“Hey baby brother,” Paula chirped smiling.
“Paula!” He hurried over and gave her a huge hug. Paula held on a few seconds longer than he did. She had become so proud of her brother, she wished she hadn’t wasted so much time making life harder on him.
“I’ve missed you too. So glad you came for the opening,” he replied, and she let him loose.
“Me too,” she said, fighting back the tear that sprung in her eye.
“You just getting in?” He asked walking to the kitchen and getting coffee grounds out of the cabinet.
“I got in last night actually,” she admitted.
“Really, where’d you stay?”
“Spence Hotel,” she slid into the bar stool as he filled the coffee maker with water.
“Spence Hotel? Why?”
“I’ll explain over coffee,” she replied.
He turned to her and smiled.
“You hate my coffee,” he grinned, as he set it to start.
“Yeah, well, I need something radioactive for what I have to tell you,” she replied.
Kayden furrowed his eyebrows, and Paula took another deep breath. Shit, meet fan, she thought and wondered how she would even begin.
***
Maureen and Kim stood in the elevator of Spence Hotel as the doors closed. Kim erupted into more sobbing and Maureen rolled her eyes for maybe the hundredth time that morning, finally having her fill.
“Stop it!” She yelled. Kim instantly stopped wailing but the tears didn't.
“Had I known you to be such a whining waste of time I never would have brought you here!” Maureen seethed.
“I’m sorry,” Kim whispered.
“I’m sorry—I’m sorry is that all you can say?” Maureen turned to her and held her chin looking her in the eyes.
“You see the way my daughter handled you? That’s what I’ve been trying to teach you since I took you under my wing.”
Kim looked in Maureen’s eyes. They seemed caring but were still as cold as the snow on the ground.
“Whenever someone challenges you that way, you stand up for yourself. You do not run away and hide!” She chastised now, letting her face go.
“This is hard for me,” Kim challenged, wiping her face.
“Well you better get it together soon, or you’ll be the next one to leave town never to be heard from again.”
The elevator doors opened and Maureen stalked out. Kim stood in the elevator a moment, taking in the threat she was just given. If she didn’t live up to Maureen’s expectations, she’d be tossed aside. It was bad enough Kayden didn’t like her, but if Maureen turned her back on her too, she would surely lose everything. She stepped off the elevator just as the doors began to close again.
***
Lana was lying in bed after taking a nap due to her long and restless night. The room door knob began to jiggle and jolted her out of bed, her heart racing in her chest. Who was that? she thought, as she bolted out of bed and ran to the door. She looked through the peephole to see Kim standing there. She was crying profusely and jiggling the door handle. Lana turned around, her hand over her mouth wondering what had happened. Did Paula spill the beans already? Was Kim there to settle a score with her? She looked back through the peephole.
“What are you doing?” she heard through the door and recognized the voice immediately. It was Maureen. Lana turned back to the door and watched them from the peephole.
“The door won’t open,” Kim sobbed.
Maureen snatched the key from her and held it up to her face.
“Wipe the tears from your eyes and you’d be able to see this is room eleven-oh-five and your room is eleven-oh-six!” She scoffed and tossed the key at her.
She stomped away down the hall away from Kim, and slammed her door. Kim wiped the tears from her face and walked down the hall, her head hung low. Seeing the way Maureen treated her, Lana almost felt bad for her. Almost. She remembered the joy her pain gave Kim a month ago and wiped away any sympathy that she may have felt. Even though she wasn’t on Maureen’s radar, she did not feel comfortable being on the same floor as her in the hotel.
Lana considered grabbing her coat and making the long hike up the hill, but she knew it was a silly idea. There was way too much snow between her and the house. She checked the door lock once again and walked back over to the bed. She wouldn’t fall asleep again, she thought and leaned back on the pillow, eyes more opened than ever before. It was happening.
***
Paula sat next to Kayden on the couch in the living room and took a sip of the coffee. She frowned her face and sat it down on the coffee table. How could he call that bile coffee, she thought? He looked at her face and smiled.
“I see you still don’t like my coffee,” he said and took another sip of his, “So what’s up?”
“Well, a lot is up. First let me say brother, I’m happy you found Lana,” she replied.
Kayden frowned, he hoped she wasn’t about to ask him what happened as he didn’t feel like going through everything all over again.
“Thanks,” he replied cautiously.
“And also I should have told you my house is wired like Fort Knox.”
“What do you mean?”
“Cameras, Kayden. They’re everywhere.”
“Yeah so—,” He started then stopped. His face bright red.
“Yeah baby brother, there are some things the human eyes shouldn’t see, and your best friend and brother having sex is on the top of the list.”
“Oh no,” he stood up from the couch, “I’m mortified.”
Paula started laughing.
“I know, you should be,” she laughed, shaking her head side to side, “My poor throw rug. I’m gonna have to send that to you when you get your own place,” she was beside herself in laughter.
He threw a pillow at her and sat on the opposite couch.
“I can barely look you in the face dude,” she continued.
“Ok. You could’ve warned me,” Kayden replied.
“I should have, I’m sorry. I had no idea what was about to transpire,” she giggled.
“Have you heard from her?” Kayden asked, more serious now.
“Yeah, I was with her yesterday,” Paula replied matter of factly.
Kayden jumped up from the couch.
“What? You wait until now to tell me this?”
Paula got up and put her hands up in the air.
“Calm down Kayden let me finish,” she pleaded.
“Well how is she?”
“She’s fine now.”
“So when she got out of the hospital you were there?” He asked perplexed. Paula looked at him surprised.
“How did you know she was in the hospital? Have you known where she was this entire time, Kayden?” She commanded. He ran his hands through his messy hair.
“Of course not. I had Taylor hire a P.I in his name, because I had a feeling something fishy was happening with the three I hired to find her before. He was successful,” he gushed barely taking a breath and sat back down on the couch.
“You never stopped looking for her,” she stated.
“No. If I had any idea where she was, I would have been long gone. I was under the impression you had no idea either and if you did, you would’ve called me back!” He spat at her rising from his seat.
“Just sit down and listen to me for minute. There’s a reason for all of this.”
Paula pulled out her laptop and sat it on the coffee table. She opened it and he sat next to her.
“What’s this?” He asked looking at the screen. Then he recognized the room and the people on it. It was his mother, Kim and Lana.
“Before I press play, I want you to know, there is something in the works and I need you to promise me, that you won’t move a muscle.”
“Press play Paula,” he demanded, his eyes angry.
“I need to hear the words,” she protested.
He sighed, “I promise.”
Paula pressed pl
ay on the computer and turned the volume up. Kayden watched the video in its entirety. As he watched his mother lay out the plan to make Lana leave him, his face distended in pain. When all the video clips had played, Paula closed the laptop down and turned to her brother. He had his elbows on his knees still looking at the computer, barely able to contain his emotions.
“Kayden, remember you promised me,” she pleaded.
“I need to see her. We need to go to Florida. Now,” he replied.
“No we don’t,” Paula stated. He snapped his head at her. “She’s here.”
Kayden stood from the couch and Paula could swear his face showed a range of every emotion possible. Excitement, anger, fear, joy.
“I’m gonna bring her to you but it needs to be somewhere mom and Kim won’t see her. At least not yet.”
“Who cares? We have all the evidence we need!”
“Kim, has plans of her own Kayden and I’m sure mom has no idea, what she’s been up to.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She threatened Lana, that if she made contact with you, or showed up here in town again, she would turn over evidence of mom and her friends who helped to sweep some of your past cases under the rug. It’s a, “If I can’t have him, no one will”, scenario bro”.
Kayden sank to the couch and placed his hands on his face. He knew Kim wasn’t exactly an angel, but would she really try to ruin his life that way?
“I regret the day I ever met her.”
“Don’t worry about her, Taylor and I are working on something.”
Kayden wracked his brain, trying to find somewhere in this small town that was still private. They could meet in Shelby but he didn’t want to wait a minute longer than he had to and then it hit him. Smiling at Paula he ran upstairs to get dressed.
20
When Lana heard the knock on the door she jumped up from the bed and walked to the peephole. Paula was standing there and she opened the room quickly before Kim or God forbid Maureen were to walk into the hallway. Grabbing Paula by the hand she yanked her in and shut the door behind her looking out the peephole again just to make sure the coast was clear.
“Have you lost your mind?” Paula asked startled.
Lana turned around and put her finger up to her mouth. Paula took her shades off and frowned.
“You’ve finally snapped haven’t you?” she continued.
Lana grabbed her arm and took her into the bathroom.
“What is going on?” Paula pleaded.
“Did you know your mother was my neighbor?” Lana pointed to the wall behind Paula and her eyes grew three times the normal size.
“Oh shit, no. I didn’t know what floor she was on,” she whispered.
“And deranged Kim is at the end of the hall!” Lana whispered as loud as she could.
“You didn’t leave the room did you?” Paula asked.
“Of course not, I’m not an idiot,” Lana assured.
“Well, we have to get you out of here. Kayden’s waiting.” Paula turned to leave the room.
“He knows?” Lana asked, her heart racing for very different reasons this time, and Paula smiled at her.
“Yes honey, he knows everything,” she replied proudly.
“Everything?”
“Everything.”
The smile that erupted made her face hurt. She could barely contain the excitement she felt. She spent the last month wondering if she’d ever see him again and now the moment was finally there.
“Let’s go,” Lana said way too loudly walking out of the bathroom.
“Wait,” Paula commanded stopping her. “I’m going to take you to him and later tonight we’re gonna bust my mom. But you have to stay hidden until then. We can’t risk her playing defense beforehand.”
Lana nodded her head understanding everything Paula said to be true. Even after she met up with Kayden it still wasn’t quite over yet. If Maureen got wind that Kayden was on to her, she could screw with the company merger, KDN, the opening tonight, everything. Not to mention Kim’s own personal vendetta, it could all be for nothing.
“Now, how do we sneak you out of here?” Paula asked looking at her.
“I doubt your mother would ever take the stairs,” Lana guessed.
“Smart girl, we just make sure the coast is clear and make a bee line for the stairwell.”
Lana nodded her head and they headed out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. Paula cracked open the hotel room door and stuck her head out carefully. The hallway was completely silent and empty. She walked down the hall over to her mother’s room and put her ear to the door. She couldn’t hear anything and wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not.
Waving Lana out of the room, she popped her head out the door then ran as silently as she could to the staircase door, opening it as quiet as she could. When she stepped in, the door slammed behind her unbelievably loud. She stood in the stair well not sure what to do as everyone on the floor definitely heard that. Like a track racer at the starting pistol, she took off down the stairs before anyone left their room in search of the source. Paula on the other hand was still in the hallway when Kim came out of her room to look down the hall.
Paula knocked on her mother’s door, pretending to be going to see her. At least this way she had an excuse to invite her to the dinner party later. Kim walked back into her room closing the door behind her. Maureen’s door opened and she stepped outside in her robe, but not before Paula could see Heathcliff in the background with no shirt on.
“Really mom, the Captain?” She asked as Maureen put on the best smile she could manage.
“Paula, what a lovely surprise,” she stated.
“Mom, after the reopening tonight, I’m throwing Kayden a congratulatory dinner and I’d like for you to be there.”
“That sounds lovely dear but are you sure you want me there? After this morning I got the impression you weren’t exactly happy with me,” Maureen pointed out.
“I’m sorry mother, that was more about Kimberly, I apologize. I also want to apologize to her as well—I could’ve handled it better,” she lied.
Maureen looked at her daughter suspiciously. She wasn’t sure how to take such a random act of forgiveness so soon after the earlier altercation.
“Are you sure that would be wise, dear?” She asked again, the smile plastered on her face like a marionette doll.
“Yes. I spoke to Kayden and he asked me to make nice,” she lied again.
“Well in that case, I would be delighted,” she gave Paula a hug.
“And invite your new boyfriend,” she replied and winked at her mother as she walked away.
Maureen let out a semi-embarrassed laugh and watched her daughter disappear down the hall. This was actually great news, she thought. Kayden insisting on Kim’s appearance showed that perhaps he was ready to move on finally. Maureen turned and re-entered her room, closing the door behind her quietly.
***
Heathcliff lay on his side in the bed his arm propped under his head.
“What was that about?” he asked smiling slyly at her.
“How would you like to come to dinner with the Capshaws?” She asked and walked over to the bed. He sat up as she grabbed his face and kissed him. Finally, she thought, it was almost over.
***
Lana’s heart raced in her chest as Paula lurched the car up the hill. She didn’t know what she would do when she saw him and couldn’t believe how much she could miss a person. Paula passed her house on the top of Deleveaux circle and Lana’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Aren’t we going to your house?” she asked.
“Nope, we’re going to yours,” Paula replied. About a half a mile later they reached a huge piece of land on the highest peak of the hilltop.
They drove further up until a house came into formation. It was unfinished, the wood paneling exposed with no windows in it yet. It was the sketch Kayden drew of the house he planned to build them. He didn’t waste any time getting
it started. Her heart started to beat faster and faster, her emotions getting the best of her. What would she say? What would he do? Paula pulled the car up onto the end of the rounded driveway.
“You ready?” she asked, her smile bigger and wider than she’d ever seen it.
Lana was breathing fast, too fast. She was afraid she may pass out and tried to calm herself.
“It’s been a month. I don’t know what to say,” she admitted as tears fell down her face.
“I’m sure you’ll find the words,” Paula replied.
“He must be inside. I don’t see him,” Lana stated and felt a little relief as she noticed his car wasn’t there either.
Maybe he was running late or worse maybe he changed his mind?
Paula got out of the car and walked into the massive nine thousand square foot shell that would soon be her brother’s permanent residence. She saw him through the entrance in the back yard through where his double doors would eventually be. It kind of reminded her of her own house except three times the size and way more grandiose.
As she walked through the house, her Jimmy Choo’s resounded through the huge space, then stepped through the opening that would soon be the covered lanai and stood next to her brother.
“You out did yourself little bro,” Paula said. He turned to her but wasn’t looking for her.
“Where is she, what happened?” he asked.
“She’s in front. She’s a little emotional,” Paula replied.
Kayden understood, he was too but enough time had passed and he needed to see her already. Before he could say a word what felt like a mini freight train hit him. It was Lana. She had thrown herself into him and was holding onto him for dear life.
“Never mind,” Paula said as they held onto one another, “She took the scenic route.” Paula smiled as they clung to one another and walked back through the house to give them privacy.
Kayden looked down at Lana, her head buried in his chest. She was weeping and he couldn’t stop his own tears from falling from his face. She pulled back from him and looked at him. She had thought she would never again see those eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, as she couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Crashing Into Me (Crashing Into Me #1) Page 19