by Sandi Lynn
“God no. Absolutely not.” I turned my head and looked at her.
“Okay then. You’ll still have your relationship with Ellie and you’ll be a part time father. Millions of guys do it. Once you sit Ellie down and explain everything, including the idiotic reason why you never told her about Kirsten in the first place, she’ll forgive you.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Yes. She loves you and you made a mistake. We’re all human, big brother. We all make mistakes.”
The next morning, as I was sitting at my desk, my phone rang, and my father was calling.
“Hello, Dad.”
“Hello, son. I need you to do me a favor and bring over the Hudson files this afternoon. I want to take a closer look at them.”
“Why?” I asked in confusion for that deal was already in progress.
“Because it’s my company, and I want to look at the damn files. Be here around one o’clock.”
“Okay. I’ll bring them.”
Sighing, I threw my phone down on my desk. I couldn’t concentrate on anything because my mind was nothing but a clusterfuck. It felt like my life had exploded and I had no idea how to put it back together. I needed to try and clear my head, so I went to the one place that always seemed to help.
I stood in front of the large headstone and stared at it.
A Beautiful Angel
Abigail Marie Walker
February 10, 1982
May 2, 1991
Beloved Daughter and Sister
Forever Loved and Missed
After setting the flowers on her grave, I stood there with my hands tucked tightly in my pants pockets and spoke to her.
“I’ve gotten myself into a real mess, sis, and I don’t know what to do. I found someone who has changed my life and I’m afraid I’m going to lose her because of something I kept from her. I can only pray she forgives me when I tell her.”
Suddenly, and out of nowhere, a butterfly landed on her headstone. I stared at its vibrant blue color with black markings, and I knew Abigail was with me.
Butterflies were always her favorite. Her face would light up like a kid at Christmas every time we visited the butterfly house at the zoo. The memory of the week before she passed flooded my mind. She was in the hospital, and she begged me to take her outside. My parents left me with her while they went and had a meeting with the doctor. She’d been cooped up in that hospital bed for a week, so I got a wheelchair, helped her out of bed and wheeled her out to the courtyard that was filled with trees and beautiful flowers. It was a warm sunny day and as we sat there, a butterfly landed on her arm. She’d told me that butterflies were angels with wings and that the butterfly on her arm was watching over her. A tear fell down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away.
Walking up to the door of my parents’ house, I opened it and stepped inside. I could hear talking, and when I went up to the living area, I saw Kirsten sitting there with my parents.
“Henry.” My mother smiled as she stood up and gave me a hug. “We’re so excited for the good news.”
“What is she doing here?” I asked as I set down the file on the table.
“Son, have a seat,” my father spoke.
“No. I brought your files and now I’m leaving,” I scowled. “Just because Kirsten is pregnant, it doesn’t change anything.”
I walked out of the house and Kirsten came running after me.
“Henry, wait. Please.”
Against my better judgment, I stopped but refused to turn and look at her. She walked over and stood in front of me.
“I know this wasn’t planned, but it did happen. You’re going to be a father, and we need to work through it. This baby changes everything for us.” She placed her hand on her belly. “Our child is going to need both of us to raise him or her. We’re going to be a family.”
I shook my head at her, climbed into the limo and instructed Christian to take me to the office.
Chapter 21
Ellie
I was sitting in a café with my laptop when a woman walked over to me.
“Ellie Scott?” she signed.
“Yes.” A smile crossed my lips. “Can I help you?”
“May I sit down?”
“Of course.” I gestured to the seat across from me.
“I’m Lillian Walker, Henry’s mother,” she signed.
“Wow. It’s so nice to meet you. How did—”
“I wish I could say the same, but I can’t. I’m here because I want you to stay away from my son,” she signed.
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”
“Did my son tell you he’s going to be a father?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat as a sickness formed inside me.
“Excuse me?”
“I figured he didn’t. Did he tell you he was engaged to another woman when the two of you met?”
“No.” My body began to shake.
“Well, he was. He was engaged to a lovely woman named Kirsten, and out of nowhere, he broke off the engagement. I suspect that had something to do with you. Now that Kirsten is pregnant, Henry plans on doing the right thing.”
“The right thing?” I signed.
“Yes, darling. He is going to marry her, and they will raise their child together. I don’t want to hurt you. You seem like a very sweet girl. But it’s better you found out from me since Henry has been keeping secrets from you.”
The air around me felt constricted as tears sprung to my eyes.
“I know it’s hard, but you deserve someone better. Someone who won’t lie to you and always tell you the truth. Unfortunately, my son lacks that. I’m sorry we had to meet under these circumstances. Take care of yourself.” She got up from her seat and walked out of the café.
I sat there as my body shook from head to toe and the tears streamed down my face. Shutting my laptop, I grabbed it along with my purse and ran out of the café. When I got home, I broke down like I had never broken down before. My body trembled and I felt sick. Running to the bathroom, I vomited. This wasn’t happening. Henry would never do this to me. Then my mind flashed back to the day on the yacht when he was on the phone and turned away so I couldn’t read his lips. And how his behavior changed after he ended the call.
Grabbing my phone from my purse, I saw I had a text message from him.
“Hey, beautiful. I just wanted you to know I miss you.”
“We need to talk,” I replied.
“I’ll come over after work. Is everything okay?”
“No. Things are not okay.”
“Are you home now?”
“Yes.”
“I’m on my way.”
“The door is unlocked. Just come in.”
I nervously sat on the couch, my heart racing a mile a minute as my belly was twisted in a knot. Before I knew it, he knelt in front of me and our eyes locked.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
I looked away from him and trying to speak became difficult. My hands trembled and he grabbed hold of them.
“Ellie, what is it?” Even though I couldn’t hear his voice, I saw the pleading and the worry in his eyes.
“When were you going to tell me about Kirsten and the baby?” I finally managed to ask.
A shocked expression overtook his face as the color drained from it. I pushed him out of the way and got up. He grabbed my arm and spun me around.
“Don’t walk away from me. We need to talk about this. How did you find out?”
“Not from you. That’s for sure,” I shouted as I signed. “How could you do that to me? Why didn’t you tell me?”
He gripped my arms and then quickly let go.
“I wanted to tell you,” he signed. “I just found out she was pregnant on our last day on the boat. I needed to figure things out before I told you.”
“You were engaged to her when we met,” I shouted. “We went out and you were engaged!” The tears streamed down my face.
“I broke it off with her. Ellie, you must list
en to me. I never loved her, and I was miserable until I met you.”
“If you didn’t love her, why were you going to marry her?!”
“Because of my parents! You don’t know them. If I were to gain control of the company, I needed to be married or at least be engaged by time I turned thirty. They introduced us because they thought she was perfect for me. I gave her a chance, but I never loved her. And then when I met you and instantly fell head over heels for you, I knew what I had to do.”
“But you never told me about her! You never said you were engaged. I asked you if you lived alone and you told me yes!” I signed and shouted at the same time.
“I did live alone. She had her place and I had mine. She wanted to move in, and I wouldn’t let her.”
“Why did you keep her a secret?”
“Because I was scared. I was afraid you wouldn’t want to see me anymore and I couldn’t risk that. I love you, Ellie. You are my entire life. You have to believe me. Who told you?”
“Your mom. She came to the café I was at earlier and introduced herself to me.”
“What?” His eye narrowed.
“She asked me if you had told me about your engagement and about the baby. She said I am to stay away from you because you’re going to marry Kirsten and the two of you are going to raise the baby together.”
He placed his hands on his head and paced around the room.
“I am not marrying that woman!” he signed in anger.
I stood there as the tears fell from my eyes and I physically felt my broken heart.
“You should have told me about her from the start. You lied to me, Henry. This whole relationship has been one big lie.”
“Don’t, Ellie. Don’t say that.”
“It’s true. I’m telling you the truth. Something you should have done from the beginning.”
“Would you have went out with me if I told you I was engaged?”
“No.”
“Exactly!” He pointed at me. “I broke it off with her right after we met and before we slept together. That is the honest to god’s truth! I cannot believe my mother did that.”
“I’m happy she did, because now I know something.” I wiped the tears from my eyes.
“Know what?” he signed.
“That you’re a liar and a cheater and I can never trust you. I need you to leave right now.”
“Ellie.” He gripped my arms and I wiggled out of them.
“Don’t make this any harder. If you love me like you say you do, then you’ll leave me alone!” I shouted. “Please. Just go.” I cried as I ripped the necklace he gave me from my neck and threw it at him. “Get out!”
Tears filled his eyes as he stood there and stared at me.
“I love you,” he signed.
“Stop! Don’t do this. I don’t love you anymore and I never want to see you again!”
He picked up the broken necklace from the floor, placed it in my hand and closed my fist.
“No matter what, you will forever have my heart, Ellie Scott. Whether you want it or not.”
“Just go,” I cried.
He tucked one hand in his pocket and walked out the door.
Chapter 22
Henry
Hearing her say she didn’t love me tore me to shreds, like I’d been ripped to pieces by a wild animal. I climbed in the back of the limo and slammed the door. Christian looked at me through the rearview mirror as I put on my Ray Bans.
“I’m not even going to ask, Henry. I can already tell.”
“Just drive, Christian.”
“Where do you want to go?”
“Take me to the cemetery, and then you can go. I’ll get home myself.”
As I was sitting in front of my sister’s grave, my phone rang, and it was Addison. I went to decline the call but decided to answer it.
“Yeah.”
“Henry? Where are you?”
“Why, Addison?”
“Because the meeting with the Henderson Group is starting in a few minutes. Everyone is waiting in the conference room for you.”
“Tell them I need to reschedule the meeting.”
“Are you okay? You don’t sound good.”
“I have to go.” I ended the call.
I picked up one of the roses from the bouquet I brought earlier and held it between my fingers. The pain inside was so unbearable, I could barely breathe. I kept replaying the earlier events over and over in my head. The pain in Ellie’s eyes and the hurt in her voice paralyzed me.
“Hey, you.”
Looking up, I saw Addison standing there.
“How did you know where I was?”
“This is the first place you run to when things aren’t going well. What happened?” she asked as she sat down and hooked her arm around me.
“Ellie broke up with me and told me she didn’t love me anymore. She also said she never wanted to see me again.”
“Oh, Henry. I’m sorry. Why would she do that? Did you tell her about the baby?”
“I didn’t have to. Mom did.”
“Excuse me? Did you just say, ‘Mom did?’”
“Yep. Apparently, she tracked Ellie down at a café earlier today and told her about Kirsten and how we were engaged and now she’s pregnant. Then she told her to stay away from me.”
“That fucking bitch!”
“I tried to explain to her how sorry I was, and I was going to tell her, but it didn’t matter. She said she could never trust me again and she told me to get out.”
“She’s just in shock. Once she calms down and thinks about things, I’m sure she’ll want to see you.”
“I don’t think so, sis. Mom also told her that I was going to do the right thing and marry Kirsten.”
“She crossed the line, Henry, and something needs to be done. Mom or not. I don’t care.”
“I can’t live without her. I love her too much.”
“You don’t have to. I’ll talk to her and make her understand.”
“Thanks. But don’t. I don’t blame her for the way she reacted. It’s all my fault. I should have told her from the beginning.”
“This is all mom’s fault. She had no right to do what she did.”
“When I stopped by their house to give dad the files he wanted, Kirsten was there. I think that was an excuse to get me there. She told me the baby changes everything and that we need to work things out.”
“Over my dead body,” Addison said. “Something isn’t sitting right with me.”
“Like what?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I don’t trust her. I never have.”
Ellie
Once I cried as much as any human possibly could, I sent a text message to my mom and told her that I needed her. Within a few moments, she walked through the door and ran over to where I was lying on the couch.
“Ellie, baby, what happened?” she signed.
I sat up as she hooked her arm around me, and I sobbed while I told her what happened with Henry.
“My God, baby. I’m so sorry.”
“I hate him, Mom. How could he keep something like that from me?”
“I don’t know why men do what they do half the time. I told you things were moving way too fast.”
“Mom! I don’t need you to say that right now.”
“I’m sorry, Ellie. I just hate seeing my baby so hurt.”
“I really thought he was different,” I cried.
After talking for a couple of hours, she finally left. She was worried and wanted to stay the night with me, but I told her no because I wanted to be alone. Starting the water for a bath, I poured in a capful of lavender scented bubble bath and climbed in. The last person I wanted to tell about Henry was Joni. She was right all along, and I felt like a complete idiot for not listening to her. The tears started to fall again as I thought about him. After my skin started to prune, I climbed out of the tub, put on my nightshirt, and climbed into bed. It was only eight o’clock, but I didn’t care. All I wanted to do was
sleep forever and forget about the man who shattered me.
Chapter 23
Henry
My first thought was to go over to my parents’ house and confront my mother. But I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of knowing she succeeded in breaking us up. How did she even know who Ellie was? My best guess would be she hired someone and had her followed. I grabbed the bottle of scotch off my bar and took it over to the couch. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I sent Ellie a text message.
“I am so sorry. Can we please talk?”
I sat and watched as my message failed to send.
“Fuck!” I threw my phone across the room and drank from the bottle until I passed out.
I opened my eyes and tried to make sense of where I was at. Placing my hand on my head, I sat up and looked around. I was still on the couch, in my clothes from yesterday, and with a killer headache. My phone was laying on the floor across the room and I had no idea what time it was. Until I heard the elevator ding. It must have been seven a.m. because that was the time Delilah started work.
“Delilah? Can you come to the living room?”
“Good morn—” She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw me. “Are you alright, Henry?”
“Can you grab my phone for me?” I pointed across the room.
She walked over, picked it up and handed it to me. Bending down and picking up the empty scotch bottle from the floor, she arched her brow at me.
“Long night?” she asked.
Checking my phone, I opened the text message I sent to Ellie last night to see if it went through. It didn’t.
“Something like that.” I replied.
“What happened? Did you and Ellie get into an argument?”
“She broke up with me after my mom tracked her down, met her in a café and told her all about Kirsten and the baby.”
“Wait a minute. What do you mean ‘baby?’”
“Kirsten is pregnant with my kid. Go figure. I can’t get that woman out of my life for nothing.”
“And your mother told Ellie this?”
“Yep. She told me she could never trust me again.”