Before We Knew

by Wasowski, Mary

  Harry shook his hand, and then Leah followed. I wasn’t getting up, and he knew it. He’s my father and should know I won’t cave, no matter how long of an olive branch he’s extending.

  “Hi, Hallie, I’m Ben’s father, Oliver Chapel,” he said and extended his hand out for her to take.

  “Hi, Mr. Chapel. Thank you for joining us. We’ve met already.”

  “No, we haven’t. I don’t consider that a proper introduction, and if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to start over and make today a fresh start. My son loves you, and I would like to get to know you better if you allow me to.”

  “Certainly, I would like that.” My girlfriend is a fucking saint, and he does not deserve to be in her company.

  I must be crazy to have invited him, but so far he’s behaving, and it makes my girl happy. They ordered desserts, and the coffee arrived while making polite conversation.

  I leaned in closer and whispered for only Hallie to hear, “I love you. You made this possible. The jury is still out on how I feel about it, but I want you to know that I will try. For you, Hallie.”

  26

  I see the real you

  Hallie…

  I whispered, “Thank you,” and then I placed my hand over his hand still resting on my thigh.

  His grip had lessened, but I still saw the fury in his eyes. He didn’t want his father here, but on the outside, Oliver was trying to fit in and get to know us better.

  I’m not naïve into believing that we will be all harmonious by the end of dessert. I’m just trying to make peace with our complicated past and move forward with a clean slate.

  The waiter had come by with a dessert cart displaying an array of delicious delicacies, and I wanted everything. The majority ordered cheesecake, and Ben and I chose the biggest slice of chocolate cake to share. An awkward silence filled the air once we finished with our dessert.

  Harry called for the check, and I made small talk with Ben’s father. “Again, thank you for joining us. It’s been a long day, a great day all around.”

  “Yes, I agree. I quite enjoyed watching my son receive his diploma and look forward to what comes next. So, Ben, what might that be?” His attention solely focused on his son, and as cool as ever, Ben wiped the corners of his mouth and tossed the napkin down to his plate.

  “Hallie and I are moving in together. We are taking a vacation, and then I plan to begin working after the Fourth of July.”

  “Wow! You will be busy. Um, will any of your free time include a trip home to London? Or Switzerland?”

  “No, those trips will not be happening in the foreseeable future.” He was clear and right to the point.

  His father’s jaw ticked, and I knew he was strategizing what he would say next. “May I ask why?” His fingers tapped on the table.

  “You know why, and this is not the time or place to have this conversation.”

  “I disagree. Please don’t forget that I’ve been trying to have this conversation for more than two months now, and you have done everything in your power to silence me. So, I’m here now, and so is Hallie and her family. Why not now?”

  Harry cleared his throat, and after signing the check, he leaned forward on his elbows with his chin resting on his hands. He said, “Mr. Chapel, I don’t know you all that well, and from your hostile behavior at this table, I’m not sure I want to continue any future conversations with you. I have a file a mile long on you, and that’s the extent of your relationship with this family.” He pointed to all of us, including Ben, and then he looked back to Oliver. “This night belongs to my future wife and your son. They earned this night, and anything you have to say to your son will not happen here. He’ll call you if he changes his mind. Are we clear?”

  Holy shit! You could hear a pin drop in the room. I expected Oliver to put up a fight or say something really crude to Ben, but he pursed his lips and then got up from the table, throwing down a few hundred-dollar bills. Before Harry could protest, Oliver walked away without another word.

  “I’m so sorry,” Ben said in embarrassment.

  Harry and Leah made it easy on him and told him that he didn’t have anything to be sorry for. Harry picked up the money and handed it to me. He said, “Here, have a fun time on Oliver Chapel.”

  I looked over to Ben, and he shrugged, and I put the money in my purse. What else was I going to do?

  We said our goodbyes and drove in two opposite directions. Ben held my hand back to the car and opened my door for me. Once inside, I let out a deep breath and prayed Ben wasn’t angry with me.

  The car ride was silent back to “our new home.” Leah was fully moved out, and it was mine to do what I wanted. We had a few things here, and we planned to move me out of the dorm and Ben out of his apartment by the weekend. He didn’t want anything from the apartment, as his father owned all of it, and he wanted a fresh start here with me. We would go shopping and buy new things that best suited us, and not what he had before.

  He parked the car and did the same. He opened my door, held my hand, and then led me inside to our new beginning.

  “Ben, I…”

  He raised his hand to my lips and then leaned in to kiss me. “I love you, Hallie, and all I want to do is go upstairs and make love to you, and not think of anything or anyone but us. Is that alright?”

  “Yeah, it’s alright.” I kissed him back and followed him up the stairs, closing the rest of the world out. We didn’t come out of our bubble for the next two days.

  I left Ben asleep in bed when I opted to get up early and go for a run. I haven’t done this in a while, and it felt so good to feel the warm breeze on my face as I ran one mile after another. I have to figure out a way to get through to Ben and help him see that dinner with his dad wasn’t a mistake. Actually, okay, it was hell on wheels for Ben, but the first step is always the hardest.

  I stopped after four miles and sat down on a bench to catch my breath. It was still early, and that’s when an idea popped into my head. Ben excused himself to go to the restroom, and while he was away from the table, his father had given me his business card. I entered the numbers in my phone and tossed the card in the trash on the way out. I didn’t tell Ben about it, and now it just may be my last shot at helping two very stubborn men. I scrolled through my contacts and hit the number he said was his personal line. It only took a second for him to answer once the call connected.

  “Good morning, Hallie. This is quite the surprise,” he answered politely.

  “Is it? Because I think you gave me your card, knowing I would call.”

  “Possibly, but that’s neither here nor there at the moment. What can I do for you?”

  “Can you meet me for a cup of coffee? Are you free right now?”

  “I am. I can leave now and meet you in about twenty minutes.”

  “Good. Do you know the Coffee House on Cary Parkway?”

  “I do. I’ll see you soon.” The call ended, and I let out a breath, hoping I did the right thing. I did a few stretches and timed my walk back into town. I walked for ten minutes and then jogged for the rest. When I got to the Coffee House, he was already there, seated at a table with two coffees.

  “Hi, I guess I should have mentioned that I was out on a run when I called you.”

  “No worries, it’s fine. I just got here a few minutes ago. Please, have a seat.” He gestured to the one across from him.

  “Thank you for this,” I said and then sipped the coffee. “Wow! Caramel, one of my favorites.”

  “Lucky guess, and it’s been my experience this is one of the better flavors. Anyway, you didn’t call me here to talk about coffee. I take it it’s about my son.”

  “Very perceptive of you, but I think it was only a matter of time before you and I had a heart-to-heart. Please don’t mistake my calling as me forgetting all that you’ve done to my family. I may understand why you did it, but it doesn’t change the fact that your choices deeply hurt Ben, my sister, and me. We are a proud family who works hard. We didn
’t need a payoff from you or anyone to help us feel better or have our life a little easier.”

  “Hallie, it was all I could do at the time. I had to take care of my wife, and the guilt that followed was so overwhelming at times, I felt as if I couldn’t breathe. You need to know that your mother provided well enough for you and your sister. All I did was secure the accounts with a little extra. I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you for telling me that,” I said.

  “Ben hates me, doesn’t he?”

  “He doesn’t know you, not in the way a son should. He’s angry and confused about a lot of complicated truths that he learned all at once. You need to give him time to process it all at his pace, something I think we both need to do.”

  “Well, I’m not a patient man, and Ben of all people knows that about me. Listen, since we are here talking, there’s no time like the present to share what’s been on my mind. I want Ben back into the family fold and to come on board working with me. I think it will be good for him to learn from the bottom up, and once I feel he’s ready, we can talk about a permanent placement for him.”

  “Wow! You certainly are direct.”

  “Yes, I don’t know any other way.”

  “And where would this job be?”

  “Why, London of course.”

  London. He said it so casually like it’s the most normal thing in the world, and he didn’t look an ounce full of remorse. I cleared my throat and then began to say, “Mr. Chapel…”

  “Oliver, please,” he cut me off and corrected me.

  “Oliver, so, in this plan of yours for Ben, where do I fit in all of this? Or do I already know the answer?”

  “You don’t.” And there it was, another fucked up truth. “I don’t mean to be cruel. I have always looked after my son, and he can declare his independence all he wants, but I’m his father. I believe I know what’s best for him. And that’s London and the new opportunities I have set forth for him. What you have with my son is an idyllic fantasy which I believe has run its course. So, instead of continuing to play house with my son and be something you’re not, let him go and do it now.”

  Let him go? As if I would ever just bend at his will and leave Ben. Okay, Hallie, it’s time to show him who you are and the strong woman Jo Beth Whitman raised you to be.

  “You sneaky bastard!” I said.

  He didn’t look at all phased by my outburst. No one was paying any mind to us as he reached for my hand. “I wouldn’t make a scene if I were you.”

  “Yeah? And what are you going to do about it? I think we are well past the point of ever becoming friends. It’s not like I wasn’t warned, but I didn’t listen when I should have. Now, here we are with all our cards on the table.”

  “Hallie…”

  I cut him off this time. “Don’t you say my name like you have any right to. Mr. Chapel, you are everything Ben said you were, and I didn’t want to believe my boyfriend, because I thought I could find the humanity in you and heal your relationship with your son. I was wrong, and I’ll own that. I will apologize to Ben and hope he will forgive me for my error in gross judgment. No, I will not be breaking up with your son. I will not ever let go of your son. I love Ben more than I can ever explain to you, and I’m not going to waste any more of my time with the likes of you. You do not deserve my company, and even less of Ben’s. You can go fuck yourself all the way back to London and leave us alone.” I got up to leave, and that’s when he delivered one more jab.

  “You surprise me, Miss Whitman, a noble adversary I didn’t believe who could keep up. However, I’m better, and I always get what I want. You may leave here feeling as if you won this round, but don’t fool yourself. I always get what I want. Ben will come back, you can be sure about that.”

  “No, I don’t think so. And what I am sure about is that you are a bitter and lonely man who has a sick wife tucked away in a clinic, and because there is really nothing else to control there, you reverted back to your son. A son you believe you can control, but you’re wrong. Mr. Chapel. That will not be happening. My eyes are open, and I see you. I see the real you, and I promise you that I will not be so easily fooled again.”

  I turned to walk away from the lying bastard and crashed into a hard wall of muscle, a Deja vu moment I’ve experienced before. I looked up to the most smoldering blue eyes I have ever seen. It was Ben. And he wasn’t looking at me. He was glaring at his father.

  27

  What’s it going to take?

  Ben…

  Rolling over to a cold side of the bed wasn’t my idea of waking up. I raised up on my elbows to her side of the bed and found the note she left for me. I love saying that; her side of the bed. I love her. I love living with Hallie and dreaming about all we are going to do together in our life. She doesn’t know my plans yet, and she’s probably nowhere ready to hear them, but it's nice dreaming about them and believing they will come true.

  I picked up the note and read it aloud. “Good morning, baby. I’m out on a run, and I will see you when I get back. I love you, H.”

  I didn’t know how long she had been gone for, but it had to be quite a while since it’s after ten. I’m starving, and I know there’s not much in the house. I’ll shower quickly and go down to the Coffee House to grab breakfast for us.

  I walked inside, and it wasn’t too busy with the lingering morning crowd. I looked up at the menu, and then I heard Hallie’s voice somewhere in the shop.

  “Morning,” says the cheery barista from behind the counter. “What can I get you?” she asked, as I completely ignored her.

  I stepped away from the counter and followed my girl’s voice to the back table. Bloody hell! She’s with my father of all people. From the looks of her body language, she appeared to be upset, and then after I heard what she said to my father, I knew I was going to lose my shit.

  “My eyes are open, and I see you. I see the real you, and I promise you that I will not be so easily fooled again.”

  She didn’t see me when she turned and crashed right into my chest. Her eyes went wide and body felt stiff as she reacted to seeing me there. I had seen this look before from the night I found her at the party. She looked surprised and a little scared then, but this time it’s different. She’s angry, and it’s all directed toward my father.

  She began to say something, and I cut her off quickly, not wanting to give my father any more attention.

  “We will discuss this at home,” I blurted, and then I tucked her behind me.

  “It’s nice to see you, son. Please, join us.”

  “No, we’re leaving. And if it wasn’t clear enough for you the other night, then let me explain it again: Stay away from Hallie, and stay away from me. Clear?” I said and then turned away and began to leave.

  “She called me, Ben. Maybe your anger is misdirected?” I counted and only made it to five, knowing this was going to get ugly.

  “Hallie, take my keys, go down to my car, and wait for me.”

  “Ben, please come with me,” she asked as tears filled her eyes.

  “Please, just do as I asked.”

  Again with hurt and tear-filled eyes, she quietly nodded and left the coffee house.

  I let out a breath and then turned to face my father. “Hallie called you?” I asked.

  “Yes, early this morning, asking for this meeting. I gladly accepted.”

  “I’m sure you did. How did Hallie know your numbers?”

  “I gave her my card when we were at dinner. I didn’t see any harm to it. We were having a lovely chat until, let’s just say, things took an ugly turn.”

  “I’m sure it did, and judging by how upset Hallie looks, I have to imagine you said something to put her in that state. What’s it going to take to get you to leave us alone?”

  “Do I really have to spell it out for you? Or haven’t I made myself clear to you? This life here in North Carolina was always meant to be temporary. Your place is in London. I need you, Ben, because my time here has come to an end.
I will be leaving in the next few days, and I will not be returning alone.”

  “You don’t get it, do you? I am in love with Hallie, and I plan on asking her to marry me. I don’t need your approval, and I’m not asking. You show up at my graduation, and that bullshit you were trying to sell to all of us at dinner is your way of worming your way back in? No, it’s over, and the days of controlling every aspect of my life are over. I just want you to go home to London and leave me alone.”

  “Or what?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me, Ben. Did I stutter? You are my son, my only child, and you don’t get to tell me where I fit in your life. You need to come home to London, and that is not up for negotiation. You have until the end of the week.” He got up to leave, and I stood up, not letting him get too far.

  “The only person that will be leaving is you. I swear to high heaven and back, I mean what I say. Stay the fuck away from us. A real father is not someone who bullies and shows his love by one threat after another. Once upon a time, I dreamed about my father giving a damn about me. A father who actually wanted to spend time with me, not some controlling beast who never retracts his fangs for one goddamn second. Leave me alone, because there is no scenario where I leave Hallie and choose you.”

  He reached for my wrist and tightened his hold on me before I shoved him back, making my intentions quite clear.

  I stormed out of the Coffee House and down to my car. I opened my hand for the keys and Hallie placed them in my hand. I started the car and peeled out of the spot, not giving a damn about my speed or my anger at the moment. All I wanted to do was get Hallie away from my father.

  The car ride was short and silent. The rage flowing through my body was intense, and the hatred I felt for my father was even greater. I just knew he was going to pull a game on Hallie, but what I didn’t predict was how far he was willing to go to get what he wants. There has to be some hidden agenda that he hasn’t revealed yet.