the only people I care about anyway.”
He nodded. “That sounds nice. Let’s do that.”
“Okay.” I took Ward Jr. from his arms then placed him back on the carpet.
“When?” he pressed.
He wasn’t going to drop this, was he? “I’ll ask my mom.”
“How about next weekend?”
“What?” I blurted. “You want to have a wedding in two weeks?”
“It’s not really a wedding. It’s just a family get together. We can pull it off.”
“Ward, no.” That just wasn’t possible.
“Why not?” His jaw clenched noticeably.
“In case you’ve forgotten, Conrad just had his heart ripped out of his chest. It would be insensitive to have a wedding right now. And he’s not even back yet.”
It didn’t seem like Ward cared. “Something is always going to come up, darling. If it’s not that, it’ll just be something else.”
“Well, it’s a pretty big deal, okay?” I snapped. “He asked the love of his life to marry him and she said no. Do you have any idea how he must feel right now? And to attend a wedding the instant he comes back is just tasteless.”
Ward sighed like he knew I was right. “Then when?”
“We’ll wait until he comes back and then go from there.”
“Until the next bout of drama hits the fan…”
I cupped his face and forced his gaze on me. “Ward, we will get married. Just be patient.”
“I’ve wanted to marry you the moment I met you. Believe me, I’ve been patient enough.”
“Just be patient a little longer.”
He kissed my forehead. “I’d wait forever for you. You already know that.”
Chapter Ten
Conrad
The plane entered the airspace of JFK and was preparing to land. I glanced out the window and saw the city below. “Home sweet home.”
Roland shoved his phone into his pocket. “The greatest city on earth.”
“You obviously didn’t spend enough time in Italy.”
“You miss Fra
ncesca and Ana?”
I shrugged. “There are plenty of fish in the sea. They said they’d visit when they got the chance.”
Roland gripped my shoulder. “I’m glad you’re back. The city isn’t the same without you.”
“I’m sure it was an improvement.” I stared out the window and saw everything come closer as we descended toward the ground.
“The opposite, actually.”
“So, what should we do first?”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Should we hit the strip club? Hit the bars? What?”
“Well, I like men so the strip club would be pretty pointless for me.”
Sometimes I forgot his preferences because he was exactly the same as he used to be. “I’ll go to a male strip club with you. I bet there will be a ton of chicks there.”
“Well, Heath wouldn’t like that much.”
“Bring him along.”
“How about we get you settled in before we take off on an adventure?”
“True,” I said. “Can I crash with you for a few days?”
“What’s wrong with your apartment?”
“I’m moving out.” I didn’t want to elaborate further on it. All I knew was I couldn’t sleep in that bed or even be inside that apartment. There were still rose pedals on the bed from the night I proposed to Lexie. I didn’t want to be there any longer than necessary.
“Of course you can stay with me.”
“Thanks, man. And I don’t care if Heath is there all the time. Honestly, I like him more than you.”
Roland smiled at my joke. “Well, he’s pretty amazing so that’s not surprising.”
“I hope you aren’t thinking about getting married.”
Roland turned his gaze on me but didn’t say anything.
“No offense to Heath or anything, but being single is way better than being tied down. Marriage is just a bunch of stupid shit. I’m so glad I dodged that bullet.”
Roland turned away and didn’t say a word.
After the plane landed we grabbed our luggage and exited out of the terminal.
“Let’s get this straight, people.” I held my bag over my shoulder.
My parents and Roland just stared at me.
“No welcome home party, alright?” I said. “If there is one, I’ll leave. I’m not joking.”
Dad and Roland exchanged a look.
Roland quickly pulled out his phone and started typing.
Good thing I said something. “I just want to shower and get ready for work in the morning.”
“You’re coming back?” Dad asked. “That soon?”
“Last time I checked you were dragging me here by the neck. Don’t you want me to go back to work?”
“Maybe you should take some time first.”
I rolled my eyes. “I was doing that in Italy before you came along. And yes, I’m perfectly able to work. Stop looking at me like I’m a time bomb ready to go off. I’ve never been better.”
Mom and Dad gave me an incredulous look.
Roland finished his group message to everyone. “Ready to go?”
“Let’s hit the road.”
***
Sleeping on Roland’s couch wasn’t bad. I was used to sleeping with two beautiful women wrapped around me, so being alone was a letdown. I didn’t like it. It made me think of the woman I used to always sleep with. It made me realize being alone was my worst enemy.
When I woke up the next morning, Heath and Roland were awake.
“Coffee?” Heath asked as he handed me a mug.
“Sure.” I took it from him. “Ro, you got some rum for this?”
Roland raised an eyebrow. “Are you being serious?”
“Does it look like I’m joking?” I riffled through his cabinets until I found the liquor. I poured a small amount inside then took a sip. “Mmm…much better.”
Heath and Roland stared at me but didn’t say anything.
“So, what are we doing tonight?”
“A new James Bond movie came out,” Heath said. “Let’s go see it.”
“Nah…how about we hit the bars?” I did my tie without watching my hands then straightened it in front of my suit.
“I guess we could do that,” Roland said.
“Sweet. I’ll see you guys after work.” I grabbed my satchel and walked out.
When I arrived at PIXEL, it felt like any other day. I did the same routine like always and took the elevator to the top floor where my office was. The place smelled exactly the same, and people greeted me when we saw each other. In the hallway, I saw Angelina, a secretary for the company. She was a pretty brunette with nice legs. I’d love to ask her out but I didn’t want to piss off my dad. Was I allowed to fool around with people who worked here? It never crossed my mind before.
I entered the floor and approached my secretary. “Any messages?”
She looked up at me and did a double take. “Mr. Preston, you’re back.”
“And ready. So, messages?”
“Quite a few, actually…” She organized all her notes.
“Just set them on my desk when you’re ready.”
“Of course, Mr. Preston.”
I entered my office and saw that it was exactly as I left it. It didn’t seem like the cleaning lady even came. My office was a ghost town filled with my own spirit. The second my ass touched the cushion the door flew open and Skye stepped inside.
She stared at me like I just came back from the dead. The emotion was written all over her face, and she pitied me like a homeless person. I hated that look. It was annoying. “You’re back…” She came further into the room, looking at me like I was fragile.
“Yep. I’m ready to keep this place floating. I’m surprise it’s still standing since I left.”
She didn’t chuckle or even smile. She wrapped her arms around her waist like she was uncomfortable.
“How’s the baby?” If I controlled the conversation it wouldn’t go anywhere I didn’t want it to lead.
“Great. He’s been kicking.”
“Sounds like a soccer player.”
“Maybe…”
“Anything you need to fill me in on?” I asked as I opened my drawers and searched for my things.
“No, not really. Dad and I have been on top of everything.”
“Cool. I guess I’ll jump right back in.” I gave her a fake smile then nodded to the door.
She wringed her hands together like she wanted to break down. “Conrad, I’m so sorry—”
“I’m fine.” I didn’t want to listen to her heartbreak over what happened to me. “Seriously. Don’t do that sob story thing, and don’t pity me. I’m over it—long over it. In fact, I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”
Her face was paler than snow.
“I dodged a bullet and I’m thankful everything turned out this way. So, stop looking at me like I’m a homeless dog that needs to be adopted. I’m great. I had a nice vacation that I didn’t want to leave. That’s the only thing I’m a little disgruntled by.”
Skye continued to stand there.
I nodded to the door. “I’ll see you later, Skye. I really should get to work.”
She nodded slowly, like she had to force herself to do it. “I’m glad you’re back.” Her voice came out weak and hollow.
“Me too. Let’s get lunch this week.”
“Okay.” She walked out and shut the door behind her.
The second the door clicked it opened again.
Dad came inside, the exact look of concern on his face.
“I’m fine,” I said before he could say anything. “You don’t need to check on me. I’m totally good. And I’m not going to get anything done if you keep looking at me like that.”
Dad adjusted his tie before he sat in the chair in front of my desk. “Fair enough.”
Thank god. “I’m glad you came in here because there’s something I need to ask you.”
“What is it, son?”
He only called me
that when he was worried about me.
“I don’t know when you and Sean are going to finally move on, but I know it’ll happen eventually. Since I don’t know when that is, I need a loan.”
“A loan for what?” he asked.
“I’m getting rid of my apartment and need something new. But I’d rather buy some property as an investment. You can take out payments from my paycheck if you want.”
“How much are we talking?”
It was a lot but I knew he would give it to me. He pitied me just like everyone else. “A few million.”
“What are you buying?” he asked. “A house?”
“No, an apartment.”
“Sounds like a nice apartment.”
“You don’t have to give it to me if you don’t want to. I can wait until I actually get promoted. But since I’m moving out now I just thought it would save me time and money if I just bought something.” I turned back to my computer. “It’s not a big deal. I’ll wait.”
“No, Conrad. Of course you can have it.”
I turned back to him with a smile on my face. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he said with a nod.
“Sweet.” I fist-pumped the air. “I’m officially going to own property.”
“Congratulations.” Dad smiled and it seemed real this time. “You need anything else?”
“Nope. Ready to get back to work.”
“Good.” He rose from the chair and gave me a serious look. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
“Thanks, Dad. But I’m fine.”
“Even if it’s just to talk…”
I had a feeling people would walk on eggshells around me for a long time. “Got it.”
Chapter Eleven
Roland
“He seems to be doing okay.” Heath rested his hand on my thigh as he sat beside me on the couch. The TV was on but neither one of us were watching it.
“Who?” I asked.
“Conrad.”
Surprise was written all over my face. “Are we talking about the same Conrad?”
“What?” he asked. “He’s always in a good mood, he’s eager to go out and have some fun, and he’s back at work. It doesn’t even seem like Lexie rejected him.”
