Hold Me Tight

by Faith Sullivan

  “Ivy doesn’t need my permission,” Eric bristles, his eyes boring into Tim’s back.

  “But you made sure you were here for this,” Tim counters, turning to face him. “You don’t want me alone with her. I am on the enemy’s payroll, after all.”

  “You were alone with me for a week and I survived,” I remind him, redirecting his focus back to me.

  “Barely,” Eric grumbles, not wanting to give Tim any credit for taking care of me.

  “Listen, man. I didn’t want to come in here, but I did…for her,” Tim says, rounding on Eric. “But if you’re gonna start in on me like this, then I’m out of here. I have enough on my plate as it is without dealing with your shit.”

  “And what would that be? Heading out in the woods to get drunk off your ass? Well, by all means, don’t let me keep you from it,” Eric says sarcastically, extending his arm to usher him out.

  “You know what? I thought maybe, just maybe, you wouldn’t be an asshole about this, but who was I kidding?” Tim spits, narrowing his eyes at Eric. “You’ll never change.”

  “Well, if you didn’t have to hit on all the women in my life, maybe we’d still be friends,” Eric fires back.

  “So that’s what you think, huh? Trust me. I did a lot more than that with Cassidy,” Tim smirks, watching Eric’s face redden.

  “So? What are you trying to say?” Eric comes at him. “Just cop to it already. I know how much you want to rub it in my face.”

  “That’s funny, because I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Tim responds, clearly lying.

  Eric gets right in his face. “Simple question. Were you the father of her baby or not?”

  “You don’t want to know,” Tim replies, his tone warning Eric not to push it.

  “You were, weren’t you?” Eric seethes, ramming his finger into Tim’s shoulder.

  “Don’t, Eric,” Tim answers tersely.

  Eric strides forward, backing Tim up against the refrigerator. “You’re such a coward that you can’t even admit it.”

  “Coward? After everything I’ve been through…everything I’m still going through. You have no fucking clue,” Tim levels at Eric, shoving him back.

  “Then why don’t you tell me, huh?” Eric grips a fistful of his coat, goading him. “Why don’t you man up and do the right thing? Tell the truth for once.”

  Just when I think it’s going to dissolve into a physical altercation, Tim bows his head and closes his eyes.

  I hurry across the room, rushing up to them. Placing my hand on Tim’s face, I get him to look at me. “Tim, if you’re in trouble, then so are we. Lauren’s not going to let up. She’s going to keep coming at us and you know it. The only way any of us are going to come out on top is if we stick together and take her down. But in order to do that, we need you to be honest with us.”

  He gazes at me sadly, trying to make up his mind.

  “If I tell you the truth, it’s only going to put you in more danger, not less,” Tim moans, leaning his head back against the fridge.

  “Why don’t you let us decide that for ourselves,” I urge him. “After all that we’ve been through, we’re not afraid.”

  “Well you should be,” Tim insists. “Because when it comes down to it, you’re not dealing with Lauren.” He pauses, taking a shaky breath. “You’re dealing with her father.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Eric

  “What did you say?” I shout, going toe-to-toe with Tim as Ivy backs quickly away.

  “You heard me,” Tim responds sullenly, the aggression draining out of him.

  “Yeah, but what did you mean by that?” Ivy asks from across the room, her hands clutching her baby bump.

  Tim motions toward the table. “Let’s sit down.”

  “Let’s not,” I snarl, blocking his way around me.

  “Eric, it’s a long story, and I need to start at the beginning,” Tim protests. “And you know Ivy shouldn’t be on her feet.”

  “Ivy shouldn’t be disturbed either, but you already took care of that,” I snap back, worried about the way she’s holding her stomach.

  “C’mon, Eric,” Ivy insists, pulling out a chair. “The least we can do is hear him out.”

  “How do we know this isn’t another one of Lauren’s lies?” I peer into his eyes, and he doesn’t even blink.

  “Because what I’m going to tell you is damaging to her family, and she’d do anything to keep it from getting out. And I do mean anything,” Tim divulges, emphasizing the risk he’s taking.

  Ivy twiddles her thumbs nervously, waiting for us to sit down. I run my hand across my chin and stare a moment out the window, unsure of what to do. Tim is willing to let us in on something major, but what if it brings even more trouble to our doorstep? Ivy’s in such a touch-and-go place. Anything could tip the balance and send her rushing to the emergency room. She wants to hear what Tim has to say, but I don’t know if that’s such a wise decision. I have to think about her. She’s too caught up in all of this to put herself first. She wants answers for me, but I don’t want them if they’re just going to endanger her. She’s been doing so well since she got back. I can’t let Tim jeopardize that just because he wants to relieve the guilt he’s been carrying around by getting things off his chest.

  “I don’t think this is such a good idea—” I begin, and Ivy sighs deeply.

  “Eric, I’m fine,” she insists, patting the seat next to her. “If Mr. Price has something to do with this, I want to know.”

  “Mr. Price,” Tim laughs bitterly.

  “Well, that’s what I’ve always called him,” Ivy goes on. “Ever since I was a little kid.”

  “He was friendly to you, was he?” Tim smirks, kicking his heel against the refrigerator grate.

  “Yeah. He was always nice to me,” Ivy admits, confused. “What’s wrong with that?”

  “Probably more than you know.” Tim grimaces, shuffling past me as he grabs a chair and twirls it around so he can sit on it backwards. “As far as I’m concerned, he sure doesn’t deserve your respect.”

  “Quit the cryptic bullshit,” I retort. “What the hell are you getting at?”

  “That powerful men in positions of authority tend to think they can get away with anything,” Tim replies as I reluctantly take the seat next to Ivy.

  “That might be true, but Conrad Price never did anything to me,” Ivy relates, shrugging her shoulders.

  “Never stared at you a second too long? Never rubbed your back while giving you a hug?” Tim questions her.

  “To be honest, I haven’t seen him in years. After he divorced Ryan’s mom, we didn’t exactly travel in the same circles,” Ivy explains, making me wonder where Tim’s going with this.

  “Well, good for you. Then I take it you were never of legal age around this creep?” Tim inquires, letting his hands dangle over the back of the chair.

  “That’s a weird way of putting it, but no, I wasn't.” Ivy scrunches up her nose.

  “Trust me. If he saw what you’ve become, I don’t think you’d feel the same way about him,” Tim remarks, a hint of a blush entering his cheeks.

  “Get to the point,” I interrupt, not liking where this is leading.

  “Eric, you’re well aware of how Cassidy’s parents used to treat us.” His eyes zero in on me. “How we were never good enough for their daughter.”

  “Yeah, I remember,” I respond, wishing I could forget.

  “Well, they were really drilling that idea into her head during her last year in college. Telling her that she should explore her options. That she should date other people and not be in such a rush to settle down. That she was selling herself short when she had so much to offer.” Tim pauses, waving his hands in the air. “Yada, yada, yada.”

  “And how would you know about this?” Ivy jumps in, her ire up, ready to defend me.

  “Because she told me a lot over that winter break after Eric broke up with her,” Tim confesses. “More than I cared to know.”
>
  “That’s funny. I thought hearing how her parents would rip me apart would make you feel like a million bucks,” I remark, crossing my arms in front of me, trying not to think about the breakup.

  “It did. For a split second…until I realized that they hadn’t even factored me into the equation. I was no threat to their daughter. I was just good ol’ Tim, the one they could depend on to make sure she always got home okay,” he groans, rolling his eyes. “I was even lower on the totem pole than you were. They considered me her watchdog. The one who would keep an eye on her whenever they weren’t around. Tell me. How pathetic is that?”

  “You always were the mature, responsible one,” I say, ragging him.

  “Always the friend, never the boyfriend,” he concurs, conceding the point.

  “See? That’s what I mean!” I exclaim. “You always pussy out instead of manning up.”

  “Tim, you’re way too fine a specimen of a man to be single this long,” Ivy remarks, causing my stomach to clench. “But what does all this have to do with Mr. Price?”

  “Maybe I’m unconsciously trying to avoid the subject,” Tim replies guiltily, scratching the back of his head. “Let’s just say Conrad Price is exactly the kind of man Cassidy’s parents dreamed of for their little girl.”

  “But he was married!” Ivy exclaims.

  “That didn’t mean their ears didn’t perk up when she started mentioning seeing him around campus,” Tim counters, eying me warily. “He’s one of the school’s major benefactors, and when they invited him to address the senior class as part of an alumni seminar, their paths happened to cross.”

  “I don’t remember that seminar,” I retort.

  “You wouldn’t, would you? You were too busy taking twenty-one credits that semester so you could graduate early. Cassidy complained that you never had time for her anymore, that you were always in the library,” Tim reveals, resting his hands on his knees.

  “Yeah, because I was working on building our future together, not because I was goofing off, going to frat parties. I was pulling all-nighters because I was trying to cram in the shitload of course work I had to do,” I reply, defending myself. “She knew that.”

  “But it didn’t mean she liked it,” Tim says dryly.

  “So what? You’re saying Cassidy fooled around with Mr. Price?” Ivy asks incredulously.

  “He bowled her over,” Tim agrees somewhat uneasily. “He was handsome and sophisticated, the kind of man her parents taught her to look up to. He’s the one guy who hailed from her hometown who’d actually made something of himself. He hadn’t just succeeded. He’d created an empire. The Price name was something she both feared and admired. But to have him notice her was something else entirely.”

  “I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” I exhale loudly, pinching my brow.

  “I felt the same way when she first told me,” Tim admits, willing to commiserate with me. “I thought I was imagining things. Cassidy and Conrad Price? It didn’t make any sense. Cassidy grew up so sheltered. What did she have to offer someone like him?”

  “So she slept with him?” I ask, biting the bullet, hoping he’ll put me out of my misery.

  “He’s the one who pursued her,” Tim replies, dodging the question. “He spotted her in the crowd at that seminar. She said he kept looking over at her, making eye contact while he was speaking. She thought it was nothing at first, until intermission when his assistant came over, asking if she’d be willing to meet with him in the dean’s office after everything wrapped up.”

  “And she went,” Ivy remarks bluntly.

  “She claimed that she thought other people were going to be there. She never assumed he’d only wanted to talk to her,” Tim relates, raising his eyebrows speculatively. “But when she got there, he was waiting with a bottle of wine, his jacket off, his tie hanging loosely around his neck.”

  “And she went in thinking what? He just wanted to talk?” Eric sputters. “Give me a break.”

  “She said that’s all they did. He didn’t even try to kiss her. And we both know he would’ve spooked her if he’d tried anything,” Tim says, casting a sideways glance at me. “That’s why I think it continued after that, because he truly had her convinced that he wasn’t like that.”

  “What do you mean by continued?” I question, sitting forward.

  “He kept popping up whenever she’d least expect it. One time, he had his driver pull up next to her when she walking back from class and he invited her to join him for coffee. Another time, he claimed he saw her through the window of the laundromat on a Friday afternoon. So he wandered in and asked if he could give her a ride home for the weekend because he was headed there too,” Tim groans, thinking back on it all. “He was too smooth, and she fell for it.”

  “So they were having these long conversations, but that’s it?” Ivy asks, trying to get a handle on it.

  “Yeah. She said he was a perfect gentleman. She even felt sorry for him because of how lonely he seemed,” Tim replies, tilting his head. “His wife was an alcoholic. His son hated him. He had no one in his life who cared about him.”

  “So he made her feel like she was someone special,” I state, picking up the narrative. “The one who was always there for him when he needed her.”

  “Pretty much,” Tim agrees, nodding at me. “He flattered her, sent her flowers, called her just to ask her how her day was going. He gave her all the attention she wasn’t getting from you.”

  “But how did her parents get involved?” I inquire, dreading his response.

  “They saw who was driving their daughter home on weekends. She couldn’t hide it from them when they questioned her about who the town car with the tinted glass belonged to. She said Conrad was just a friend giving her a lift. That’s all. But they didn’t buy it,” Tim relates, shedding more light on the situation. “They sat her down and got it all out of her. It was common knowledge that Conrad’s marriage was on the rocks. Everyone in town knew it. And they saw an opportunity their daughter could capitalize on.”

  “They went along with it?” I ask, unable to fathom the idea. “They didn’t want me to be alone with her…ever, but they were okay with her spending hour upon hour with Conrad Price?”

  “What can I say? Money talks,” Tim replies cuttingly.

  “Mr. Price and Cassidy?” Ivy balks. “What is the world coming to?”

  “But it didn’t stay so innocent, did it?” I press him.

  “Are you kidding? Knowing the kind of man he is?” Tim smirks, not even bothering to hide his disgust. “Once she saw how much her parents wholeheartedly approved of him, it wasn’t long before he convinced her to start spending the night at his place.”

  “Was she even sorry?” I interrogate him. “Did I really mean that little to her?”

  “She said, after the fact, that she couldn’t face you. That’s why she started avoiding your calls,” Tim admits somewhat sympathetically. “She was so caught up in this thing with Conrad. It was exciting to her. The two of you had known each other since you were kids, and this was a thrill she never experienced before. She got swept away in her infatuation with him—the late-night candlelit dinners, the weekends at his lodge, the last-minute jaunts to New York. Who could compete with that?”

  “Then why didn’t she break it off with me?” I ask heatedly as Ivy starts stroking my arm to calm me down.

  “She was going to,” Tim responds, uttering the crushing blow. “He kept telling her that he was going to leave his wife, that she made him feel young again, that she was all that he wanted. But then she got pregnant, and everything changed.”

  “You’re not saying…?” I blurt out.

  “Yep. Turns out it wasn’t yours. It wasn’t mine. It was undeniably his,” Tim states, holding nothing back.

  I get to my feet, shrugging Ivy off. I can’t sit back and listen to this. I have to get out of here. I can’t stomach hearing any more.

  “Eric?” Ivy looks at me nervously. “You don’t know
that. Nobody knows that. It still could’ve been yours.”

  “No, it couldn’t have,” I snarl back at her. “Because at that time, we hadn’t slept together in months.”

  Ivy knows I’m on the brink. And it won’t be good for her if I go off. She’s sitting there gazing at me in fear, and I’m on the verge of having a meltdown. I can’t do that to her. But I can’t keep it inside either. God, the pain is too much to bear.

  “I think I’m going to go out hunting with Ben. Take some time to be by myself for a while,” I say curtly. “Will will look after things until I get back. I just really need some time alone right now, and I hope you can understand that.”

  She nods silently, tears falling down her cheeks. My heart is aching inside, and from the anguished expression on her face I know she’s feeling every bit of the agony I’m experiencing. I can’t subject her to this. I have to get it out of my system before I can let her comfort me. I’m in too volatile a state. It’s too fresh, too raw.

  “Eric, let me go with you guys,” Tim implores, cautiously observing my reaction. “I knew this would be hard. That’s why I didn’t want to tell you.”

  “No, I’m glad you did,” I say wearily. “But there’s no way I can be around you right now.”

  “All right, man. Just get in the truck with Ben and get out of here. Go clear your head,” Tim urges, quickly standing up. “If you want to talk more when you get back, I’m always here for you if you need me.”

  I nod at him blankly and go over to where Ivy is sitting with a dazed look on her face. I bend down and kiss her forehead as she clings to me, not wanting to let me go.

  “I’ll be back. I promise,” I say hoarsely.

  “I know,” she whispers, trying to be brave.

  “If anything happens to her, you come get me.” I point at Tim, making my intentions clear.

  “You can count on it,” he reassures me, looking mournfully at the two of us.

  “Now go upstairs and get some rest,” I encourage her. “Stay in bed for the rest of the day. It’s just going to be cold and gloomy out anyway.”

  “I love you,” she sniffles. “And just so you know, that’s the only reason I’m letting you do this.”