by a dagmara
Wesley looked down and pulled me to his side. Holding me firm and possessively. Obliging his need, I wrapped an arm around his waist and placed the other on his chest. “These fools and I went to prep school together, if you recall?” Wesley looked down to me and bitting his lip. “We were roommates for the entire four years.”
“Oh, who are you calling fools? At last check you were the one instigating every retched situation we found ourselves in.” Charlie laughed.
Just great. I shook my head. Looking over to Brady I raised a brow. He understood my meaning. Fuck, I just found myself in the middle of the worst kind of triangle.
“Well isn’t this just a sight, the three stooges.” Patricia made her appearance.
Wesley dropped his hold on me, and stepping to Patricia, kissing her on the cheek. “You look as lovely as ever.”
“Oh, you’re too sweet Wesley. I hear you are dating my Elizabeth. I couldn’t approve more. I just adore this woman.” She smiled raising a hand to my cheek rubbing it affectionately, like a mother would her daughter.
“As do I Patricia, she has certainly captivated me.” he looked back to me and winked.
“I’m sure she has, in more ways than one,” Sebastian added with a very devious look in his eyes.
The three look at me, and I could swear they all shared the same fucking expression.
The three looked to each other as if a private and silent question was being asked. Wesley grinned, shaking his head walking back to me. Again, with the possessive body language, he kissed my nose softly.
“Well, hate to disappoint gentleman Lilly and I haven’t moved that fast. For once, I have to say the wait is more than worth it. I actually want to get to know a woman beyond the bedroom. And Lillian here, is a woman worth getting to know. You should try it sometime Sebastian.”
“Ok, what have you done with Wesley?” Sebastian laughed.
“It’s called growing up. I’m ready for a family and a future with a woman Sebastian.”
Sebastian cocked his head, and looked over at me, pulling his lips tight. Hmm, he actually looked a bit dumbfounded to Wesley’s statement.
Looking between Charlie and Sebastian, I almost wanted to laugh. “Not everyone is ready to grow up Wesley. The Vaihn brothers have a reputation that they like to maintain.”
“I suppose that works out well for me, thus leaving you unscathed from their pursuits” he looked down and kissed my forehead.
“Oh shit Wesley, you clearly haven’t been warned of our Lillian’s reputation. She’s just a female version of the three of us.” Charlie added
Slitting my eyes at Charlie, my mind was caught on his words, or choice of words, “ours”. As if.
“I’ve heard. Thanks Charlie; however, she has been anything but. Perhaps she’s grown up quicker than we had.”
“Clearly, this is turning into a pissing contest. You three can have at it. I’m taking a shower.” I pulled from Wesley and gave the stank eye to Charlie and Sebastian. Turning to Patricia, whom had taken a call, just hung up. “Patricia, please give me a call if there is anything you need from me between now and tomorrow.”
“I certainly will dear. Julie and I are heading over to the country club to meet up with the wedding planner. Chris is picking us up shortly. Thanks for hosting on such short notice. Your home truly is beautiful, as are you my love.”
I reached over and hugged her. She whispered, “I think you may have more than you can handle with the three of these fools. Be warned, I adore all three; however, make them work for you heart.”
“Sometimes the heart has its own mind Patricia.”
“I know better than you think. How I hope in your case, he proves worthy of it.” She smiled. She was a smart woman. She knew.
Turning and standing next to her. My eyes landed on Charlie as he was looking at me. “I don’t put faith in hopeless causes Patricia. He has a lot to prove.”
I walked a few steps to the opening of the patio door. When she called back to me.
“Elizabeth, you are a much smarter woman than I was. But remember the opportunity to do so needs to be offered without reservation and freely on both sides.”
“I suppose it would, I’m not too sure it’s worth it anymore. Sometimes is better to walk away.”
“Like I said, you’re a smart woman Elizabeth.”
“What in the world are you two talking about?” Charlie interrupted.
“Just some wisdom Charlie, I think Elizabeth needs a little guidance from a woman whom has seen her share of life.”
“Thanks Patricia.” I walked through the door and into the house towards my room. Making a quick entrance into the bathroom, I stripped down and entered the shower.
Showering, I couldn’t get over it all. Wesley, Sebastian and Charlie, fuck me. Do I just scream, “Hey assholes come pursue me?”
“Lil, love?” Julie walked into the bathroom. I really needed to have some privacy.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t mean to intrude on you. Um, I owe you an apology for springing all this on you. I had no idea Sebastian would be here. I just thought it was a good opportunity to push you and Charlie together.” Pausing she came around and pushed on the counter. “I know Charlie; obviously, he’s in love with you. Over the past eight months, he has constantly asked about you. Shit Lil, he and I have never talked as much as we have now. Grant it, I think it has everything to do with you, but I’ll take it.” Turning off the shower, I stepped out and reached for the towel. Looking at her, she shook her head, “He even once asked if you were pregnant.” She laughed.
She looked up to me, “It was his baby wasn’t it?”
“Yes, it was.” I offered somberly remembering the child I lost.
“I suspected. Don’t worry I never told him about the miscarriage. But I think you should tell him.”
“It serves no purpose Julie. It’s in the past. I don’t see how it’s relevant now. I lost the pregnancy, I lost the baby.”
“Baby?” Charlie walked in and looked between Julie and me.
“Are you pregnant Julie?” Charlie looked to Julie crossing his arms.
“Hell no!” she shook her head then looked to me.
“It’s just my two cents Lil.” She added in my direction.
“Julie, Chris is here, and I think Wesley and he are close to becoming best friends. I think you should stop that immediately. Wesley isn’t someone you want your future husband hanging around. I say this because I love you.” Charlie looked to me grinning with an amused expression plastered on his face.
“Shit, if he was friends with you,” Julie shook her head, rolling her eyes. “Lil, we’ll talk later.” She jumped off the counter, and out the bathroom. I heard her close the door behind herself.
“So is my sister planning on having a baby? Is that the deep talk I just walked in on?” he stood in the middle of my bathroom.
“No, she’s not pregnant or looking to get that way right now.” I offered walking over to the sink and pulling the toothbrush. Looking up in the mirror, my memory flooded back to the last time he stood in my bathroom, and the events that followed. Catching his expression, it was obvious he too just skipped down memory lane. “What?” I looked at him through the mirror.
“Just remembering. That was perhaps the best weekend I’ve ever had.” Grinning he slighted his head and produced a smile, “The way you blew into the conference room, the events that followed that night.” He grinned and shook his head. Then paused in thought, “You never asked me for more, why?”
“You had just informed me of your upcoming marriage Charlie. Please, I do have some dignity. You couldn’t give me more, so I saw no need to ask. Hell, I wasn’t too sure I wanted more.”
“Did you?” he asked our eyes caught in the mirror. Sucking a deep breath, I felt lost for a moment.
“That question, and answer, is irrelevant. It serves no purpose Charlie.” I rinsed my brush and spit out the toothpaste. Turning to him, I walked pushing by him, and h
eaded for the closet.
Pausing, I remember Sebastian’s forceful nature, I had to shut down that memory. Walking to the drawers, I pulled a matching bra and panty out. Without debate, I dropped the towel to the floor knowing he was watching me.
“You certainly seem to have no bashfulness.” He offered in a light tone.
“Why should I, you’ve seen me naked before. What difference does it make now?”
“I certainly have, haven’t I?” He leaned into the doorframe. “Thanks for the refresher. I almost forgot how perfect your body was. However, where did the scar on your lower abdomen come from? I don’t remember you ever having one?”
Looking down my hand grazed it. The evidence of my baby. The scar, still fresh, as it was only three months old. My miscarriage entailed a full C-section. I didn’t even realize that the tears had pooled and released down my face quietly. My private hell, as the daughter I lost was the second child I have had and the second child I would forever long for. Flashes of a sorted past seemed to plague me at random times in my life. The man who in many ways made me would be the one person I would forever bury with my subconscious.
Shaking a bit, I stepped into my panties and raised them up. Moving to my Bra, I put it on trying not to look at him. He stepped to me, as his hand lifted my chin, forcing me to look at him.
“What happened?”
“Nothing, I want to talk about.” I offered trying to pull my face from him. If he only understood.
“Really, that’s why you’re doing everything you can to keep from crying. I don’t buy it. Again, what happened Lilly?” Lowering my eyes from his, they felt heavy with the surge of tears I held. I didn’t want to do this, not now and not with him. Where in the hell was my control over my emotions.
“Lillian, tell me. If not I’ll hunt down Julie and have her spill!”
“I was stupid and got pregnant Charlie. I lost my baby. I was forced to have a C-section to deliver a premature still born. Happy?” the tears fell instantly. Pulling away from him, I pulled a dress of the hanger, Stepping into it.
“My baby? Wasn’t it?” he grabbed my arm and pulled me in. “I’m so sorry Lil. You should have told me.”
“You were married Charlie.” I lost my emotions and gripped him tight as my tears fell freely. He held my tighter breathing out. In that moment, held in his arms, my will felt as if it dissolved instantly. I needed him and wanted him.
Sensing a shift, his body tensed.
“I had the right to know Lil; I would have been there for you. How long ago did this happen?”
Pulling up from him, I wiped my tears from my face. “It was not even a full three months ago.”
Shaking his head, “That’s why you never showed for the takeover. You were showing.” He looked down and for once looked genuinely somber and caring. However, there was anger in his eyes I had not seen before. “You were willing to have my child, yet you felt you couldn’t tell me? Have I truly given you the opinion that I didn’t care for you?”
“Charlie you married someone else.” I looked to him confused at what he was getting at. “That would be a pretty huge sign that you don’t care for me.” I rolled my eyes.
“And you never asked for anything more of me than a weekend. I would have given you more had you asked it of me.” His voice became cold and angry.
There it was. He just flipped the tables on me.
Shaking my head in disbelief, I broke off from him. “I suppose it no longer matters now. I lost the baby and it just wasn’t meant to be.”
“What if it was, what if you and I were always meant to be? How else can you explain this pull between us? Let’s face it Lil, it’s always been here. You once even admitted it.” He cocked his head down to me inferring he had understood my comment about the man whom stole my heart when I describe a moment when I was fifteen.
“I’ve grown up Charlie. I’ve dismissed the longings of a teenage girl. Life doesn’t work out like that.”
“Oh and who’s the cynical one now?” he raised his expression. He almost looked annoyed with me.
“Charlie, I don’t want to do this with you.” I walked past him and back to the bathroom pulling my vanity stool and started applying my makeup.
He followed me in. “When would you like to do this? By all means Lil, god forbid you lend me any consideration, especially when I’m clearly being supportive. You were pregnant with my fucking child.” His voice was now a full yell. “Yet, you felt I didn’t have the right to know. Suppose you hadn’t lost our baby. Did you ever plan on telling me? Did you ever plan to tell me I was about to be a father?” He was in full blown rage.
Turning to him, my emotions became heated and angry. But he was right, I didn’t plan on telling him.
“You’re a fucking piece of work. I was nothing more than another woman whom you fucked. More to the point, you knew fully that you could have gotten me pregnant. Did you once fucking call me after the fact? No you didn’t. You weren’t man enough to ask the question yourself. You fucked me knowingly unprotected. You set us up for a pregnancy yet now here you stand with the audacity to put blame on me? What was I supposed to do? Come running to you? For what? So you can just fucking disappear out of my life for a second time! Fuck you Charlie!”
I stood up and blew past him.
In the kitchen, I didn’t give a shit what time it was, and pulled the Tequila out.
I heard him follow me out and into the kitchen.
“By all means run away and burry yourself in a glass of tequila Lil.” He yelled at me through the house.
“Fuck off Charlie!!” I turned and yelled back at him. “You are precisely why I drink.”
Shit, I noticed the audience we now had. Looking over at Sebastian as he looked smug and amused. I yelled at him too. “What the fuck are you looking at?” I screamed.
Pouring the glass full, I lifted it and sucked it down.
“You’re fucking unbelievable. You had no intentions of telling me did you?”
“Again, the world revolves around Charlie Vaihn. No, I had no intention to.” I slammed the glass down. “You came into my home and my life. I didn’t search you out.” Shaking my head, my rage was getting the better part of me. “I told you I wasn’t interested in games and you fucked me anyway, engaged no less to someone else. You had no consideration for me when you decided to run up in me raw. Where was your consideration for me? You have no idea what it was for me. You weren’t here when I started hemorrhaging. You didn’t have to go through the loss and pain of being told your baby died inside your womb. You didn’t have to go through a C-section to deliver a dead baby. I did all that. So fucking excuse me for not putting you to the fore front of my mind.”
“I had the fucking right to know Lil. You should have told me when you found out you were pregnant!”
“Just as you should have called me not Julie to inquire whether or not I was. It was a two way street Charlie. You can’t put this on me. Last I checked, we both had a hand in getting me pregnant!”
“Hold up you were pregnant with Charlie’s kid?” Sebastian chimed in.
Looking over, Wesley was standing next Sebastian.
He shook his head looking between Charlie and me.
“I should have known the moment I saw Charlie here.” Wesley looked at me then to Charlie. Charlie shook his head at Wesley. “I was stupid. I should have realized you were talking about Lillian. She’s the one isn’t she?” He looked like he was waiting to Charlie to confirm something. “It was always her, of course it was.” Wesley looked back to me. His expression disappointed. For the first time I felt shame course through me.
“I have no idea what in the world the two of you are referring to Wesley, but I’m sorry. I should have been more forthcoming, however, I didn’t see the need of sharing my sorted past.”
“You owe me no apology Lillian. You certainly didn’t owe me an explanation of your past. Hell, we all have a past. I certainly do.” He smiled so sincerely. “However, it seem
s your past isn’t truly finished with you.”
“Wesley,…” I didn’t know what to say.
He walked over and kissed my forehead. Then looked back to Charlie. “I think the two of you need to sort this out and finish it.” He looked over to Sebastian, “I think you and I should go and let them end this. They don’t need us to witness.” He turned and kissed me on the cheek. “I’m a patient man Lillian. Call me when this is finished.”
“Wesley, it was one weekend over eight months ago.”
“Then clean this up and end it if it’s over.” He smiled and rubbed his thumb against my jaw line. “I’m not going anywhere. I don’t scare easily Lillian. I think it’s safe to say that you know what you mean to me. Finish this.”
Funny how his words meant everything to me, yet it wasn’t him, whom I needed them from.
I reached up and kissed him “Thank you Wesley.”
“You’re worth it and more.” He offered then pulled away “Come on Sebastian, let’s leave them too it.”
I watched as the two left. Looking over, it was just Charlie and me, alone. I hadn’t even noticed that Brady and Sam had also left. I guess all my yelling had everyone running.
A tremble suddenly released and coursed through me. Wesley’s words registered with more impact. The man whom should have my heart just walked out of my house. The man whom owned it stood before me. What was I to do?
“What am I to you Charlie?” I looked firmly to him for an answer.
“I could ask the same question Lilly.” He matched my expression. “Hell, Wesley is clearly in love with you, does that mean anything to you, even Sebastian for that matter seems to be more than taken with you.”
“Yet, I am asking you Charlie? Are you in love with me?”
He just stood there.
“I don’t know why we are even arguing. It’s obvious you don’t love me, yet you expect everything from me. I’m sorry, I’m not like the women you’re a custom to. I don’t lay down for any man Charlie. I have no fucking clue what game you’re playing, but I’m not interested. We had one weekend together. Do I regret it? No. I don’t.”