The Naughty One

by Michelle Love

  Once his breathing went back to normal, his brain knew the answer. “I love her, Hayley.”

  “That kiss…”

  He held up his hand to stop her. “Was good. And maybe necessary for us. But it was a one-time thing. I love her. I don’t care that I’ll have to wait to have children with her. I will wait. I’m sorry we kissed. I’m sorry it meant more to you than it did to me.”

  “The truth is if she wasn’t in your life, then you’d give me a chance,” she said as he opened the text Aulora had sent him while they were out of the car.

  When his eyes drooped, she snatched the phone from him and smiled as she saw what Aulora had sent him. She not only let him go but she told him to be with her. She handed him the phone without saying a word. The ball was in her court and she knew it.

  “She’s just mad,” he said as he placed the phone in the console.

  “I’m still going to make her talk to me. We had a deal and that was part of it.”

  “That girl will rip you apart. She has that look about her. You sure you want to do that to yourself?”

  He wiped his eyes and pulled away from the grave as the rain continued to pour down in sheets. “Even if I have no one else, I’m not starting things back up with you. This trip was a mistake. I meant it to give you closure that you seemed to need. I didn’t need any. I got my closure when you married someone else. I was wrong for taking you on. I wanted to help you and all you want is, what you want.”

  “So, I’m selfish. That’s what you’re saying. I’m a selfish bitch!”

  “I didn’t call you a bitch. But you are being selfish and I should’ve listened to my head when it told me to leave you alone. I knew this would end up badly. And I may have lost the one woman who brings things out in me no one else ever has.”

  A heavy sigh came from Hayley along with her bursting into tears. “I love you! Damn it, Weston! She’s through with you! Please, give me a chance to prove to you I can be what you want.”

  He drove to the airport without answering her. He tried hard to block out her bawling and squalling. He’d forgotten how dramatic she could be. He wasn’t sure how he’d forgotten that.

  Hayley knew how to work him. She always had. He recalled the first time he asked her out. She was having a full-on pity party for herself, in the lunchroom of the high school they both went to, one afternoon. The boy she liked had turned her down when she asked him to the Sadie Hawkins dance. Weston saw her crying, all alone at a table, and asked her what was wrong. When he heard her woeful tale, he jumped in like a knight in shining armor and picked up the pieces, taking her to the dance and in grand style at that.

  The feelings they shared were slow to grow. After that first date, she kept showing up in the halls of their high school. Walking along side of him to his next class. He would reciprocate her gesture and started walking her to class, instead. Citing it was the man’s job to walk the young ladies to class, not vice versa.

  Before he realized what was happening, Hayley had insinuated herself into his life. Dropping by his home on Friday nights had him taking her with him to the ball games and then out for burgers afterward. Day by day, she crept in until he thought he’d found love. His first love.

  He treated her special after he realized they were actually dating. And when he took her virginity, he made it special for her. Weston realized he was that man. He was that guy who wanted to rescue women.

  And then he knew that was going to be his downfall. He needed to be with a woman who didn’t need him to fix her or help her. Aulora had never asked for his help, yet he’d given it to her in every way he could think of.

  She was mad at him for buying up all her artwork at that show. Even though she needed the damn money, she had been mad and asked him not to buy any more of it.

  Aulora wanted to make it all on her own and he had gotten in the way of that. Trying to fix things for her, instead of being by her side and helping her to deal with the outcome, whatever that might be.

  “Thank you, Hayley,” he said as they pulled into the busy LAX airport.

  “For what?” she said then sniffled.

  “For showing me what I’ve been doing wrong all these years. I’ve been trying to help women.”

  “That’s not a bad thing, Weston.”

  “But it is if you take away from them to do it. When I saw you crying, I just wanted to stop it. And what I did was unintentionally make you think of me as the go-to guy to ease your mind, your fears, your loneliness.”

  “And you’re great at doing that, Weston. Not every man cares that much,” she told him then ran her hand over his cheek. “That’s a great attribute.”

  Taking her hand, moving it back to her own lap, he left it there and she noticed that he no longer wanted her to touch him. But she thought it might stem from how he was reacting to her touch. It must spark something in him or he wouldn’t bother to get away from it.

  He saw her bite her lower lip and reach out to him again. “Stop that,” he warned her. “I can see what you’re trying to do. I don’t want to hurt you. Don’t make me.”

  “She doesn’t want you anymore,” she told him as they sat in the long line at the airport.

  “She’s just mad and that’s what she does when she’s mad.”

  “Shuts you out? That’s not healthy,” Hayley said, pissing Weston off.

  “You did that too, so don’t go judging her!” he shouted at her. “You know what, just be quiet. For now, be quiet.”

  He picked his cell back up and tapped in a message to Aulora.

  -I’ll take my chances. When I get back, I’m coming over to explain everything to you. I’m done hiding things.-

  Aulora was quick to text back.

  -Don’t!-

  -I am going to talk to you. Don’t even try to avoid me. I will find you and if you’re at work or school or any place public, it won’t stop me from talking to you. I know how you hate scenes, so you should make sure we’re someplace private when we talk. Your place or mine?- He texted back to her.

  A long time went by. He was able to move up a lot before she texted back.

  -Fine, it’s your funeral. I’ll be home. I’ve already called into work. I feel sick. Sick and tired!-

  “You should heed her warning, Weston. Why fight with her? She’s not going to take you back. You lied to her and went off with your ex-wife. Who you kissed.”

  Weston looked at her with a frown on his handsome face. “She doesn’t know that.”

  A sly grin curled her lips. “You will need to tell her that, you know. In the spirit of honesty.”

  He looked at the cars ahead of him. The way they were all in long rows of what seemed to be endless lines told him he’d be there a while. And he felt the heaviness begin to form in his chest.

  Honesty meant he’d need to tell her about the kiss. He’d need to be honest about it all. No more hiding anything. He felt like he may get defeated then he smiled as he thought about things.

  Aulora hadn’t told him a damn thing about her past!

  How could she fault him? She’d been as closed off with her past as he had! Loophole!

  The traffic began to move as if that was a sign that he was right. If she played the, he was a liar, card by his omissions, then he could play that card too. She hadn’t told him a damn thing about her past. Not that he hadn’t asked her. She just always seemed to steer the conversation into a different direction.

  “When we get back to New York I want you to know that I feel no need to talk to you anymore, Hayley.”

  Her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. “Weston! You and I share…”

  His voice was stern when he said, “We don’t share anything anymore. It’s been ten damn years since we shared anything. That’s gone. I’m sorry we lost him, I am. But we did. And we lost our marriage and our relationship. It’s over, Hayley. End of story. It’s all over.”

  “She won’t take you back, Weston. Then what will you do? Call me and see if you can take these words
back. I might not let you.” She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.

  “We both know that you would, don’t lie to yourself, honey. But I won’t be doing that anyway. You see, I love that woman. I know she has a stubborn streak a mile wide. And I think I might have one too. Because I’m going to fight for her. I’m going to make sure she knows I’m not about to give up.”

  “So, the dream of having kids is over for you?” she asked. “I don’t see that.”

  “I can wait for her to be ready too. She’s young. I shouldn’t have even asked her to do such a thing. She deserves to get to have her youth. Just because we cut ours short doesn’t mean everyone has to. I love her, so I can wait.”

  “Noblw to a fault, aren’t you?” Hayley asked.

  He nodded. “You know what, I’ve been told that before. By Aulora. And I’ll tell you what I told her. I am.”

  The parking lot to drop off the rental car came up and he pulled into it. Parking the car, he got out and found Hayley waiting inside of it. He supposed she was waiting for him to open her door and do the gentlemanly thing. He shook his head and wiggled his finger at her.

  Opening the trunk, he put the two small bags on the back of the golf cart that came around to pick them up. Hayley finally got out of the car and that’s when he remembered he’d left his cell in it.

  Going back to get it and give the car one last look over, he found she’d sent a text to Aulora, telling her that they’d hooked up and she was sure he didn’t plan on letting her in on it but that she felt compelled to let her know, woman to woman.

  The grin on Hayley’s face was enough to make him want, for the first time ever, to slap the shit out of a woman!

  Chapter 4

  Her tears were burning trails down her cheeks when a text from the woman Weston was with came across the screen of her cell, making her throw the phone. Aulora had managed to pull herself together, somewhat. Then the damn message came in that broke her right back down.

  When would the torture end?

  A light knocking at her door had her trying desperately to wipe away the tears from her swollen eyes and make her way to the door. A thing she didn’t want to do but she knew it might be the landlady there to ask about the rent she was supposed to turn in that day but hadn’t built up the gumption to get dressed and go do that.

  As she pulled the door open, she mumbled, “I’m sorry. I have the money…” Aulora stopped talking and rubbed her eyes. Her vision was kind of blurry but she could swear she was looking at…

  “Aulora, we’ve been calling and calling,” her mother said.

  “And it looks like you’ve been crying,” her father said.

  “Dad?” she asked, not sure she was really seeing him.

  “Can we come in?” he asked.

  She stepped back, feeling even more numb, somehow. “Why are you here?”

  “Aulora!” her mother’s firm word came, quickly. “Your father has something to tell you. Please, hear him out.”

  “Why?” she asked, stunned.

  When he took her hand and led her to sit on her tiny sofa, he said, “Because I was a fool, sweetheart. I’m here to right the wrongs I’ve done to you both.”

  “But…,” she managed to get out but her mother stopped her.

  “Aulora, let him talk.”

  She sat quietly, waiting to hear what the man who’d dumped them had to say. But she didn’t want to. If she hadn’t just been put through the ringer and at her weakest moment ever, she’d have slammed the door in his face.

  “Honey, I married a woman a couple of years ago, and we’re having a baby,” her father said.

  “Congratulations?” she asked as she rubbed her tear swollen eyes.

  “Yes, that’s the appropriate thing to say,” her mother said as she sat next to her and put her arm around her. “Do you want to tell us why you’ve been crying?”

  “No,” came her quick answer. “I’d like to find out why either of you think I would care about this news. And I’m wondering why you care, Mom.”

  “Your father came to make amends, Aulora. Give him a chance. He’s your blood, you know.”

  Aullie looked at her father. He was all smiles and looking almost just like she remembered. She’d inherited his light blue eyes. His firm jaw was another thing she had like him. He was her father but not in the spirit of being an actual father.

  “Blood? What about the fact you left us, Dad? Am I just supposed to forgive and forget and move on? And just why would I do that?”

  “I don’t expect you to forgive me right away,” he said. “I know it’ll take some time. But I’m not going to leave you out of my life anymore. You’re going to be a big sister, Aulora. I want you to be in your sister’s life.”

  “You’re having another girl?” she asked as she settled into her mother’s side.

  “We are. You see, the woman I married has a huge heart. It was she who told me I should make amends with you and your mother. When I looked back at what I’d done to you both, it made me sick. And I know you can’t be expected to just accept me back into your life. But, honey, I don’t want you or your new baby sister to miss out on knowing each other because of what I did to you.”

  Her brain was in a spiral. Life was knocking her one way and then the other and she was feeling punch drunk. She was going to be a big sister at twenty-two-years-old. That felt weird, to say the least.

  “Dad, I don’t know what you expect out of me,” she said as she got up to go grab her a bottle of water out of her small fridge.

  “I expect you to let me do right by you. I expect you to feel welcome in my home with your stepmother, Clara. I expect you to enjoy your baby sister. And I expect you to accept my love for you and one day, I hope you can return that love. But I won’t press you about that,” he told her as he followed her into the kitchenette area. “First things, first.” He held out a keychain with three keys on it. One of them went to a car, she could tell as it was one of those chip like things. And the Mercedes emblem on the key fob was staring her in the face.

  “You brought me a car?” she asked, stunned.

  “I did. A brand new one. Your mother said you love bright colors, so I got you an electric blue one. I had to special order it. I hope you like it. If you don’t then we can always exchange it for something you do like. Not a problem, honey,” came his answer.

  She took the keys and held up the one that resembled a house key. “Is this to your home?”

  “Not that one. The other one is. I want you to come and go as you please in my home. It’s in upstate New York. Clara is dying to meet you. She’s hoping you’ll do a mural in your baby sister’s room for her. What do you say to that?”

  “I say, what’s this key for, Dad?” she asked him as she tried to grasp the reality of what the hell was happening to her.

  “That’s to your penthouse on Fifth Avenue, honey. Nothing too huge. Only five bedrooms and three living areas with a couple of dining areas too. And a full staff, of course,” he said with a huge grin.

  “Dad, I can’t afford…”

  His finger landed on her lips. “You can. You see, I owe you a shit-ton of child support. Which I asked a lawyer about and he came up with what I owe you and your mother. I’ve made accounts with that money for you both.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a bank card. “You’ll need to go by the bank at your earliest convenience to sign a couple of papers for them and the money will instantly be accessible.”

  “Isn’t this fantastic, sweetie?” her mother asked her as she came to them. “He bought me a penthouse in the same building yours is in. I’m just a brisk walk away from where you’ll live.”

  “I suppose you got a car too,” Aullie said with a frown.

  Her mother nodded and smiled. “Yes, your father has been very generous. You should try to, at the very least, act happy.”

  “What if I don’t want any of this?” Aullie asked them both.

  “This is all yours, by rights, Aulora,” he
r father told her as he pulled her in for a hug. “I’m sorry I did you so wrong. But that’s over now. You are my daughter. My first-born child. Not only have I given you all I should’ve been doling out to you all along, you will be my heir as well. You are a Wohrl. That means something.”

  “I stopped using that name. I go by Mom’s last name now.”

  “Not legally,” her mother reminded her.

  “Legally, you’re my daughter, Aulora. Now, come with us. I want you to throw on some clothes and get out of this ratty robe you have on. There’s so much I want to show you. You won’t be staying tonight in this dump. Your closets in the new penthouse have already been filled by a stylist your mother gave your sizes and style interests to.”

  “You’re going to love the clothes and shoes, the handbags, and jewelry!” her mother gushed.

  “This isn’t what I wanted,” Aullie said but her parents were having none of that.

  Her mother took her over, leading her to the bathroom and tossing her inside. “I’ll grab something from your closet. Shower!”

  Aullie stood in the bathroom, the set of keys still in her hand.

  What the hell just happened?

  Chapter 5

  Rain had delayed the private jet from taking off for four hours. When they arrived at JFK airport in New York, it was ten at night. Hayley had been eerily quiet all that time. Weston didn’t seem to care, though.

  “Care to share a cab, Weston?” she asked him as they walked out of the sliding glass doors.

  “No, I’m taking one to Aulora’s. Like I said before, I’m sorry about things and how they’ve gone but I’m done with you, Hayley. I do hope you have a nice life.” He opened the door of a waiting cab and she got into it. Then he closed the door as her mouth opened to say something else. He didn’t want to hear it anyway.

  Getting into the cab that was waiting right behind it, he gave the driver Aulora’s address and was headed that way. Pulling out his cell, he gave her a call. A call she didn’t answer. But he’d expected that.

  He sent her a text.

  -On my way to you.-