by Amy Brent
I realized just how awful the last couple of weeks had been for me and Cole. It was so stressful. Going from being okay, to fighting, to wondering if things will ever even be okay between us. I was starting to doubt they were.
“We can tell everyone that the older man took advantage of you. He could have had you at twenty-three, and he would be your father. You realize this, don’t you?”
I bit down on my lip, staring into my bowl of frosted flakes. The flakes were becoming soggy, and I was losing my appetite more and more. I pretended not to hear her. I couldn’t face her. I couldn’t say anything to her. It would just make things worse, and right now, that wasn’t what I needed.
“Sure, I mean, it might look bad, but you won’t have to take all of the blame. Once that kid is out of you, we can start showing our faces to the public again, and you can use the sympathy to get started working on new prospects.”
My mother sounded absolutely delighted over this little scheme she came up with. It sounded like she had every little detail planned. She was ready to take on the media with this and flip the story so that Cole looked awful and I looked like this poor, innocent victim. But then I would also be known as the girl that let an older guy take advantage of me. I’d be looked down upon as another dumb rich girl. I didn’t want that for Cole or me. It wasn’t going to make our baby’s life any easier, either. To be born during some media frenzy crisis.
“Shut up!” I finally yelled. I had enough of what she was saying. I didn’t care about her stupid plan to win the media over. I didn’t care what her plan was to make me look good. I didn’t even care about my image because I never really gave a shit what people thought of me anyway. I wasn’t a child anymore, and she needed to know this.
“I am not a baby, Mother. I am twenty-two years old. I am ready to be with Cole, and he is ready to be with me. We are going to work things out, together. Without yours or Dad’s help. I’m not interested in being with anyone else other than him. And if he leaves me, then oh well. I just will be single for the rest of my life.”
My mom’s mouth was open, and she was staring at me in shock. She went to say something, but I cut her off. I didn’t want to give her any more opportunities to speak. I couldn’t stand the things that came out of her mouth.
“My child will be well-cared for. By both me and Cole. So, if you want to cut me off, that’s fine. I don’t really care. And I don’t need you.” I walked away.
I didn’t look back, but I assumed I left her speechless because there wasn’t another word out of her mouth. I walked out of the kitchen door, onto the back patio and down the stairs. I walked across the lawn to the edge of the water. I needed some fresh air. I didn’t want to be around people who couldn’t support me.
It made it so much worse that it was supposed to be my family. My parents. Who seemed to just not give a shit what happened to my child. Their grandchild. Did family mean nothing to these people, unless it came with a price tag?
A couple of minutes passed, and then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to look and came face to face with my dad. He wrapped me in a hug, and I almost started crying from his embrace.
“Listen, I’m very sorry for how I behaved last night. I’ll always love you. No matter what. I don’t approve of what’s happened between you and Cole, but if Cole makes you happy, then I’m happy for you. I understand you are an adult and not a child anymore. I respect your need for privacy. Which between you and I, the only reason I wanted to come here was so that I could talk to you.” He gave my shoulders a squeeze.
I wiped the fresh tears that were falling out of my eyes. I never thought my dad would forgive me for this. “Thanks, Dad,” I said and turned to give him another hug.
“But if he hurts you, all bets are off, and I will singlehandedly kill him,” my dad said.
I laughed. It was funny. But it was also probably very true, and I had to avoid picturing my dad’s fist in Cole’s face.
“Well, I don’t think we have to worry about that,” I said.
“I was thinking of taking the sailboat out this afternoon,” he said. “Would you like to join me?”
I nodded my head and looked out toward the water. “Sure, Dad,” I said and gave him another hug.
We stood and walked back into the house so we could gather things to go sailing. My mom was back, sitting down at the table and staring at her phone. I was sure she was probably googling her own name to make sure there wasn’t any bad press on her today. It was something she did almost every day. I had caught her more than a dozen times. She always said it was so she could handle any bad press right away, but I figured it had more to do with making sure no one was trashing her name.
“We’re going on the sailboat,” my dad said to her.
She looked up at us. “Okay,” she said.
It was strange for my mom not to have much more to say. I wasn’t used to it and was going to ask if she was okay, but I didn’t need to hear her reasoning if it turned out she wasn’t okay. I didn’t want to fight with her anymore. I didn’t want to fight with anyone anymore. I was exhausted.
I helped my dad gather everything to get the boat ready. I hadn’t been out on the sailboat for a while, and I had missed it dearly. I loved being out on the water. My dad always teased me that maybe my mom had had an affair with a merman. I would point out that he loved the water, too, and that I was just being a daddy’s girl. I think he liked hearing me say things like that.
We got the boat ready and set sail. It was a wonderful afternoon, and I felt so much better. I knew that I would have both my parents on my side. Because as soon as my dad talked to me today, that meant my mom could no longer try to control the situation like it was some sort of media issue. My dad hated when she did that just as much as I hated when she did that.
“You know, I’ll always support you, no matter how upset I might get at first,” he said as we were heading back to the dock.
“I know, Dad, and I appreciate you not making this into an image thing like Mom.”
He gave me a half smile. “She only wants what’s best for you.”
“You and I both know that she only wants what’s best for her,” I said.
He nodded in agreement, but that’s all he said. He never really talked bad about her, even when she was in the wrong, and I always really respected him for doing that.
Chapter 29
Cole
It was a week after my confession at Alan and Gloria’s house. One week since Violet’s family found out I was the father of her child and that we were in love. One week since my last fight with Violet. I couldn’t stand not talking to her. I couldn’t stand the idea of her hating me. It was tearing me apart. Once again, an entire week went by that I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t eat.
I was tired of going through this. I hated myself for how I behaved at her parents’ house, and then, how I had treated her when she had walked all the way to my house. She didn’t go home to New York. She was trying to find refuge with me, and I hurt her. This only hurt me more. But I knew I deserved it.
I told myself that if she showed up today, that would be a sign. A sign that things between us were going to work out, and we were going to be okay in the end. And if she didn’t show up, I was going to have to make sure we worked something out for our child’s sake. I just hoped on everything that she showed up.
I felt nervous as I pulled up to the Crayton, Inc.’s Family Day Celebration. It was weird to think about, but next year, I would have a child with me. Would we be a complete family? Or would we even still be together? It was hard telling since we had not really spoken.
It was a beautiful day out, but I couldn’t help but feel that it could have been much better, had she been right by my side.
I stepped out of the car, fixed my clothes, and looked around. There were rides and games for the kids, a pumpkin patch, entertainment, and plenty of food. It was set up exactly how I hoped it would be set up. It looked exactly like I had envisioned, but I guess i
t had been just right the previous year as well. And the year before that.
I looked around the crowd at all the smiling happy faces. The families were laughing and talking. They were having a good time. The children were playing and yelling. I just hoped that one day, I would be half as happy as these people looked when I was part of a family. I searched the crowd for that one face. The one I so desperately wanted to see.
“Hello, Cole,” Cheryl said to me, causing me to stop looking for Violet.
“Cheryl, how are you?” I asked her.
“I’m good,” she said. “How are you?”
“I’m doing alright. It’s a beautiful day out, isn’t it?” I looked through the crowd again.
“It really is,” she said.
I wasn’t trying to avoid having a conversation with her. I liked Cheryl a lot. But I was too distracted to pay that much attention to her. I didn’t want her to think that I was being rude. I turned back to look at her.
“Where’s Violet?” Her question caught me off guard, and I eyed her carefully. My heart rate picked up just from the mere mention of her name.
“What do you mean?” I tried to make it seem like I had no idea what she was talking about.
She smiled at me. “You think I don’t know? Because I’ve seen the way you look at her. And she at you. I know what’s been going on between the two of you. Anyone with half a brain could figure out just how head over heels you are for her.”
I laughed. “You’ve always been a lot smarter than others,” I said to her. “That’s why I hired you.”
“Not only do I know what’s going on, but I can tell just how much you both are in love.”
“It’s weird, isn’t it?” I asked, fully expecting her to lecture me on being with someone half my age.
“No. You know, Cole. Stranger things have happened than a couple being twenty years apart.” She said this with a smile. One that told me she approved of our relationship, even if the rest of the world didn’t quite approve of it yet.
“Thank you, Cheryl,” I said. “That really means a lot to me.”
“If you love her, you’ve got to just go for it. I support your decision to be together. In fact, you’ve been so miserable the last few years, it’s really nice to see you so happy.”
“Thank you, Cheryl. I trust your opinion. So, your support for our relationship means a lot.”
I scanned the crowd, and my eyes landed on her face. I was relieved that she had shown up. I had sent her an invitation and told her that I planned to give all of the interns a certificate of completion. She was an intern, and she deserved her certificate. But that wasn’t the only reason why I had wanted her to come today.
She looked absolutely beautiful standing there in a yellow sundress, the sun shining brightly in her hair. But her face didn’t look as glowing as it had the last time I saw her before the dinner fiasco. She was here, and I knew I had to at least take a chance to try and fix things.
I realized how much I really, really missed her, just by staring at her from across the field we were standing on. I wanted her so badly. I wanted to hug her, I wanted to kiss her, and I couldn’t help when I felt my dick starting to twitch. She looked fucking gorgeous, and I wanted to rip her dress from her and ravish her body.
I had been feeling insane over the last week, with not being able to talk to her. It had been driving me absolutely nuts. I wasn’t sure where we were headed in life. Our relationship had seemed especially bleak the last couple of weeks. I didn’t want to have to go through this anymore. My heart hurt constantly. I had never felt this way before. Not even with my ex.
I started walking over toward her. Her eyes caught mine, and I smiled. She gave me a sad smile, and it made my heart hurt. I wanted nothing more than to walk over and hug her. I wanted to tell her it was all going to be okay and that we were going to get through this.
As I made my way over to her, I was interrupted. I heard my name get called by the DJ, and I had to go up to the stage. The DJ told me it was time to address the crowd and hand out the intern’s certificates. I was disappointed that I couldn’t talk to her right this second, but I knew I was about to be able to talk to her. I was about to be able to do what I had been needing to do for a little while now.
“Hello, everyone. And welcome. If you don’t know who I am, then you should probably leave.” I laughed and so did a few others. “Bonuses for the ones who laughed.” More people laughed this time.
I was trying to be funny, but that was because I was feeling nervous. I didn’t usually feel nervous before a crowd, but I didn’t usually have my twenty-two-year old pregnant, possibly girlfriend in the crowd either. And I knew a big part of this was so that I could show off to her. Show her that I could be down to earth and that I had a good sense of humor. I wasn’t Mr. Serious all the time.
“Seriously, though. I’m Cole Crayton, CEO. I’m sure there are people here I haven’t met before. I want to say thank you to every one of you for coming out here today. And thank you to my faithful employees that help keep this business afloat.” Everybody clapped. “I really couldn’t do this without you. So, this family day is for you.”
“Today, I’d also like to recognize the interns that I’ve had. They’ve all been pretty amazing and have helped keep this place afloat, too. I mean, if we didn’t have coffee refills, how would we be able to get through the day?” A few more laughs. “Seriously though. They’ve all done fantastic. And today, I’m here to honor them. So, I’ve whipped up some certificates for those of you that interned at my company. This is for you.”
People clapped again, and I started calling names. I would say a few nice things and then shake their hands and hand them their certificates. I was proud of most of them. That is, except for Michael. But that had more to do with personal reasons and not work reasons. Other than Violet, he was a damn good intern.
I was getting closer and closer to calling out Violet’s name. It was making me more nervous than I had been in a while. I loved this girl with all of my heart, and no matter what, I just needed her to know that. Whether it was now, here in front of all of these people, or in private later, I needed to talk to her.
If we didn’t get things figured out soon, I thought I might lose my mind. I might go crazy. I needed this girl in my life, and I needed to fix things. First with her and then with her father.
“This next person is a guy I hope will make a good name for himself out in the business world. He did a fantastic job at getting my coffee.” A few more laughs. “No, really. He did a fantastic job at his job. And I appreciate all the help he gave me. Michael Foster thank you for all of your help.”
I decided to leave out that he was a complete asshole because it didn’t seem like that would sit well with the media.
He walked onto the stage, and I shook his hand and handed him his certificate.
“Thank you, sir,” he said.
“You’re welcome, and thank you for all of your hard work,” I said this into my mic. I really wanted to tell him what I really thought of him, but I knew that wouldn’t be good. He could make a scene, and I had way more important things to do today than worry about this scumbag.
I was sure he knew what I really truly thought of him. There was no way he didn’t know. The way I put more on him at the office and the way I treated him. He thought that he had me under his grip. He didn’t realize that I knew just what his little game was. I figured it all out way before he ever realized that I knew.
The last remaining certificate was for Violet. I looked at the piece of paper and then at her. I got closer to her. It was now or never.
“Violet Summers. Now, she was an amazing intern. Will you come over here, please? I have a special recognition for you.” It was partially the truth, though no one was expecting me to do what I was about to do.
Violet stepped forward. She looked nervous like she wasn’t exactly sure what she was getting herself into. But she smiled brightly, and it lit my heart up. I loved this girl more
than anything on the planet and now was the time that I needed to tell her exactly how I felt. To tell the world exactly how I felt. I knew deep down that if I didn’t take this chance right now, I might never do it.
I took a deep breath, and then I took a couple of steps toward her. It wasn’t what I had done with the other interns. But she wasn’t just an intern. I turned and faced her. I took another deep breath, the confusion growing on her face. I smiled, she smiled, and then I took another step toward her.
Chapter 30
Violet
I was a nervous wreck, standing up here on this stage, waiting for Cole to hand me this stupid certificate. We hadn’t spoken in a week, and it had been tearing me apart. I hated feeling this way. But I knew I had to give him his space. I had to let him be and clear his mind. I couldn’t have crowded around him or seemed needy because there was a chance it could push him further away. And right then, I didn’t even know what he was thinking or feeling.
I just hoped that we would get to talk after this stupid ceremony. I almost didn’t come today. I figured it might have been best if I just stayed away, but he had sent me an invitation. He even hand wrote that he really wanted me to be there to receive my certificate. So, it made me assume that he wanted me here.
I almost hid out. Maybe he could have just sent the certificate in the mail. It wasn’t like I would be able to do anything with it. It was just going to be a constant reminder of what I almost had. But something deep down inside of me told me to come today. Something told me I needed to show up and face my fears. I needed to face him.
Now it was my turn to get the certificate. I watched him take a few steps toward me and then he stopped in front of Cheryl. I was a little confused when he handed her the piece of paper. It made no sense. Maybe he had decided that I wasn’t actually going to get a certificate. Maybe I read it all wrong and he really just wanted me here to humiliate me. I felt my heart rate pick up.