That was it. Whether or not the conversation ended badly, it was going to give me the closure I needed to hopefully be able to hold down a damn meal.
I took the elevator down to Bandwidth’s floor, working on my deep breathing the whole way. I was terrifyingly close to losing my nerve the closer I came to his office. Then I reached the pretty brunette sitting at the desk right outside the door.
“Hi. I’m Daphne King. I just need to speak with Caleb for a second if that’s okay.” I didn’t stop walking as I blurted that all out.
The woman stood from her chair and scuttled around her desk after me. “Oh, wait. No. I’m sorry, Mr. McMannus is in a meeting.”
“That’s okay. I’ll just be a second.”
The woman kept going. “No! Ms. King, you can’t just walk into—”
I shoved the office door open, looking over my shoulder at the poor frantic woman as I spoke. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t barge in, but I really need to talk to him.”
She looked past me, addressing Caleb. “Mr. McMannus, I’m so sorry. She wouldn’t take no for an ans—”
But I had already turned around, my gaze landing on the woman sitting across from the man who was basically destroying my health. “Mom?”
She looked as surprised to see me as I was her. “Daphne?”
Caleb bolted out of his chair, his face completely flabbergasted. “You two know each other?”
My head pretty much exploded right then. I spun to look at him. “What are you doing talking to my mother?” I shrieked.
“Calm down, darling girl.”
My attention jerked to the devil woman who birthed me. I jabbed my finger in her direction. “You don’t talk! Especially to me!”
She uncrossed her legs and rose on her expensive heels, moving in my direction all regal and bitchy as always. “Honey, I’ve been calling you for months.”
“I know!” I shouted. “It hasn’t just been a coincidence that each of those calls has gone unanswered! Why the fresh hell are you here?”
“Well, I originally came to Seattle for you—”
“Not here!” I waved my arms wide. “I mean here. In Caleb’s office. Why are you in. Caleb’s. Office?”
“Well—”
“Enough!” Caleb boomed, his voice so loud it practically shook the windows. “Stacy, please, go back to your desk.” The brunette now known as Stacy scurried out of the office like her ass was on fire. “And you!” He jabbed his finger in my mother’s direction. “Get the fuck out and do not come back, or I swear to Christ, you’ll regret it.”
Mom slung her purse strap over her shoulder and flipped her hair before sauntering out like the queen of everything.
My head whipped back in Caleb’s direction. “Why was she here?” I demanded the instant the door shut behind the she-monster.
“Funny little coincidence,” Caleb said in a tone that didn’t hold a single ounce of humor. “Turns out your slut of a mother is fucking my dad behind my mother’s back.”
My jaw dropped to the floor. Then the thought of my mom and Christopher McMannus bumping uglies made my stomach drop. I lunged for his trash can, barely making it before I emptied the contents of my stomach. “Oh my god,” I gasped once I was finally able to breathe again. “I can’t believe this. She’s doing it again. She’s destroying my fucking life!”
“Jesus Christ.” His hand landed on my back, rubbing in a soothing gesture as I hunkered over the trash can. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
I snatched a few tissues from the box on his desk and wiped my mouth before standing up and facing him. “No. No, I’m not okay.” That was all it took for my rant to come pouring out. “I’ve been so stressed over what the hell is happening with you that it’s been making me sick, so I decided to come up here and confront you and finally get some answers, only to find the bitch mother from hell sitting in your chair! So no, I’m not okay, Caleb!”
He took a step away with a sigh and raked his hands through his hair. “What are you talking about? There’s nothing happening with me.”
“Really?” God, my emotions were so off the charts that I actually felt tears burn behind my eyes. “So you aren’t avoiding me?”
“Of course I’m not. I’ve just been busy, like I told you. Where’s all this coming from? You’re the one who wanted this to be easy. I’m just giving you what you asked for. I thought maybe we were spending a little too much time together and complicating things, so I took a little step back, but that doesn’t mean anything has to change between us.” He reached out and pulled me against him. “We can still have mind-blowing sex.”
“You….” I closed my eyes and pulled in a long breath. I wanted to reach out and slap him, or scream and curse him name. But I couldn’t. Because he was right. Well… about everything but the sex at least, because no way in hell was I going there again. But he was right about everything else. I’d pushed for easy. That wasn’t on him. I couldn’t blame him for not developing feelings for me the way I had him. So instead of raging like I wanted, I opened my eyes and exhaled. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I think… I think whatever’s been making me sick lately just has me feeling overly emotional. Maybe I need to go to a doctor or something.”
He caressed my forearms, watching me carefully. “You sure?”
I faked a smile as best I could. “Yeah, I’m sure. I mean, I did just hurl in your wastebasket after all. And I don’t think my mother was fully to blame for that.” I paused, running my fingers through my hair. “I can’t believe she’s sleeping with your dad. I’m just… I’m sorry. I don’t even know what to say about that.”
His eyebrow quirked up as he studied my face. “So you didn’t know about any of this?” I didn’t miss the accusation dripping from his words.
“What? No! Of course not! I haven’t even talked to the woman in seven years. I had no idea.”
He moved around his desk and started pacing. “Okay. If you say so—”
“I do say so,” I interrupted, anger surging up inside me. “I do fucking say so.” I let out an emotionless laugh. “You know what? I think I should go. I’m suddenly feeling sick again,” I said bitterly.
“Hey, wait.” He darted toward me and grabbed my arm as I headed for the door. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just… this whole-fucked up thing with my folks has me on edge. I took it out on you and I’m sorry.”
I pulled out of his grasp and reached for the knob. “It’s fine. I’ll talk to you later.”
Then I left, feeling no better than when I’d arrived.
Chapter Nineteen
Daphne
I didn’t have the first clue what Mommy Dearest was playing at, but if I were being honest, I really didn’t give a shit. Caleb and his whole family could go straight to hell.
Okay, well that might not necessarily have been true. The fact that the woman whose DNA ran through me was screwing with people attached to me in any way made me sick. She didn’t care who she hurt—even if it was me—as long as she got what she wanted. She’d always been like that.
The anxiety from knowing she was in town, along with the throbbing ache in my chest thanks to Caleb, had worn me thin. The second I got home from work, I changed into my most comfy jammies with unicorns and rainbows, and fuzzy socks. I’d sat down in front of the TV and passed out in the middle of some crappy daytime television show.
I was woken up by someone banging on my front door. I sat up groggily, noticing that the sun had set some time while I was sleeping, and night had officially fallen. The banging recommenced and I stood from the couch, shuffling on my socked feet. “I’m coming, I’m coming!”
The second I pulled the door open Lola lunged. “I’M GETTING MARRIED!” she screamed so loud I winced at the assault on my ears. Then what she’d just said registered.
“What?” She wiggled her left hand in front of my face, flashing a brilliant diamond engagement ring. “Oh my god!” I screeched, pulling her into my arms for a hug. “Oh my go
d! You’re getting married!” We bounced around in a circle for several seconds before I finally got my shit together and pulled her inside. “Tell me everything,” I demanded. “When did it happen? How? When’s the wedding?”
I led us to the couch as she answered. “He asked over dinner tonight. He made a special meal at the house and popped the question right there. You should have seen it, he was so nervous. It was adorable. I climbed him like a tree the second he slid the ring on my finger. Wore him out so good he was still passed out when I left to come here.”
I shot up. “We need to celebrate! This calls for all the wine. I’ll open a bottle, you call Sophia and Fee. Tell them to get their asses over here for an impromptu girls’ night.”
I hustled into the kitchen, pulling out one of my most expensive red blends. I listened to her talk on her phone as I uncorked the bottle, feeling unbridled excitement for my best friend that thankfully outshined the bit of envy that simmered just beneath the surface.
I refused to let Lola or anyone see that I was anything but ecstatic. She’d had just as bad luck when it came to relationships as I did. And her father was only slightly less of a piece of shit than my mother. Despite all the crap swirling around in my life, I wanted what was best for my friends.
“They’re on their way. Shouldn’t be more than twenty minutes or so.”
I left two empty glasses on the counter next to the open bottle and brought the two I’d filled back to the living room. It was then that she noticed my haggard appearance.
“Oh, honey. I didn’t think. I’m so sorry. I just barged in here without taking into consideration that you’re sick.”
I curled my legs beneath me and took a sip. “Don’t even think like that,” I said. “I’m fine. I just needed to sleep it off. I’m just fine now, and I’d have been pissed if I’d been left out of this.”
Her face got soft with a look of love just a second before she set her glass down and pulled me into a bear hug. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I replied, suddenly choked up.
I spent three hours happily celebrating the fantastic news with Lola, Sophia, and Fiona, but by the time they headed home I felt like I hadn’t slept in a week. It was an exhaustion heavier than any I’d ever felt before. Even back in college when I’d spend days cramming for finals it hadn’t been this bad. I wasn’t sure if it was the few glasses of wine I had, or simply the fact that I was getting older, but I was completely and utterly spent. Bone freaking tired.
My head had just hit the pillow when my phone chimed with an incoming text.
Caleb: You hear the news?
Jeez, the guy was killing me. I hit Reply and quickly typed out a message.
Me: Yep. Girls just left.
To my surprise, he kept texting. After what he’d said earlier that afternoon, I’d expected not to hear from him for a while.
Caleb: How are you feeling? Any better?
I kept my response short and sweet, needing—more than hoping—for the conversation to come to an end.
Me: Just tired. Actually about to go to bed.
Caleb: Okay. Well, good night, sweetheart. Sleep well. And I’m sorry for all the shit that landed on you today. We can talk about all that later when you’re feeling better.
I exited the messages and blacked the screen, placing it on my bedside table.
Then I did something I hadn’t done in longer than I could remember. I wasn’t even sure why I was doing it, but that night, I cried myself to sleep.
Chapter Twenty
Caleb
I was an epic prick.
I kept telling myself that I was only giving her what she wanted, that our arrangement was exactly what she’d asked for, but there was no convincing myself that it was true. I couldn’t help but feel like I’d fucked up royally, in a way that would be practically impossible to fix if I didn’t figure something out soon.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the first fucking clue how to do that.
And it seemed like every time I tried to come up with a solution, some other bullshit in my life reared its ugly head and blew me off course.
Case in point: my father’s sudden appearance in my office doorway.
“Jesus Christ,” I groaned to the heavens. “I’m not doing this again.”
“I got word that Connie paid you a visit a few days ago,” he said, disregarding my declaration without so much as blinking.
“You got word?” I asked incredulously. “You make it sound like you’re a connected man.”
He sat in the same chair Connie had been in just three days prior. “When you have as much money as our family does, you have connections everywhere. So answer my question.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I scoffed. “Was there a question in there somewhere?”
“Always such a fucking smartass,” he grumbled unhappily. “What did Connie come here to talk about?”
I leaned back in my chair, giving the impression that I didn’t have a care in the world, which couldn’t have been further from the truth. “Such a charming woman,” I said drolly. “Definitely one of your more ambitious gold diggers. She seems to think she’s in the running to be the next Mrs. McMannus.”
He shoved a hand through his hair. “Christ.” I didn’t think I’d ever seen him rattled before. He was a man who thrived on appearances. Always the most expensive, well-pressed suits, never a hair out of place. He was known for putting on airs, and made no apologies for it. Growing up under his critical, assessing eye had been a pain in the ass. As a child it wasn’t uncommon for me to be punished for something as trivial as leaving the house without putting in the effort to look my absolute best. Seeing him so disheveled and shaken up would have been a goddamn joy had dread over what he was about to say not put a damper on the situation.
“What the hell going on?” I asked, prepared to hear the worst.
“I… I made a mistake. I thought… Shit.”
My palms grew sweaty, but it wasn’t concern for myself that had me agitated. It was because of my mother. I had a feeling that whatever bomb was about to be dropped on me would have an even greater impact on Mom. And there was no way she’d be able to handle it.
“What the fuck did you do?”
“Connie’s blackmailing me. She… there’s a video—”
I told myself I was prepared for the worst and God laughed. I was going to be sick. I held my hands up, my face twisting in disgust. “Fuck, stop! Just stop. I don’t want to hear any more.” I shook my head furiously in the hopes of clearing the images that filled my head. I was only two seconds from puking my guts up. “Just fucking pay her off. You’ve got enough money, you could use cash to wipe your own ass and still not take a hit.”
“It’s not as simple as that. She doesn’t want a payoff.”
Oh fuck. “What does she want?”
He scraped his palm along the stubble covering his jawline. “She wants me to leave your mother and marry her.”
I leaned forward, slamming my forearms down on my desk as my brain exploded. “Are you shitting me?” I bellowed.
“Keep your voice down,” he hissed angrily.
I chose to ignore his command and continued talking. “So let me get this straight. You, the man who hasn’t been able to keep his dick in his pants ever, turned out to be a nasty perv who hooked up with a con artist bitch who videotaped you having kinky sex and is now threatening to release said video if you don’t divorce my mom and… what? Marry her?”
“More or less.”
I collapsed backward, causing my chair to let out a loud creak as the weight of everything he’d just dropped on me set in. “Jesus fucking Christ.”
“I need your help, son.”
And the hits just kept coming. I couldn’t believe he had the nerve to ask for my help, especially right then. “I’m sorry, come again? Because I obviously didn’t hear you right. It sounded like you just said you want me to clean up another of your goddamn messes. Please tell me I heard you wrong.”
He actually had the common decency to look contrite, but that didn’t stop him from being a world-class dickhead. “I wouldn’t ask if I had any other choice.”
“Bullshit,” I snapped. “I’ve been covering your ass my whole fucking life, so don’t sit there and pretend like you feel bad for coming to me.”
“Son—”
“No,” I interrupted. “I’m done. I’m not doing shit for you this time. You’ve finally dug yourself a hole I won’t help you out of. You’re on your own.”
Gone was the remorse, quickly replaced by the bitter hatred I was so used to seeing on his face. “And just let your mother deal with the fallout? Please,” he snorted disdainfully, the arrogant prick. “Like I’d buy that for one goddamn second. You’d never let your sweet, sensitive mommy take that kind of hit. So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to help me clean this shit up, and then we’re never speaking of it again. Do you understand me?”
I was going to snap in a way that would lead to some serious jail time if this happy little father/son moment didn’t end soon. Standing, I dug my fingertips into the wood of my desk until my knuckles popped and turned white. “Get out. Get the fuck out of my office right now, or I swear to god you’ll regret ever stepping foot in here.” I waited a few seconds for him to move, but he didn’t. “Do not make me repeat myself. And don’t ever come back.”
Finally, showing he was at least a little smart, he stood and walked out without another word.
The last thing I wanted to do after the shit I’d dealt with earlier was go to some fancy-ass private room in an expensive-as-hell restaurant, celebrating the engagement of my best friend and his new smoking-hot fiancée, even if I was happy as hell for them both. I just wasn’t in the mood to party.
I was leaning against the bar, looking out at all the partygoers, living in their own happy little bubbles, totally oblivious to the shit life could rain down on a person. Ah, to be that naïve. It must have been nice.
Enticing Daphne Page 12