by Diana Nixon
Parker’s eyes followed mine, and she grimaced. “The guy’s about to eat her alive.”
“They are in love, lucky doves.”
“Don’t be jealous. Better think of how to not let Leonel take Bella away from you.”
“The hearing is scheduled for the end of the next week. It’s too little time to find a good lawyer.”
“Next week? Why so soon?”
“Because Leonel Cohen knows everyone and everyone knows him.”
“But it doesn’t change the fact that you are a great aunt, and that Bella loves living with you. If needed, I’ll be your witness.”
“Thanks.” I put another piece of strudel into my mouth and washed it down with hot chocolate.
Needless to say, the upcoming week was going to be hell on earth. At least to me.
Leonel didn’t fire me, which only made everything even worse because if I didn’t show up at work, he would make me pay for it. Literally. Because so it was written in my employment agreement.
But every time I opened the door and crossed the threshold of his, aka our, office, he did his best to make me regret the day I decided to show up there for the very first time.
“I think you should give their marriage a second chance,” I said on Monday morning, going through the papers of another divorce.
“And I don’t give a fuck about what you think,” he retorted with his eyes glued to the screen of his laptop.
I didn’t argue with that. Wordlessly, I returned to reading the papers, afraid to push my luck with him. A part of me still believed he would change his mind about Bella, and being patient with him seemed to be the only thing I could afford to do at that moment.
On Tuesday he said he wanted me to call one of his clients and tell her her husband was cheating on her, and that she could get a divorce without an effort.
“I can’t do that,” I said.
“Sure you can. Considering how much of an expert in screwing things up you are.”
I took a deep breath and pretended I didn’t hear his words. “Fine, if you want her to think I’m the ass of the world, so it will be.”
Wednesday started with a hearing in court that showed Leonel’s every ‘best’ side. It was his turn to be the ass, and he was damn good at being one. He made the poor wife look like a slut, even though it was her husband who wouldn’t miss a single skirt.
“That was rude,” I said, leaving the courtroom about an hour later.
“Rude is my second name. Isn’t it?” Leonel sped up and hurried to leave the building, making me run after him to not make him wait for me in the car. I could take a taxi, but he said he wanted to discuss something very important with me. But instead, we spent the next forty minutes of our ride in complete silence. Which was even worse than hearing him say stupid things about me. I could almost hear the wheels turning in his head, and I knew he was thinking about me, just like I wouldn’t stop thinking about him.
Tuesday was not much better than the previous days of the week. Leonel made me stay in the office later than usual, saying he wanted me to work on a new case with him.
When the clock on the wall showed nine in the evening, I told him I needed a break. And another cup of coffee. Since Molly was gone, and there no one else to make one for him as well, I thought I wouldn’t lose my crown if I added another cup to the tray.
But as it turned out a minute later, we were running out of sugar, and I had to go to the restroom to borrow some from there.
When I returned to the waiting room, I heard a female voice, coming from Leonel’s office. And I sure as hell knew it didn’t belong to any of our co-workers.
I remembered that voice. I heard it the night Leonel and I were at the movie premiere.
The voice belonged to Layla Bester. I wondered if she got lost and accidentally entered the wrong building and the wrong office.
Anger boiled inside me. I didn’t know why, but I desperately wanted to drag her out of the office and shut the door behind her.
I walked in, and my eyes met Leonel’s. His smile had never been so full of satisfaction. He knew she would be here tonight. As well as he knew I wouldn’t like it.
Bastard.
The woman was with her back to me, but when she heard my footsteps, she turned around and smiled as fucking pleasantly as fucking ever.
“Olivia! I didn’t expect to see you here tonight. She wiped the corners of her full lips as if I had just ruined the moment of the two of them kissing. “To be honest, I didn’t expect to see you at all. Leo’s assistants never stayed here for too long.” She giggled as if she knew something I didn’t.
“No, really?” I forced my best smile and slammed the tray with two cups of coffee against Leonel’s desk. “Then I think it’s time for me to go too.” I gave him one last look, hoping there was enough hate to hit him hard, took my bag and my coat, and left, slamming the door as hard as I could.
Enjoy the night, asshole!
By the time I returned home, I felt like nothing on earth. It’d been there a while now, the anger that I was desperately trying to ignore all the way home. I didn’t want to feel it or to believe that it was Leonel’s fault. He knew Layla’s visit would be the last nail in my coffin. If I thought being patient and nice with him would somehow soften his attitude to me, I was wrong. Leonel Cohen would never forgive me for what I did. No matter how much I would try to gain his forgiveness.
I sat down on the couch, tired of this run, and let the tears flow. I didn’t realize I had been holding them back until I was all alone in my apartment, and there was no one to witness my misery. Bella was still at mom’s, and I was glad she didn’t see me now. She never saw me crying. She thought I was too old to cry.
But right now, I felt like I was a little girl again, fragile and lonely. There was no one to hold me tight or to tell me that tomorrow’s hearing would end up in my favor.
I didn’t know what to do. Or how to tell Bella she would have to move to Leonel’s and live there with him, and probably a dozen nannies who would be helping him with her.
He was a stranger to her, and despite the fact that she liked him, I knew she would be missing me. And I would be missing her.
Damn you, Winter! If you told me about your relationship with Bella’s father, I wouldn’t be suffering now. I wouldn’t have fallen for the man who now thought I was the bitch of the world. He wouldn’t try to complicate my life or break my heart. That for some stupid reason refused to let him go and kept beating for him. Now harder than ever.
I lied down and at some point, I fell asleep, too exhausted both mentally and physically to do anything but sleep.
But the next morning started not exactly the way I imagined it.
I woke up to the sound of my doorbell ringing. I rubbed my eyes and looked at my watch.
Seven-thirty in the morning. Who could be visiting me that early on a Friday morning?
I got up from the couch, ran one hand through my messy hair, trying to smooth it, and went to answer the door.
“Good morning, Olivia.”
“Mr. Cohen?” Leonel’s father was the last person in the world I expected to see.
“May I come in?”
“Of course.” I stepped aside and let him in.
“I’m sorry for such an early visit,” he said. No doubt he could see how wrecked I was. “But I have something for you. Here…” He gave me a black folder with some papers inside it.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“These are the documents for Bella’s adoption. From now on, you are her only legal parent.”
I frowned, not sure if I had heard him correctly. To make sure his words were not just a trick of my imagination, I opened the folder and read the documents carefully.
Tears ran down my cheeks. “It is true?” I asked quietly. “I don’t need to fight for her in court?”
He smiled and shook his head as a ‘no’. “Leonel took care of everything. Considering your sister’s mental state and my other son’s ina
bility to take care of anyone but himself, the court has made a decision to let you adopt Bella.”
“I can’t believe it…”
His smile grew wider. “I knew Leonel would never take her away from you. He would never hurt you this way.”
“You know everything, don’t you?”
“He told me just a few days ago. But I’m not judging you, Olivia. I can see your reasons, and I understand how hard it was for you to accept the fact that none of Bella’s parents wanted to be with her.”
“Why don’t we go to the kitchen and I make breakfast for us? Are you hungry?”
“To be honest, I’m starving. I didn’t have time to have breakfast at home. I wanted to deliver the news before you would leave for the court.”
“Thank you, sir. You have no idea how much it means to me. Will you give me five minutes to freshen up a little? Last night wasn’t the best of my nights.”
“I understand.”
I thanked him one more time and rushed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. I also changed my clothes and brushed my hair. I was so happy and relieved to know that there was not going to be any hearing and that I didn’t have to worry about Bella’s future anymore. Because I would do my best to give her everything she needed, including the love that she was lacking because her mom and dad were too focused on their own lives and feelings.
When I returned to the kitchen, Mr. Cohen was holding a picture of a newborn Bella. “My wife and I can’t wait to meet her.”
“I’m sure Bella will like you.”
“What do we say if she asks why we’ve never met before?”
“I don’t think it matters anymore. The main thing is that you know the truth about her and that you want to be a part of her life. I don’t want to stand in your way of becoming friends. Bella is a good girl. And she’s very smart. I’m sure she will understand everything.”
Mr. Cohen sighed. “I wish Jace told us about her earlier. We lost so much time because of him…”
“Have you talked to him?” I asked carefully.
“I have. He came to visit us last night. He rarely comes home. But after Leonel told him he would lose his right to see his daughter, he came home and apologized for not telling us about her. I don’t know how much it would take him to be ready to meet her, but I’m sure he will want to see her too. Will you let him?”
“Of course. If it makes Bella happy, I can’t forbid her meeting him.”
I could see relief in Mr. Cohen’s eyes. I think it was as important to him to know that his son could see Bella, as it was important for me to know that she would stay with me.
I came to the coffee machine and refilled it with coffee and milk. “Do you think Leonel will ever forgive me?” I asked. It was a question I had asked myself many times since the night he learned the truth about who I was. But I never got the answer I needed to hear.
“I think he forgave you a long time ago. He loves you, Olivia.”
“How do you know that?”
Mr. Cohen smiled. “I know my son. He can be a real pain in the ass, but he has a kind heart. And when you walked into his life, his heart also learned how to be a loving one. One look into my son’s eyes was more than enough to see it all. He never meant to hurt you with his attitude or make you suffer. All he did was to pay you for lying to him. But he never hated you. Because you can’t hate someone you love, and who loves you in return.”
My cheeks heated up. “I don’t think he still believes I love him.”
“Then why don’t you tell him about your feelings? I’m sure he wants to hear everything about them.”
“He doesn’t want to see me.”
“Not true. Even if he pretends he doesn’t care about you anymore, trust me – he does. Otherwise, why would he put so much effort into the adoption case? He wanted you to win. Despite the fact that he is the loser this time. He lost this case for you, Olivia.”
“And it’s not the first one…”
Mr. Cohen rubbed my back slightly. “Everything’s gonna be all right. Just give him some time to cool off. And, well, to start missing you.”
We talked some more. I told him about Bella; he wanted to know everything about her. I also promised to bring her for the next weekend, so that she could finally meet her father’s parents. I was a little nervous about their meeting, but I knew Bella would be happy and thrilled about it. Now I only needed to tell her about them, as well as about the fact that her father wanted to meet her too.
Before leaving, Mr. Cohen said, “One wise young man once told me ‘You can’t lose something that never belonged to you. But what’s yours, will always be yours, no matter what.’ I think his last name was the same as mine.” He smiled at me and then added, “Don’t let him go, Liv. He needs you. And you need him.”
After Mr. Cohen was gone, I went back to the kitchen and read the documents he brought one more time. He was sure his son loved me, but Leonel never once said the very words. I knew he felt something for me, I could feel it. But was he ready to say it out loud?
Something was telling me he would do his best to annoy me some more with his fake indifference. Well, I deserved it. So there was nothing else to do but to accept it and try to find a way to gain his heart again. Maybe there was a chance for us to start it all from the very beginning, from scratch, with no secrets or lies standing between us.
“Thank you,” I typed in a text message to Leonel.
I didn’t expect him to answer it, but he did. “You are welcome.”
A few moments later, he sent me another message. “I’m leaving for Chicago tomorrow. Will be back in a week. Make sure no one cleans out my office by then.”
I smiled, feeling like I just got the most wanted text in the world.
He wanted me to stay…
And I wasn’t going anywhere. Because I wanted to stay too. With him.
“Will be done, sir,” I typed back.
He didn’t say anything about it.
I pressed the phone and the documents to my chest and closed my eyes for a moment.
For the first time in months, years even, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel that had been dark for so long. Until now, I didn’t realize how much I wanted Bella to be happy and how much I wanted to be the person who makes her happy. Until now, I didn’t realize how much I needed someone to help me with it. As well as someone I could rely on because I could trust him. And, well, because I loved him so much I couldn’t imagine my life without him…
Chapter 16
The week dragged on, and I swear it was the longest week in my life. My days mostly consisted of work and thoughts about the upcoming weekend that Bella and I were going to spend at Cohen’s. There were way too many reasons to be worried, and one of them was Bella’s upcoming meeting with her grandparents.
On Saturday morning, after she brushed her teeth and came to the kitchen to have breakfast with me, she said, “You look like you just ate a plate of lemons, all by yourself.”
I chuckled. “I wish.”
“Then why are you so unhappy?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“It is to me. I know you so well, remember?”
“Right. For a three-yea-old you can be very observing.”
“I’m almost four. Two months until my birthday hardly count.” She took her cup of tea and sipped a blueberry drink. “Are you nervous because you don’t know if my grandparents are going to like me?”
I took a seat facing her. “They will like you, I’m sure they will.”
“Then what is it?”
“Tell me something, sweetie…” I took her hand in mine and covered it with my other hand. “Do you want to meet them?”
“Of course, I do!” She took a spoon full of apple jam and put it into her mouth. “They are my dad’s parents. And I really want to meet all of them. Do you think he will be there too?”
It was a hard question. When I talked to Mr. Cohen last night, he said he didn’t know if Jace was go
ing to join us.
“I think he needs a little extra time to get used to the idea of having such an adorable daughter.” I smiled at her.
“I’ll behave, I promise! If he thinks I’m too naughty to be his daughter, I’ll prove him wrong, and I’ll do my best to make him like me.”
Her words stabbed me in the heart. I really wanted her to know both of her parents. It’s been almost a year since she saw her mom for the last time, and I was worried she would start to forget her. That’s why I made sure Winter’s picture was always on Bella’s bedside table.
“I’m sure everyone will like you,” I said, removing her dark-brown hair behind her ear.
“Then you must be nervous about seeing Leo again.”
“What makes you think so?”
“You haven’t seen him for a week, and considering how much you like him, you must have been missing him a lot.”
“How do you know I like him?”
“You smile every time you receive another message from him. And if he doesn’t send one in response, you become very sad.”
“Well…”
“Spare me your explanations. I know adults are always a bit overdramatizing when it comes to their relationships.”
I laughed. “I didn’t know you were an expert in it.”
She smiled. “You don’t have to be an expert to see that you and Leo like each other. I knew it the very night he came to take me home from the hospital. What man would do it for someone he doesn’t like?”
Her logic amused me. “Okay, smarty. Finish your breakfast and go get dressed. Our taxi should be here in half an hour.”
“Have you packed my teddy bear?”
“Yep. It’s in your backpack.”
“Okay.” Bella emptied her teacup, put it into the sink, and rushed to her room. Unlike me, she was very excited about the upcoming trip.
Leonel’s parents owned a cottage not far away from the city, and that’s where we were going to spend the weekend. I didn’t know if Leo was going to join us, he never once mentioned it. But I still hoped he would be there too. He and I needed to talk, and I thought one week away from each other was enough to think about everything.