by Tia Siren
I knew I had to leave as soon as I could, giving him the separation he needed to realize that being without each other wasn’t the answer at all. I needed him to think about what it would feel like to never hold me in his arms again. I knew that once he felt that pain in his chest, that absence of something so perfect, he would change his mind .
At least, I hoped so .
Chapter Seventeen
H unter
I t was Friday, exactly a week after Patrick had given me that ultimatum. I didn’t want to meet at that dirty old diner. It was beneath me and made me feel as if I was truly doing something wrong. Instead, I texted Patrick that morning and told him to meet me at the Lovehouse for brunch, a familiar place to me and somewhere he hadn’t felt comfortable since I had kicked him from the company. If he was going to do this, blackmail me like this, he was going to be as uncomfortable as I could possibly make him in the process. As I waited, I ordered a cup of coffee and a Bloody Mary to calm my nerves. I knew exactly what I had to do, no questions asked. I loved Lexi, and I was going to do everything I could to see that she was happy and taken care of, even in the darkest moments like this .
I looked up as Patrick walked through the door, and I waved him over to the table. He looked around cautiously, unsure of who might be at the other tables. Fortunately for him, anyone who was important was busy at work on a Friday morning, not sitting around the Lovehouse and dealing with scum like him. He sat down at the table, ordered a coffee from the waitress, and then looked up at me, trying to keep his confidence intact. I could tell he was nervous, that my demeanor was not what he had expected. I wasn’t sure what his expectations had truly been, but I would be damned if I walked in here with my tail between my legs .
“Have you made your decision?” he asked .
“Patrick,” I began, pushing my fork around its setting, “you are an interesting fellow. When you worked with me at the company, you had zero drive. You took money from the company without doing anything to earn it. Those were the reasons you were fired .”
“Did you bring me here for a history lesson?” he asked .
“Shut up,” I said firmly. “You took vacations on my dime. You took advantage of the services our company provides. You became a liability to the safety of our clients. Lazy is one thing, but dangerous is not something I can put up with. Why am I telling you this now ?”
“I have no idea,” he said, leaning back in his chair .
“Because I would sooner close the company than give you any seat at the table,” I said, leaning forward. “I will not be taking your offer. It is beneath me. I will, however, make sure that you get nothing, not even two seconds of fame from your blackmail. I have already talked to the media, and they are holding the story until tomorrow at noon. They all know what you have done, so don’t even bother calling them. As far as Kam is concerned, I have a meeting with him right after this little joyous one, during which I will tell him everything. As far as you contacting him, I would suggest you don’t unless you want an earful .”
“Now hold on just a second,” he said, putting his hands on the table. “You think you’ve won, but — ”
“Give it a rest,” I said, shaking my head. “I did win in the sense that I get to handle my personal business in the manner in which I deem fit. I lost in that you have forced my hand to reveal a secret before we were ready. You see, you didn’t hurt me here. My image will recover. What you have done is hurt an innocent woman who will now have to face the ridicule of her father and the media all at once. This girl is way too important to be dealing with someone as small and insignificant as you, Patrick. You see, when you were kicked out of the company, you were kicked out of the club, too .”
“You are a bastard,” he said angrily .
“Right then, this conversation is over,” I said, standing up. “Have a good brunch. Oh, and if you ever get that close to my girlfriend again, I promise you that you will feel a lot more than a little bit of embarrassment .”
I patted him on the shoulder and marched out of the restaurant, straight to the car waiting for me out front. I didn’t want to waste any time getting to Kam. Otherwise, I might lose my nerve, and I hadn’t been lying when I’d told Patrick I had contacted the media. I rode straight to the Avalon and went up to Kam’s door, on which I knocked loudly. He came to the door, a look of confusion blooming on his face after seeing my expression .
“Hunter, come in,” he said. “Can I get you anything ?”
“Just your attention,” I said. “I have something to tell you, and I want to get it out before I lose the nerve .”
“All right,” he said, chuckling. “Hit me with it .”
“I’ve been dating Lexi for several weeks,” I said, standing back and waiting for a reaction .
I watched as Kam’s humor slowly melted away and an angry expression took hold. He set his glass down on the table inside the door and clenched his fists. I could see the words I spoke rolling around in his head over and over again. He started to walk toward me, and I backed up, keeping my distance from him .
“Are you kidding me?” He clenched his jaw. “Of all the women in the world, you picked my little girl? What the fuck is wrong with you? And the entire time, right under my nose !”
“Kam, please calm down,” I said, putting up my hands. “You need to hear the whole story .”
“I think I’d rather not,” he screamed, charging toward me .
He reared his fist back and drove it at my head. I ducked and moved out of the way. He fell into a wooden table and knocked a vase onto the floor. He turned, red-faced, and marched at me again. He lunged at me but wasn’t fast enough .
“Kam,” I screamed, “I love her .”
“You have got to be kidding me,” he growled, his fists unfurling. “You wouldn’t know love if it bit you in the ass .”
“That’s what I used to think,” I said, “but I fell in love with Lexi. It wasn’t planned, Kam. The last thing in the world I wanted to do was hurt you .”
“Then you should have kept your dick in your pants,” he yelled .
“It’s not like that, Kam,” I pleaded. “We tried to break things off to keep from hurting you, but we just couldn’t. We had several conversations about it, and I even took control and tried to break it off even though I didn’t want to, but Lexi was right. We love each other, and it’s too important to give up on. I want to be with her .”
“This is bullshit,” he said .
“It’s anything but,” I said with a sigh. “I’m dead serious about this, Kam. I am in love with Lexi and can’t be away from her for more than a day. Everything in me wants to take care of her, to treat her with the respect she deserves as a woman and as my partner. She is so smart and so driven, and I want to be there to help her reach whatever goals she has. She deserves to meet her dreams head on, and I want to help her do that. We have talked about our futures, what we want in life, and we match up so perfectly that it’s almost unreal. She is the most beautiful creature I have ever laid my eyes on, and the fact that we have become best friends makes it all the more real. I knew I needed to come to you and tell you in person. You deserve that, if not more .”
“You stay away from my daughter, you disgusting piece of trash,” he screamed .
I watched helplessly as he grabbed his jacket and shoes and stormed out of the room. He hopped into the service elevator and shut the door before I could get to him. I turned and pressed the button frantically, waiting for the other elevator to reach me. I needed to get downstairs. I knew he was going after Lexi, and I couldn’t let her go through that alone. She was the love of my life, and she needed to know that before her father ripped it all away from us. Lexi was at work, and there was sure to be a large number of people in the lobby just getting home from work. Kam was an emotional man, and he would not hold back. He would broadcast my and Lexi’s business to the whole world .
This was the moment of truth, the moment Lexi would really know whether all of this wa
s worth it or not. This was the moment Lexi would decide if she truly loved me .
Chapter Eighteen
L exi
I t was another day at Avalon Café, except today, I couldn’t seem to get Hunter and the whole situation with Patrick off my mind. Hunter had texted me and told me he was meeting with him this morning, but I didn’t know what he had decided to do. I knew that if it were anything other than break up with me, I would hear about it very soon. Just as that thought crossed my mind, I jumped at the sound of my father’s voice .
“Lexi, how could you?” He was screaming at me as he rushed toward the café .
Immediately, my cheeks turned red and I put my hand up, stopping my father from coming around the counter. My manager looked over in shock at the sound of my father screaming through the lobby. I took off my apron and folded it up before laying it on the counter. I walked quickly over to Gabby, who had just been made a manager, and leaned in to speak to her. She looked horrified at the scene that was unfolding .
“I’m so sorry, Gabby,” I said, trying to hold back tears. “I will be right back .”
She nodded and walked to the counter to help the waiting customers. I stood there for a moment, looking out over the crowd of people that was standing there staring at me and then over at my father. I was completely mortified in a way I had never been before. Whatever had happened at that meeting, the cat was out of the bag, and from the looks of it, my father was not taking it very well .
I took in a deep breath and tried to hide my face as I walked through the back and out the side door to meet my father in the lobby. I grabbed his arm and started pulling him to a private room that was off the main lobby. It was where they held receptions and meetings. The room was empty, and I stood next to the doorway, pushing my father through .
I looked over and saw Hunter bolting from the elevator toward us. He slowed his pace to not draw too much attention. I walked into the room and faced my father, who was beet red in the face. Hunter walked into the room behind me and shut the door, taking a spot right next to me. I looked up at him and then over at my father, shaking my head .
“You told him, didn’t you?” I asked .
Hunter nodded and reached for my hand, squeezing it tightly. He had decided to stay and not break up with me. From the looks of it, he also hadn’t given in to Patrick’s demands and had been forced to come straight back to the Avalon and tell my father to his face. I turned to my dad, who was glaring at both of us .
“You are being stupid,” he spat. “You are throwing your life away for a man, a playboy, who is just going to toss you to the curb when he is done with you. You have made the biggest mistake of your life, falling for this fool .”
“Enough,” Hunter yelled, getting both my attention and my father’s. “What don’t you understand about the fact that I am in love with your daughter? In love, not in lust. I am not playing this girl. I am living my life with her by my side .”
“You’re in love with me?” I turned toward him, my cheeks red and my heart beating fast. I couldn’t believe he had finally said it, and that I wasn’t the only one feeling that way .
Hunter turned away from my father and took both of my hands into his. He pulled them to his lips and kissed them gently while staring deeply into my eyes. His angry frown quickly faded and a smiled pushed across his lips, sending electricity shooting through my chest. His shoulders relaxed, and he let out a deep breath from his lungs, looking almost like he’d been defeated. But that wasn’t the case. It was quite the opposite, actually. He was invigorated in the same way I was just from simply being close to him .
“Yes,” he said, smiling. “I am madly and deeply in love with you .”
My mouth dropped slightly and tears pulled at the edges of my eyes. My father watched us intently, but instead of clenching his fists in anger, he seemed to be realizing that Hunter and I really were in love with each other. He was noticing for the first time that I was a woman, not a child .
“You have brightened my life in a way I don’t deserved,” Hunter said, still holding my hands. “When I met you, I had given up on the idea of love and had made peace with my loneliness, but then there you were, dragging me out of the darkness and giving me hope again .”
I could barely find any words after hearing him say what he had said. It was the sweetest and most caring thing a man had ever said to me. I stepped forward, my hands shaking in his and my eyes locked tightly on his. This man had just gone through hell and back to tell me how much he loved me. He had picked me over everything else, even his friendship with my father. My heart was so full that I could barely move, and I let out a deep breath, a smile flashing widely across my face. I couldn’t believe I had finally found where I belonged .
“I love you, too, Hunter,” I said with blushed cheeks .
He reached up and cupped my face in his hand, leaning his head forward to kiss me with a softness and gentleness I had never known from him before. As our lips parted, I stared into his eyes, and my breath caught in my throat. Shivers ran down my arms and spine, and I took in a deep breath, remembering that my father was standing there watching us. I turned toward him and gathered my courage .
“I know that you don’t approve of this,” I said, “and I know what cost this relationship comes at for me, but I don’t care. If you can’t be there to support me, back me up, and be happy for me when I’ve finally found love, then I don’t want anything from you. I will figure it all out on my own .”
Part of me felt bad for saying that, but I wanted my father to know that he couldn’t control me with a bank account. I was old enough to understand that money couldn’t buy everything, and I would never give up my relationship with Hunter just so my father would keep paying my bills. I had to break away, and this was the perfect time .
“What about the media?” My father asked. His voice was softer but still argumentative .
“I don’t give a damn about the media,” Hunter barked. “Besides, I have already taken care of all that. Not everyone will be nice to me, but I told the story how it was supposed to be told. Patrick tried to blackmail me. He threatened to go to you and the media unless I put him back on the board. I knew that wasn’t the answer, so I turned him down. I called my own media sources and then came straight to you .”
“Patrick was always a douchebag,” Kam said, rubbing his chin .
“I know they are going to make a huge deal out of the age thing,” Hunter said. “The fact of the matter is, she is of legal age to make her own decisions. Beyond that, age is just a number. It doesn’t tell me whether I can love this woman or not. I love her with all my heart .”
“All right,” Kam said, leaning on the table and letting out a deep breath. “I’ll give you my blessing .”
“Daddy,” I said, excitedly running toward him and wrapping my arms around his neck, “thank you so much. It truly means the world to me that you’re okay with this. I was terrified that you would hate me forever .”
“I just want what is best for you,” he said into my ear. “If that is Hunter, then I am in no place to judge .”
“Thank you, Kam,” Hunter said, reaching out and shaking his hand .
“I will tell you this,” my father said, gripping his hand tightly. “If you hurt her, I will kill you with my bare hands .”
“Understood,” Hunter said, smiling. “And I promise, I will never knowingly do anything that will ever hurt her. She is the most important thing in my life .”
“Above your business?” My father raised his eyebrows .
“Yeah,” he said, looking at me. “Far above my company .”
Chapter Nineteen
H unter
A fter all of that, Lexi went back to work at the café and finished her shift. When she was done, I was waiting for her in the lobby, and I took her hand as I walked her up to my apartment. She gripped my hand tightly as we rode the elevator to my floor, smiling at the nosey old women whispering about us from the corner. Lexi giggled in
to my arm as the door slid open and we exited. We got inside and immediately embraced, the stress of the day finally hitting us both pretty hard. I grabbed us each a glass of wine, and we sat down on the couch .
“I feel so much better,” she said with a sigh .
“Me too,” I replied. “Having everything out in the open was stressful at first, but now I don’t feel like I have to hide anything from anyone. If I want to kiss you in a crowded room, I can. If we want to go to dinner at the Lovehouse, we don’t have to hide in the back .”
“Everything is turning out exactly how we wanted,” she said, leaning forward and kissing my lips .
The first reports from the media had already started to spill out. Once the original source posted, everyone followed suit, putting out their own versions of the story. The Avalon kept the media outside, not allowing them to come in to look for me or Lexi. I knew that after a few days, the next story would hit and no one would care about me anymore. Until then, though, I was making sure Lexi stayed out of the public eye and hidden away in my apartment. Some of the reports on our relationship were extremely critical, attempting to paint me as an older villain stealing the virtue of a young princess. However, the majority of the reports were supportive and positive, reminding people that my relationship was none of their business and that age was nothing more than a number .
“Do you think the media will hang out down there for long?” Lexi asked .
“Nah. As soon as a Kardashian sneezes, they will be off to report on that,” I said, laughing. “I’m really not that popular, and this story will be old news by the time the weekend is over .”
“Thank you,” she said .
“For what ?”
“For picking us over shielding me from pain,” she said. “I don’t know what I would have done if we had broken up. I would have been lost .”