by Ali Parker
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I wanted to like him. I wanted him to be a great guy. But Mandy, I can’t let you be with a man that doesn’t treat you right. You deserve so much better,” I told her, feeling tears filling my eyes.
She leaned into me. “Thank you.”
“I’m always going to be here for you.”
“I know. I just wish I could find the same happiness you did.”
“I have no doubt in my mind that you will. Reggie isn’t the man for you. Hell, he isn’t the man for any woman.”
She laughed. “No, he wasn’t. I have a confession.”
“What?” I asked, wiping the tears from my eyes.
“I kind of knew there was someone else. I just wanted to pretend it didn’t happen. I wanted to have a man in my life. You’re going to be married and be too busy for me. I was hoping to find someone to hang out with and go over to your house for dinner and stuff like that. I didn’t want to be the third wheel.”
“I would never be too busy for you. You’re not going to be a third wheel. You’re my best friend, and I want to spend time with you and my fiancé. I hope we can make that work.”
She smiled. “Hailey, you have a wonderful man in your life. I want you to be happy.”
“Thank you. I am happy.”
She scoffed. “I practically pushed you into the happiness. I’m jealous, but not like jealous I hate you. I just want what you have. I’m going to keep looking for that dreamy guy like you have.”
“I’m going to keep my eyes peeled. I know Terran has a friend, Zach. Maybe he’s single.”
She laughed. “Zach the one that leaked the announcement?”
I shrugged. “I think so, but seriously, how bad could he be if he’s best friends with Terran? We have to give Terran some credit, right?”
She laughed. “Alrighty then.”
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I am. I’m sorry I was being such a bitch.”
“It’s okay. I’m sorry my boyfriend kind of lost his shit, but seriously, wasn’t it hot?” I squealed.
She burst into laughter. “I’m not going to lie. It was hot. I’m not eyeballing your man, but damn girl, you’ve got yourself a hottie. I secretly do hate you a little.”
I started laughing. “I know you do. Pretty soon every woman in LA will hate me. I’ll survive.”
She took a deep breath and wiped her face with a tissue, handing me one as well. “I have to get to work. Thank you for coming by.”
“Of course. Do you have the littles this morning?”
She nodded. “I do.”
“Can I stop by and say hi to Melissa? I feel like I’ve abandoned her.”
“You’re welcome to stop in. I think you’re going to be surprised when you see her though. She is doing so good.”
I felt the tears again and quickly dabbed at my eyes. “Good. That makes my heart feel better. I don’t know why, but that little girl has just tucked herself into my heart. I find myself thinking about her every day, wondering if she’s okay. I’m so happy to hear she is feeling better.”
Mandy hugged me. “She is. And I’m so proud to call you my friend. You have such a big heart. I wish people could see you for who you really are and not just your beauty.”
We stepped out of Mandy’s office and started on our way to the rec room when I noticed a couple of the ladies who worked at the orphanage whispering and looking at us.
“What’s that about?” I asked.
Mandy shrugged. “I don’t know. More office gossip I imagine.”
One of the women walked toward us, carrying a newspaper and a tablet in her hand. “Are you two okay?” she asked.
Mandy and I looked at each other. “We’re fine.”
“It’s just so awful what happened. I hope neither one of you were hurt.”
“Hurt?” I asked.
The woman was all too eager to hold up the newspaper, showing me a picture of Terran hitting Reggie. Another photo showed me holding him back while Mandy was on the ground cradling Reggie.
“Oh no,” Mandy muttered.
The woman shook her head. “It gets better.”
“Better?” I asked, my voice strained.
She swiped the tablet and turned it for Mandy and me to see. It was a video of the fight with Mandy and I rushing in and trying to break it up.
“Where did you get this?” Mandy snapped.
“I saw the picture in the paper and recognized Hailey. Then it was all over my Twitter feed. They’re saying Terran was jealous and attacked the man. One article I read suggested you were both dating Terran,” she said a little sheepishly.
I rolled my eyes. “That is ridiculous. Those rags need to move on. They are blowing it out of proportion, and I can assure you only Terran and I are dating. We’re engaged. Nobody was really hurt.”
“This is horrible,” Mandy said, staring at the picture.
“Don’t worry about it,” I assured her.
She shook her head. “I better get to work. Maybe it’d be best if you weren’t here when the director comes in, and I can guarantee he’s going to be coming in.”
I nodded my head, hurt, but understanding why it would be better for me to keep my distance. I gave her a quick hug and left the orphanage. It figured something would come along to interrupt the happy flow of my life.
Chapter 44
Terran
I felt like I owed Hailey a nice dinner out, just the two of us. I had made a mess of our last night out together and wanted to make it up to her. No more double dates for me for a good long while, not unless I knew the other guy.
We were going casual tonight. Mostly because I wasn’t sure I’d be allowed into any of the upscale restaurants I normally frequented. My little escapade had been the talk of the office all day yesterday. I was ashamed of the way I had reacted, but the guy deserved it. It was hard not to defend myself and try to explain my side of the story. I wanted to scream the guy had it coming. Instead, I kept my mouth shut and my head down. I couldn’t afford to bring any more attention to myself, especially with Lance breathing down my neck.
I knocked on Hailey’s door, excited to see her. She’d slept at her place last night, and I found I really missed her when we were apart.
“Hey, you,” she said, pulling open the door.
I grabbed her and kissed her, needing to feel her against me. “Hi.”
“You sure you want to go out?” she asked in a sexy voice.
I grinned. “Yes. I want to take you to a nice dinner, then we can come back here.”
“Sounds good to me. Let me grab my purse.”
We arrived at the restaurant and were escorted to a back booth, far away from the crowd. I had a feeling that was intentional as well. I was going to have a bit of a reputation for a while. I didn’t mind. It gave us more privacy.
“I missed you,” I blurted out.
She smiled. “I missed you too.”
“Did you talk to Mandy?”
She nodded. “I did. I’m sure you saw the newspaper?”
I grimaced. “I did.”
“Did you see the video and all the tabloid articles about what really happened?”
I shook my head. “No, I didn’t, and I don’t think I want to.”
She laughed. “You’re right, you don’t. The stories are ridiculous. One of them had you pegged as a serial dater. Another claimed you were dating Mandy and me together and Reggie got jealous.”
I groaned. “Great. It’ll be over soon. My life is not that exciting.”
“I hope so,” she replied.
“So, how is Mandy? Does she hate me?”
Hailey sighed. “She doesn’t hate you. I mean, she was pretty mad at you and me, and I had to do some serious groveling, but she’s better now.”
“Thank god. I’m so sorry I caused problems for you. I know she’s your best friend. I never wanted it to happen. I hope you believe me.”
“I know. I do believe you, and she believes you as
well. Reggie was a dick. She knew it, but she didn’t know how to dump him. I mean, she did, but she wants a boyfriend. She wants what we have.”
I nodded my head. “I understand. I should have tried to talk to the guy.”
“You did. I was there for a little of the conversation. I knew he was only looking at you as a meal ticket, as a way to get into your social circle. I thought he was going to beg you to take him on the yacht.”
I laughed. “I thought the same thing. I do like Mandy. Even if I only got to chat with her for a few minutes. She seems nice. She is pretty, and I’m sure she’ll find a good guy soon enough.”
“I hope so. She’s never had a long-term relationship. I mean, she dates a guy for a few months and then things just kind of fade away. I so want her to be happy. I keep feeling guilty.”
“Why do you feel guilty?” I asked her, sipping the club soda I had ordered. I was making it a dry night in case I had any more run-ins.
Hailey let out a long sigh. “She has always been there for me. I want her to be happy. I want her to know what it’s like to have a good man in her life. There are a lot of duds out there. It’s hard to find a good one.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “And I’m a good one?” I winked.
She giggled. “You are. Mandy’s a tiny bit jealous of me. I offered to set her up with Zach. Is he single?”
I nearly choked on the soda in my mouth. “No! I mean yes, he’s single, but he is not going to fall into that good guy category, trust me.”
“But, he’s your friend. He can’t be all bad. Maybe he just hasn’t found the right woman.”
I shook my head. “No, he hasn’t, and he won’t. He is my friend which is why you have to trust me when I say no way. Absolutely not.”
“That’s pretty harsh,” she replied.
“If and when you meet him, you’ll understand. Zach is not the guy for Mandy.”
“He’s your best friend?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
I could practically see the wheels turning in her brain as she thought about it. “Usually, you hang out with people with similar interests. You tend to be a lot like your best friend. Mandy and I are alike in many ways. You say Zach is not a good guy, but what does that make you?”
I gulped, realizing I had just stepped in some serious shit. “I’m not Zach, but there are going to be some people who will mention my past. I was a lot like Zach in some ways, but I’ve changed. You have to know that. Please don’t hold any of that against me. I wasn’t a good guy, and I did use women. I’ll admit it now, but I’m not like that. I hate that I was ever like that. I’ve grown up a lot. My priorities have changed.”
“You mean you aren’t the party animal and womanizer people thought you to be?” she asked in a soft voice.
“Hailey, I want to be honest with you. I was like that a long time ago. I was immature and did whatever I wanted, when I wanted with who I wanted. That was then, this is now. You changed me. All that is in the past. I don’t want that life. I don’t want to hook up with a new woman every night,” I told her with complete sincerity.
It shocked me a little to hear myself saying the words. They were all true. I didn’t want that life. I didn’t want any other woman except for her.
“That’s very sweet,” she said, smiling at me, but I could sense there was something wrong.
“Hailey, you believe me, right?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “I think this engagement thing happened really fast. I know you’re being sincere right now, but are you sure it isn’t just the newness of everything? I don’t want to rush into anything and end up regretting it later.”
I shook my head. “Absolutely not. I know it’s hard to believe, but meeting you changed everything. I knew it from the moment I saw you,” I insisted, hoping she believed me.
“I want you to know when I agreed to go out with you, I wasn’t looking for any of this. I mean, I had always hoped I would find a man I could share my life with, but I didn’t expect it to be you. I knew about your reputation. When I went into your office, I had my guard up. The second I saw you, it dropped. I kept telling myself you were bad news, but then I talked to you, and we had our first date. My opinion of you changed.”
I smiled. “Good. I would have never had a chance. Thank you for giving me the chance to prove I am more than my reputation.”
She nodded her head. “We all deserve that chance. People have always formed opinions about who I am because of the way I look or my job. I hate those snap judgments and really try not to do it myself. I’m not saying it always works, but I do try.”
“How about we order. The quicker we eat, the quicker we get out of here. I want to get you out of that dress.”
She smiled. “Sounds good to me.”
We ordered our meals, and once they were served, we were eating far faster than what was proper. I wanted to make up for last night. I had longed for her to be in my bed, and I planned on showing her just how much I had missed her.
“Are you finished?” I asked her.
She grinned and nodded her head. “I don’t know. Maybe I want dessert,” she said coyly.
I growled and shook my head. “I’m sure I have something at my place that will satisfy your craving.”
Her eyes stared into mine. “Promise?” she whispered.
I nodded my head, putting my hand in the air to get the check. I was going to break every speed limit to get home. I was already mentally calculating how many minutes it would take me to get there and the best route to take to avoid traffic.
“Can I get you a dessert menu?” the waiter asked.
I shook my head. “No. Check, please.”
The waiter deposited the check, and I quickly put my credit card in the leather wallet, handing it right back to him.
“Are you in a hurry?” Hailey asked coyly.
“You know I am. I might not make it all the way home. I might have to take you in the bathroom, here, now,” I growled.
Her face pinkened. “I think I might like that. Would you put me on the counter or have me up against a wall?” she teased.
I groaned, feeling the erection springing to life. I wasn’t going to be able to get up for a few minutes. “Don’t say another word.”
She raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter, Terran?” she asked, knowing damn well what was wrong.
I took a deep breath, counting backward from ten. I closed my eyes, but the first thing I saw was her naked and writhing.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw a sight that had me going limp in an instant. “Shit,” I muttered.
“Excuse me?” she asked with shock written all over her face.
I watched as Uncle Lance strode across the busy restaurant, a look of pure evil on his face. I quickly assessed the situation, trying to find the quickest escape route. There wasn’t one. I was trapped. I looked at Hailey and debated what I could say to make any of this better.
“Terran?” she asked.
I didn’t answer. My eyes were on Lance, his malevolent smile making me want to jump up and punch him in the mouth. I suddenly realized that was an option. I could hit him and start a fight. That would keep him from telling Hailey.
“Terran, what’s wrong?” Hailey asked again.
I turned to look at her and realized I was caught. Everything I thought I had was about to blow up in my face.
Chapter 45
Hailey
Something was very wrong. The man looked as if he had just been deposited in front of a firing squad.
“Terran, should we go to the hospital? What’s wrong? You’re worrying me,” I said, reaching out to grab his hand and giving it a good squeeze.
He looked at me, and I could see sadness in his eyes before he looked over my shoulder and glared. I turned back to see a man walking toward us, his gaze intent on Terran. I knew immediately the man was not a friend. He looked evil.
I bristled when the man’s green-eyed gaze turned to me. I instinctively knew they were
somehow related. Without asking, the man pulled a chair over to our table and sat far too close to me, smiling with what I read as evil intent.
“Uh, excuse me,” I hissed.
The man smiled again. “Forgive my interruption. I’m Lance, Terran’s uncle,” he said, extending a hand.
I looked at Terran for confirmation. He didn’t deny the connection. I shook Lance’s hand and waited. Obviously, this was not a happy reunion.
“What can I do for you, Lance?” I asked, my tone short.
I could see Terran didn’t like him. I vaguely remembered him mentioning his uncle. The man didn’t seem terrible, but I did get the vibe he was too slick for his own good. I would try and be nice, I decided. Maybe I could mend the fence between Terran and his only living relative.
He smiled. “Oh, you’re a little spitfire. I can see why Terran likes you.”
“Thank you. What brings you here?” I asked, trying to make conversation.
“I’ve been excited to meet the woman who captured my nephew’s heart. As you probably know, he’s a hard one to catch.”
I smiled, trying my best to remain friendly. “So, I’ve heard.”
“Now that I’ve met you, I can see why he’s so enamored with you. You’re a very beautiful woman. I imagine you have a long list of men willing to make you their wife. Why would you want a guy like Terran?”
I cleared my throat, my eyes glancing at Terran and taking in the sight of his clenched jaw. I had a feeling we were about to have a repeat of the night before.
“Terran is a very good man, and I’m proud to be his fiancée,” I told the man, looking straight into his eyes.
He nodded his head. “Really? You don’t say. I’m surprised to hear you say that, especially after that nasty business the other night.”
I glared at the man. “It was a misunderstanding blown out of proportion by the bored media.”
He grinned. “You think so? Hmm, I think you need to know just who it is you’re marrying. I have a story for you.”