Redemption (The Bet)

by Phal, Francette

  "I never regretted all the times we were together, I never regretted falling in love with you."

  "You need to get over what we had and move on."

  "Like you have?"

  "Yes, Devlin is good for me and you should find someone that's good for you too.” Those words hurt far more than she'd expected them to.

  "He'll never be good enough for you."

  "Well then I guess you both have something in common."

  They were verbally fencing, their foils represented by every barb they made, veiled beneath a cloak of innuendos that anyone would understand, knowing the history they had. Ellie advanced, foil in hand and lunged, with every comment made and Nicholas parried, recovered and came back with an attack of his own, except he wasn't out for blood like Ellie was. She wanted to hurt Nicholas and Nicholas would only deflect, he could no nothing more.

  They could both say that their hearts did not accelerate a little when they began these little tête-à-têtes. They could say that they did not inwardly enjoy the emotions, no matter how fleeting, they evoked in each other, but saying that, especially out loud would be detrimental.

  "Yeah," Nicholas advanced but did not touch her. "We both love you."

  "Why? Why are you doing this? What could you possibly gain by making me doubt my feelings for him? Do you want me to say I love you back? That I forgive you for ripping my heart out? Do you want me to leap into your arms, kiss you and forget everything? What?" Ellie shoved him. "What the hell do you want?" she shoved him again and before she could do it once more, Nicholas grabbed her wrists and stared down at her.

  "I want your happiness."

  "Then let me have it, Nicholas." She pleaded desperately, hating that he made her feel this way. She hated that he made her doubt everything she’d once been so sure of.

  "Not with him." He replied with just as much desperation, silver eyes troubled, whirling with emotions that were hard to pin down.

  "You have no right to do this to me, Nicholas. No right at all. How dare you come back into my life and tell me that you still love me when you gave up that right ten years ago? You took my heart and you left me broken. You ran away from me, Nicky. From us. You can't deny me happiness now when I was willing to give you everything back then. We had our chance and it passed us by. I can't have you in my life as more than the father of my children. I just can't…I won't set myself up for that kind of hurt again."

  "You want me to tell you why it still hurts so much? Why every time you try and convince yourself to forget about me you can't? Why every time his lips brush against yours I'm the only one you can think about? Do you want me to tell you, Elle?"

  "Don't…" Ellie struggled to be free, Nicholas's hold remained steadfast.

  "Because somewhere deep down you still care about me just as much as I do you. He'll never make you happy, because I've spoiled you for anyone else," they were so close, Nicholas's face centimeters away from Ellie's own. His smile was slow, sad as he brushed a kiss across her forehead. "Just as you've done for me."

  Nicholas wanted to kiss her so much that it was a physical ache, but he refrained. While he had her so close, sharing the same breath, her warmth seeping into his icy limbs, he closed his eyes and savored her nearness. Just for a sweet interminable moment, he allowed himself to take in all that she was. He could give her space, permit her this happiness she wanted so much, but Nicholas was incapable of doing so. He needed to let her go, this he knew, but the agony of releasing her would kill him.

  "You're right," he said finally, voice gruff with emotion. "I have no right to ask you for anything. I've destroyed any hope of there ever being an ‘us’ again. But please know, Ellie, that loving you has been the greatest thing that's ever happened to me." He tentatively reached out to caress her cheek and ruefully smiled. "You were my greatest joy and I didn't know how to keep you."

  "There can't be anything between us, Nicholas."

  "I know," he murmured, resting his forehead against hers. "God help me, Ellie. I know."

  This was how Gabe found them when he walked into Dylan's room. Nicholas's hand cupping Ellie's cheek with the other wrapped around her waist. Their bodies were indecently close, faces a whisper apart alluding to the kiss Nicholas yearned to give and Ellie fought to deny. Gabe's anger rose and without a second's thought he wedged himself between them and lunged for Nicholas.

  "Gabe!"

  Gabe's fist made contact only twice, before Nicholas retaliated. He elbowed Gabe's face with enough force to leave the other man staggering. But not to be bested by that blow, Gabe came back like a branded bull and tackled Nicholas to the ground.

  "Stop! Gabe! Nicholas!"

  Impervious to her cries, Nicholas and Gabe tussled on the ground, delivering blows evenly matched. It had to take Ellie, Devlin and Ronnie to pull them apart. Bloodied and breathing hard, both men assessed the damage done.

  "What the hell is going on?" Ronnie demanded of her husband, pulling him from Devlin's grasp and turning him around to face her. "Oh my god, look at your face! Gabe what the hell is wrong with you"

  "Me? Ask her!"

  Ronnie turned to Ellie, who was holding Nicholas's arm like a lifeline. "Ellie...?"

  But Ellie refused to look at her, she released Nicholas's arm and walked over to Gabe. She tried to reach out to touch is battered face, but Gabe recoiled from her touch and scowled. "You can't possibly be that stupid, Ellie."

  Ellie flinched as if struck, Gabe's rebuke worse than any attack. "Nothing happened." She said, guilt forcing her eyes away from Gabe's knowing gaze.

  "Ellie, what happened? Are you alright?" Devlin settled his hands on Ellie's slumped shoulders and turned her around. She avoided his gaze while her heart hammered painfully against her sternum like a battering ram. The adrenaline of almost being caught doing something she wasn't supposed to, caused the full body tremors that refused to cease. "God, Ellie, your shaking." He enveloped her in his arms and over his broad shoulders, Ellie's eyes met Nicholas's stare. He gave her a halfhearted smile between the gaping cut on his lip, imperceptibly nodded his head and made his exit.

  "Nothing... nothing happened. You know how Gabe is? He just overreacted. Nicholas and I were just having a conversation about the kids and one thing led to another and viola! They're fighting."

  "What was your conversation about?" She felt like she was under investigation, and she'd probably have no reason to be so nervous if she wasn't guilty.

  "I just told you, Dev, we were talking about the kids."

  Devlin prodded. "You sure?"

  "What reason would I have to lie? I was just letting him know that it'd be better on all of us if he started taking the kids to his house from now on. That way, you and I will have more time together. I really miss our times together, so I was thinking that maybe next week, for the three day weekend, you and I go away together? No kids, no meddling exes, just you, me and the four walls of a really nice hotel."

  "What did you have in mind?" Thanking whatever deity in the heavens who had her best interest at heart, Ellie stood on her toes and kissed Devlin. With the subject successfully changed, she ignored her godparent and led Devlin out of the room.

  "I don't know, but anywhere would be good, as long as you and I are alone."

  Chapter 16

  Sonya was so smitten that she was practically giddy with glee. At last she was meeting her grandchildren. She'd long ago resigned herself to Nicholas remaining a bachelor for the rest of his life, leaving the possibility of children out of mind. The revelation a few weeks ago, however, had returned hope to her heart and she'd since then patiently waited for the day when Nicholas would make their introductions. Today was that day.

  They were more than what Sonya had ever imagined. Perfect little darlings who stared back at her their bashfulness did very little in hiding their curiosity from her. They were too perfect for words and it took a small amount of effort not to fall to her knees and embrace them both to her bosom. She fought the urge, although just bar
ely as she walked further into the sitting room, the imported Persian carpet swallowing the sound of her heels.

  "Nicholas, what a pleasant surprise!" And truly it was. With the time consuming schedule of keeping his company running and catering to the demands of flavor of the months worldwide, Sonya rarely saw her son. It was only on those infrequent business trips to the States that she managed to see him and even then, it was for no more than a few days before he was off again. The fact that she'd seen him three times in the last month was a wonder to her.

  "I would've called but…"

  "Nonsense, darling," Sonya leaned forward and graciously accepted the warm peck on the cheek Nicholas offered, "you know you are always welcome, phone call or not." She watched as Nicholas advised the children to sit down, before she turned to the silent butler standing by the door, "Virgil, tea please and some refreshments for the children."

  "Will that be all Madam?" The atypical butler, Virgil was every bit a walking stereotype, rigid, poise and had the distinctive British accent. It'd humored Sonya years ago, that out of all the butlers they'd interviewed, Terran had taken a liking to Virgil and his bland personality. He'd hired him on the spot.

  "No actually, would you please inform my husband we have company."

  "My apologies, Madam but the Mr. Jacobs has taken young master Ethan out for a walk and has asked that I relay the message when you arrived from your outing."

  "Alright then, tea will do just fine."

  "Very good, Madam." With an indiscernible nod, Virgil disappeared behind the white ornate double doors leading to the foyer.

  "I had hoped to do this with Terran present but seeing as he is not expected for a few more hours, I will make the introductions now. Mother," He looked as he had years ago, the very first time he had been bothered enough to show Sonya his first piece of art, nervous and yet twitching with excitement.

  Unlike in the past however Sonya was no longer obligated to feign indifference, now she would and could properly share in her son's joy without the looming shadow of her husband breathing down her neck. "I would like you to meet my children, Dylan, Isabella and Sophie." As he pointed to each, Sonya's cerulean gaze followed and when the last was introduced, she did not fail to notice the sudden flash of surprise that swept over the child's face. Almost as though she'd never expected those words to come out of Nicholas's mouth and to be perfectly honest, Sonya never expected to hear them either.

  But then again, this Nicholas wasn't like the one of the past. Here and now, stood a man who understood pain and took life for what it was, responsibility and all he took it in stride. He was the sort of man who rose to the occasion, no matter how futile. Acknowledging a girl who wasn't his daughter as his own was only something her Nicholas could do without batting an eyelash for that was the sort of man he had become, the sort of man a mother would be proud to call her own.

  "Oh Nicholas, they're absolutely darling!" she brought her hands in front of her as though readying for a prayer and took them all in, appraised each feature and locked it to memory. Dylan was without a doubt Nicholas at ten years old, although with a darker complexion, but the features were the same in every aspect. He stood no taller than Sonya's hip, face barren of any emotion and far more composed than any ten year old ought to be.

  Isabella, true to her name was a beautiful child, who bestowed her smiles freely, bright and warm like the rays of the sun. Her chestnut hair hung over her shoulders in loose curls, she met Sonya’s appraising gaze with a shy smile, and her honey-brown eyes mirrored Sonya's happiness.

  "I'm very pleased to meet you all," it was silly of her to be moved to the point of tears, but really, it couldn't be helped. Tentatively she approached them with her heart lodged in her throat, there was so much she wanted to say, so much she wanted to do, so much she wanted to show and tell them, but all that came out was a squeaky whimper and the tears of joy she couldn't seem to keep at bay.

  "Daddy?" the urgent tug on his hand and the surprise from his daughter's voice pulled Nicholas's gaze away from his mother for a second and onto Bella.

  "Hmm?"

  She motioned for him to stoop lower and once he did she posed her question. "Is Nana Sony crying because she's not happy to see us?" she kept her voice as quiet as she could, but Sonya heard it all the same and unexpectedly began to laugh. Eight pair of eyes landed on her, their bafflement clearly painted on their faces.

  Before Nicholas could open his mouth to respond, Sonya beat him to it, "Oh my sweet little girl, of course I'm not crying because I'm unhappy to see you. It's quite the opposite actually. Seeing you and your siblings here today is by far one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. You cannot know how happy I am to finally meet you all."

  "So, you're not mad?"

  "No, darling, I am not mad."

  "Good, I'm glad, because Daddy said that you'd be nice us, but I wasn't too sure. Sopie, Dylan and I were so nervous to meet you."

  The clattering of dishes and silverware signaled Virgil's return and with practiced ease he settled the pewter tray on the coffee table to the far right of where they'd gathered and carefully began to pour a cup for each occupant, taking a moment to ask what each preferred in their tea.

  "Please, all of you take a seat." They did as Sonya suggested and soon enough they fell into conversation that encouraged the children to jump in when possible. The awkwardness from earlier no longer apparent, Bella, Dylan and even Sophie quickly fell into a state of comfort, their ebullience far too infectious not to be shared.

  "So Sophie, you've been so quiet, tell me more about yourself." Her eyes, richer than the rarest of onyxes widened just a bit as attention was brought to her, her cheeks ripened as she nervously smiled. She was quite beautiful, made up specifically of fine lines and gentle angles, with shoulder length hair she kept in two French braids. Cheeks still charmingly pink, Sophie toyed with one of her braids, a sure sign of her nervousness. "Well, there's not much to say really."

  "Nicholas tells me you're into astronomy?"

  "Yeah, me and my Mom, when we go camping in Lakeshire Woods, she tells me all these really cool things about space and stuff, I don't know," she shrugged. "Maybe I'll become an astronaut or something."

  "That's great, Ethan, my youngest son, is very much into astronomy also, maybe you can come by one of these days and talk about space and the like."

  "Ethan may be younger than you, Sophie, but the little guy is walking encyclopedia when it comes to some things, I'm pretty sure you'll learn off of each other." Nicholas added as he looked on with unrepressed pride.

  "Yeah, that'd be cool."

  "And you Dylan?" Sonya leaned forward as to get a better view of the young boy, "What are your interests?"

  Their gazes locked for a brief moment before he looked away. "I don't know videogames, I guess. Our Mom just bought a trampoline, so that's pretty cool too."

  "But Mommy won't let him jump on it without supervision," Bella blithely added and shrunk back at Dylan's glare. Sonya laughed good-naturedly and continued her inquisition, learning something new about each of her grandchildren as the minutes ticked away.

  This was something they'd never had. Nicholas observed his mother interact with his children and he smiled. Family. This was all he'd ever wished for, craved for, wanted more than anything, a family of his own. However incomplete, this, right here and now, his mother, his children, this was family to Nicholas. He didn't have Ellie and the way things were looking, it seemed he wouldn't have Ellie anytime soon, but Nicholas was finding that maybe, just maybe that was Ok for now. He was beginning to understand that life was too short and no matter what had transpired between himself and Ellie in the past, their children took top priority today and forever.

  It was a learning experience, each day he spent in their company. The man who was known as an entrepreneurial genius learned something new from his children. They taught him patience and humility. They made him understand the importance of laughter and what it meant to have fun. W
ith them, Nicholas allowed his inner child to come out and play, immerse himself in all that he'd never been allowed to do. He understood love, the consuming love between a parent and his children that drove him to do all he could to see that they were happy and protected. Dylan, Isabella and Sophie were the stars of his universe.

  Two hours later and still no sign of Terran, Nicholas decided it was time to continue their day. So with a parting kiss for his mother and promise that he'd stop by with the children next time he was in town, Nicholas and his brood picked up and left. They were headed to a small Italian restaurant downtown called Gino's that'd been recommended by an acquaintance a few weeks back. Upon arrival, the maître d' greeted them with a kind smile and led them to a table adjacent to one of the giant windows in the restaurant that added a touch of elegance to the otherwise bland décor. For a Sunday evening, Gino's was abnormally busy, but all the same, Nicholas was content with the service provided and ordered a glass of chardonnay when asked for choice of beverage.

  "Daddy can I get a chocolate cheesecake?" Bella asked lowering her menu.

  Nicholas smiled. "Only if you finish your dinner." He was becoming quite accustomed to this parenting thing.

  Three weeks ago, he wouldn't have said that to Bella without feeling as though he'd committed the most grievous of crimes. Although he hadn't quite mastered ignoring her 'secret weapon' as of yet, he was sure he had the rest of their lives to work on it, but right now, her puss-in-boots expression was his Achilles heel and the little sprite knew it too.

  So the waiter came and went, with their orders scribbled on his notepad, leaving them to talk amongst themselves, but that didn't get very far when they all heard-"Nicky? Nicholas Grayson? Is that you?" Lifting his eyes, Nicholas blankly stared at the woman standing a few feet away from their table. She looked as though she stepped right out their past, the very image of a fervent seventeen year old girl. Time had been kind to her, Nicholas silently observed.

  Evey Abrams or rather Kingston, had married…well more like entrapped the former captain of John Edgar's Lacrosse team into marriage when she'd discovered that she'd been pregnant two weeks before their graduation. Not one to leave any damsel, especially this blond haired she-devil- in distress, Dominick proposed to her never mind that the child hadn’t been his. Nicholas still believed Dom to be an idiot for marrying the adulterous bitch, but he couldn't really fault the man, love as they said was disgustingly blind and he knew all too well the meaning behind that saying.