by Reeni Austin
Tonight, she could take a break from the tangled mess of anger and heartbreak that had surged inside her. Tonight was the start of a new journey. A new life for her and Isaac. They could both move on, go back to their old lives in this familiar city as if they had never left. Ahead of her tomorrow was a long day of touring apartments, and she hoped to sleep well tonight. Unlike last night, when she stared at the clock until three in the morning, crying and unable to calm her mind.
Cara charged through the lobby to the elevator and pressed the button to go upstairs. Then she looked at her watch. It was only ten o’clock. She had time to soak her tired body in the whirlpool tub in her room before relaxing in her luxurious bed for the night.
The elevator arrived quickly. Soon she was on the tenth floor, yawning as she fished for the key in her purse. Her door unlocked with a loud click. Immediately, she heard the same loud click from the room behind her. She heard the stranger take a few steps into the hall, then stop, as if they were waiting for her. The silence made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
She pushed her door open, intending to run inside as quickly as possible. Then she heard a voice.
“This is how you break up with me?”
Cara froze, her eyes shut tight. Her stomach did a somersault. Of course he’d find me…
“What? No answer?” Victor came up next to her and leaned against the wall outside her door. “I never took you for a coward, Cara. This is what cowards do. They run. You should’ve given me a chance to explain. Your mom told me you saw a video. It wasn’t what you think. It was—”
“It doesn’t matter!” Cara opened her eyes, glaring at him. “I’m not stupid. I know she could’ve rigged that video. I left because I got tired of working someplace where I felt like a pawn in some high school game. Sneaking around, dating my boss, with some jealous psycho ex-girlfriend trying to sabotage me? I need a real job. A real life. I’m doing what’s best for me and my son’s future.”
He smirked softly. “Have you ever thought that maybe I’m what’s best for you and your son’s future?”
Tears filled her eyes. “Victor—”
He put his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him. “I know what you’re thinking. I’m not talking about my money. I’m talking about the way I feel, for both of you.”
She did her best to look away. Look anywhere but into his eyes. “I have to go to my room. It’s been a long day.”
Victor let his arms drop to his sides. “So you’re freezing me out?”
Cara pushed her door open and flicked the light switch on the wall. “I’m going to bed.”
“Great idea.” He rushed after her, letting the door slam shut behind him. “I’m going with you.”
She let out a cold laugh as she slung her purse onto the top of the dresser. “I don’t think—”
Before she could finish her sentence, he spun her around, smothering her words in a kiss. His hands were everywhere at once, pulling at her clothes as he guided her toward the bed.
A voice inside Cara told her to resist. She didn’t make this emergency trip just to give in to him like some flighty, horny teenager.
But then his hand went up her skirt. His lips went to her throat, then trailed warm, wet kisses up to her ear where he whispered, “Don’t leave me, Cara.”
She grabbed the back of his head. “Victor…”
“Please, mi preciosa. Please, stay with me.” He withdrew his hand from her skirt and used both hands to quickly unbutton her blouse, immediately pulling it down her arms, along with her sweater. His mouth attached to hers as he reached around her back to unhook her bra.
“Oh!” Cara let out a startled moan as she landed softly—and unexpectedly—on the bed behind her.
Victor tugged at the hem of her stretchy elastic-waist skirt and yanked it down to her shoes. Next came her panties and pantyhose, which he tossed on the floor with the rest of her clothes. Now that she was nude, he fell into bed beside her, his arm sliding under her head to cradle it as he kissed her. His other hand cupped her breast.
Cara’s earlier notions of a hot bath and sleep faded away completely as she melted into Victor.
His lips moved from her mouth to her ear, kissing as they went. “I want you,” he whispered. “Mi corazon…”
And then Cara jolted, as if she was coming out of a trance. “Wait, no. Stop!”
“What?” He pulled away from her immediately.
“Victor.” She rolled to her back. “I can’t let this happen. You lure me in with your kisses and those sexy Spanish words.” She stared up at the ceiling and produced an exasperated sigh. “What are we doing?”
“Well, I don’t know what you’re doing, but I’m doing whatever I can to keep you from getting away. You’re obviously not impressed with my money or you wouldn’t have left me so easily. I will find a way to make you mine, Cara.”
“But, why? You could have any woman you want.”
“I know a good thing when I find it. That’s why.”
Cara hesitated before asking the question she had pondered for days. “But you thought the same thing about Alexis, didn’t you? You were going to marry her, and look how that turned out?”
He bristled a little. “Yes. And I’ve spent a lot of time asking myself the same questions. But now it’s so clear. You see, even in the short time I’ve known you, I’ve wanted to be with you. Wanted to keep you near where I can see you every day and get to know you more.” His head shook gently. “I was never that way with Alexis. I kept myself too busy to see her, and she found comfort with another man. Perhaps it was subconscious, for me. I never really wanted her. I saw her as an investment, I guess, just like everything else in my life. I just wanted to make sure I got married before years went by and I somehow forgot.” He paused, softening his voice. “It’s completely different with you, Cara. I think of you all the time. I love to just be in your presence. And when I’m not with you, it’s only because I’ve already canceled every meeting I can possibly cancel.”
She gulped. “Really? But it seems like you’re working all the time.”
“I worked much more before you came along.” He smiled. “You can ask Gary. He doesn’t think I hear him grumbling under his breath about all the changes he has to make to my calendar.”
“Oh…” Cara was at a loss for words.
“That’s why I simply can’t let you get away.” Victor leaned down to give her lips a soft kiss. When he pulled away, he propped himself up on his elbow. “So, you must tell me. Is there another reason you came here to Chicago? Is there another man here?”
Cara’s eyes widened. “No.”
“Really? No competition for me to eliminate?”
“No. There’s no one. There hasn’t been for years.”
“What about Isaac’s father? Does he live here?”
“Crap.” Cara stared up at the ceiling for a moment, then closed her eyes and hit her forehead with her palm. “I’ve been dreading this conversation.”
“I can see that.”
“I didn’t tell you this, but I got a card from Alexis a few days ago. She—”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Victor’s jaw dropped. “She’s prohibited from contacting you. I would’ve taken care of it.”
“I was afraid, I guess. I don’t know.”
“She did make a comment to me about it. It was strange and vague. Her last ditch effort to turn me against you, I guess. But I don’t believe anything she says.”
Cara pulse quickened. “What’d she tell you?”
“That you never told Isaac’s father about him.”
“What if it’s true? Would that turn you against me? After the way you grew up?”
Victor inhaled deeply, a bit of anxiety coursing through him as he considered the question. He immediately thought of his brother Ramon’s theories about their father. “There are questions about my father that may never be answered. And my mother, God rest her soul, did the best she could. I believe a child should
know his father, if possible. And I think if you decided not to tell Isaac’s father, then you must have had a good reason.” He cleared his throat. “And if it’s okay with you, I’d like to hear that reason.”
Relief washed over Cara. She almost laughed, feeling silly that this issue had caused her so much worry. And it was only at this moment she realized just how much she had let it worry her. A nagging sense of dread had lingered in the back of her mind ever since the day Victor first asked about Isaac’s paternity. And now it was gone. Still, she stiffened a bit as she collected her thoughts, ready to tell Victor what she had never told anyone before. She took a slow breath and began. “His father was a guy I dated my senior year of college. His name was Marcus. He was a grad student. We met at the beginning of the spring semester that year.”
Victor waited patiently as she paused, her face taking on a solemn expression.
She took a moment to collect her thoughts before continuing. “I was a poor student back then. I didn’t want more student loans than I already had, so I worked my way through school to pay for living expenses. That semester, the restaurant where I’d waited tables for two years suddenly shut down. Like, overnight. No warning.” She sighed. “I really didn’t wanna ask Mom for money and get her all worried and worked up. So, I moved in with Marcus after we’d only known each other about a week.”
Victor nodded. “Okay.”
“At the time I thought it was romantic that he wanted me around so much.” She shrugged. “Marcus was so different from any guy I’d ever dated. Very attentive. He’d go out of his way to walk me to class. Take me anywhere I wanted to go, as long as he was with me.” She let out a short groan. “He had to know where I was, all the time. And he slowly isolated me from everyone. I couldn’t even go to my old roommate’s apartment for a girls’ night. At first he was sweet about it. He’d talk me into staying home, telling me he wanted to have a romantic evening together. I was the last one to see what was really going on. I felt so stupid. I think it was the fourth time I tried to go out alone, he threw a fit. Broke a chair and told me it was my fault. I made him throw that wooden chair against the wall because I was being so mean to him, you know?”
“That’s terrible!”
“Yeah. The guys from upstairs came down to see what the problem was. Marcus calmed right down and told them we were having an argument but we were already making up. I don’t know what I said. I think I just stood there in shock. I’d never been scared like that before.”
“Did you call the cops?”
Her eyes welled up. “No.”
“No? What about your mom? Your friends?”
Cara sniffled, shaking her head. In a thin voice she said, “No.”
“You moved out after that, right?”
Tears fell down her face and she wiped them away. “I wish I could say yes. But no. I let another two months go by. What was I supposed to do?” She looked at Victor. “I didn’t have a job and he was paying all the bills. If I could just hold on for a little while longer and put up with his temper till graduation I’d never have to see him again.”
“But you didn’t deserve that. Not for a second. Certainly not for an entire semester.”
“I know.” Cara turned away from him and took a deep breath to calm down. “I was so ashamed of myself for letting him trick me. I thought he was so nice. I bragged to all my friends about what a great guy I found and then he…” Her voice trailed off. She blinked profusely until her tears were gone, and waited until she could speak without crying. “I remember one night I was in bed, trying to sleep after he’d screamed at me for an hour, accusing me of cheating on him. It was the first time he raised his hand to me. He didn’t hit me. He just drew his hand back and acted like he might. He wanted me to be terrified. It reminded me of something my dad told me. He was a cop. He had to deal with domestic violence every day. It really affected him. Especially the women who just didn’t wanna leave those men. Sometimes he’d sit me down and have long talks with me, telling me to watch out for these sleaze balls. That’s what he’d call ‘em, to me. When he didn’t know I was listening, he’d call them something much worse.”
Victor nodded.
Cara continued. “He’d tell me to always stand up for myself. Never let a man intimidate me. I told him if a man ever hit me I’d kill him. Nothing to worry about. But he explained to me that these guys don’t hit their women right away. They wear them down first.” She breathed in and out, deeply, trying to keep her tears at bay. “I realized that’s what Marcus was doing to me. I can’t tell you how stupid I felt. By then, it was hard to get away because he already had so much control over me. He’d check my cell phone all the time to see who I called, who called me. I gave him my email passwords because he blew up at me, accusing me of emailing other guys. I should’ve just told Mom. She was the one person I was allowed to speak to once in a while without him listening. But I didn’t. I wanted her to think everything was okay with me and my nice boyfriend.”
“How’d you finally get away?”
“I got sick with a nasty sinus infection and went to the student health center. Found out I was pregnant. I left him the very next day.” She shook her head. “Should’ve left him long before then. But when I found out I was pregnant I knew I couldn’t put it off any longer.”
“How’d you leave, exactly?”
She sighed. “It was tricky. I had to act like everything was okay that morning. But instead of meeting him after class in our same spot, I went out the other side of the building. Ran to the police station. That night I was sleeping on my old roommate’s couch and I had a protective order against Marcus.”
“Did he try to contact you again?”
“Yeah. Once. Showed up drunk outside the apartment. Got him arrested for violating the order, and for public intoxication.”
“And you didn’t tell him you were pregnant?”
“No. Didn’t tell my friends, either. I didn’t want anyone to know it was his baby. I was afraid he might try to get custody if word ever leaked out. So, I waited a good bit after graduation before I told anyone. I made it sound like it was some guy I hooked up with after the break-up. With the timing, my friends probably suspected it was his baby but they never questioned me. Mom never knew about the abuse, so she never questioned it either. Probably figures I had no reason not to tell Marcus.”
“Aren’t you afraid someone might tell him?”
“No.” Her head gently shook. Her eyes became wide. “He’s dead.”
Victor gasped. “What?”
“Right after we broke up he started drinking a lot more. Dropped out of school. Wasn’t long till he got with this girl named Larissa. They were both alcoholics from what I understand. One night in a drunken rage he shot her then shot himself. Isaac was two months old when I found out. I can search for Marcus’s name and probably still find the story online.”
“Oh my God.” Victor’s mouth fell open. His eyes wandered around the room as he thought about it. “It’s hard to believe sweet little Isaac came from someone with such a gruesome story.”
“I know.” Cara’s eyes were teary again, thinking of her son. “The best thing that ever happened to me came from the worst thing that ever happened to me.” She let out a quiet laugh. “I knew he was special the second I learned I was pregnant. I can’t describe it. I know it sounds crazy.” She wiped her tears away with her hand. “My friends all thought I was insane for wanting to be a single mom right out of college. Going on maternity leave when I wasn’t even a year into my first job. But it all worked out, somehow.” She breathed a dramatic sigh. “And I’m so grateful to have him.”
Victor kissed her cheek, then looked at her, grinning. “I’m very grateful you have him, too.”
She smirked. “Of course, I say that as I sit in a hotel room eight hundred miles away from him.”
He laughed. “It’s okay. You need time for yourself once in a while. Doesn’t mean you’re a bad mother. Besides, you left him in good hands.
”
“Yeah.” Cara frowned as she pictured the heartbroken look on her mother’s face that afternoon when she told her she was moving back to Chicago.
He kissed her cheek again, then let his head rest next to hers on the pillow as his arm rested across her bare stomach. His voice was soft in her ear. “I’m going apartment hunting with you tomorrow.”
“What?” She rolled over to face him.
“I’m going with you tomorrow. We need to make sure you find just the right apartment. There absolutely must be a park nearby where Isaac can play with the neighborhood kids his own age. A nice family-friendly community.” His lips pursed, thoughtfully. “You need enough bedrooms for Marcy and Patty to stay comfortably if they visit.”
“No, I can’t have that many bedrooms in a nice neighborhood. That’s three or four times what I was planning to pay—”
“Housing is a benefit of your new consulting job, querida.” He flashed a wicked grin. “You’ll be spending half of your time here, training a new employee to do your old job, and the rest of the time you’ll be in New York, with me.”
“What? No. My boss, Justine, begged management to get me this job. I’m sure she won’t go for that.”
“Oh, she will.” He nodded. “She’ll have no choice, but it’ll be best for her and everyone else involved.”
Cara raised herself up on her elbows. “Excuse me? How in the world is that possible?”
Chuckling, Victor sat up. “The world’s a much smaller place than you think. Especially the business world. I’ve already made some phone calls. I’ll have a meeting or two next week. That’s all you need to know.”