by Amy Brent
“You’re brilliant,” Trevor said, laughing. “You were on fire in there.”
“No, I just wasn’t willing to let him bamboozle me,” I said. “In the end, he’ll have more respect for me. How long have I been here?”
“It’s been about three hours,” he said, looking at his watch. “A lot less time than I thought it would take.”
“I’d have to say that might be a record when dealing with Bosworth.” I chuckled. “Especially since the initial negotiation took three full days in that conference room. I was getting tired of finger sandwiches and bagels.”
“I’m going to go draw up the new contract with the lawyer,” Trevor said. “Good job in there.”
“Thanks,” I smiled, watching him walk out of the office.
I picked up my phone and scrolled to Emma, wanting to check in with her and make sure she was doing okay. The phone rang and rang, but she never picked up. I assumed she was either taking a shower or a nap before Sicily arrived. I would try her again in a little while. In the meantime, I had a lot of paperwork to finish up before I could go. I sat there for a moment before starting thinking about Emma curled up in my bed sleeping soundly. I was a lucky guy to have a girlfriend who understood that sometimes my life could shift and really fast. Josie would have flipped out if I had called her like that, especially when she was pregnant with Sicily. It would have been an all-night fight I would be walking into. Not with Emma, though. She was happy to spend time with me when she could.
“Mr. Ellis,” my secretary said over the intercom.
“Yes?”
“You had a missed call from your ex-wife, Josie, while you were out,” she said. “She didn’t leave a number. She said you would know how to get ahold of her.”
“Did she say what she wanted?”
“No, sir,” she said. “She just asked you call her back.”
“All right, thank you,” I said, clicking the intercom button.
I picked up my phone and scrolled through my missed calls, seeing the ones from Josie. It was strange that she was calling me, but not shocking since I knew she was still in town. Still, the idea that she had called me so many times and that she had gone as far as to call my office was starting to make me feel uneasy. Josie knew it was one thing to bother me personally, but it was another to call my office. Something was going on with her, but at that moment, I didn’t have the time to have an all-out battle on the phone. I glanced over at the time and then picked my phone back up. I dialed Emma, listening to it ring until the voice mail came on.
“This is Emma. I can’t get to my phone, so leave a message,” the voicemail said.
“Hey, sweetie,” I said after the beep. “I just wanted to call and make sure you were okay. I have a little bit more to do at the office, and then I’ll be on my way. Don’t eat all the strawberries. Okay, you can eat all the strawberries. See you soon.”
I hung up the phone and took in a deep breath, biting the inside of my lip. She hadn’t answered my calls or sent me any messages, which wasn’t like her. She always replied to me, even when she was resting. I was starting to get worried.
Chapter 28
Emma
I had just finished up making the bed and putting away the laundry that I started before breakfast. I clapped my hands together and looked around the house, taking in a deep breath of the flowery scent coming from the Ocean Breeze Orchids that I had brought home from the flower market. I had been there for over a week, and I was enjoying every second of it. Every moment with Brandt was more and more special, and every walk in the city I took made me feel at home. I knew that if I ever had a chance to be a family with Brandt, even before I knew he was not married, I would feel good and happy, but it was more than that now. I never fully realized how much I would love being part of something like that. I never realized how good I was at taking care of a family, keeping everyone together, and being there for the people I loved so much. I thought I would go crazy being at home, but I had found a love in the simplicity, a motivation knowing that these two people were relying on me for things and that when they ate my cooking or smelled the flowers, they looked to me with love and comfort.
I stopped to take a call from Brandt, and I laughed, figuring he had forgotten the strawberries I just texted him about. I was craving strawberries so much, and I couldn’t wait to dig into them when he got home. When I answered, though, it wasn’t about the strawberries. It was him telling me about some emergency at work that he had to handle. Of course, I was disappointed, but I knew he had a job that required him to jump when it needed him.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll get Sicily started on her homework if you aren’t back in time.”
“Thank you, my love,” he said. “I will try to hurry, and I’ll have my driver bring the groceries over.”
“Sounds good,” I said happily before hanging up.
I held the phone close to me and smiled, feeling the love inside of me growing more and more. I waited for the groceries to be delivered and put them away, all except the strawberries of course. I cut the berries up into small pieces and put them in a bowl before pouring cream over top. I didn’t know why I put the cream on them, but as I relaxed into the couch, I was more than glad that I did. It was exactly what I was craving. I finished up the strawberries and relaxed into the couch, propping my feet up and looking out over the cityscape. It would be a few hours before Sicily got home from school, so I had time to relax.
I sat back watching the clouds moving overhead, thinking about what I would do when I lived there all the time. Of course, I would want to have a job, but that would have to wait until after the baby was born. Until then, I supposed I would do the same thing I had been doing, taking care of the house, the family, and spending my time getting ready for the baby. It sounded like a vacation, and it made me giggle. I wanted to talk to Brandt about it, to find out if he had any expectations of me. If I knew him well enough, he would have zero expectations and would want me to do whatever made me happy. Taking care of him and Sicily made me happy.
I leaned my neck back and closed my eyes, feeling so comfortable and at ease. Right before I could doze off, though, there was a knock at the door. I opened my eyes and thought about who it could be, but with the groceries already delivered, I had no idea. It could be Brandt’s mother, but she usually called. Maybe she was coming up to have tea on the balcony with me again. That was really nice. I got up off the couch, stabilizing myself and shuffled up the stairs and to the door. I stood there for a second, fixing myself before opening up. I pulled the door open and smiled, scrunching my eyes together when I realized it wasn’t his mother standing there. Instead, a pretty blond woman who seemed familiar was standing there, looking at me with wide eyes. Immediately, I realized who she was. She was Brandt’s ex-wife, the woman from the pictures on the fridge.
“Hello,” I said. “Can I help you?”
“Is Brandt home?” she asked gruffly.
“No, he’s at work,” I said.
“Sicily?”
“She’s at school,” I replied. “Is there something I can—”
She huffed and pushed past me, the fur on the collar of her shawl floating up into my face. I brushed my nose and sneezed, closing the door and turning around. She stomped down into the living room and looked around before settling into the couch and crossing her legs. I took a deep breath and smiled, walking over to the steps leading into the living room. I looked at her and turned my head, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I’m sorry to be rude, but I don’t know you, and Brandt won’t be home for another couple hours.”
She looked around the house, ignoring me, grimacing at the painting over the fireplace. I wiped the smile off my face and stared at her, slightly irritated by the intrusion. I knew Brandt would not want her there, but what was I supposed to do?
“You’re a pretty little thing,” she said. “I can see he’s upping his game on his playthings.”
“You really shouldn’t be here,
” I said firmly.
“It’s funny to watch Brandt’s cycling of women through his life, though this is the first to be here without him.” She laughed. “He always did have a taste for cute little things. You don’t seem like the kind of girl who’s from New York though.”
“I’m not,” I said. “I’m from Maine.”
“That’s adorable,” she said. “He’s going way beyond the city boundaries now.”
I tried to keep my cool, standing there with gritted teeth listening to her go on and on about how much of a player Brandt was. I just wanted her to leave, and I had no idea what she wanted with me. She would have known Brandt would be at work, so maybe she did come there to see me.
“There are so many things I could tell you about that man,” she said, her eyes rolling over me. “Wait, what an adorable little baby bump. Congratulations, Momma. I can remember when I got pregnant with Sicily. Brandt was always so sweet, running out to get me food when I was hungry, catering to my every whim. Who knew he was also meeting with other girls when he was picking up ice cream for his pregnant wife? I’m not still mad about it, though. It’s all in the past, for me at least.
I closed my cardigan around my belly and took in a deep breath. She was making me incredibly uncomfortable, but I was in no shape to kick her out. I thought about calling Brandt, but I knew it would cause a problem, and I didn’t want any problems with this woman.
“You know what still gets me, though? The way he tells our story,” she said. “He goes around telling everyone I just up and left one day, not speaking to them for over two years. It really bothers me that he says that. It makes me look like a terrible woman.”
“Right,” I said. “Then what really happened?”
“I can see you’re not in the mood to hear me out,” she said sadly.
“No,” I said, sighing. “Go ahead.”
“He had too many girlfriends, and I was in the way,” she said. “So, he used his power and his money to push me out of the picture. He kept me away from my daughter and poisoned her against me. I didn’t run off. If I did, why would I have an apartment in Manhattan?”
I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to give in to this woman, but with what she was saying and the way she looked so brokenhearted, I had a hard time not trusting what she was saying. She even had a tear trickling down her cheek, and my emotions were fighting me. I loosened up a little and unfurled my brow.
“The truth is,” she said. “I was coming here today to beg you to leave him alone. He had promised me we could try, that I could be Sicily’s mother again, something I have wanted since he shipped me away.”
I backed up and sat down on the stool, watching Josie sit there looking around. I was upset, and whatever was going on between her and Brandt was obviously more complicated than I’d thought. Tears were burning at the corner of my eye, but the last thing I wanted to do was cry in front of this woman. All signs were pointing to the fact that I had been duped. Was he really planning on starting a family with me? Or was it all a lie, and as soon as I was gone, he was going to bring Josie back into the picture? I shook my head as she walked up and rubbed my shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I know this is hard for you.”
I looked up at her and blinked, not saying a word. I got up from the stool and walked into the bedroom, trying to hold it together. Immediately, I started packing my things into my suitcase, not even caring how they went in. I grabbed another bag and threw all my personal items in there. I changed my clothes and pulled my jacket and shoes on, walking straight out of the apartment as fast as I could. I didn’t leave a note or anything. This time, it was completely over, and I would never put myself in that situation again. I breathed deeply as I moved down the elevator and pulled my luggage through the lobby. The man at the front rushed over and picked them up, not asking any questions, just helping me outside to a car waiting out front.
“I’ll take a cab,” I said, turning down Brandt’s driver.
I climbed into the cab, and we headed off to the airport. When I got there, I checked my bags and headed over to the counter to purchase a ticket. There was a flight leaving in twenty minutes, which was perfect. I just wanted to get out of the city as fast as I could. I went through security and walked through the airport, finding my terminal. They weren’t boarding just yet, so I walked over to the window and looked at the planes leaving and landing. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out, but it was Brandt. I shook my head and took a deep breath, shoving it back in my pocket. I didn’t want to talk to him, to hear any more lies from anyone. The whole situation was a mess, and I couldn’t believe people actually lived their lives like that.
They boarded the plane, and I took my seat, rubbing my belly and feeling the nausea set in for the first time since before Brandt showed up in Camden. I needed to calm down, take a deep breath, and just relax. I leaned my head back and sighed, feeling the plane roll forward down the tarmac and into the air. I couldn’t believe I had made such a huge mistake.
Chapter 29
That Same Day
Brandt
On my way home, I picked up some flowers and some more strawberries with some chocolate for dipping and a bottle of sparkling cider for toasting at dinner, figuring she was probably demolishing the strawberries I had sent home. I knew she wasn’t upset that I had to work, but I still felt bad. She was important to me, and we had plans. Hopefully, when I got there, there would be enough time for me to give her some love before Sicily came home. I half expected her to be there already, but I never knew with her school. Sometimes she was out on time, and other times, their assemblies held them over. Either way, I was just happy to be home.
I watched the floors tick by on the elevator, thinking about those missed calls from Josie. She was probably trying to get me to allow her over to talk to Sicily again, but she had to know I was going to respect my daughter’s choice. Either way, I wanted her out of my life. It was incredibly distracting wondering if she was going to show up out of the blue or not. When the elevator reached the top, I struggled over to the door and turned the knob, thankful I didn’t have to dig my keys out. I pressed my back against the door and pushed it open. I was trying not to drop the flowers or the bag as I entered the house. I smiled, smelling the fresh flowers from the day before, still strong and fragrant in the house. I kicked the door shut and put the flowers under my chin as I kicked the door shut.
“Emma, dear,” I called out, chuckling. “I picked up some more strawberries just in case you ate the ones I sent over. This time, though, I brought chocolate for dipping. Hopefully, you’re craving chocolate too.”
“I don’t know about her, but I like chocolate,” a familiar voice from the living room called out.
I froze, walking to the side table by the door and setting everything down. I crept forward around the corner and stood there staring at Josie, leaning back against the couch with her feet propped up on the coffee table. I didn’t even know what to say. My ex-wife was sitting in my living room.
“How did you get in here?”
“Your sweet little slice let me in, of course,” she said. “Well, I kind of let myself in after she opened the door, but I won’t bore you with the technical.”
“Get out,” I scoffed, turning back around.
“I love what you’ve done with the place, minus the horrible painting over the fireplace,” she called out. “You would think by now if you were going to purchase art, you would want to get a professional involved in the process. Then again, you never were interested in using your money that way.”
Just the sound of her voice made me squeamish, and I wondered why Emma hadn’t come out to greet me. I picked up the bag and the flowers and walked them into the kitchen, unpacking them as I stared over at Josie. I hated even the thought of her in my house, much less sitting on my furniture with my girlfriend somewhere in the apartment. I finished up and walked to the guest bathroom, knocking and then entering. Emma wasn’t in there
, so I checked Sicily’s room and the guest bedroom where she often took naps in the light from the windows. It was warmer in that room, and she liked to feel the sun on her face. When I didn’t find her in there, I went to my bedroom and checked for her, calling out her name. I could hear Josie chuckling from the living room, and I started to get really irritated. Emma wasn’t in the apartment.
I slowly walked over to the dresser and opened each drawer, one at a time. There was nothing inside. I ran over to the closet and found that her suitcase was gone as well. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that Emma was gone. I sat down on the edge of the bed and checked my phone, but there were no missed calls. I dialed my secretary and tapped my foot against the floor.
“Mr. Ellis’s office. Mary speaking,” my secretary said.
“Mary, it’s Brandt,” I said. “Did Emma call?”
“No, sir, no one has called,” she said. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“No,” I said. “If Emma does call, call me immediately.”
“Of course, sir,” she said.
“Thank you,” I said, hanging up the phone.
I sat there on the bed thinking about where she could have gone, not understanding what happened. I looked around the room for a note, but there was nothing, just like last time, only this time the stakes were higher. I slammed the dresser shut and rub my temples, almost forgetting that Josie was in the other room, that was until she opened her mouth.