“That’s why I’m here. I want out, but he won’t let me go, and something tells me he’s been leading you to believe otherwise. I’ll bet he’s been making promises and saying all the right words to get what he wants from you. He’s good at that. Don’t you think you deserve better?”
“Yes,” she seethes, vigorously wiping away a tear.
“I do too. We’ve both been wronged by him, and I think we should both take a stand for ourselves.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” she hisses. “I have no ground to stand on. If I stop sleeping with him, he’ll just move on to someone else.”
“Possibly, but that’s why you should help me.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“Support my infidelity claim in court, if it comes to that.”
“Fine,” she clips, taking her purse out of the desk drawer. “Be sure to tell him I quit when you go back there too.”
Gathering her things, she storms out of the office as I watch in disbelief. My impromptu plan couldn’t have worked better. It was almost too easy. Once the door closes, Lori laughs and begins to clap as I look over at her.
“Wow, that was badass. I’m proud of you. Now, go deal with him. You’ve got this.”
My chest rises and falls as I take a long breath. I nod before marching down the hall. A shiver runs up my spine as his voice travels out of his office into the hallway. When I reach it, I hesitate, trying to decide whether I should knock or charge in to show him I mean business. It’s hearing him say my name that makes me stop to listen.
“It’s been taken care of. Things will be normal again in no time. I got rid of that son of a bitch she’s been screwing around with by making sure he’ll be busy playing daddy. Once he’s out of the picture, she’ll come crawling back here.”
A silence follows my gasp as I try to process this new revelation. How could he have anything to do with Eric finding out he’s a father?
He tells the person on the phone he’ll call them back before slamming it down, causing me to jump.
“Heidi?” Christopher calls, his voice laced with impatience and annoyance.
With a deep breath, I turn the handle on his door, looking back at Lori for reassurance. She makes a shooing motion with her hands, and I push it open. Surprise is obvious on Christopher’s face as his eyes land on me, his mouth agape. He comes to his feet as I enter his office.
“Hey, babe,” he stammers, stepping around his desk toward me. “I’m sorry. Heidi didn’t tell me you were here.”
“You mean the woman you said you were going to fire after I caught you sleeping with her in our bed?” I clip, crossing my arms and narrowing my eyes as he comes to a stop in front of me. “Because she just quit.”
“What?”
“And don’t call me babe. I’m not ‘crawling back’, I’m here to ensure you sign our divorce papers.”
Smirking, he turns on his heel and walks over to the window. “I’m afraid you’ve wasted a trip then, my love,” he spits, staring out at the city skyline. “You belong here with me, not in that Podunk town with that loser. You chose me, remember?”
“I chose you for all the wrong reasons, and for that, I’m sorry,” I relent. “But if you’re honest with me and yourself, you’ve never loved me either. Why can’t you just let me go?”
“Because you’re mine!” he roars, his head whipping around in my direction.
My skin heats from the fire in his eyes, but his glare doesn’t insight fear, it only gives me a renewed sense of purpose. When Lori rushes into the room, his attention returns to the view outside. She lifts her eyebrows in question as I look at her, and I let her know everything’s okay with a quick nod.
Focusing on Christopher again, my shoulders square as a take a ragged breath. “I’m not your property,” I bite out. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to sign the damn divorce papers and make sure everything is finalized before I leave here, or I’ll be forced to file again under fault grounds with Heidi to back up my claim of infidelity.”
Scoffing, he shakes his head as he turns to face me. His eyes rake over me as his lips curl. “Is that so? You may want to rethink that.” He saunters back over to his desk, opening his top drawer and pulling out a manila file before bringing it over to me. Once I’ve taken it, he gestures for me to look inside, then crosses his arms.
My eyes narrow at him before sliding down as I flip open the folder, and my stomach seizes as I get a glimpse of what’s inside. There are pictures—a lot of them. Ones of me leaving my apartment, some of me playing with Lizzy’s kids at the park, but it’s the shots of Eric and I together that give me pause. He had me followed. That’s how he knew where I lived and that I was seeing Eric. He’s a sick fucker, and I’m not going to let him win.
“You really want things to come to this, Chris?” Snapping the file closed again, I meet his glare. He opens his mouth as if to speak, but I hold my hand up to stop him. “Because, let me tell you. If it comes to that, I’ll happily take our story to the papers. We both know how much Daddy Dearest would love having your family’s name smeared.” His face falls, and I feel almost giddy, the color draining from it as his jaw ticks. He may not be willing to wave that white flag yet, but we both know I’ve won the war.
“What’s wrong with you?” he snarls. “First you run off to be with him, and now you’ve come here to threaten me? What happened to the woman I married?”
“The woman you married was broken and weak, but I finally realized my happiness is worth fighting for. I don’t want to go to battle with you, Christopher, but I will if I have to.”
Silence fills the room as he stares at me, his eyes probing, as if looking for some sign of weakness in me. Standing tall, I glare back at him, letting him know I have no intention of backing down.
“Fine.” He narrows his eyes at me before charging back to his desk. “I’ll sign the damn papers.”
Lori holds up her glass of champagne, a bright smile on her face as I join her by lifting mine. “Here’s to my badass sister and getting shit done,” she cheers, clinking our flutes together before taking a sip.
Shaking my head, I chuckle before drinking to her toast. It’s over. Christopher signed the papers, and I’m officially free to start my new life. Hopefully, one that includes Eric.
During the conversation I overheard in Christopher’s office, he alluded he had something to do with Cara showing back up. He has the resources to dig out the skeletons from anyone’s closet. It’s something I’ve seen him do with several of his cases, but it doesn’t explain why Cara would agree to tell Eric about their kid after keeping it from him all these years. Not that it matters. I’m not sure I’ll even tell Eric what I heard. The last thing I want is to come between him and his child.
As we finish our toast, there’s an urgent knock on my front door. Lori looks at me with drawn eyebrows, and I shrug. We’ve only been back here all of ten minutes, I’m not expecting company. Everyone except Eric knew what I had planned today, but he’s probably still busy with Cara and their kid.
“Jules!” Eric calls as I place my glass down on the counter.
Or not. My heart leaps into my throat and I struggle to move my lead feet toward the door. I’m not sure what to make of my racing heart once I reach it. Though I want to believe my relationship is strong enough to endure anything that comes our way, something in me is fearful he’s here to tell me the truth about Cara. Secrets rarely reveal anything good.
Rushing me as I open the door, Eric takes my face in his hands and studies it. His wary eyes and frazzled appearance causes me to do an inspection of my own before he pulls me into his arms. “Thank God you’re home,” he exhales into my hair before kissing my head. Wrapping my arms around his waist, my body relaxes as I inhale his clean scent. “Are you okay?”
Leaning back, his gaze meets mine again, and I give him a soft smile as I nod. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to Pennsylvania or he hadn’t signed the papers?”<
br />
His hypocrisy makes me scoff as I release my hold on him, turning on my heel and walking into my apartment. I hadn’t been the only one withholding important information.
“What’s that about?” he asks, shutting the door as he follows behind me.
Ignoring him, I step back up to the kitchen counter where I left Lori and my champagne. Her features are tight with discomfort as Eric comes to a stop next to me, and I down the remainder of my glass.
She smiles at Eric, waving a brief hello, before picking up her purse and slinging it over her shoulder. “I think that’s my cue to go.” When her gaze locks with mine, I nod in agreement, and she gives me a hug. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Biting my lip, I nod again as she turns her attention to Eric. “See you later,” she bids, giving him a wave goodbye this time.
“I hope so,” he quips, placing a hand on the small of my back.
We’re both silent and unmoving as she makes her way out of my apartment, my eyes focusing on the counter space in front of me. As soon as the door shuts again, he turns me to face him, and his hand guides my chin up until I meet his eyes.
“Does the champagne mean you have something to celebrate? Is the divorce final?”
My nerves subside, allowing my smile to return. “Yep!”
His face lights up as he encases me in his arms, lifting me off my feet as he gives me a tight hug.
“That’s amazing news!” he cheers, locking his gaze on mine once my feet are planted on the floor again.
“Yes, it is,” I agree.
“So, why don’t you seem all that happy?”
Shrugging, I shake my head. “I think I’m too anxious about hearing how your day went.”
“My day?” His eyes widen.
“I know you went to see Cara today,” I admit, the hurt evident in my tone.
“Shit…I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Jules.” He runs a hand through his hair, then rubs the back of his neck. “I didn’t want to upset or worry you with any of it.”
“I can understand that,” I concede, sliding my hands around his waist. “It’s the same reason I didn’t tell you about my plans for today. So, how did it go?”
“Turns out, I’m not a father after all.” His words seem oddly void of emotion, and I search his eyes, only to find them unreadable as well.
“What? How do you know? Are you sure?”
“Positive.” Letting out a long breath, he sweeps my hair out of my face before resting his arms on my shoulders. “Cara confessed. Apparently, Christopher offered to pay her if she helped him split us up.” His eyes finally seem to be focused on me, and I can see a hint of sorrow lurking behind them.
“Oh God, Eric, I’m so sorry I brought his craziness down upon you.”
He shakes his head, then leans in to give me a light kiss on my forehead. “It’s not your fault. I’m just glad she came clean.”
“What made her decide to tell the truth?”
He chuckles. “She said she wanted to make amends, to be a better person.”
“Wow…so, she doesn’t even have a kid?”
“No, she does. He’s the product of the affair she had when we were married.” His mouth twists as he shrugs, and I pull him closer to snuggle into him, laying my head on his chest. “Oddly enough, I’m almost glad this happened. I’ve blamed myself all these years for Cara’s abortion, carried around that hate and heartbreak. Now, I’m free of that burden, and I was given closure.”
“That’s great,” I rave, squeezing him tighter.
“It also made me realize how badly I want to be a father. More specifically, how badly I want to build a life and a family with you.”
My heart skips a beat as my head shoots up to meet his gaze. “Oh…” I stammer, my eyelashes fluttering.
“Don’t pass out on me.” Chuckling, he attempts to smooth my creased forehead with his thumb. “I don’t mean I want to start right now. Just that when I’m ready to take that step, I want it to be with you.”
A smile breaks out across my face. My reaction to his statement wasn’t one of fear, it was excitement. For years, I saw nothing but darkness up ahead. Now, there’s a light at the end of my tunnel. Eric is the light.
“I want that too,” I confess.
SAY WHEN
Several Months Later
Peeling off the high heels I’ve been wearing for the past five hours, I sigh, then plop down on the couch. “That was so much fun, but I’m exhausted,” I whine, rubbing my aching feet and examining my barely healed tattoo.
About a month ago, I’d finally taken the plunge after being inspired by another book. This time, it was a quote about how you can’t find yourself by running because you’ll be too busy to face your enemies. That was something I’d learned the hard way—something I’m determined to never forget. Since the quote ends with, “live barefoot and fucking fight,” it seemed fitting to get the word fight on my foot.
Right now, I’m regretting that choice. The abuse my feet have taken from my shoes left the inked spot a little tender. It’s for a good cause, though.
Lizzy married Brenden today, and I was one of her bridesmaids. She made such a beautiful bride, and I swear I’ve never seen her happier. The wedding and reception couldn’t have been more perfect, and I can’t wait to see all the photographs Eric captured.
The girls made a couple comments about me being the next one to wear white, and I’ll admit, it was hard not to smile at the prospect. I’ve loved Eric for so long, and the past couple months with him have been the best of my life. Although I’ve accepted I’ll forever be scarred by what happened to me that night with Jim, it no longer feels like an open wound. I’m not allowing that moment to define me or my life anymore.
I do kind of miss my weekly visits with Dr. Gentry, though.
“I’m so ready to get this damn dress off.”
“I like the sound of that.” Smirking, he extends his hand out to me. I look at it like it’s diseased, my lip snarling as my eyes move up to gaze at him.
Every part of my body is aching from all the dancing and socializing I did this evening, I’m in no way ready to get back up. In fact, if it weren’t for this uncomfortable dress, I’d probably pass out right here. But as I stare at him, admiring how incredibly sexy he looks in his tux, I want nothing more than to be closer to him. As I place my hand in his, he laughs and pulls me to my feet, then into him.
Smirking, he kisses the tip of my nose, then takes my other hand, intertwining his fingers with mine. “Do you think you could hold off a little bit longer? There’s something I wanted to show you and talk to you about.”
His tone sounds serious…perhaps a little anxious. Butterflies set flight in my belly as I nod my head yes. After giving me a chaste kiss on the lips, he lets go of one hand and leads me to the kitchen with the other. When we reach the table, he pulls out a chair and helps me ease into it. Seated, I quirk my eyebrow up as he slides a manila folder and pen in front of me.
“I’ve had some paperwork drawn up I’d like you to review. If everything looks good and you agree, I’ll just need your signature.”
“Isn’t it a little late for a nondisclosure?” I tease, giggling as my nerves get the better of me. His forehead creases as he shakes his head, clearly having no idea what I’m referencing. Waving the comment off, I clear my throat and turn my focus to the file in front of me. “Never mind. So, what is this?”
Opening the folder, my eyes scan over the paper. It’s something to do with EJ Photography, but I don’t understand it.
“I want to change the name of EJ Photography to E&J Photography with you as the co-owner.”
My breath stills, my body frozen as my eyes shoot up in his direction. “What?”
I couldn’t have heard him correctly. That would be insane…right?
He slides another chair away from the table, taking a seat on the edge, his body angled toward me and hands resting on his knees as he leans forward. Eye level now, he locks his gaze with mine as I turn my
head. “The company is as much yours as it is mine at this point. We’re a team, a packaged deal. Besides, this is the dream—what we talked about as teenagers. It’s what pushed me to start the company in the first place, but I never wanted this without you. The studio made me feel as if I had you with me even when I didn’t, that’s why I named it EJ Photography.”
“I don’t understand.” Shaking my head, I wipe the moisture from my eye. “Doesn’t EJ stand for Eric Justin?”
“That’s what I let everyone believe,” he confirms, a smile playing on his lips. “I wasn’t about to admit I named my company after a woman I might never see again. But when I filled out the original paperwork, I thought about when we dreamed of the future, how we talked about what we’d name our studio one day.”
“I remember, you suggested Eric and Julianna’s and I countered with Julianna and Eric’s.”
He barks out a laugh and shakes his head. “Yeah…well, JE Photography doesn’t sound right and would’ve been a lot harder to explain away.”
“I can’t believe what you’re telling me right now. This is crazy,” I mumble, dropping my eyes back to the folder. “You’ve built this company, Eric. It doesn’t seem right for me to claim any kind of ownership.”
“This is what I want, Jules.” He takes my hand in his, gaining my attention again. The intensity in his eyes causes my heart to flutter, and I struggle to keep my emotions at bay. “I want this to be ours, for you to be my partner in business and in life.”
“In life?” My pulse begins to race as my eyes go wide, gasping as he scoots off his chair then gets down on one knee in front of me as I shift toward him. He reaches into his pocket with his free hand, pulling out a small black box, and my head swims from the lack of oxygen.
“I love you, Jules. Today, tomorrow, and forever. I want you to be my partner, my wife, and the mother of my children. I want to experience the good and bad life offers with you as we grow old together. Will you marry me?”
Crushed (In This Moment Book 2) Page 22