“Of course, I will see you then.”
I hang up, grab my bag and head to my car.
When I get to the office, Melanie is on a call. I hope it’s not Ember, I’m trying to avoid her having to deal with the consequence of my actions. She hangs up and motions for me to enter.
“So, Mr. Drakos, what is it that I need to know?” she starts as soon as I walk in.
“First I would like to apologize to you and your company. I made a series of bad choices that led to an altercation last night. I take full responsibility for my actions, no one is to blame but myself. I understand that this looks bad for Ember, as she was responsible for making sure this kind of thing didn’t happen. I need you to know that she had no part in it and would have been unable to stop it even if she had known.”
She did not respond for what felt like forever. “I see. And this altercation? What did it involve? I assume from the looks of you it was not quiet.”
I just nod. “Many saw.”
“I see.” she said as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “What will Ember say when the incident is brought up?”
“I can’t say ma’am.”
She sighs and shakes her head in disbelief. “I don’t know that I can save her. The board has become very strict when it comes to this kind of thing, ever since the disaster last year. They are not the type to let a mistake like this just slide. I understand you care for her, and you want to keep her from harm, but this may not be something you can stop.”
Even after she ripped my heart out, I still feel the need to protect her. I have to find a way to make this go away. “Is there nothing I can do? I can speak to them myself, I will explain she was unaware of it until it was already happening.”
“Who did you fight with? Maybe we can find a way around it if he is not someone…” she gives me a confused look when a dark laugh escapes and I begin to shake my head. “Oh, I see. It was Kade wasn’t it?”
I’m surprised she immediately came to that conclusion. I nod.
“This is bad. He will not let this go. That spoiled prick is a lawyer, his father is a lawyer. They will eat her alive. She won’t stand a chance after she has crossed him.” her voice is laced with concern. I can tell she cares a great deal for Ember.
“But she did not cross him. They are still together, a happy couple.” I say dryly
Her brows crease as she looks at me not understanding.
“I do not know how much you know about any of this, but she chose him. I can’t let my anger at that cause her to suffer. This was my fault, not hers.”
“No, she couldn’t have chosen him. You must be mistaken, Jonas. She would not have given you up. I may be her boss, but she is like a daughter to me, I know her. Something had to have happened, something must be holding her back.” she is almost frantic as her words come out in one breath.
“You weren’t there.” is all I could say without getting angry again.
“No, I was not, but I know her heart. It is not with Kade, it never has been.”
I roll my eyes and brush off her words. “I would like to ask you a favor.” she nods. “I don’t want her to know that I was here. I want this to be over, she doesn’t need to know that I cared enough to be here. Please keep this conversation between you and I.” with that said, I rise from my seat and exit her office before she gives me a response.
∞∞∞
Home. It feels good to be back. I missed my friends and the life I made here. I plan to stay here until I need to be in Greece for my cousin's wedding. I have missed so much while I was away in the states.
“Well look what we have here.” I hear from across the carpark.
“Wellington.” I nod and can’t help but smile at the sight of my best mate.
“It’s good to see you, mate. I thought we might have lost you to those bloody Americans.” he laughs. It is a sound I have missed.
“What and leave all this behind?” I motion to the city in front of us.
“Ha, this great city. You didn’t miss it for a moment, did you?”
I try to keep my smile, but thinking about it, I didn't miss it. Not when I was with her. “Yeah, you know. I did miss my best mate though. Things just never seem to be as entertaining without you there to get me into trouble.”
“From the looks of you, you didn’t need any help from me, Jay.” he moves his hand in front of his face, indicating the damage on mine. “So, was she worth it?” he jokes as we get into his car.
I smile the best I can and try to laugh it off.
“Jay? You alright?”
“Yeah, I’m good. Just a long flight, I need to get a good night's sleep. Then we can get back to work. Have you come up with anything new?” I push the topic to work so he doesn’t have a chance to press me.
I met Wells in Milan during fashion week, not too long after I started modeling. We were working for the same company and ended up on the runway together many times. We found that we got on well and became flat mates about eight years ago. After a few years we began talking about business and worked hard to get our company where it is now.
He is also secretly dating my sister, I don't let them know that I know because I find it entertaining that they don’t want anyone to know. With the three of us working together it could make it an issue and I get that, but the most important thing is that he treats her well. He is a much better man than I.
“No progress yet. Still trying to find inspiration, and I need Nessa to go over some numbers.” he tried to hold back his smile but I saw it. “When will she be back?”
“After the wedding I suppose. She decided to stay and keep the investors happy, so you better get on that new design before they start breathing down her neck.”
“Yeah I don’t want her to have to deal with that. I just have hit a creative wall. I can see what I want in my mind, but getting it onto paper for the design team is not going well.” he says as he pulls into the carpark in front of our flat.
“Maybe it’s because you have lost your muse.” I say as I get my bag from the back seat and shut the car door. He rolled his eyes and waved the idea off. I chuckle to myself.
∞∞∞
The next month went by in a blur of sex, drugs and alcohol. I tried to drown out the heartache but nothing seemed to work. She was always on my mind and it was starting to mess with my head. I can’t think straight, not functioning like a normal human should. I wake up in a different bed nearly every morning, most of the time still drunk, and curse myself for it every time. Then I still go out and do it again the next night.
“Jay, we need to talk.” Wells says as I stumble into our shared flat.
“Later.” I say as I walk to my room to shower and sober up.
“No, Jay. This needs to stop.” he follows me down the hall and grabs my shoulder. “I can’t say that I know what you are going through, but I know this is not like you. You're worse than you have ever been. Do you even remember the last week? You have come home like this almost every day since you have been back.” he says as he moves his hands up and down at my appearance.
“It’s nothing, I just want to have some fun. You remember what that is like? Since you started screwing my sister you have forgotten what you were like too.” he was definitely not expecting that. “I’m not saying I want you to act like that, just that you can’t tell me my actions need to stop when you were once just the same as me. Look I’m happy for you and Nessa, but stay out of my way. This is my life and if I want to fuck and get pissed every night, that’s what I will do.”
Without a word he turns and walks back out of the hall. I know I shouldn’t have said it, I regret saying it. He is my best mate and I just treated him like he’s nothing to me. I know he is right, I need to get my shit together. I just don’t know how.
After I have showered and dressed for the day I make my way out to the kitchen. On the counter is a note and a plane ticket.
Jay,
First off, I’m sorry we didn’t tell you about us.
It wasn’t something that either of us thought would turn out serious and I didn’t want you to kick my ass. With that aside, you know that she has told me about the girl back in the states. Go to her and fix whatever it is that needs to be fixed. The path that you are on now is just going to make things worse. I’m afraid you will end up dead from all the drugs you have been using to mask you hurt. You're like family to me, and Janessa would be heartbroken if something were to happen to you. She said this girl is the real deal, don’t give up on that mate.
Your flight leaves in the morning, I will be there at 5:00 to pick you up and drop you at the airport. Till then I’ll give you your space. Janessa will pick you up when you land. She has arranged everything, so don’t disappoint her.
Wells
Shit. I should have expected this sooner or later. She just can’t keep out of my business. I could just leave for a few days and deal with them later, but I have a feeling she would track me down. Lord knows I don’t want my sister mad at me. Maybe I do need to detox, get all this out of my system and clean up my life. Even if I never see Ember again, I need to do this for me.
I spend the rest of the day arguing with myself and eventually pack a bag. I lay in bed trying to convince myself this is a good idea, this will all work out. But she keeps seeping into my thoughts and I end up dreaming of her. It’s been years since I had a dream like that, I woke up with a massive hardon. Hard to the point it hurts. I make my way to the shower and rub one out before I get ready to go.
I see Wells parked on the street in front of the building. He is leaning against his car waiting for me with a somber face.
“I was beginning to think I was going to have to drag you down here.” he says as he takes my bag and puts it in the car. “Jay, you know I really am sorry about Nessa. I really care for her and we just didn’t know how you would react to us being together.”
I chuckle “You really think I didn’t know? Come on man, you changed overnight. I lost my wingman, and I gained a brother. I’m not mad, I wish you would have told me, but I get it. I know I can be a little over protective of her, but she’s my baby sister.”
We get in the car and he starts the car. We drive in silence for the first ten minutes. Finally, he breaks the silence.
“So, Ember? What’s she like?”
I take a deep breath before I speak. “She…she’s great.” is all I can come up with right now.
“Great? Is that all?” he said with a hardy laugh.
“What do you want me to say? She is everything I never knew I needed. She is beautiful, smart, funny…you know all the normal shit, but she is so much more. She makes me feel shit I never thought I would. She’s perfect.”
“Wow.”
“I don’t know what to do. Going back is the worst idea. She has a boyfriend, she has had him since before I met her. I just got caught up in the idea of…of being with her, but it’s not that simple. She is not simple. After he and I got into that fight, I was awful to her. Why would she ever forgive me for that? Why would she leave that fucking wanker for me?” I shake my head and look out the window.
“How do you know?”
“What?”
“How do you know what she would do? How do you know that she hasn’t already forgiven you? Or that she didn’t have something that was keeping her with him? Not like she didn’t give you her attention, Ness sent me some photos of you two. In one photo I could see that she is more than smitten with you.”
“She sent you a photo? Why the hell would she do that?”
“Well, come on man. It’s you we are talking about. I had to see it to believe it. She kept telling me how you were so in love with this American girl and I just couldn’t see that happening. She has to be one hell of a woman to have caused you to want something more, something real.”
“Yeah, she is.” I say just as he stops the car to let me out.
“I don’t want to see you back here till you have your girl back, you hear me.” he says through the open window before he drives away.
∞∞∞
The flight was longer than the one that took me home. Maybe it’s because I am in a very different mood this time around. I’m not going back for her, no, I’m going back for me. If I happen to see her, well then maybe I can win her back. For now, I need to focus on getting clean and fix myself before I can even think about having her in my life.
“JONAS!” I hear through the crowd once I leave the terminal.
“Hello little sister.” I say as she hugs me like I have been gone for years. “Your choking me, Ness.”
“Oh, sorry. I’m just so happy you came back. When Wells told me you went with him without any argument I was sure you were going to make a run for it. I am so happy you didn’t.”
“Trust me I thought about it, but I knew you would find me.” I say with a laugh and she puts on her proud face as we walk out to the carpark.
“You know me well, brother. How do you feel? Wells told me you were having a bit too much fun.”
“I wouldn’t really call it fun, but I’m fine. May need to lock myself away for a few days, but nothing I can’t handle. You want me to drive? I know you don’t like driving here.”
She smiles and hands me the keys.
Chapter 17
Ember
I honestly don't know how I still have a job. I was so sure the events of that night would have been the end for me. Melanie spoke with the board on my behalf and I somehow managed to come out of this unscathed. She must have spoken very highly of me for them to be able to overlook this, especially after the disaster last year with the Policeman's Ball.
I should be grateful, right? So why do I feel like I don't deserve this second chance? Everything that transpired was my fault, it was because of me. There is no reason I should be so unaffected by this. Maybe I just feel the guilt of betraying his trust, that look of pain and hate he had. I should be punished for this.
"Melanie?" I knocked on her office door.
"Yes, come in." she says from the other side.
I take a deep breath and push the door open. "Hi, I was hoping you have a moment to talk."
"Ember? Is everything okay? Shouldn't you be getting things ready for your meeting?" she says as she looks at her watch.
"I am finished with my preparations and still have an hour till they arrive." she nods and motions me to have a seat. "I wanted to ask you...well I don't understand how the board just let the incident at the plantation go so easily. With all that happened last year I just can't see them letting this go, especially without any repercussions. Why would they want to keep me on staff after an incident like that?"
She looks at me like I have offended her, which is the last thing I want after her doing whatever she did to help me.
"I'm sorry, I mean I really appreciate you for everything you have ever done for me. I just feel like I am being spared from punishment that I clearly deserve. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, this company and you. But this was..." she cuts me off with the wave of her hand.
"Ember, It was not me. I did stand by you, but they did their own investigation and deemed it the fault of the client. That is all I know. Just be happy, dear. This is a good thing, not just for you, but for this company. You are good at what you do, and they would have been foolish to let you go...And I would have missed you."
"I would have missed you too. Thank you for explaining this to me. I will let you get back to your work. Thanks again." I say as I stand and walk to the door.
"Ember, I'm sorry for the way things turned out. I hope he comes to his senses."
I give her a weak smile and close the door behind me. I must really look miserable, or maybe she just has that motherly intuition. I have tried to act as normal as I can. It's not easy. Kade keeps showing up here to check on me, I'm sure he had something to do with the board's decision. They would have done anything to avoid a lawsuit, and with him still clinging to me I'm sure he did or said something. Maybe that's how Melanie knows more about the e
motional side of this.
∞∞∞
The days all seem to blur together lately. I feel like I am stuck in a revolving door, going too fast and unable to escape. It is dizzying. I wake up every morning and have to remind myself this is my life, that it is my fault. There is only so much I can do to keep myself going at this point.
I still haven't actually broken it off with Kade. I'm sure he knows it's coming, I just don't have the energy to fight him right now. I really only see him when he shows up on my doorstep or at my office.Things are shity all around. Summer is quickly coming to an end and I know I will have to go to the Grahams annual end of summer gathering. I have been telling Kade I don't want to go everytime I see him. Yesterday he showed up with some designer dress he picked for me to wear for it. I have just given up on fighting him on it. Given up on pretty much everything.
Spence is still mad at me, he tells me he's not but I know better. We haven't had our Sunday shopping trips for weeks, he takes Janessa with him now. I had seen her at a few drag shows, I avoided her as much as I could. I can't bring myself to speak to her. She is still so genuinely sweet, it makes me feel worse. So, I just stopped going to the show. I have pretty much become a shut in, I go to work, I go home. My never ending circle of misery.
Odd as it may sound, work is the only good thing I have in my life right now. After my talk with Melanie I decided to prove to the board that they made the right choice by keeping me on as lead coordinator. I took on any and every event I could, just to bury myself in them so I don't have to deal with the aching emptiness I feel. I feel it every minute of every day, but it seems to be less harrowing when I keep myself busy.
Now I have a wedding to occupy my time with. This couple is great, always open to try new things, especially with the theme. They are very unconventional and this wedding is going to be very interesting to say the least. When I took this event from one of my coworkers I didn't understand why she was so stressed by it. It has been by far one of the funest jobs I have ever taken. Their theme is Candy Land, like the game.
Ribbon of Fate: Love or lust? Page 15