by S. E. Law
My phone pings, and I pick it up to see a notification from my pilot. He says we can leave by eight tomorrow, which means I can get to the Jones Estate by noon. Good. This is really happening. In less than twenty-four hours, I’m going to be face-to-face with the girl who thought she was too good for me.
Too anxious to fall asleep, I stride into my private gym and hit the weights. It’s my go-to move whenever I’m stressed. The exercise helps me work off a lot of excess energy and tends to settle my nerves. Of course, it’s eleven p.m. right now, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Unfortunately, images of Haley’s beautiful face dance before my head, and I blink through the sweat, annoyed at myself. Why can’t I forget her? What’s driving me on this quest back to Lenville? All I know is that my adrenaline’s up and I desperately need to see her again.
7
Jace
I’m on the plane, getting some work done to keep myself occupied. Honestly, that’s what I’ve done for the past seven years. I distract myself from the memories of my past using women, work, and alcohol.
The two-hour ride goes by pretty quickly, and soon, we’ve touched down in Lenville. There’s a vehicle waiting for me in the hangar, and I slide behind the wheel of the luxury car. It’s so different from how I left this place – alone with a Greyhound ticket and just a single bag on my back, with no friends, family, or support.
The drive doesn’t take long and, soon I’m parked right outside the Jones mansion. There’s no sense in wasting time, and it looks exactly how I left it. The stone manor is imposing and huge, with the same bougainvillea vines creeping up its walls. There’s an air of Southern charm, but it’s also becoming a little bit decrepit with a haunted air. Bizarre. Why doesn’t Herb modernize this place?
Striding to the front porch, I knock on the huge wooden doors. It looks like none of the lights are on and all the curtains are closed. It’s kind of weird, but then, maybe no one’s home. Coming back later wouldn’t be too hard. I’m about to leave when the door opens and one of the Jones’s servants stands there.
“Good afternoon, sir. How may help you?” I get a glimpse behind him and weirdly, the entire house is totally shrouded in darkness. The curtains must all be closed tight because it’s gloomy and dim, not to mention a little musty-smelling. Haley used to joke that their estate was probably a former plantation and her dad was put there to maintain its history of grief.
“Hi, is Herb Jones at home?” I ask casually, like I have every right to be there.
The man inclines his head.
“I’m sorry, but he’s away on business.” That isn’t too surprising. Even when we were in high school, Herb was always going away to different parts of the country doing whatever it is he does.
“What about Mrs. Jones or Haley Jones?” Even if Herb isn’t here, I can still try to talk to Haley. I want her to see what I’ve become, and to know what she missed out on. It’s pathetic, but my heart beats wildly in anticipation.
Unfortunately, nothing goes the way you plan. When I say Haley’s name, the servant looks alarmed for a second, but then his face smooths into blandness once more. It was only a moment, but I saw, and the fact that he freaked out has me worried.
“I’m sorry, sir, but no one is home,” he repeats firmly again. No one being home doesn’t sound so farfetched because the house is awfully dark, but something doesn’t feel right. Why are all the lights turned off? A few lights should be on at least. And where is everyone? Herb was always in and out of town, but Mrs. Jones rarely ever left. Something is very, very fishy, and I am going to figure it out.
“Do you know when they’ll be back?” I press.
He shakes his head and begins to close the big wooden door.
“I’m afraid Mrs. and Miss Jones did not give me a time for when they will be back. In fact, it could be a couple of days before they return. I’ll let them know you were here Mr.…?” He looks at me expectantly, but I’m not sure if I can trust him, so I lie.
“I’m Jack Saunders.”
The butler nods deferentially, already closing the gap.
“Mr. Saunders, I will happily pass along the message that you were here. Thank you for stopping by.”
Before I know it, I’m left alone on the veranda scratching my head. What the hell just happened? Something’s definitely off. Just in case the butler’s still watching, I make a show of getting into my car and driving away. In my rearview mirror, the mansion sits as still and silent as ever.
Slowly, I pull away and then like a thief, I park the car in a wooded area away from the road, and head back to the estate on foot. Soon, I’m back at the manor, making my way through the grass. Using trees for cover, I make sure to keep out of sight from the main house, and it doesn’t take me long spot someone in the distance. Who is it?
My heart stops when I catch their profile and realize that it’s Haley. My body is frozen solid looking at her. She is still incredibly beautiful, with a lush figure and curly brown hair. There’s nothing crazy about the way she’s dressed in jeans and a simple top, but to me, she’s more gorgeous than ever. It’s like I’m back in high school, and all I want to do is wrap my arms around the girl.
But what the hell? Why didn’t she come to the door? Why did the butler tell me she was gone? Plus, I didn’t come to Lenville just to stare at Haley. Shaking the nerves out of my body, I put my foot out to make my way towards her. But then time stops because there’s someone else – a little boy. I halt in my tracks, not sure how to process what I’m seeing. Why does she have a kid with her? Who is this little dude?
I inch a little closer to get a better look. He’s got black hair and blue eyes, with tanned skin, which is so unlike Haley’s peaches and cream complexion. Maybe she’s babysitting for him? He turns to smile at her, and her return smile is full of adoration. Hmm, most babysitters don’t smile at their charges like that.
Time slows down as I run through the possibilities in my head. Who could this boy be? No, that’s not possible. I stare, squinting as I look closely at the boy once more. His eyes are a vivid shade of blue, and his jaw looks a lot like my sister’s, albeit still soft with youth.
No. It can’t be. I’m sure Haley would have called me if she had my child because she wouldn’t hide something this big from me. Is that why she avoided me? Because she knew she was pregnant? What the hell? Suddenly, my body fills with adrenaline because this visit just took a left turn of titanic proportions. Haley has my son with her, and I’m not going to let them get away.
8
Haley
Apparently, my mom got a call yesterday and hasn’t shown her face around the house since. That probably means that my dad will be out of town for at least another week, and we’ll be on our own. I have to keep myself from screaming with excitement because it means freedom. Freedom to enjoy ourselves without Herb evaluating us non-stop. I breathe deeply, as if my lungs can finally get enough oxygen.
Jamie is still sleeping right beside me, and I look down at my son, watching his chest move up and down. He really is the light of my life, and my heart fills with love. How did I get a boy as wonderful as this? He starts to wiggle around, and his little hands stretch over his head as he yawns. He rubs his eyes to adjust to the light, and then looks up at me with a million questions on the tip of his tongue.
“Good morning, baby.” I move his hair out of his face. He raises his arms towards me, so I take him in my arms. Jamie is always so floppy when he’s sleepy, so his limbs are everywhere.
“What are we going to do today?” he mumbles.
“Oh, I don’t know,” I say. “We can do a few lessons and then go outside? Would you like that?” While a skip day is nice, I can’t let Jamie take a whole week off just because my dad isn’t here. I like to think I’m a responsible parent.
“Yes,” he mumbles.
This floppy little boy takes a couple more minutes to fully wake up, but that’s okay. Just watching him brings me so much joy.
When he does get up, I help hi
m through his morning and, soon, we’ve gotten through everything we need to. He excels at today’s lessons, just like he always does. Sometimes, I think I’m raising a little genius. He’s smart, like his dad, and my heart bursts with gratitude and pride.
We go outside, and Jamie is excited, twirling around in the sunshine while doing his own thing. I stand and watch him, trying to lose myself in the moment. My mind is consistently racing. This week is supposed to be a week for relaxing, but I can’t seem to let go.
Something’s off and it’s hard to put my finger on it. We’ve been outside for about twenty minutes, and it feels weird, but I can’t figure out why. There’s nothing clearly out of place. The sky is blue, the sun is shining, the leaves on the trees shake with a bit of wind. Wrapping my arms around my body, I try my best to ignore the odd feeling.
Fortunately, my son doesn’t sense the tension in the air. Jamie keeps running around, showing me all the cool tricks he’s been working on. But I can’t get my mind off it, whatever it is. There’s some rustling behind me, and I snap around, but there’s no one there. It’s probably the wind or maybe a squirrel. Since it’s so insignificant, I go back to watching my son. Now he’s doing a series of cartwheels, his smile getting bigger with each additional one. He whoops with laughter, squealing and laughing as he plays.
I shiver. It doesn’t matter but I swear to God I keep hearing something. A shiver runs down my back, and I peer over my shoulder again. Nope, there’s no one. Am I hallucinating?
Suddenly, a shadow comes over my form and I look up, shading my eyes from the bright light. Did a cloud suddenly appear, blocking the sun’s rays?
No, it’s not a cloud because it’s a man. What in the world? We’re pretty far out from any other estate, and visitors are unexpected. My mouth opens to scream when we make eye contact and my heart. Literally. Stops.
We stare at each other without moving. I can’t be seeing what I’m seeing. It’s impossible. I mean … there’s no way. Maybe I am hallucinating because why? Why now, after so many years?
“Haley,” he says in a smooth voice.
I bring my hands to my mouth to smother any sound. Tears are pricking my eyes, but I don’t know how to feel. He can’t be here, he can’t! I mean, it’s exactly what I wanted, but… why? How can this be happening? I can’t breathe, and I can’t think. My fingers clutch at my sides because my stomach is doing flip after flip. It’s from excitement, fear, and the myriad of emotions coursing through my veins. It’s too much
“Haley, Jesus Christ!” Jace starts towards me, putting his hand out. Before he can make contact, I jerk away and out of his grasp.
“Don’t touch me!” I snap.
It comes out a lot louder than I expect. Jace freezes and then moves away slightly. He’s huge, and absolutely gorgeous, exactly the way I remember. Maybe there are a few more lines around his mouth and eyes, but he’s still strikingly handsome. His hair, though shorter, is a deep, inky black, and god, those blue eyes. They fix me to the spot.
“Haley,” he says again carefully, holding one hand out. “Are you okay?”
I stammer a bit.
“I-I’m sorry, but this is a huge surprise. Please don’t touch me.”
“Okay, okay,” he puts his hands up in surrender. “I understand this is a surprise.” A surprise? That’s one way to put it. This is more than a surprise. This is a gosh darn bombshell!
Closing my eyes, I inhale and exhale, trying to relax. After seven years, Jace has appeared out of nowhere to say hello? What’s going on? Am I dreaming? Going insane? Can this be real?
“I’m not going to break down, I’m not going to break down,” I mumble to myself. “Everything is going to be okay. I’m going to be okay. It’s all okay.” He probably thinks I’m a lunatic for talking to myself. Right. I have to prove I’m okay without him. That I’ve moved on.
I open my eyes and focus back on Jace before nodding firmly. There’s no need to have a panic attack. It’s just my ex-boyfriend whom I loved with all my heart, and he’s back after not talking to me for seven years. Not to mention, our son is running around behind me completely unaware that his father’s here and – oh shit!
“Um hi, I just – I’m surprised to see you. It’s been so long.” The words coming out of mouth are garbled and going at light speed, but I don’t know what to do.
Jace narrows his eyes at me which makes me nervous because that’s what he used to do when he knew I was trying to deflect.
“Haley, what’s going on?” he asks evenly. In the background, Jamie’s doing cartwheels and totally oblivious to the fact that this handsome man is his dad. His biological father.
“Not a whole lot is going on,” I say brightly. “As you can see, I’m still in Lenville, living with my parents.”
“Haley.” Jace’s stern voice shuts me right up. I stand up straight, almost vibrating with manic energy. “You need to calm down, but first tell me: Who. Is. That. Boy?”
My hands mash into one another. How do I tell him? Should I just blurt out the truth? Is that the right way to do it? Doesn’t Jace deserve something more… I don’t know, softer?
“Haley.” Now, those blue eyes are blazing, demanding answers. I let go of my reservations. There’s no sense in lying when the truth is so obvious.
“Yes, Jamie is your son,” I manage in a quiet voice. “We conceived him that time we made love in the back of your truck.”
Pressing my lips together, I anxiously wait for the man to respond, but he doesn’t do or say anything. Instead, there’s a grim look on his face as those blue eyes take in the boy who looks just like him. Do I say something else? Give him time to process? I’d stopped thinking this was ever going to happen and, now that is has, it’s like my worst nightmare and favorite dream rolled into one.
“I was going to tell you,” I say hurriedly, but suddenly my words are cut off because there’s a tugging at my hand. Jamie’s small fingers wrap around my palm.
“Mommy, are you okay? Who is this?” His sweet, light voice floats up to me, and I force myself not to tremble. But there’s still a tremor in my voice when I speak.
“Jamie, sweetheart, well, this man, he’s … he’s your father.”
Oh god. I just bungled it. But my son doesn’t realize that.
“Oh,” is all Jamie says, his blue eyes peering up at Jace innocently. This is definitely not the way to introduce a child to a parent they’ve never met, but my son doesn’t know that fortunately.
Jamie lets go of my hand and walks up to Jace. He stands directly in front of the huge man and looks him up and down before extending one small hand.
“Hi, I’m Jamie.”
Immediately, the handsome man crouches so that he’s eye to eye with his son. He takes Jamie’s hand, carefully shaking it.
“Hi Jamie, I’m Jace. Nice to meet you.” The two of them finish shaking hands and look at me. Jamie’s gaze is filled with innocence and Jace’s? Well, there’s something blazing in there, and I don’t want to dissect what it is at the moment. So I smile cheerily like nothing’s wrong, but before I can say anything, my ex interrupts.
“Haley, we need to go,” Jace growls. “Now.”
I kneel down and turn Jamie towards me, “Sweetie, go play over there for a little bit. I need to talk with … with your father.” That’s going to take some getting used to saying.
Jamie scampers off, but not too far. I’m not sure what Jace is about to say, but I don’t want Jamie to overhear.
“What do you mean, we have to go? What are you talking about? Go where?” I ask.
His air is menacing, although I don’t feel afraid. Somehow, I know he’s angry at someone, but it’s not me.
“You and Jamie are coming with me to New York. Now.”
I gasp. Is it true? Is Jace here to claim my son as his? My heart beats fast, and I try to make sense of the entire situation. How is this happening, after so long apart? Even more, can I resist this handsome man after everything that’s passed between
us?”
9
Jace
The beautiful woman hasn’t said anything. Haley’s standing there, looking at me in shock, and I get it. After all, it’s been seven years, and I just found out that I have a son. Holy fucking shit. I have a son.
Knowing that he exists has completely changed my plans. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what I was doing back in Lenville. I knew I wanted Haley to get a look at the man I’ve become, and maybe even rub it in Herb’s face a little. But now, everything’s different. She’s had my child, and Jamie can’t stay here, not with Herb. That idiot’s a monster, full of poison and maliciousness. I’ve already lost seven years, and I’m not going to waste another second.
“Haley, did you hear me?” She shakes her head as if in a daze.
“Yes, I mean … I’m sorry? You want us to go to New York with you? Me and Jamie? The two of us?” She’s stunned, and it’s not hard to tell. After all, I’m making demands out of nowhere, not to mention that we haven’t seen each other in seven years. I wouldn’t be surprised if she tries to throw me out, but I have to make her see reason.
“Do you really want to stay here? At the Jones Manor? Come on, sweetheart. This place is a mess. There’s no sunlight, the curtains are all drawn, and if your dad is anything like he used to be, he’s still an asshole, to put it lightly. There’s no way my son is going to grow up here.”
“Jace, I don’t know,” she stammers. “Herb’s not here right now, and I can’t just leave without telling him…”
I cut her off.
“I don’t care what your dad wants. He’s never cared about what’s made you happy and I’m sure he doesn’t care about his grandson either. He didn’t care about you, so why would it be any different with Jamie? Come on, let’s go.”
While talking, I move closer and closer to her, and my heart almost breaks. There are tears in her big brown eyes, so I cup her face and wipe them away with my thumb.