by Violet Paige
“My daughter,” I said exasperated. “It doesn’t matter, I am in love with her mother.”
“Then you shouldn’t have lead Sophia on all these years,” Mom accused putting a hand on Sophia.
She was already pooling tears in her eyes. With a burst of sobs she stood and excused herself. I heard the elevator close on her.
“You better get up and go after her right now, son!” Dad shouted.
“No,” I said standing. “I don’t care how much you try to bully me. You don’t get to pick where I live, what job I have, or who the hell I want to spend my life with.”
“Please don’t shout at your father,” Mom said in an attempt to calm the situation. “We just don’t understand is all. “We always knew you had a wild hair. You had your fun and now we just thought you would come back home, and back to the commitments you made.”
“I never committed anything to Sophia. Maybe you did, but not me.”
“I’m just so upset right now,” Mom said dabbing at her eyes. I was fairly certain in all my life I had never actually seen her cry. I looked closely now. No, she still wasn’t crying just making a show of it.
“Bill, I think we should go. Coming to visit was a bad idea,” she said coming to a stand.
“You can give us a call when you come to your senses,” Dad spat before ushering Mom out.
I waited till the doors were fully closed on them before saying, “Don’t count on it.”
As soon as they were gone the first thing I did was call Lilly. She didn’t pick up. I told myself it was just Aria’s dance thing. She probably had her phone on silent. When I called again that night and she still didn’t pick up I had a feeling it was much more than just a dance recital keeping her from talking to me.
Twenty-Four
Lilly
Barrett called me every day for the next week. In complete polar opposite, Aria was barely speaking more than two words to me every day. Try as I might to get her to understand that I was doing my best to protect her, she didn’t believe me.
She insisted I tell her the truth of her day and let her meet him. How could I explain that I didn’t want her to see the lying bastard who had broken my heart. I wasn’t willing to let him do the same to her.
Along with the calls I didn’t pick up, Barrett had also sent a steady stream of text messages. I couldn't say what they were about since I refused to open them. I wasn’t going to let him make excuses.
The week was utter dread. I didn’t know if it was because a complete come down after the euphoria I had the week before, or the fact I had tricked myself in believing that things would have ended up so perfectly for my little family.
Either way it was stupid of me to get so involved with Barrett. I should have known better. I should have realized that I knew nothing about him and never let him in our lives. We were doing just fine without him.
Of course I really didn’t believe my own words. I mean we were getting by. I guess I could say perfectly. Even without Barrett entering the picture things were already getting hard keeping up my false paternity story.
I would have found a way though, and it would have turned out a whole lot better then things between Aria and I right now.
“Aria, dinner’s in five,” I called down the hall.
She rarely left her room now aside from going to school and coming back home. I kind of feared she might actually hate me for the rest of her life. I deserved it.
I had given her false hope of a father who loved and cared for her from heaven. In her mind her Daddy would have been here with her if he could. Now she was coming to the realization that her father was a presence in this world and someone who she would never see, and who would never even know to care about her.
A knock on my door interrupted my thoughts. I wasn’t planning on Emma coming over, but she was the only one that did, so I just sampled hollered out for her to come in.
I leaned over the kitchen bar and froze in place when instead of Emma’s usual frame it was one of a tall dark and handsome man.
“Barrett,” I said surprised.
“You said come in,” he said motioning to the door.
“I thought you were Emma,” I explained coming around the kitchen bar to stand before him with my arms crossed.
“You wouldn’t pick up your phone, or return my calls so I thought if I came by I might get a chance to explain.”
“I don’t want to hear your explanation.”
“Is he my dad?” Aria blurted out from the hall.
I couldn’t fault her for being there, I had called her out for dinner after all. I was at a loss for words. Barrett still had no idea who Aria was to him. I didn’t want to lie to Aria but I also didn’t think Barrett deserved to know.
“Yeah, I am,” he said shocking me even further.
“And you figured it was cool to just walk right in like no big deal. You probably weren’t going to ever tell me either,” she said before storming off to her room.
I debated going after Aria. Instead I turned to Barrett.
“You knew? How long?”
He took my hand and walked us over to sit on the couch.
"I thought it might be true after that first time we met. When I saw her picture on your desk at work I knew for sure. I didn’t want to say anything. I figured you would tell me when you were ready.”
“And good thing I didn’t,” I said crossing my arms again.
“Lilly, I know you heard my mom. She isn’t my fiancé though. We never even discussed marriage before I left for the Red Cross. It was just all what my parents wanted and convinced Sophia that it was what she wanted too.”
“But that is your life, and this is ours,” I said trying my best to shrug off his words.
“No,” he said scooting closer to me and taking my hand. “You. I want you to be my life. If I had only known from the start. You don’t know how many nights I went to that club after hoping to find you again. You stole my heart then.”
“Barrett, I don’t know.” I hesitated. “This all sounds lovely but I have Aria to think about and…”
“And I want the chance to worry and think about her too. I never believed in fate, but Lilly, I know it’s what brought you to my office that day. I never did forget you because maybe a part of me knew that you were here taking care of my baby.”
“You don't understand. I don’t even know if Aria is going to forgive me, let alone accept anyone else. The thing I told you about the Navy SEAL. It’s the same story she heard her whole life and up until yesterday she believed it.”
“I couldn’t tell her what really happened. That I didn’t even know her father’s name. What kind of mother would I be? I just don’t know what to do now,” I gave out in a defeated huff.
I never expected parenting to be easy. It wasn’t a lie when people said it should come with a manual. For the most part though I had gotten along pretty well. This was the first time that I truly had no idea how to fix the situation.
Barrett lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my palm breathing me in. I had to admit that instantly, my body calmed at his touch.
“We go in there and tell her the truth. It may not be pretty, but it is what it is. And now we are all here together. I know we are meant to be together, to be a family. So that is how we will work this out.”
I nodded my head in agreement. I never once thought I wished I had Aria’s father in our life. In that moment as I leaned into his touch I realized how much I had missed not having his support here to help me.
Twenty-Five
Barrett
Together Lilly and I got up from the couch and made our way to Aria's room. She knocked softly on the door and I waited just behind her. I was after all the stranger in all of this. I would give her as much room as was needed.
“Aria,” Lilly called when she didn’t answer. “I know you're mad, but we need to talk about this.”
She knocked again and still no answer. Lilly looked back at me worry on her face. I didn’t
have a good feeling either.
Lilly opened the door and walked into the room.
“Aria?” She called before bursting back out “She’s gone!”
“What?”
She handed me a piece of paper. In a child’s had was the simple words “I am running away.”
It was such a simple and innocent phrase but also sent a chill of panic through me. This was after all the city and it was starting to get dark.
“How could she get out your on the second floor?” I said confused.
“There is a fire escape out her window.”
I walked passed Lilly and into the room. It looked like the normal room of a little girl but the window as open and screen pushed out.
“Come on,” I said walking out of the room and grabbing Lilly’s hand. “She couldn’t have gotten that far.”
We sat in silence in my car as we drove the darkening streets around Lilly’s complex. The hard part was not knowing what direction she went.
“What if someone took here. She is just a little girl. Maybe I should call the police.”
“They wouldn’t do anything about it yet. Where would she have wanted to go?”
“I mean we already went in the direction of Em and the dance studio. Maybe lets try over there,” she said pointing to the left. “There is a park we go to sometimes.”
I flipped the car around and sped in the new direction.
“Oh thank God! There she is!” Lilly said pointing to a small figure sitting on a bus stop Barrettch under a street light.
Even with the darkness and the shadows casting on her face it was easy to see she was crying. Maybe she had tried to go somewhere and was lost, either way I was relieved that we found her.
I pulled over a ways up from the stop. I turned to Lilly.
“Hey, can I talk to her first?” I asked.
She hesitated. I could see she wanted to run to her baby and hold her close. She relaxed a little and nodded in agreement.
I got out of the car and walked over to Aria. Without saying a word I sat down on the bench next to her. She sniffed once.
“So you’re my dad?” she asked finally while still looking at her dangling feet.
“Yeah,” was all I could muster to say.
“So where have you been. Apparently not in heaven like I thought. I used to pretend you were up there wishing you could be here with me.”
I looked down at her. I so wanted to wrap my little girls in my arms and dry away all her tears.
“I was with the Red Cross. I didn’t know that your mom got pregnant, otherwise I would have been here.”
“So she lied to you too,” Aria said with anger deeply laced in her words.
“No, and she only told you that story so you wouldn’t be sad that I wasn’t around. You see, your mom and I didn’t know each other that well before. She didn’t have a way of finding me to tell me about you. She tried though. I wish she had. I would have loved to be there.”
“I was hoping,” I added hesitantly, “that maybe now that I knew about you and you knew about me, maybe we could get to know each other a little better. Maybe spend some time together.”
She looked up at me then for the first time. It was as if I was looking into my own face. I hesitated and then reached down to dry a tear.
“I would like it very much if you would let me be your Dad,” I said laced with emotion.
“I think I would like that too,” she finally said before leaning in and wrapping her arms around me in a hug.
I froze in my spot. I wasn’t expecting her to hug me. It only took me a moment though before I hugged her back in return. Standing up I took her hand and helped her down from the high bench.
"Come on,” I said nudging in the direction of the car with my head. “Your mom has been worried sick. I’m pretty sure she could use a hug too.”
Epilogue
Lilly
“Barrett,” I called as I searched the flat.
This damn apartment had seemed like a good idea to move into when he had suggested it, but now it was just way too big.
“Daddy!” Arita yelled as she ran circles around the house looking for him.
I paused as another sharp pain hit.
“What?” he said coming down the stairs.
It caught my breath for a second. He was pulling headphones out of his ears, was shirtless and glistening with sweat. I couldn’t help but wonder how lucky I had been to find Barrett after all that time and now be his wife.
“Mom’s water broke,” Aria said dancing around her father in excitement. “I’m finally going to have a baby sister or brother!”
“You’re what?” Barrett said in disbelief coming closer.
He tenderly felt my belly as I leaned against the couch with another contraction.
“How close are they?” he asked me instantly snapping into doctor mode.
“Five minutes maybe. It’s going to go quick though with my water breaking.”
“Okay,” Barrett said spinning in a circle frantic.
“I think Dad's freaking out,” Aria whispered to me.
“I am not,” he retorted. “Okay,” he said again still frazzled. “I’ll change, get the bag and we can head to the hospital.”
I wasn’t entirely sure I was going to make it all the way to the hospital. On the upside I supposed that Barrett could deliver a baby just as easily in the back of a BMW than a hospital bed.
“Emma is going to meet us there,” He said putting down the phone as he sped through town.
“I don’t care if the pope is planning on showing up, I just need this thing out of me now,” I half said half screamed.
“This is getting intense,” Aria said from the back seat.
“Not a good time to kid your mom, honey,” Barrett called back to her.
Finally we got to the hospital. I was barely in the gown and place in a bed when Barrett said it was time to push.
Twelve minutes later I heard the glorious cry of our new child. Barrett was there and ready to tell me the gender, something I had wanted to keep a surprise.
“It’s a girl,” he said cutting the cord and placing the baby close to me. “We have another beautiful daughter.”
He kissed me gently as I cried and as I held her. I looked up at Barrett who was looking at the sweet little angel still crying on my chest. I was so grateful that this time he was here to see her born.
“Destiny,” Barrett said softly.
I looked at him confused by his words.
“It means fate. I thought it might be an appropriate name. What do you think?”
I smiled softly and tilted my head encouraging a kiss. He leaned down and kissed me tenderly on the lips.
“I think it’s perfect.”
Tempting the Crown
Untitled
Tempting the Crown
Published By Violet Paige
Copyright © 2017 Violet Paige
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places or events are entirely the work of the author. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, or places is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in piracy of copyrighted materials.
One
Damon
The bourbon was watered down. I flicked my wrist, washing it over the melted flecks of ice. I looked around, bored. That was the problem. I bored easily.
A waiter walked by without glancing at my table. That had always been the deal in this fucking place, though. They treated me like every other guy in here. They didn’t cater to one of us over the other. As if we were normal. As if we weren’t rich as s
in. As if I didn’t own the entire country.
We existed under a cloak of secrecy. The façade that inside these walls we were on an equal playing field. Maybe there was some truth to that for one night a month. Gala night.
I slung back the last swallow of the hundred-dollar glass of booze. I pushed back from my chair to straighten my cramped legs, standing just shy of six-five. I moved across the room trying not to attract too much attention. It wasn’t easy to blend in, even if people were committed to ignoring me.
I knocked on the black door behind the bar and waited for someone to let me in. The incessant bass pumping through the speakers drowned out the hammering of my fist. It was loud as fuck in here.
“Damn it.” I gritted my teeth, pounding again. I wasn’t patient.
The door cracked enough that I could see a sliver of the stage. It was dark.
A stooge who couldn’t have been more than twenty stood in my way. I tapped at my watch. It probably cost more than ten cars in the parking lot put together. “You’re running late.” I kept my voice low.
He nodded. “I know. I’m sorry, your m—”
I put my hand up to stop him. “I have a reservation tonight,” I reminded him.
He looked over his shoulder nervously. “There have been a few setbacks,” he reported.
“Setbacks?” I cocked my eyebrow. When had The Titan had a setback?
“I assure you we’ll start any minute. I can personally escort you.”
I didn’t want to hear his bullshit. I didn’t tolerate excuses no matter the circumstances.
I exhaled. “That won’t be necessary. You have five minutes,” I warned. “Figure it out or I’m leaving. I don’t need to waste my time.”
“I’ll let them know.” He closed the door with a solid shove.
I turned for my table. Ashford Grant was a few feet behind me. He smirked. If I didn’t know better, his tattered jeans and T-shirt suggested he was a man who was out for a round with his buddies.