“...I don’t want a marriage like my parents had, obviously, and I sure as fuck don’t want one like your parents had...but it might be nice to be married one day.“
He had given her one of those long silent looks of his, where his eyes rested on hers for a while and then circled intently around from her eyes to her nose then to back her mouth where it usually rested for a couple beats before they went back to meet her eyes.
The corners of his eyes crinkled slightly and then he said, “My parent’s marriage is barely a marriage, it’s more of a business merger. But I see, you know that rare couple who really do belong together. And, I’ve thought that must be nice...to have someone who’s yours, belongs to you, shares everything with you, the good days, the crappy days, the troubles. Making a life with someone you chose and who chose you - that’s powerful. Making a family, protecting them, making life easier for them, having their back and knowing they have yours,” he trailed off looking away from her and falling into his own world.
She had squeezed his thigh, and he jerked his eyes back to her with an embarrassed grin. She had never seen him embarrassed before and it melted her heart a bit.
“I understand,” she had whispered.
“I bet you do,” he had answered reaching up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear, “What about you, Wave?”
She had been so shaken by what he had said. This strong, silent brooding man, who was usually so reticent to reveal his thoughts had just coughed up such heartfelt words. She wasn’t sure that she could speak without bursting into tears.
“Same,” she had whispered, then leaned into to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him, very softly on the mouth.
He had quickly taken over the kiss as he tended to do and shortly any thoughts other than what he was doing to her body were gone.
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
Walker was back in his office, staring at a spreadsheet, the same spreadsheet he had been staring at for the last hour. He was gripping it so tightly he had left fingerprint indentations on the papers. Waverly’s words were burned into his brain, on a constant rewind. “I love you, I love you, I love you.” How the fuck was he going to fix this? What he wanted to do was pick her up, throw her over his shoulder and drop her on the nearest bed, floor whatever the fuck was closest and bury his dick in her until she came screaming his name and then he came inside her. Followed by slapping some tape over her mouth, shoving a ring on her finger and fucking her over and over until she was pregnant with his kid. Then she would never leave him. He doubted it would work but it was a pretty fucking good dream.
Fucking hell, he had texted and phoned Cece repeatedly, he had even ordered his lawyers to force her to speak to him with no luck. Frustrated, he had even driven out to her family home, only to be turned away with a quick door slam and guilty look from Helen the family’s longtime housekeeper. For years his family had been friends with the VanderCrests, he had always found Cece to be a kind, mousy thing. When she had called crying to him that she had changed her mind about terminating a pregnancy and needed a ride home. He had felt like it was the right thing to do. Due to what seemed to be at the time an unwanted the pregnancy he felt bad for her. She had been frantic and needy as he drove her from the Doctor’s to her apartment. It had all been an act, she had totally played him. Waverly was right about her.
If Waverly chose not to believe him there was little left that he could do. The avalanche of press had been shut down by his lawyers, but it was almost impossible to stop the flood of information on the Internet. He was not a man who enjoyed the notoriety or self-congratulatory back patting of being in the press. Maybe it was a ‘blue blood’ thing as Waverly had often teased him but he fucking hated it. Motherfucking prick Sean Caylor from Windy City Channel 5, had been relentlessly calling to offer him some bullshit exclusive story opportunity. Fuck that guy, this was his life, and Waverly’s, no part of it was open for public consumption.
He was a ride or die kind of guy he knew that about himself, he hadn’t wanted to fall in love with anyone. Deep down he knew that there would never be anyone else to replace Waverly. Even with her stubbornness, her refusal to listen to him, he still believed that she was perfect, the perfect woman for him. He had thought that the short time he was able to steal in her presence would have lessened his need for her, not so, it only seemed to highlight more clearly the fact that he needed her in his life.
“What’re you smiling about pretty boy?”
Walker looked over his coffee mug and then intentionally slammed it down watching Anne’s eyes squint in pain no doubt from her extended hangover.
“Nice of you to show up Anne, can I get you anything, coffee, tea, maybe some cheap chocolate wine?”
“I told you my cat was sick” she snapped.
“Of course,” he drawled, “Was Winston hung over too?”
“I was going to offer to help you, but you can forget it if you’re just going to give me grief,” Anne huffed glaring at him.
“Alright, alright, Anne calm down. What exactly are you going to help me with?”
“When I talked to Waverly on Saturday....”
Walker snorted “talked” was a broad term for what they had done but he supposed it wasn’t in his best interest to rattle Anne’s cage any further.
“She loves you, Walker. You can’t give up, you just can’t! I know how you were raised, I know that you’re not well acquainted with love or how it works, but, I’ve watched how you look at her and I’ve watched how she looks at you. You’re meant to be together.”
Her eyes were watery, Walker was shocked, He had seen Anne cry exactly two times in his life, when her son went to college and when he graduated from college.
“Anne, sit,” he prompted gently, waiting while she dropped into his visitor chair, leaning forward to hand her a tissue.
“Anne, he began again, “I appreciate your concern, you’re wanting the best for me means the world to me, but...
“Were you aware that the night you met your parents for dinner, Cece accosted Waverly in the ladies room.”
Walkers hands slammed down on his desk as he rose out of his chair.
“She did what? Did she hurt her? Why didn’t she tell me?”
“No, no, she didn’t hurt her, not physically. She intimidated her, identified her weak spot and then attacked. Cece told Waverly that she was only a plaything for you and when you were ready for commitment, she was the choice you would make - again.”
Walker snorted, “Fuuuuck” he dropped back into his chair.
“Why didn’t she tell me, I would have talked to Cece, set her straight and we wouldn’t be in this fucked up, fucking mess right now?”
Anne waited for him to finish, smoothing some imaginary stray lint off of her skirt.
“Walker,” she started gently, you know Waverly, she presents herself as a tough cookie, and everyone who knows her is afraid to burst her bubble and tell her the truth. That she’s a really a marshmallow covered in nuts maybe, or sprinkles. I don’t think she wanted you to know that it happened, or that it upset her. I think she was trying to protect you and she didn’t want you to think that she couldn’t handle it herself. You know she’s handled everything herself for quite a long time.”
Anne paused giving him time to digest the information, then continued, “Cece went for the jugular, she knows what your parents are like, and how that dinner would likely go, she just waited patiently like the snake she is and then attacked.”
Walker sighed leaning his head forward resting it on his hands.
“And then Cece announces her pregnancy and it’s the final nail in the coffin in Waverly’s eyes. Hook, line and sinker, Waverly fell for it and boom - Cece wins.”
“Exactly,” Anne frowned, “She worked Waverly’s vulnerabilities. So go now, call her, right now. Text her and tell her the truth.”
Walker raised his head wearily.
“It explains quite a bit Anne, but it won’t change anything. Waverly does
n’t believe me. You never questioned whether I had done this. Even Benn and Kate, her best friends, believed me. The truth is the truth, but I can’t force Waverly to believe it. I have done and tried everything I can think of. I do have some pride, Anne.”
He met her eyes and saw them scrutinize him. Clearly unhappy with what she saw, raising up out of her chair and striding in her sensible shoes to his office door, she paused.
“Well maybe Ms. Matthews isn’t as smart as we thought she was”
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
He could not fucking win. Hurling aside one of the papers Anne had brought him, the last thing he wanted to see was more press about this goddamn catastrophe. He had to get away from all of it, think and find a way to get through to Waverly. Walker threw his laptop in his bag and headed out for the day, fiddling with his phone to avoid eye contact with everyone. The damn thing had blown up with texts and calls from ‘friends’ wanting to ‘help’ or weasel information out of him. He was no fool, they didn’t care about him, they only wanted to know whether what Cece had to say was true.
Exiting the lobby the driver waited holding the door open, Walker was almost to his waiting car when he heard his name being called. “Mr. Rike, Mr. Rike, Walker”
Motherfucker, it was the press, and not just one reporter, an entire entourage of reporters were rapidly advancing on him with microphones thrust out like bayonets. Increasing his pace, he calculated whether he could make it safely to the car, but it was too late, clearly, they had been lying in wait for him. Within seconds he was completely surrounded, he wouldn’t be to reach the safety of his car without having to shove a group of them aside. Which would be exactly what they were looking for, any outburst from him would only heighten his presence in the news. A few microphones were thrust into his face by a handful of the reporters in the front line. The loudest voice belonged to that dickhead Sean Caylor.
Mr. Walker, are you excited about becoming a father?
Mr. Walker, will you and Miss VanderCrest be getting engaged again?
“Mr. Walker, Sean Caylor from Windy City Channel 5, how do you feel about your impending fatherhood? Are you hoping for a boy or a girl? Has Miss VanderCrest been experiencing any morning sickness?”
“No comment,” he replied abruptly.
All of the local press was well aware of his animosity towards them and his intense desire for privacy. Probably due to his family name, for the most part, they humored him and respected his typical non-answers, but the salacious nature of the story seemed to have increased their thirst for more information. His new driver had made an effort to fend them off, but he was a young guy with a slight build and had been easily knocked aside in their fervor to get to him. The noise of their calling to him and asking for an answer - any answer, was deafening now and they were beginning to push. Questions being shouted over other questions, microphone after microphone shoved in his face.
“No comment guys, now move back,” he was forced to shout to be heard, trying to calm down the chaos, although they became a bit more quiet, he could hear multiple cameras rapidly clicking away.
More microphones were shoved into his face, another reporter calling out, “You think you’ll be a hands-on dad, Mr. Rike?”
“No comment.”
“Come on Rike, man, give us something”
“Not gonna happen, buddy, now get lost”
This did not go over well with the guy Walker could tell by the narrowing of his eyes and the sneer appearing on his face.
Sean from Channel 5 who Walker had been studiously ignoring, sneered at Walker, shouting out his question.
“Does your girlfriend, Waverly Matthews have a comment on your fiancé’s pregnancy?”
The entire crowd of reporters went eerily quiet, realizing a line had been crossed.
And, then the barrier broke any sense of courtesy the crowd of reporters had left due to respect for his family’s name evaporated. They let loose with a barrage of questions about Waverly.
“Did Miss Matthews know you were also seeing Miss VanderCrest?
“What does Waverly Matthews think about your love child with Cece?
“What made you choose the heiress over Miss Matthews?
Sean smirked as he shoved the microphone even closer to Walker.
“Mr. Rike, How does Miss Matthews feel about continuing your relationship, now that you’re engaged? Is she willing to continue as your ‘friend’, after you marry the VanderCrest heiress?”
Walker tossed his bag to the side and it all went downhill from there.
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE
Sitting on her office sofa, one foot tucked under her, Waverly was drafting a creative schedule., Benn at the opposite end of the sofa was doing some research while waiting for her to finish and provide him with the rough estimate. She wondered if he really needed the schedule or if he was just on babysitting duty, just keeping her company for moral support.
She had dressed with care today, making a point of looking her best. She felt like she had been letting Benn down as a partner and it was time she started pulling her own weight again. Broken hearted or not. Feeling guilty she flicked her eyes over to Benn to find him studying her.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he answered, dropping his eyes quickly back to his tablet.
Turning back to the brief, the product demographics called for a young, urban couple blissfully in love, as he proposes to her.
Waverly snorted.
“What? What’s wrong?” Benn asked, immediately alert at hearing her snort.
“Nothing,” she answered, dropping her eyes quickly back to the brief.
His protectiveness, although appreciated, was starting to feel suffocating to her. In the past, whenever she complain to Walker that Benn was driving her crazy, or tell him the funny things that Benn had said or done, he would listen patiently, then respond, “You gotta love Benn, Baby, he’s family.” Shit, she could feel her eyes watering, the tears coming, would she never get over this man? Would she always have this ache in her heart for him? As much as she tried to put on a brave face and tell herself that she was over him, she wondered if she would ever love someone the way she loved Walker. She watched the tear that had dropped spread out onto the words of the creative brief, blurring the words.
“Holy shit,” Benn shouted, “Holy. Shit.”
“Okay Benn, okay, I’m really trying but...”
“Way, look, Dammmmn, look at him go”
Waverly flew out of her chair to see what had Benn’s eyes glued to his tablet, she could hear loud, shouting voices from whatever he was watching.
“Way, look at your boy go!”
A video of Walker surrounded by a large group of rabid reporters taunting him about Cece. God, Walker must have loathed being in that situation, he loathed anyone having access to details of his private life. He would never voluntarily give the press any information regarding any part of his life.
“Does your girlfriend Waverly Matthews have any comment on your fiancé’s pregnancy?”
Covering her face with her hands a gasp of dismay escaped her, and Benn promptly wrapped a supportive arm around her as they continued watching.
Sean Stanley from Channel 5 shoved the microphone into Walker’s face, almost hitting him as he asked the offensive question. Waverly knew Sean, they bumped into each other occasionally at business functions, he had even brazenly hit on her at his company Christmas party one year. She watched Walker’s face cloud with fury at the question, his eyes narrowing in disgust, his mouth drawn so tightly that his lips became a single flat line.
Sean taunted him with another question.
“No comment Mr. Rike? Our sources tell us that Miss Matthews has been your, uh, ‘friend’ while your fiancée´, heiress, Cece VanderCre...”
Walker’s entire body hurled forward, taking the reporter to the ground his arm shot forward plowing into the reporter’s jaw. The crowd of reporters surged forward with a chorus of angry shouts.
With the help of a few camera assistants, the driver was finally able to insert himself between the two men, breaking up the altercation. Sean leaning against the car and a camera assistant and the driver struggling to hold Walker back from going after him again. Walker broke through their hold, he was furious, both hands holding Sean with a powerful grip on his collar, his deep voice full of barely suppressed rage.
“Don’t you ever say anything bad about Waverly. Don’t ever mention her name again, don’t look at her don’t talk to her, don’t even think about her.”
It looked like Sean must have gotten in a few punches of his own, Walkers shirt was torn and filthy, his tie mangled and blood was dripping from his lip. The crowd of reporters remained silent for several moments, so hushed that you could hear Walkers heavy breathing, one of the female reporters called out from the back of the pack.
“Mr. Rike do you love her?”
Then a little more loudly.
“Mr. Rike, do you love her, do you love Miss Matthews?”
Squeezing Benn’s hand Waverly held her breath, watching Walker’s head jerk up, then swivel to look directly at the female reporter who had moved up through the crowd. Grabbing the microphone away from her, he swiped at the blood that had trickled down with the back of his hand. Looking directly into the camera began speaking.
“Yes. I love her. I love Waverly Matthews. She is the best fucking thing that ever happened to me. Every time she walks into a room and looks at me, I feel like the luckiest man alive. She’s the most beautiful, sexiest, woman I’ve ever met and I would marry her in a heartbeat. If she would have me...she’s the only woman I want...or will ever want in my life. So, yes, I’m crazy about her. I love her.
The Dumbf*ck - Part Two of The DumbFuck Series: A Billionaire Bad Boy Humorous New Adult Romance (The DumbF*ck Part Two Book 2) Page 14