I'll Be There

by E. L. Todd

  Slade realized his error. “That’s not what I meant, man. I just want you to be blissfully and stupidly happy with Skye again. I miss that Cayson. I want the best for you, that’s all. I understand she really crushed you and I understand if it’s not rainbows and unicorns right now…”

  “Well…thanks.”

  “So, how are you guys now?”

  “Better,” I answered. “We’re getting closer to what we used to be. She feels like a friend again, the person I confided everything to. She makes me laugh sometimes. And she does seem truly sorry.”

  “She is truly sorry.” Slade peeled the label off his beer. “What about Sean?”

  I hated that arrogant asshole. “Fuck him.”

  Slade’s eyes widened. “Damn…you really hate him.”

  “I don’t like using that word. But I definitely don’t like him. I saw him the other day and I had to stop myself from punching him in the face.”

  “Uh…you do realize that Sean is Skye’s father? And that’s a huge conflict of interest?”

  “I don’t give a damn. I don’t expect Skye to stop being close with her father. But she better not expect me to be close to him…or even tolerate him.”

  Slade dropped the subject, which was the smart thing to do. “When are you moving back in?”

  “Not sure. I haven’t thought about it.”

  “Were you planning on it eventually?”

  “Yeah…but not right now.” I was taking things slow. “I want to make sure she really trusts me this time. And she has to repair my trust in her.”

  “How is she supposed to do that?”

  “I don’t have a clue,” I said. “But that’s not my problem.”

  “I guess…” Slade finished his beer. “They should make these bottles bigger.”

  “I think the amount is regulated by the FDA.”

  “Well, they should change the regulations.”

  Sometimes Slade was a little dense. “You still hang out with Rhett?”

  “Uh…” He stared at the bottle. “Skye told him they couldn’t hang out anymore so he and I haven’t seen each other much. He knows Skye is usually with me so he steers clear.”

  I was glad Rhett was backing off. Skye was mine…no matter what our problems were. “Good. I’d have to beat the shit out of him if he didn’t back off.”

  “I think he got the hint, Cayson. Skye is all yours.” He raised his hands in surrender. “So, I think we should hit up laser tag—”

  A knock on the door interrupted his sentence.

  “Is that Skye?” Slade grinned from ear-to-ear.

  “I don’t think so. She would call before stopping by.” I walked to the door then looked through the peephole. My jaw immediately clenched when I saw Sean on the other side.

  “Who is it?” Slade asked.

  “That arrogant asshole we were discussing earlier.”

  “Sean?” Slade put his beer down then stood up. “Do I have to mediate here?”

  “No, I don’t think so.” I opened the door with a glare on my face. I made it clear there was nothing Sean could do or say to get me to forgive him. He was the greatest manipulator I knew but he wouldn’t pull another stunt on me. “What?”

  Sean was still wearing a suit like he just got off work. He stared at me with a look of resignation in his eyes.

  “I asked you a question.” I refused to show him any respect when he belittled me so deeply. There were still scars all over my body, particularly across the surface of my heart.

  “I came by to thank you.”

  Thank me? For what? “Stop talking in riddles and just say what you mean.”

  Slade came to my side and looked awkward. “Hi, Uncle Sean…” He gave an awkward wave.

  Sean nodded to him but kept his eyes on me. “Thank you for giving Skye another chance. She really loves you, and your marriage is worth fighting for. I know you didn’t see her a lot when things were really bad…but I’ve never seen her so low. You’re a good man, Cayson. Thank you for forgiving her.”

  For just a second I gave into his heartfelt words. But then I realized he was probably just saying all this so I would drop my guard. Last time I did that he stabbed me right in the gut and watched me bleed to death. “I love her. Always have and always will. But I guess I can see why that surprises you since I’m just a cheating asshole in your eyes.”

  Sean closed his eyes like the words wounded him.

  Slade stepped toward me. “Cayson…come on.”

  “Stay out of this unless you want to be on the other side of this door too,” I snapped.

  Slade stepped back and remained silent.

  “I’m sorry, Cayson. I really mean it. I hope you can believe me…eventually.”

  The coldest thing came to my mind and I didn’t stop myself from saying it. “Now you know how it feels to be doubted. Now you know how it feels to bare your heart and integrity to someone and watch them not believe a damn word you say. Now you know how it feels to be despised by someone who said they would love you unconditionally.”

  Sean held my gaze and didn’t react.

  “How does it feel, Sean?”

  He didn’t say anything.

  “Answer me.”

  He swallowed the lump in his throat. His eyes coated with distant tears. “I don’t—”

  I slammed the door in his face. I raised my voice so he could hear me through the door. “Now you know what it’s like when someone turns their back on you.”

  ***

  Jessica handed over the itinerary. “You have a few meetings this week, a few messages, and there’s been an addition to the faculty here. I organized everything and put it in this file for your review.”

  I didn’t have time to look through it all. “Who’s the new NIH ambassador?”

  “Laura Scottsdale. The panel picked her because she has extensive research in theoretical applications as well as fieldwork. She’s very professional.”

  I froze before I walked into my office. “What does she look like?”

  “Sorry, Mr. Thompson?” Jessica’s eyes narrowed.

  “Her features. Describe them to me.” It was probably just a coincidence but if it wasn’t I’d go off the deep end.

  “Uh…” Jessica searched her brain. “Brunette…attractive…dark skin.”

  “Fuck.” I slammed my papers down and they scattered all over the ground.

  Jessica stepped back because I’d never spoken to her that way before.

  “This is a damn nightmare.” I gripped my skull and stopped myself from screaming. “Why the hell is this happening to me?” She was a bad penny that just wouldn’t go away. She destroyed my marriage and now she popped up again when I least expected it.

  “Do you need some water, Mr. Thompson?” Jessica kept backing away like I might lunge at her.

  “No.” I stormed into my office without picking up the piles of paper. I moved to the seat behind my desk and rubbed both of my temples at the same time. Just when Skye and I were working on our relationship another snake popped up in the garden.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Conrad

  “That dress looks great on your ass.” I gripped her cheek then rubbed it with my palm.

  “Thank you,” Georgia said. “Why do you think I bought it?” She moved closer into my chest then rubbed her nose against mine before she stared down at my lips. She gripped my tie and gently pulled me into her.

  When my lips felt hers I kissed her slowly and cherished the feeling of those soft lips. Her gloss tasted like cherry and I wanted to taste her sweetness in other places. “You wanna get out of here?” We were at a vintage bar where light music played in the background. I didn’t like going out unless I was picking up women, but Georgia insisted on having a drink or two before we got down to the good stuff.

  “Sure.” She kissed the corner of my mouth before she pulled away.

  I hugged her waist and pulled her out of the bar with me. My apartment was just a few blocks away. My locati
on was perfect because it was walking distance from everything.

  “Georgia Price?”

  She turned at the sound of her name.

  Cameras flashed as we walked passed. The lights from the cameras blinded me slightly. She was clearly used to it because she didn’t seem phased. We’d been caught in the crossfire of paparazzi before and it made me grateful that my family wasn’t that big of celebrities.

  “Georgia, over here!” They kept following us.

  “Damn, they’re annoying,” I said.

  “You get used to them.” She kept walking with me, keeping her face down.

  After we were a few blocks over we finally lost them.

  “Sorry you have to deal with that,” I said.

  She shrugged. “It’s a small con to my profession.”

  We made it into the building then took the elevator to my floor. Then we walked down the hall toward my door. I saw a familiar face leaning against the wall outside my apartment. Why were chicks so clingy?

  “Did you forget something, Amanda?” I pulled my keys out of my pocket.

  Before saying anything she glared openly at Georgia. “You aren’t tired of this anorexic model yet?”

  Georgia was sassy so she immediately retaliated. “Have you heard of Jenny Craig, fatass? You should try it.”

  “Wow.” I stepped between them so the claws wouldn’t come out. “Ladies, there’s enough of me to go around.”

  They continued to glare at each other.

  “How about a threesome?” I asked. “That’s a reasonable compromise.”

  “I’m down.” Georgia said it instantly and kept her eyes on Amanda. She was clearly trying to seem like the more adventurous one so Amanda would walk away.

  Amanda called her bluff. “Yeah, sounds like fun.”

  Seriously? I was going to get a threesome just because these two were jealous of each other? “Great. Let’s get started.” I unlocked the door and stepped inside. “To the bedroom, ladies.”

  ***

  I was out of it all day.

  I could barely keep my eyes open because I was up all night. Amanda and Georgia competed against each other the entire time. They were both determined to prove they were the better one in the sack. Most of the time, they did all the work and tried to please me instead of the other way around.

  It was awesome.

  But now I was exhausted. I had a meeting that morning and I ended up yawning right in the middle of a presentation. I looked like a total dick but no one said anything because I’m the big boss man. Normally, I was much more professional so Dad cut me some slack.

  Now I was fighting my drooping eyes in the office. I really wanted to take a nap but if someone walked in on me, like Dad or Sean, I would never hear the end of it. I rested my head against my chair and decided to close my eyes for a few minutes.

  Then the door burst open. “Conrad Michael Preston.”

  I opened my eyes and saw my dad in front of my desk. “I just closed my eyes for a second, okay? I have a headache.”

  He slammed a magazine onto the desk. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

  “What?” I looked at the cover and spotted Georgia on it—along with me. The headline read Georgia Price and Cheating Scandal.

  Dad was fuming at the ears. “There’s a whole article about the two of you. You’ve been spotted in clubs and bars…and there are pictures!” He slammed his fist onto the desk. “I could kill you right now.”

  “What?” I said innocently. “I didn’t know they were watching us.”

  “Why Georgia?” he hissed. “Of all the pretty girls in Manhattan why her?”

  “I guess you haven’t seen her then…”

  “Now isn’t the time for jokes, Conrad. This is damn serious.”

  I pushed the magazine back to him. “What’s the big deal? She’s the one cheating—not me.”

  “And you don’t think her husband is going to see this?”

  “I’m sure he knows she gets around.”

  “Well, now her lover has a face.” He leaned over the desk and got in my face. “You know what jealous husbands do, right? They get vengeance.”

  “Well, if he kept his wife satisfied none of this would have happened. He should focus on that instead of me.”

  “You think this is just going to go away?” he asked. “This is going to haunt you, Conrad.”

  “Haunt me?”

  “Now you’re the guy that beds men’s wives.”

  “Hey, I’m not prejudice,” I argued. “Married or not, makes no difference to me.”

  He gripped his skull like he was trying to stop himself from killing me. “You aren’t allowed to see her anymore.”

  “I’m not allowed?” I tried not to laugh. “You forbid me?”

  “Yes, I forbid you, smartass.”

  “You can’t tell me what to do. I’m a grown man—”

  “You’re a boy! You’re a goddamn boy!” He clenched his fists by his sides as his entire face turned red. “I’ve never been so disappointed in you in my entire life, Conrad. I know shit happens and you’re hurting, but this behavior is unacceptable. It’s trashy and pathetic. I raised you better than this. Now you’re in a whole world of trouble and you don’t even realize it.” He chucked the magazine at me before he walked out. “Don’t expect me to get you out of it.”

  ***

  I spent the rest of the day fuming over what my dad said to me. He’d never been so harsh on me before, but today he said a lot of hurtful things. I acted like they didn’t phase me at all but they wounded me to the core.

  I hardly left my office and avoided everyone. No one tried talking to me. They probably heard my dad shouting for the whole world to hear. Now they all steered clear of me.

  At the end of the day I got into the elevator and was relieved when the day was over. Now I could go home and listen to the silence of my penthouse. But just before the doors opened Sean and Dad stepped inside.

  Sean obviously knew everything that happened because he didn’t say a word to me. They stood on either side of me, remaining silent and as rigid as statues. The descent to the lobby seemed to take forever. The hum of the elevator was the only sound we heard. It somehow made it more awkward.

  When the doors finally opened, I walked out first so I could get away from the two most terrifying men on the planet. Fortunately, neither one of them told me to hang back. They walked behind me as they headed to the garage.

  When I was outside I immediately came face-to-face with a man my size. He was of the same height and stature, and judging his build he hit the gym as often as I did. A group of guys stood behind him, staring at me.

  “Conrad Preston?” He asked it as a question but I could tell it wasn’t really a question.

  “Who wants to know?”

  “Tobey. Georgia’s husband.”

  Damn, word spread fast.

  He shoved me without warning. “You’ve been screwing my wife?”

  I stumbled back slightly and saw my dad and uncle standing there. “You really don’t want to mess with me, man. I’ve got back up.”

  “No, you don’t.” Dad stood with his hands in his pockets.

  I turned to him in alarm.

  Sean crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head.

  They were abandoning me?

  “Some friends you got,” Tobey said with a sneer. “Now answer my question.”

  “What do you think?” I asked like a smartass. “Since you can’t satisfy your wife what did you think she was going to do?”

  Tobey immediately turned from playful sneer to a vengeful rage. “You want to die?”

  “Not really,” I said. “Because when I do I’m going to hell for killing you.” I shoved him back. “You don’t want to mess with me. It wouldn’t be a fair fight.”

  “I don’t know…” Tobey rolled up his sleeves. “Five on one sounds like good odds.”

  “Five on three,” I corrected.

  “Nope,” Dad said. “F
ive on one.”

  “What the hell?” I snapped.

  Dad shrugged. “You made the choice so you have to suffer the consequences.”

  “You’re really going to leave me hanging?” I asked incredulously.

  “Sorry, son,” Dad said. “I gave you my advice but you chose to disregard it. Honestly, you deserve to have your ass kicked.”

  Tobey smiled. “I like him.” Then he punched me hard in the face.

  I didn’t expect it so his fist collided with my nose. I knew how to box and fight so I immediately took a defensive stance and gave him my worse. He was easy to hold down because it was obvious he’d ever had any training in fighting. But the other four guys made it impossible for me to win. They grabbed me and pinned me back while Tobey slugged me in the face and stomach a few times. Like dad vowed, both he and Sean didn’t help me. Soon, my face was covered in blood and everything hurt.

  “Enough.” Dad held up his hand and came to my side. “You’ve made your point. Now walk away.”

  “He’s not dead yet,” Tobey said.

  “Let him go or I’ll murder you.” Dad remained by my side and Sean came around to the other side. “He’s had enough. Believe me, two on five is great odds for my brother and I.”

  Tobey seemed to understand my dad was a strong opponent because he told his boys to let me go. “Stay away from Georgia. Come near her again and I’ll find you when your daddy isn’t around.” He walked off with his cronies.

  I kneeled on the ground and coughed up blood. My eyes were swollen and my lips were bloody. My stomach clenched in pain. And I had a blinding migraine.

  “You okay, son?” Dad kneeled down and examined me.

  “Fuck off.” I pushed him back and got to my feet. “You just stood there while my ass got handed to me.”

  “You had to learn your lesson,” Dad said calmly.

  “I’m not five anymore,” I snapped.

  “But you’re acting like it.” Sean crossed his arms over his chest. “If someone even looked at my wife they’d be in a ditch somewhere. I have no sympathy for you. You knew she was married but you chose to do it anyway.”

  “Now I’m a bad person?” I demanded.