Finding Me (Love's Not Easy Series Book 1)

by Rickman, Nicole

  Aimee started sobbing, as she told Aiden about the Gala and the things the others had told her Deandre was up to. He listened to her and did not interrupt as she vented her pain to him.

  “Aimee, what they are doing is not right. Do you remember when you told me that people need to trust me because I am a Prince?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Ok, I think the same principle applies in this situation. You have every right to tell them how wrong it is to use your mother’s memory as a sympathy vote.”

  “I agree, Aiden, and the thing is, Deandre has never been there for me. Do you remember me telling you about Mrs. Opal, my Gran’s friend that lives on the plantation?”

  “Yeah. I remember her, why?”

  “She is the one who has been there for me for everything. I learned about the facts of life from her. When I had a problem, I went to her and she would help me through it. Deandre could never wait for me to go back to the plantation or boarding school.”

  “And now she wants to take credit for raising you.”

  “I have too many morals for her to have had a hand in my raising. She doesn’t even raise her own children their nanny, Miss Akers, does it all.”

  “Aimee, we both know how dirty politics can get. Has your father not considered that when his opponent learns what you just said about Deandre, he will bring it up? Then they will expose him as a liar; which, would tarnish him in both his senate race and his business affairs.”

  “Good point for me to use. I am so mad I haven’t even thought about that. I haven’t told you everything yet. He also enrolled me into the University of Richmond and is telling everyone I am attending there in the fall.”

  “What?” Aiden was astonished.

  Just as Aimee began to talk about the Richmond lie to Aiden her bedroom door swung open and her dad and Deandre barged in. She didn’t even have time to tell Aiden to hang on or she would call back before Deandre started yelling at her.

  “Young lady, do you know how much damage you caused this family tonight?”

  Aimee held tight to her phone and stood up. “Excuse me?”

  “The way you ran out of the club has everyone talking. You should have come to us...”

  “And what, Deandre, ask you in front of all of your society friends why you are spreading lies around about my dead mother, or how you lied about adopting me? This is the most disgraceful thing you have ever done to me.” Aimee was yelling back.

  “Aimee, lower your voice. I will not stand for you speaking to your stepmother in that tone.”

  “My what? Have you two went nuts? She is not even thirty years old, and you want me to call her my stepmom?”

  “Aimee, that is enough. When we got married, Deandre stepped into the role of mother with you.”

  “What role, evil stepmom? If she had her way, I would have been treated like an outcast. She never did one motherly thing for me. I was twelve when Gran died, and until then, she raised me. Mrs. Opal and the boarding schools did the rest.”

  Deandre was walking toward Aimee. “I will not stand in my home and allow you to talk to me that way. It was not easy becoming an instant mother to a teenager, and you need to be grateful for all we have done for you. The clothes, the cars, and all those boarding schools are not free, and to be studying in…”

  Aimee turned to her father who was standing with his arms folded not moving an inch to stop Deandre. “Deandre, you never worked a day of your life for that money. I guess it is hard to be a mother to a teen when you are barely out of the teenage years yourself. As for the boarding schools, those had been taking care of by mother, before she died. So, don’t hand me that load of crap, about how much money you spend on me.” Aimee turned to her father. “If you don’t want me here, I can leave; but, I have a feeling that may interfere with your Richmond plans.”

  Clint moved over to Deandre. “Go to our room, I will be there in a few minutes to talk to you. Aimee, will stay in this house for as long as she wants. She is my daughter, Deandre, you have no right to say a thing like that to her. We are not going to let people think you adopted, or mothered her in any way, because no mother would say the things you just said to her.”

  Deandre turned and glared at him. “I will talk to you in our room.”

  Aimee sat on her bed and looked out the window. “I know she has never liked me, dad. I remember telling you before you married her that she was jealous of me. You said I was the jealous one, and you know what I did? I prayed about being jealous of her for months.”

  “Aimee, honey, I know things got out of control. I never gave her permission to go this far.”

  “Morgan said this was her idea. How did she talk you into tarnishing the memory of my mom?”

  “I am behind in the poles.”

  “I am glad to know where I stand in your life.”

  “Look Aimee, you are the one who chose to go away to school. Yeah, your mom had the boarding school stuff in place before she died. It was your choice to go, though. Just like you have chosen to go off to Neahovia for college, so it is not fair to say Deandre doesn’t want you here.”

  “Dad, did you honestly think I would want to live here with her, and be treated the way I was when we went vacation, or when I was home for summer breaks?”

  “Aimee, I have no clue what you are talking about.”

  “I know, because you were always too busy working, or socializing, to notice me or anything else going on at home.”

  “Aimee, we did things together.”

  “I am not arguing about this. I am over that part of my childhood anyway.”

  “Fine. We can talk about Richmond, when I get home from work tomorrow.” He turned to walk away.

  “I am not going to Richmond. I am returning to Neahovia, my tuition is paid for. I have signed my rent agreement, and paid my part of the security deposit for a flat. I am an adult now; and I am capable making my own decisions.”

  ,

  “So, you think that you have it all figured out? Well, Aimee, you see, I control your finances. So, you sleep on that tonight.”

  Aimee waited for him to leave the room before she checked to see if Aiden was still on the line. He had stayed on the phone and heard the entire conversation. She was glad that she did not have to tell him everything. She did not want to relive the conversation.

  Aimee curled in her bed. “Aiden, I wish you were here with me. I need a friend right now.”

  “Hey, I am here. It is not the same as being there to hug and hold you, but I am here. I have no plans today, so, I can stay on the phone all day with you, if that is what you need.”

  “Thanks, what I need to do, is calm down and think rationally. I don’t want to stay here for the rest of the break, so I need to think about what I want to do.”

  “I have a few questions. Have you ever seen your mom or Gran’s Will?”

  “No. Why?”

  “I don’t want to upset you, but you need to look at them, to see at what age you take control of your finances.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I can’t believe you have never thought of this. You inherited the plantation, correct?”

  “Yeah, we transferred it to my name on my eighteenth birthday.”

  ”

  “Is it still a working plantation?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Aimee, when you inherited the plantation, I am sure you inherited the family business. You need to see at what age that money is yours.”

  “I haven’t thought about that. I have always taken my dad’s word on those things.”

  “Aimee, I am so sorry, but your dad isn’t being honest right now.”

  “You’re right. I have felt like they were up to something ever since I arrived here.”

  “The other thing we need to know the answer to is, what Deandre is really trying to gain from all of this.”

  “And, why she wants me to leave.”

  “Nothing is simple when it comes to you. Mystery seems to follow
you around. We have the mystery of your mom in Neahovia, and now, tonight, we have stumbled upon an American mystery as well.”

  “I guess I have a new phrase to describe me. I am a mystique person.”

  “Dear, you are a walking mystique paradise. I say this, because no matter what type of mystery is following you, you are still beautiful inside and out.”

  Aimee had to laugh at Aiden. “You know we don’t have normal nineteen year olds conversations.”

  “That is because there is nothing normal about either of our lives. We do not have the families of normal nineteen year olds.”

  “I guess not.”

  Aiden stayed on the phone with Aimee until after three in the morning. They talked about whatever she wanted, as long as it helped her calm down. He finally calmed her down enough to where she felt she could get some rest. He was afraid when she awoke, it was going to be a bad day for her.

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