by E. L. Todd
At the end of the day, I went to the apartment above the shop. It was vacant now that Cayson left, and I could lounge around and grab a snack when I wanted to. Sometimes I took naps during the day if the shop was really slow.
But when I got upstairs Cayson was still there.
“What are you doing?” I blurted.
Cayson was lying on top of the covers with his face to the ceiling. His hands rested on his chest. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”
“What the hell happened? I thought you and Skye were getting back together.”
He released a laugh, but it was full of sarcasm and bitterness. “Nope.”
What was I missing? I approached the bed and sat on the edge. “What happened, man?”
“Skye said she would give our marriage another chance.”
“And you said no…?”
“Under the condition that I come clean about all the sex I had with Laura. When I told her I didn’t do it, Skye said she wanted a divorce.”
This kept getting worse. “Why didn’t you just say you had sex with Laura? Who cares if it’s a lie or not? You get your wife back?”
Cayson sat up, and a cold look was in his eyes. “While I love Skye and would do anything to be with her…I’m not going to sacrifice my integrity. I’m not going to take the easy way out just to be with her again. I’ll convince her I’m telling the truth and get her back that way. And that’s the only way I’ll do it.”
I tried not to roll my eyes. “Now isn’t the time to take the high road.”
“Would you do it?” he demanded. “Would you look Trinity in the eye and tell her you fucked some girl? Would you watch the life leave her eyes as the heartbreak set in?”
I lowered my gaze. “No.”
“I can’t go on letting her think that. I assumed that standing my ground would make her realize I’m innocent but it totally backfired instead.”
I shook my head. “If that doesn’t prove your innocent I don’t know what will. Anyone else would have fessed up even if it weren’t true. The fact you didn’t should mean something.”
“But it didn’t.” He rubbed his temple like he was combating a migraine. “Now she’s threatening to divorce me.”
Fuck, this just got worse.
“But I know she won’t go through with it.”
“She won’t?”
He shook his head. “She was willing to take me back knowing I slept with someone else. She’s still madly in love with me. She’s not going to let me go.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I’m certain I am. I either need to convince her of my innocence or make her realize she can’t live without me.”
“Easier said than done…”
“And I’ll need your help to do it.”
Me? “Whatever you need, I’m here.”
“Good. I was counting on that.”
I looked around at the small apartment. “Trinity and I are moving into our new place this weekend. How about you take our old apartment? We can sublease it to you until you no longer need it.”
Cayson turned his dark eyes on me. “Does that mean you don’t think we’ll get back together?”
“No. I just want my nap room back.”
Cayson chuckled. “It would be nice to have something bigger.”
“It’s not permanent. And you’ll have more room and a full kitchen. Our lease isn’t up for three months anyway.”
“Thanks for the offer. I’ll take it.”
“Great. Now I get to take naps again when it’s slow.”
“I’m not here during the day so you can take naps anyway.”
I cringed. “Who knows what you do on these sheets.”
“Don’t worry,” he said with a sigh. “They’re only soaked with my tears.”
His words burned my heart.
Cayson cleared his throat. “So, need help moving?”
“We’re hiring a moving company but it would be nice to have someone help us box everything up.”
“I’ll do it if Trinity asks Skye to do the same thing.”
“You know she’s pregnant, right?”
He growled. “How could I forget?”
“We could invite her over just to hang out. That might work.”
“I’m looking for any excuse to see her. Whenever something involving the baby comes up she calls me. But I can’t always rely on that.”
“Yeah, true. At least she still hasn’t told anyone what’s going on.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “But who knows how long that will last.”
“You guys have done a good job keeping it a secret so far.”
“I guess,” he said with a shrug. “But Sean knows something is up. And my father-in-law is the worst person to have on my tail.”
“Yeah…he and Mike are psycho.”
“That’s an understatement,” he said with a chuckle.
“You know what?”
“Hmm?” he asked.
“If Sean knew what happened between you, I think he’d believe you.”
His eyes softened. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t they? I know you look guilty and everything but it’s so out of character that it doesn’t add up. Sean is really intelligent. Of all people, I think he would see the truth.”
His touched look disappeared. “No. Skye is just like her father. They both think with their heart and not their brain. Scarlet, on the other hand is different. I think she might believe me. “
I shrugged. “I still think Sean will see the truth. And if he does, that could really help you.”
“Or make it a million times worse. He’d probably hire a hit man to take me out.”
“Actually…I think he would just take you out on his own.”
Cayson actually laughed. “Good point.”
I patted his shoulder. “It’ll work out, man.”
“I’m losing hope with every passing day. But since my family is on the line I can’t give up.”
“You’ll get them back, Cayson.”
“And if I don’t…I still have you.”
I put my arm around his shoulders. “I don’t have a boobalicious chest or a tight pussy, but I’m a pretty good choice. I play basketball, video games, and I’m hilarious. You could do worse.”
Cayson finally smiled. “Much worse.”
Chapter Eight
Arsen
Weeks went by and I didn’t hear from Sherry or Levi. Perhaps they both got the hint that I wanted nothing to do with them. I had a new life and a new family. Why would I want anything to do with them when they only caused me pain? Well, Levi didn’t do anything but he was guilty by association. Even if he were my full brother I still wouldn’t want him in my life.
Now that the dust had settled I started to calm down. I wasn’t constantly looking over my shoulder in fear. Every time Stewart said there was someone on the phone I didn’t assume it was someone I didn’t want to speak to.
Things started to return to normal.
Silke stopped by my office at lunchtime. “Hey, Hunk.” She wore black slacks with heels and a tight top. I preferred it when she wore skirts because her beautiful legs were too magnificent to hide, but she looked beautiful in anything.
“Hey, beautiful.”
She approached my desk and leaned over slightly, exposing her cleavage. “Ready for lunch?”
My eyes honed in on her tits.
“Arsen?”
“Hmm?” My eyes turned back to her.
“Lunch?” An amused smile was on her lips.
“I suddenly have a craving for milk…”
“Well, that’s not on the menu.” She stood up straight and crossed her arms over her chest.
“What a tease.” I stood up then left my jacket over the chair. I hardly wore it anyway. I preferred just the collared shirt and tie.
“Tease?” she asked. “Maybe I just like a lot of foreplay.”
I came around the desk then squeezed her ass. “Then let me giv
e you some foreplay.” I guided her to the desk.
“Nope.” She moved out of my grasp. “After lunch.”
I growled. “Tease.”
She shrugged. “I guess I am a tease.”
“What do you want?”
“Sandwiches?”
“Whatever you want.” As long as I got to stare down her top I didn’t care what we ate.
Hand-in-hand, we headed to the deli down the street then got our food. Once we were sitting in the booth, Silke went to town on her sandwich.
“Skipped breakfast?”
“I had to talk to Abby’s teacher so I ran late to work.”
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“More than okay,” she said. “Apparently, Abby is doing really well. She’s at the top of her class.”
“She is?” A smile immediately broke out on my lips and pride flushed through my body. My little girl was my whole world. Every little thing she did was fascinating to me.
“Yep.” Silke was just as proud. “Abby has really settled in and made new friends. I think she’s finally…recovered from what happened.”
That was music to my ears. As a parent, I could fix anything. If she had a cut, I could attend to it. If she needed help with her homework, I could tutor her. There wasn’t anything I couldn’t do. But I couldn’t put a bandage over her heart.
I knew she would never forget Lydia or how painful it was to lose her, but moving on was the best thing for her. Silke would never replace Lydia, and I was glad Abby had accepted her as a parent. “That makes me very happy.”
“Me too.” She picked at her chips and ate quietly.
I’d been waiting for Abby to settle down before I asked Silke to be my wife. While I loved Silke with everything I had, my daughter always came first. I had to make sure she was happy before I pursued anything else. And now that Abby was finally happy and settled in, I could finally have what I always wanted.
It hit me hard in the chest in that moment. The woman sitting across from me was the love of my life. She was the only woman that touched my heart. It used to be impenetrable, blocked by solid concrete. But she managed to chisel her way deep inside. Since then, she’s never left.
There was no doubt in my mind she was the one.
I wanted to make her my wife and have more children with her. I wanted to make the family I never had. Now that my mom and brother were a thing of the past, I could finally have that.
Silke watched my face, noting the distant look in my eyes. “What?”
I snapped out of my fantasy. “Nothing.”
“You looked lost for a second there…”
“I’m always lost without you.” It was a cheesy line but hopefully it would change the subject.
Silke returned to eating her chips. “So…haven’t heard anything from Sherry or Levi?” She tiptoed around this subject. It was obvious she didn’t want to ask about them at all but she had to.
“Nope.”
“You’re relieved?”
“I’m not a part of that world anymore. It seems silly to force myself just because our DNA is similar.”
“I suppose.”
“I’ve only known Ryan for a few years and he’s been more of a parent than anyone else in my life. Why should I bother trying to forgive my mother when I already have someone incredible? It’s a slap in the face to him.”
“My dad would never think that. If you were able to have a relationship with your mother he would want that. He knows it would never change what the two of you have.”
“I don’t know…I feel a lot more comfortable with Ryan than anyone else.”
Silke shot me a glare.
“Besides you, of course. But he understands things about me because he’s been through them himself.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”
I promised him I would never tell her. “You know, not caring about school…stuff like that.”
Silke dropped her suspicion. “I’m not a cold person and I think everyone deserves a second chance for the things they’ve done. But I also think some wounds run too deep. Sometimes even time can’t erase the faintest scars. If you feel this hurt by this woman, I think you have every right not to want her in your life.”
My lady always had my back. “She says she regrets what she did but…the fact she had another son and didn’t come back for me is inexcusable.”
Silke watched me with sad eyes.
“But before that…she seemed sincere.”
“I’m sure she is, Arsen.”
“You really think so?” I asked.
“It’s clear she doesn’t need anything from you. Levi takes care of her so she has no motive that I can see.”
I liked it when Silke worked out problems with me. She and I were a team. We conquered our problems together, not apart. I felt guilty for pushing her away when I shouldn’t have. Two months had come and gone and I wasn’t really there. “What are you saying?”
“I’m not saying anything at all,” she said. “I think your mom is being sincere. But I also think what she did was unforgivable. But I also think that she may have been unable to take care of you even if she wanted to…there are a lot of factors involved. It’s definitely not black and white.”
No, it was complicated as hell.
“It looks like they’ve both finally gave up on you. So, the ball is in your court. You can forget about them and move on. Or you can try to resolve it. It’s up to you. It should have been up to you from the beginning.”
I only ate half my sandwich and didn’t have an appetite to finish the rest.
Silke fell quiet and returned to eating her chips.
I stared at the table as I remained lost in thought.
“So, how do you want to do it when we get back to your office?” The playful side of her came out, trying to change the course of my thoughts and cheer me up.
A small smile stretched my lips. “You know me, I’m not picky.” Since Silke was so hot, every position was amazing. When she was on her back I got to stare at her perfect tits. When she was on her stomach I got to stare at her beautiful ass. Any decision was a winner.
“Or would you rather me get on my knees and suck you off?”
My skin immediately prickled and heat flushed through my body.
She smiled triumphantly. “Looks like we have a winner.”
***
Ryan was my closest friend in the world. I was young when my father was in the picture but I don’t remember much about him. And when he left I hardly noticed he was gone. When I looked at Ryan, I saw a father. But I also saw a friend I could confess anything to. Sometimes it irritated me that Silke and Slade didn’t take advantage of what they had. But I never took him for granted.
He never gave up on me when everyone else had. Even Silke gave up on me at one time but he never did. He was my savior, the whole reason why I was the man I was now. I would be indebted to him forever.
I asked him to meet me at Mega Shake as a father and a best friend. There was no one else I wanted to do this with. I was close with the guys and we hung out and watched games and played ball together, but I didn’t have the same connection with them. Slade and Cayson were best friends, and so were Conrad and Roland. And that’s how I was with Ryan.
Ryan finished his food then wiped his mouth with the back of his forearm. “This place never gets old.”
“Tell me about it.” I’d already finished. Somehow, I ate faster than him. But Slade ate faster than both of us. “What’s new with you?”
“Not a damn thing. Janice and I went to the beach last weekend.”
“That sounds nice.”
“It was. I went surfing and she baked in the sun like a pastry.”
I chuckled. “I’m sure she got a nice tan.”
“I got burned. I didn’t put on sunblock.” He pulled up his sleeve and exposed the bubbling skin of his shoulder.
“Looks painful.”
He shrugged. “Janice put Vaseline on it. And th
en she ended up putting it somewhere else…” He gave a wicked grin.
I chuckled. “Great story.”
“So, anything else in mind? We could hit the court but I need a few minutes to digest.”
“Actually, there is something I want to do.”
“What?” Ryan asked. “Paintballing? I love paintballing. We should round up the guys and go.”
“Maybe another time.”
Ryan waited for me to spit it out. “What is it? You have something to tell me?”
He could read me pretty well. “You’re Silke’s father but you’re also my friend. I have to treat you as two different people sometimes.”
He narrowed his eyes in interest.
“Right now I’m talking to you as Silke’s father.”
“Okay…”
“I would love your permission to marry your daughter.” It wasn’t so hard to say it because I already knew I had his approval. He wouldn’t have given it to me a long time ago if that weren’t the case. But it was still a big moment for us to share.
Instead of smiling, he continued to watch me. “You plan to propose soon?”
“Yes.”
He was quiet for so long I didn’t think he would say anything.
This was not going according to plan. He seemed angry, not happy.
“Now I’m talking to you as Silke’s father.” His voice carried his authority and his threat. “Lately you seem out of touch with Silke. With everything going on with your mother you’ve pushed her away. I’ve had to remind you where you belong several times. Is that phase over?”
He hadn’t spoken to me this way in a long time. “Yes.”
“Can I trust that you won’t run out on her the second things get difficult?”
That hurt—badly. “I would never abandon her—or my daughter.”
“I didn’t say abandon,” he snapped. “You can still be in the same house but be on a different planet. Sometimes you push people away with your mind and become untouchable. You’ve pushed her away once and I had to bring you back. I know we lose our ways sometimes but it’s become a theme with you.”
I held his gaze but felt broken inside.
“I love you, Arsen. You’re a son to me. Whatever your flaws may be, I will always accept you exactly as you are. There’s nothing you could do ever do to make me turn you away. But when it comes to my daughter, things are different. I need to know that you take this seriously. You aren’t playing house anymore. This is the real deal. Being a husband is a big responsibility. Can you really handle it?”