Our Forever Promise

by Mary Wasowski

“I won’t mention it, Jackson, but I hope you know that if you are dealing with anything, you could always come to me. You are my patient. I will always put you first, contrary to what you might believe.”

  I simply nodded my head and watched him go and speak with his office manager. She gave me a hand signal to wait a few minutes. I called Riley, and she told me that they were on their way back to Starbucks. I only had a small window of time to get back. Mindy came over as I hung up, and she handed me a flash drive. She gave me a quick hug, and I literally ran back to the coffee shop.

  I just made it inside when my phone beeped again. Riley and Richard were back and waiting on me. I said goodbye to our friends and walked back outside. Riley’s eyes widened at the sight of me, and so did Richard’s. I ran all the way from Dr. O’Larien’s office. It was summer after all, and I was dripping in sweat. There was no way Richard was going to believe that Starbucks didn’t have air conditioning. Riley quickly greeted me and tried to wipe my face down, but I knew I already aroused suspicion by the looks Richard directed at me.

  “Are you ready to head back to the apartment, sir?”

  “Richard, I still have a few errands to run. You can drop Riley and me off downtown. I will call you when we’re ready to be picked up.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Jackson. You may have diverted my attention back at the coffee house, a mistake I will not be making again. Now where do you need to go?”

  “Richard, I’m not trying be a jerk here, but I’m an adult and I am more than capable of finding my way around the city. Riley and I will get off here. Please pull the car over.”

  “Jackson, I work for your father. I have my orders, orders that need to be carried out as he has directed me to do so,” he replied, and then refocused his attention on the traffic in front of us.

  I was beyond angry and couldn’t care less if he called my father. I pulled my girl closer to me and made it look like we were hugging. I whispered in her ear, “When the car comes to a stop, we are going to make a run for it. Keep going, and don’t look back. We will lose him in the shopping district.”

  Although she was nervous, she followed my lead. Richard stopped at the next light. The car was basically boxed in due to the late afternoon traffic. This was our opportunity to make our move. I grabbed Riley’s hand and flung open the door. We ran as fast as our feet could take us while listening to Richard scream out for us. Oh man, I knew he would be angry, but enough was enough already. I needed a moment to breathe. If Riley and I wanted to get our marriage license, I couldn’t have Richard reporting back to my father.

  Satisfied that we lost him, Riley and I slowed down to take a breath. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pushed me up against an alley wall to kiss me. What we just did excited her, and I had to admit turned me on too. Having tried other things first, we hadn’t made love yet, but we knew we would soon. This wasn’t the place to have my first time with Riley. She was making my dick throb against my zipper the way she was rubbing against it.

  “Stop,” I barely managed to get out. “Come on, we have things to do.” I said as I circled my arm around her waist.

  An hour later, we had our marriage license. Palming hands with hundred dollar bills can move things along for you in City Hall. This was suddenly becoming very real. I looked for uncertainty in her eyes, but found none. In a few days, I would be marrying Riley Taylor Briggs, the love of my life and my future wife. Holy shit! I know I was acting on pure adrenaline and leading with my heart. If I took time to question it, today would be completely different. I just want this moment with Riley. Right here and now, I’ll worry about the rest later.

  We grabbed dinner and walked hand in hand back to my apartment. As soon as we entered the building, I saw my doorman on the phone. I already knew he was probably notifying our return to Richard. He didn’t need to, because the building was under twenty-four hour surveillance and I was sure my bodyguard already knew the minute we walked through the door. What was strange was that I hadn’t received a phone call from my father yet. The elevator opened up to my floor, and there stood Richard waiting for us. I whispered into Riley’s ear to wait for me upstairs in the bedroom while I had a conversation with Richard.

  I couldn’t judge by his expression if he was angry or disappointed, but I was about to find out. We sat down in the living room, and he crossed his arms over his broad chest.

  “Jackson, I haven’t called your father, if that is what you are wondering.”

  I let out the breath I was holding and let him continue. “I don’t know what that was back there, but if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I most certainly will call your father, and you will find yourself on the next plane back to California. My job is to protect you and care for your well-being. I am medically trained to assist you in case of an emergency. I know you are of age and want to be treated as an adult, but that also comes with respect. You did not respect me today by running off like children. What if you would have had a seizure? Riley is not trained to know what to do if that should ever occur. This could have happened anywhere. Please tell me that you will not be this irresponsible again?”

  He had a valid point, several of them actually. Richard has witnessed me having a seizure, and he took care of me throughout the entire ordeal. I have to remember to talk to Riley about this.

  “I’m very sorry, Richard. I now know I was wrong to ditch you, but I was suffocating and needed to be on my own for a while. I know you have your orders from my father, but there should also be boundaries too. I want my privacy respected. No, I demand it.”

  “I can do that for you, Jackson, as long as you show the same respect for me. You have my word. Are you okay? Is there anything I need to know?”

  “I’m fine, Richard. Tomorrow we will be leaving here at eight a.m. We are going to Maryland to visit with Riley’s father. Before you say anything, I plan on calling my father in a little while. I’m going up to bed now, and I will see you in the morning.”

  I was clearly done with this conversation and dismissed him. I made my way upstairs to hear Riley taking a shower. I took the opportunity to phone my father. He would still be at the office, and I was hoping to make this conversation go as quickly as possible. It didn’t matter what my father was working on, my calls were always put through. If he talked to me while at Reed Global, I knew we wouldn’t have any time for heavy conversations. This would be my saving grace. I called his private line, and Jenny answered for him.

  “Hi, Jenny, it’s Jackson.”

  “Hello, handsome. When are you coming home? We miss you.”

  “I miss you too, Jenny. I’ll be home soon. Just enjoying my summer vacation with Riley, who is having an amazing time.”

  “That’s wonderful to hear, Jackson. Enjoy the rest of your trip and I will see you when you come home. I’ll connect you now with your father.” I took a breath and counted to five. I knew I had to choose my words wisely when speaking with my father.

  “Hello, son, how are you?”

  “I’m fine, dad, and Riley is too. I just wanted to check in with you and let you know that I will be in Maryland tomorrow with Riley. We plan to visit with Dr. Briggs, and hopefully Riley and her dad can work some things out.” The line was silent. I knew he wouldn’t be happy about it.

  “Jackson, I am not comfortable with this. That man has shown me nothing but animosity and has hurt Reese too many times. He may even hate you just on principle. I prefer you to stay behind. Riley can fly over to Maryland by herself and have her visit with her father. Once she is finished, she can then return back to you in New York.” He made it sound so simple.

  “Dad, she’s not going to Maryland by herself. She’s my girlfriend, and I should be with her. Please don’t try to talk me out of this or make demands of me. You have to trust me, dad.”

  “I do trust you, son, emphatically, but not him. I want you to keep Richard close by. Can you at least agree to that?”

  “I can and will, dad. We’re going to mee
t him at his hospital, grab some lunch, and like I said, hopefully they can reconcile. It would make things a lot easier on Riley. I know it bothers Reese that they are estranged.”

  “I will take care of Reese, and believe me son, Samuel is the last thing on her mind. Okay, I don’t want to talk about him anymore. How are you feeling? The pharmacy called me at the office yesterday. Why didn’t you mention that you ordered another refill of your migraine medicine?”

  He knows! Here I am about to once again lie to my father. I surprised myself how my lies so easily rolled off my tongue. “I meant to tell you about that, dad. I’m sorry it slipped my mind, but I accidently spilled my pills down the bathroom sink. It was totally my fault. I had a headache coming on, no big deal, but when I was about to take a pill, my hand slipped and I dropped my medicine.” Please God…let him believe me.

  “Jackson, are you feeling okay son? If you felt that you needed your migraine medicine, then your headache must have been pretty bad. I’m going to call Dr. O’Larien, and he can run a few tests.”

  “NO! Please don’t call him, dad. It was just a headache, and I’m fine now. Please don’t make this more than it is.” The way I just shouted into the phone receiver, if I get away with this, it will be a miracle.

  “Jackson, I will never take anything lightly when it comes to you. We’ve been down this road before. Do I need to remind you again? Just a few months ago I had to witness one of your headaches incapacitate you. Now you’re three thousand miles away from me, and I am powerless to help you. Let me call Dr. O’Larien. This way my mind will be at ease.”

  He stopped talking with me, as I heard him buzz Jenny. He asked her to get Dr. O’Larien on the line. My heart just sunk. I had to convince him that I was more than capable of taking care of myself. I tried to get his attention until I had to shout into the phone once again.

  “Dad, for the last time, I am fine. I will see him at my next appointment in September, as scheduled. Please do not call him.” Trying to calm my already out of control anxiety, I waited on his answer.

  He sighed. “I hate this separation, son. You are making me feel helpless, and it doesn’t sit well with me. If something is wrong, you need to tell me…now. This is not a request,” he curtly said.

  I knew just the mention of the headache would set him off. Now with the pharmacy calling him, I was sinking deeper in my lies.

  “Dad, please don’t see it that way. I am fine, and there is nothing wrong. I’m growing up, and I have to begin taking care of myself. This should not make you feel weak or insignificant. If anything, it should show you that you have done a great job raising me, and you can trust me to make my own decisions. Dad, we have been over this a thousand times already. Please focus on marrying Reese, and just take a chill pill.”

  He laughed out loud, thank God. It wasn’t too often I could win an argument with Walker Reed, and who knew if I could claim victory with this one.

  “Okay son, you have made some very strong talking points. I do trust you very much and love you. I can’t just turn it off and not worry about you. You may be of age, but you will always be my child. Please just promise me that if you continue to get your headaches, you will call me immediately?”

  “I will dad, I promise. Riley and I will be home soon. We miss you both and can’t wait for the wedding.”

  “We miss you too, Jackson. I have so much to catch you up on, but I would rather be in the same room when I do. I have to run now, I’m late for a meeting. Be sure to call me tomorrow. And one more thing, be careful with that Samuel Briggs.”

  “I will, dad. Please give our love to Reese. Good night, and I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Tomorrow, Jackson. I will hear from you tomorrow.”

  “Yes sir, you will.”

  The line clicked off, and I let out my held breath. I felt sick to my stomach over lying to my father again. He had come so far with me. Once he discovers that I have been lying to him, that progress will be shattered.

  I keep thinking back to Reese’s explanation as to why she left my father all those years ago, and why she did what she did to protect her family. What I’m doing right now with my father is like the same thing, right? I’ve been playing it out in my head over and over again with the same outcome.

  I will get my consult and everything will be fine. I never have to mention this to him and no one will be the wiser, right? I keep telling myself this and pray he will never know my lies.

  My father had always put my needs above anything or anyone else my entire life. I almost felt bad for him. He should have been living his life and opening his heart to someone that could care for him all those years ago. He silently mourned my mother and ached for his lost love, Reese. His entire adult life had been two things: Reed Global and me.

  He always explained to me that the decisions a man makes in his life, he has to stand behind and own them. Live up to your convictions and stand tall. Never bow down to anyone, for this will show your weakness. Now I know the last part pertained to his professional world, but probably his personal life as well.

  I may be young, but I am a man…my own man. A Reed through and through. No! I won’t cause him even one day of unwanted worry. Reese and my father deserved this time to be happy and to focus only on each other. I just had to remain positive that whatever was happening with me was miniscule and could be easily fixed. Everything had to be okay. With Riley by my side, we will go to NYU in September and begin our college days, but as husband and wife.

  Wow, oh wow! I still can’t even wrap my head around that. Husband and wife. How in the hell will I ever be able to explain my duplicity to my father? Will he see it as an act of betrayal by his own son? The thought of my father seeing it that way makes my stomach hurt. Will he freak out and make us get it annulled? God, I hope not. My father always said that my relationship with Riley was history repeating itself.

  We are Walker & Reese, the newer models. He laughed at me when I referenced this to him once, but how true it is. I had to try to make him understand my reasons behind the choices I made. I just prayed for all our future happiness that he would give me the time to explain it all to him.

  I had to believe that he would. He was my father. He loved me. His love always protected and guided me, along with my mother’s in heaven. A few months ago when I told him that I had kept my true identity from Riley, he wasn’t angry. He listened then and promised me that were okay…we always were. I prayed that vow still held true.

  We have to be okay.

  I know no other way.

  And neither does my father.

  AFTER MY PHONE call with my son, I had one last meeting to attend before leaving for home. I couldn’t help the nagging feeling that something wasn’t right with Jackson. He asked me to trust him and for the most part I did, but this was Jackson we were talking about. I didn’t usually sway on anything when it came to him. He was adamant about me not calling Dr. O’Larien. I could always make an unscheduled trip out to New York, but that would probably backfire on me.

  I could use work as the reason, but I don’t want to leave Reese either. She could come with me and she could visit with Riley, but they will be home soon enough for the wedding, so this plan wouldn’t work. I’m frustrated because something is off with my son. I feel it. I just don’t know what it is yet.

  Entering my office and taking a seat in front of me, Jenny called out to get my attention.

  “Sir, are you ready?” she asked while holding her tablet.

  I snapped my head up. “Ready for what?”

  “Your schedule,” she simply replied and blindly ignored my tone.

  I usually do this with her at the beginning of my day, but I was swamped with work that I needed to catch up on, along with revising the wedding plans. I promised Reese that we would downsize the guest list and make our wedding more intimate.

  After work, I arrived home to find Reese already asleep. She had been experiencing severe morning sickness the last week or so. She kept me
at bay with this, only telling me the littlest information. Reese should have known by now that she couldn’t keep anything from me, especially when it came to her well-being. My staff here at the house kept me updated throughout the day. I asked her to slow down on the wedding plans and allow the planners to do their jobs.

  Now that Freddy had arrived in California, they were spending their time catching up. I could relax knowing he was helping her. They were so close again. I couldn’t be happier for their friendship. All I wanted Reese to worry about was getting from the beginning of the aisle to meeting me at the altar, and I would take care of the rest.

  I ate the dinner that had been prepared for me. I hated to eat alone, but I knew she needed to sleep. After my meal, I quietly checked on my beautiful sleeping angel. Reese was out like a light. I softly kissed her on her lips and made my way out of our bedroom. She let out a soft moan from her very delectable mouth.

  Those sweet sounds were my undoing. She had the power to completely decimate me. All I desired was to make love to her. I needed to feel skin on skin and listen to her heartbeat, as I buried myself deep inside her body. Yes, I was a man in love, but also felt like a horny teenager. Splashing some cold water on my face to bring down my wanton desire to wake her, I left her sleeping and continued to do some work in my study.

  I was exhausted. I hadn’t been sleeping at night. I should have been over the moon right now, but as soon as I closed my eyes, he would appear in my dreams: my dead father, Phillip Reed. With each nightmare that came to pass, his image became clearer and clearer. His voice was unmistakably recognizable. I had awakened one time screaming and covered in sweat. I knew I had scared Reese, but she never said it. She was worried for me, and I lied through my teeth. She knew how hard I worked and the hours I put in.

  After the first nightmare, I began to have them more frequently, and I just said it was work related stress. Reese knew that Reed Global was currently involved in an international deal. We were designing a new building in Germany, and this had been in the works for over two years now. She easily believed me and did her best to console me. We always ended up making love. It was the one act that completely sated me, and my nightmares were erased from my memory…until tonight.