Fake Love Rich Boss Series

by Peterson , Sloane

  When she lets go of me, I stand back up.

  “You want to go get doughnuts before I take you to see your mama?”

  She nods eagerly, racing back over to get her bag. This time, I follow after her. I take her bag and toss it over my shoulder before reaching down and scooping Lucy into my arms.

  Diana is watching me the entire time, as I walk past her to the front door, she says what I believe to be the nicest thing she’s ever said to me.

  “I’m going to trust you to do right by both of them, Oliver. I’m not going to tell you what to say or do, but I’m going to trust you with them.”

  “I promise that I’ll never hurt them again, Diana,” I say, and I swear that I’ll never break that promise.

  Lucy sits in the backseat in a car seat that Diana let me borrow as long as I promised to give it back to Cassidy when I got there. We’re sitting in the parking lot of one of the local bakeries, having just got a half dozen doughnuts to share between ourselves. I don’t plan on giving her more than one, but it’s nice in theory.

  “Oliver,” Lucy says my name after taking a big bite from her doughnut, “we go to the petting zoo again soon?”

  I want nothing more than to be able to take her to the petting zoo again. Maybe just the two of us. I’d buy her as much food to feed the animals as she wanted. We could spend the entire day there. But what if the next time I get a chance to see her Lucy doesn’t like petting zoos anymore?

  “Hopefully soon,” I say, turning around to look at her in the backseat, “but I have to go back home tonight, Lucy.”

  Her nose wrinkles, “We go another time then.”

  I realize that Lucy thinks that my home is the cabin that I’ve been staying at. Why would she think anything different? It’s all that she knows.

  “Lucy, my real home is far away from here. I’ve just been visiting for a bit, but now I have to leave,” I tell her, hoping that she understands what I’m trying to say.

  Her nose wrinkles again, even more, this time.

  “When will you come back?”

  I don’t want to lie to her. Lucy has only known lies when it comes to me. I’ve never been in her life. I’ve never been around to be the father that she deserves. This whole trip has been full of lies.

  Honestly, I’m tired of the lies.

  This is the one thing I choose to answer honestly.

  “I don’t know. It might be a long time.”

  She’s silent. She’s no longer munching on the pink sprinkled doughnut she picked out. It’s dropped to her lap and she’s looking down.

  “I don’t want you to leave. I like you, Oliver.”

  My heart breaks. I feel it shatter in my chest. I want to tell her that I don’t want to leave. I want to tell her that I’ll do anything to be able to stay with her, but I don’t because I can’t. This isn’t Lucy’s problem. This is between Cassidy and me.

  “I know, sweetheart. I like you too. I promise that no matter what, I’ll come back, okay? I’ll come see you again,” I promise, once again.

  It’s another promise that I swear that I’ll never break.

  The conversation between Lucy and myself fades away from such a serious topic. Instead, I listen to her talk about a movie she watched last night with her grandmother about a pink frog. Evidently, it’s her new favorite.

  I make a mental note of that.

  Once she’s done with her doughnut, we drive back to her mother’s house. I feel anxious at the very thought of seeing Cassidy again, especially after last night. I swallow that anxiety, walking with Lucy to the front door. Her car seat is in one hand and her bag is over my shoulder.

  I knock on the door, Cassidy answering almost immediately. She’s still in her pajamas, her hair thrown up on top of her head.

  “Mama!” Lucy lets go of my hand to wrap her arms around Cassidy’s waist.

  Cassidy leans down and hugs her. I notice that her eyes are puffy. Either she’s been crying, or she slept just as poorly as I did. I don’t want it to be either. I’m tired of all the emotional turmoil between the two of us.

  “Hey baby,” she says warmly, pressing a kiss to Lucy’s forehead. “Did you have a good time with your grandmother?”

  “Yeah! And Oliver bought doughnuts this morning.”

  Cassidy looks up at me and I offer a sheepish smile.

  “I hope that’s okay?”

  “It’s fine,” she says. She doesn’t seem that upset by it, so I take it as it is fine.

  Lucy goes into the house and Cassidy takes the car seat and the bag from me. It leaves the two of us just staring at one another. I know that we said everything we had to say last night. I know that for sure this time that there’s nothing for us to say to one another.

  There’s no fixing it between the two of us. I’ve tried. Cassidy isn’t going to budge on it. Her mind is made up and I have to respect it.

  “I should get going. I have to clean up the cabin and pack things up,” I say, taking a step away from the door.

  Cassidy nods, “Right. Have a safe trip home, Oliver.”

  “Take care, Cassidy.”

  I steal one last look at her, at the house with Lucy inside. I give myself one last moment to hope and wish for what could be. I have to accept that it’s not going to happen. I have to accept that all it is is a dream that will never come true.

  I get back in my car and drive away

  Chapter Twenty

  Cassidy

  I hardly slept last night. All I could think about was Oliver and me and Lucy. All I could wonder is if I’m making the right choice or not. I want to say that I am...but what if I’m not?

  As I watch him drive away, for what could be the last time...I realize that I love Oliver. I know it’s not the first time that I’ve realized that. I’ve loved Oliver Windsor for years, all I needed was for him to prove that he’s changed.

  And he’s done that, but I don’t know if I can trust him. What if the change isn’t permanent? What if it’s just for show to make me trust him again? What if the second I let him back inside, it all goes to hell? He goes back to his old ways, proves me right.

  I don’t think that he will. Call me a fool, call me desperate. Maybe I secretly enjoy the cycle of getting hurt again and again. Maybe I’ll always be weak for him.

  But what if he’s being honest? What if he really has changed? What if things are going to be different this time? Am I a fool for believing him?

  It’s later in the afternoon and it finally hits me, I know what I have to do. I know where my heart is and what the right choice is.

  I only hope that I’m not too late.

  I don’t know what I’m doing. Maybe I’m acting like a damn fool, but I know that I won’t ever forgive myself if I let this go.

  I leave Lucy with my mother, speeding through winding back roads and around mountain curves, desperate to find Oliver still at the cabin. I pull into the driveway and the rental car is gone. He’s nowhere to be found.

  My heart drops.

  I slam my hand on the wheel of the car repeatedly, triggering the horn each time. Frustration flows through me. It can’t end like this. Not again.

  I love this man. I love this man so much that I’m sure it will be the death of me. I can’t let him walk away, not again.

  I know that this isn’t the last time that I’ll see Oliver, but it damn well feels like it. It feels like this is the last opportunity I have. He’s spent weeks trying to make things right between us, trying to repent for what he did. I haven’t budged at all – and the minute that I decide to, I end up missing my chance.

  No. No, I’m not someone who’s easily defeated. I am Cassidy Hanson, a force to be reckoned with. I demand attention when I need it. I can manipulate the press into seeing things from my point of view. I love challenges.

  I’m not going to let it go without a fight.

  I grab my phone, rechecking the text I got from Oliver. His flight leaves at eight. I check the clock. It’s a little after five. The
drive to the airport is a good two hours from here. If I leave now...I might be able to make it.

  I back the car out of the driveway, turn on some music and speed back down the back roads and through the small town until I reach the highway.

  I don’t know whether I’m wasting my time or not, but I have to hope that I’m not.

  After a lot of speeding and screaming in the car, praying to whoever is listening that I make it in time, I pay for the overpriced parking at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. I don’t even know for sure what terminal Oliver is flying out of. I just have to keep trying.

  I get inside the airport and make the stupid choice of buying a ticket to New York, just so I can get further inside. Just so I can find him. I make it through the security line and panic is beginning to consume me. I know that Oliver’s flight is going to be boarding at any moment.

  This is all going to be for nothing.

  I push past people, probably looking like the rudest person in the world. I search the boards for a flight leaving for New York at eight, finding just one that’s starting to board. I race towards it, my heart pounding in my chest. This is like the plot of some cable-network romance, where I realize my love for him is too strong and I can’t let him walk away.

  Has our relationship ever been anything short of belonging in a movie though?

  I find the waiting area for the flight, see people in line getting their tickets scanned. I see Oliver, close to the front of the line. I made it. I fucking made it.

  “Oliver!” I call out his name, standing just a few feet back from the line.

  He hears me, starts to look around him to figure out where the voice is coming from. Finally, he turns towards me. His eyes meet mine and they widen. He looks towards the front of the line and then to the back like he’s figuring out how long he has if he steps out of line.

  He does it then. He steps out of line and walks towards me.

  “What are you doing here, Cassidy?”

  “I went to the cabin to find you and you were gone. I couldn’t let you leave. I couldn’t—”

  “Cassidy.”

  “No. I couldn’t let you walk away, Oliver. Probably a little too late, but I love you. I’ve spent weeks trying to crucify you for what you did, not realizing what you’re currently doing. I haven’t been giving you credit for trying, proving to me that you’re different. Oliver...I love you. I’ve loved you for so long. I can’t deny it any longer.”

  The words spill from my lips quickly, likely jumbling together at some points. I have to say it. He has to know.

  He looks at me in shock, grey eyes wide. He runs a hand through his hair, messing it up even further.

  “Cassidy, I’ve been down here for weeks. We’ve been together countless days during those weeks. And you realize how you feel when I’m on the verge of leaving? Like literally about to board my flight?”

  I offer a sheepish smile, “I know, I know. A little late. I just...I couldn’t let you walk away without saying something. I’m so tired of one of us walking away from the other, thinking things are all said and done, but they’re not. I guess it’s never really been over for me.”

  “Three years,” he says, “I’ve been waiting for you to say this for three years. I’ve dreamed of you every night. I’ve longed for you every day. Cassidy, I need you by my side, but are you sure this is what you want? You seemed pretty damn sure that it wasn’t last night.”

  Last night I was a mess. Everything was weighing down on me. I was trying to do what everyone else would think is the right thing, trying to stay away from Oliver because I keep getting burned. But what everyone else wants isn’t what I want.

  I want him. That’s all there is to it. I want us to be a family, like the one I was promised in the beginning.

  The only difference is this time, I believe that Oliver can stick to his word.

  “Oliver, I love you.”

  That’s all I can think to say. No pretty words, no perfectly sculpted sentences. I don’t need to lament the fact. I don’t need to explain it. He gets it. I love him. I’m in love with him.

  He looks back to the line, dwindling down to the last few people.

  “I love you too, Cassidy,” he says.

  I wait for the ‘but’, I wait for him to say he has to go anyway, I wait for him to make a promise that it won’t be long. But none of that comes. Instead, he reaches out and wraps his arms around me, pulling me close to him.

  I lean into the embrace, feeling like all is right in the world. I pause, looking up at him.

  “Does that mean you’re staying?”

  Oliver looks back at the line waiting to board his flight. It’s towards the end by now, only a handful of people left waiting. I watch his expression turn into something thoughtful.

  I know asking him to stay is asking for a lot. I know that I haven’t been the best to him recently. I know he has a life to get back to in New York, but I can’t stand the idea of one of us walking away again. I can’t stand the idea of things falling apart again, because I know that if he walks away, things likely won’t be salvageable. The distance has proved to be too much for us before.

  He runs a hand through his hair, his gaze turning back to me.

  “I never wanted to leave,” he admits, leaning down and pressing his lips to mine.

  It feels like all is right in the world.

  Epilogue

  Oliver

  The New York air is a lot chillier than I expected for it to be today. The weather reported cool, but not this cool. I can only hope that it doesn’t ruin the plans for today.

  I stand in front of my hotel room window, arms crossed over my chest. I thought that I would feel more nervous today, but I don’t. If anything, I feel the most relaxed that I have in years. There’s a knock on the hotel room door, a pause, and then the knock comes again,

  “Come in,” I call out.

  The door creaks open and footsteps echo behind me. I turn around to see Edward round the corner, entering the bedroom half of the suite. He looks at me, a warm smile spreading over his face.

  “Are you ready for today, sir?” he asks.

  “I’ve been ready for a long time, Edward,” I smile at him.

  His smile remains, nodding his head as he crosses the room to where I stand. I’ve never realized how much taller I am than Edward, or how much older he’s seemed recently. I’ve always ignored his age when thinking about him, but now it seems to really be dawning on me.

  Maybe I’m just sentimental today.

  “No,” he says, shaking his head. “you haven’t been. You may think that you were ready, but you were not. Today though,” that smile returns to his lips, “today I know that you are ready.”

  Sentimental moments are rare for the Windsor family. My father was never the type to want to show weakness, and it rubbed off on all of us. Edward has always been a softer presence, giving sage advice when needed, or offering a break from the realities of this world.

  “You’re right,” I admit, “I wasn’t ready for the longest time, but I’m certainly ready for today.”

  He nods along in agreement before his face changes once more. “Oliver, forgive me if I’m speaking out of turn, but I want to say that if your father were here today, he would be extremely proud of you. I know he was never one to say it, but I know that he was. I think he knew that you would rise to your potential one day.”

  I don’t know if Alan Windsor would be proud of me today. We never had those conversations. Most of his words were criticisms because that’s just who he was. He didn’t use affection with his children. I don’t know, maybe I’m a better man because of it.

  Sometimes, I like to think that he would be proud of me though. When I took over Windsor, I had no idea what I was doing. I was a terrible student in college, managing to only get by on my family name.

  There were many sleepless nights as I tried to figure out how to run a company. The hard work paid off, it all clicked together. Windsor is now back to being the t
op publishing company in New York, if not the world.

  “I only hope that I’m making him proud,” I tell Edward.

  “Well, even if you are not, you’ve made me proud, Oliver. I’m honored to be here with you today.”

  I’m not one to be sentimental. As I’ve stated before, I wasn’t raised to be. If these last few years have taught me anything, it’s that it’s okay to be soft with the ones you care about. They’re not the ones who’re going to take you down.

  The people you love aren’t your enemies.

  I don’t say anything. I reach forward and pull Edward into a hug. I don’t think I’ve done this since I was a child. It feels different, the good kind. He seems shocked for a moment before he reaches forward and hugs me back. We’re quiet as we embrace, letting our silence say everything.

  We part and Edward has a smile on his face.

  “I should get checking on everything else. We only have a few moments left.”

  I don’t feel nervous. I thought that I would, but I don’t. If anything, I feel excited. It’s been a long time coming.

  “I guess I’ll be heading down soon, won’t I?”

  “I think Allison will come to get you when it’s time.”

  Edward offers one last smile before he turns and begins to walk towards the door. I hear it open and then shut, leaving me alone with my thoughts once again.

  I don’t have anything deep or profound to say today. I’m content. I’m happy. Everything is as it should be and that’s all I could have ever asked for.

  There’s another knock on my room, a bit louder than the previous one. I momentarily think that I should have just given everyone a key. I didn’t think I would have so many visitors today.

  Before I can say anything, the door bursts open. I hear the sound of shoes, flopping off feet and pounding against the tile floor of the entryway of the suite. Behind the sound of running, I hear a sigh.

  “Lucy! I told you to wait a minute,” a tired voice says.

  I turn, just as Lucy rounds the corner, Noelle is chasing after her.

  Lucy’s blonde hair is up in a bun with little white flowers stuck in it, her dress is white tulle with sequins around the top part and little white flowers that match the ones in her hair among the sequins. She looks like a little princess.