Brother’s Best Friend

by Kaylee, Katy

  The car pulled up in front of his complex and he climbed out. Instead of going inside, though, he pulled on his suit jacket and started down the block. The fresh, cool night air hit him in the face and for a moment, he wanted to run away. He didn’t want to run from Bradley or from the truth, just the pain he was feeling for being deceived, for being tricked for all those years.

  He stopped for a moment on the sidewalk and watched the cars going by. That was when he realized that the feeling he had, was the same feeling that Amber probably had when he abandoned her. He was getting just what he deserved.

  47

  Amber

  Amber swallowed hard and clutched her purse in front of her as she rode the elevator to the top floor of her office building. She had fought with herself all morning on whether to even go in or not, but she figured she had already dug one hole, and she might as well not make it even worse. The truth was out. Logan was Bradley’s father, and her whole family knew it. Logan hadn’t taken the news well, not that Amber had expected him to. She wanted to chase after him when he got up to leave, but Jordan told her that he would need some time to process. She had kept his child from him for four years, that wasn’t something that he could just process in an instant and be ready to face.

  Amber understood, so she hadn’t bothered him. She didn’t talk to him that night or that morning. She got up, got Bradley ready, took him to school, and then headed to work like she always did. She had no idea what to expect from Logan with all of it. She wanted to think that once he calmed down, he would be excited and want to be in Bradley’s life, but at the same time, he had shocked her before. She didn’t even know what to think about it all. For the last five years she had gone through it all on her own. She had been satisfied with the idea of being the rounded parent for Bradley, but now Logan was in the picture.

  Just driving to daycare that morning had made her feel bad, looking back at Bradley and knowing the fate of his relationship with his father was hanging in the balance. She didn’t know if he would accept or reject it, but at least at that point Bradley didn’t know so if he rejected, Bradley wouldn’t feel a thing. It was the first time in her life that she had no idea what she was doing. She was feeling around in the dark and hoping that something caught ahold of her.

  Amber went to her office and put her things down, greeting her new secretary, Bridgett. “Morning. I’m going to be waiting to speak to Mr. Townley, so please take messages for any calls I get. Unless, of course, it has to do with my son. I’ll be down in his office.”

  Bridgett nodded and smiled. “Of course. And Ms. Stark?”

  Amber turned and looked at her. “Amber, call me Amber please.”

  Bridgett chuckled. “Amber, are you alright?”

  Amber took in a deep breath. “I will be eventually.”

  She nodded and headed down the hall turning into the waiting area of his office. The secretary nodded. “He’s in a meeting, but you can wait if you’d like.”

  Amber took a seat, bobbing her foot nervously in front of her. “Yes, please. It’s pretty important.”

  “Of course. The investors showed up unannounced this morning, so it might be a minute.”

  Amber’s heart beat faster hearing that news. The investors had flown in from all over the country just to show up and talk to Logan. That didn’t seem like a very good sign from where she was sitting. She felt like if they were going to have good news, they would just tell him over conference call. She sat there impatiently, trying to hear the voices inside, but they were too muffled. Her nerves were completely on end, and she really hoped that her choice all those years ago didn’t ruin everything that he had worked so hard for.

  After about fifteen more agonizing minutes, the doors flew open and investors started exiting the room. They didn’t look happy in the least, and several of them whispered back and forth to each other as they walked out, shaking their heads. This wasn’t a good sign at all, Amber knew it. When the last had come out, she dipped into the office and shut the door behind her.

  Logan was standing at the window looking out, his hands behind his back. Amber cleared her throat, carefully walking forward. “What happened?”

  Logan lifted his head and turned around, looking at her with a straight face. “It looks like we might have to shut this location down. The full scale of this location hinged on the support from our investors. We wanted a standalone that could support itself and not drain the resources of the initial company. The initial one is young, well off, but young and could easily be taken down by a wrong move from this one. The investors are pulling their money from this project.”

  Amber started to panic. “They can’t. I mean, there has to be something that can be done. There is so much hope in this side of the company. It shouldn’t all be ruined because of a few rumors in a newspaper.”

  Logan looked at her, furrowing his brow. “Amber, those aren’t rumors. They are the truth. I was with you, we have a son together. They don’t care that I never knew about him until last night. They care what the people think, because those people buy stock in the company. That stock is where they make their money. If people aren’t buying, they aren’t making a wise investment. Because of public opinion, they no longer think that this side of the company is a wise investment. We have the main company still, but I am not sure I will be able to come up with a feasible way to keep it open without possibly damaging the other company. That is just how it works. I hate it just like you do, if not more. That is just how business works.”

  Amber covered her face. “God, this is all my fault. I lied to you, I lied to everyone, and now you are catching the shit end of the deal because of it. You didn’t even know what was going on… wait. That’s it.”

  Amber turned and ran from the room, ignoring Logan’s call out to her. She raced down the hallway and put her hand out, catching the elevator door before it could close. All of the investors looked up at her, immediately recognizing her face from the papers. “I’m sorry, I know you were on your way out, but if you could give me just five minutes of your time.”

  They all looked at each other and shrugged, stepping back out and standing in front of her. She gulped, feeling the enormity of the power standing in front of her. “My name is Amber, and I am the girl in all the media stories. The truth is, we are seeing each other, and it isn’t the first time that we have, either. The media got it right on the nose. They are good detectives. We do have a child together, but the truth is, he didn’t know that until last night. I have hidden our son from him and not for any reason of his own fault.”

  They glanced over at each other and back at her. The older gentleman narrowed his eyes. “Why are you telling us this?”

  She put her hands out. “Everyone is looking at the media attention as something that will ruin him. However, if you look at it from another perspective and take control of the story, it is actually something that could create an entirely new image for him. People could see him as a father, a man who stood up even though he had been kept in the dark. Instead of being the perpetrator, he could become the victim. He could be the underdog, and you how much America loves an underdog. The truth is, I want to make him look as good as I can to the public. I want them to love him, even if they hate me.”

  “And you think this can be done?” one of the board members asked.

  Amber nodded. “I know it can be. All I’m asking is that you give me a chance to make that happen. Give Logan another chance. Don’t pull out yet. Put it in my hands and let me work my magic. I think that by the time I am done, you will see that it was wise of you to stay with this company. If you still feel the same way when I have done all of this, then I won’t chase you down in the hall again. This was my doing, and I want to undo it. I want the public to want to be part of this company by investing in stock because the owner has high morals. He isn’t perfect, but he does the right thing every time it is asked of him. Will you let me try?”

  The gentleman looked around at each other, nodding
back and forth. Amber stood there, nervously waiting for their reply. The older gentleman nodded his head. “Okay. Let’s say that you have three days to change our minds. We’ll be in touch.”

  Amber wrang her hands together. “Yes, oh thank you. You won’t regret this.”

  Logan stood in the background, watching them walk onto the elevators. He walked up to Amber and tapped her on the shoulder. “And just how do you expect to make this work?”

  Amber patted Logan on the shoulder. “Just relax. I’ve got this.”

  Amber hurried back to her office and sat down, cracking her fingers. She pulled up the press release form and started typing. She sat there for several hours, writing out the story, deleting and rewriting. When she was done, she released it to all of the major tabloid publications. She printed out a copy and walked over to Logan’s office. She set the press release on his desk and stepped back. “This is currently in the hands of all of the major tabloid publications.”

  Logan picked it up and stood up, pacing the floor and reading it out loud. “My name is Amber Stark, the girl you have been photographing with Logan Townley. I wanted to send out this press release to clear the air on what has been going on between the two of us. Logan has been made out to be a monster, but in reality, it is I that holds that title. Five years ago, Logan and I fell in love. We were kids with big dreams and wide views of what the future could hold. Our paths ended up leading us in different directions and I was hurt by that. A few weeks after he left for the internship that started his legacy, I found out I was pregnant. I was angry, scared, and honestly still cared about him deeply. I buried the secret of who the father of my child was and for four years have held dearly to that. I did not want to hold him back in life. Just last night, Sunday night, I revealed that information to him, letting him know he had a son. He was shocked, to say the least, but is a good man with good morals and I can tell from the way he looks at his son he already loves him dearly. Please report the news, as it is relevant, and tell the world what kind of man Logan Townley really is.”

  Amber stood there nervously. “So?”

  Logan nodded. “We’ll see what happens.”

  For the rest of the day they sat there waiting for the story to be released. Finally, around the end of the work day, the story began to trickle out. She was terrified of the backlash that she would receive from people, but she couldn’t hold that information back. She had to do it for him, he deserved to be able to keep his company and have his dreams come to fruition. She knew that if she did receive backlash she probably did deserve it. She had held back a very important secret for a long time.

  Only time would tell, and that time was coming close.

  48

  Logan

  Logan sat at his desk early Tuesday morning, scanning through the articles popping up everywhere. The internet was freaking out over the news that Amber had released. It was incredibly brave of her to do it. She knew she was putting her own reputation on the line to save him and his company. He knew she was taking the full blame of what had happened, even though he felt it was partly his fault too. He had led her to believe, long ago, that he would always be there. She had made immense sacrifices not just for him, but for their son as well. She did all that after he walked out on their future, too cowardly to even speak to her face before leaving.

  He could still feel the chill run down his back, knowing he walked away from her just weeks before she found out that she was pregnant. He couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if he had stayed. Where would they be if he had been there to be the father he should have been? Some people were furious, saying that he was robbed of his time with his son, but he didn’t feel that way. He felt like he partly did it to himself. He could understand why she would be struggling to trust him. He could understand why, after so long, she wouldn’t be able to come out and just tell him.

  “How is it? Is it rough?” Amber said, poking her head in.

  Logan smiled. “Not as bad as you are imagining it. There is only a little bit of backlash toward you. You actually have a very strong number of people standing up for you. I think that its best that we ignore the negative and focus on the positive.”

  Amber walked in and sat down in front of him. “So, they aren’t angry with you anymore?”

  Logan shook his head. “No. Your press release stopped that really fast. People are being supportive of both of us, and they are happy thinking that we are going to be a family. They are starting to have respect for me again. Some publications spun it like you would think, but most of them reported the facts and included the press release in the statement.”

  Amber let out a deep breath. “And the investors?”

  Logan smiled. “They haven’t called yet, but I promise you they will. They are all just starting their days right now and probably are just reading what was sent out. I think that they will be happy, but it really all depends on what the market reads. They will track it for a couple of hours before making any real decision. I just hope that it is enough public confidence to bring people back to the stocks. I want people to want to be part of this company because they believe in it and they believe in me.”

  Amber nodded her head. “Right. I guess I’ll just wait in my office. Call me when you hear something.”

  Logan watched as she made her way to the door. Just as she was about to walk out the secretary came over the com. “Mr. Townley, your board of investors is on line three.”

  Amber whipped around, her eyes wide. Logan motioned for the chair in front of the desk. “You can listen, but don’t say anything, no matter what decision they have come to.”

  Amber understood. “Right. Lips sealed.”

  Logan cleared his throat, feeling the nerves running through him. He pressed the speaker button. “Gentlemen, it’s good to hear from you. Early, but good to hear from you.”

  One of the investors did the talking. “Logan. We woke to some pretty good news. The press release that Ms. Stark sent out seems to have done wonders for your reputation. I don’t know if you looked at the numbers, but the stocks have skyrocketed overnight. They are actually sitting higher than they were before this whole debacle started. It seems your lady has done wonders for your reputation. Therefore, we have unanimously voted to keep with the company and not pull out. Let’s just make sure we keep things on the up and up from here on out. Let us know before anything hits the tabloids.”

  Logan smiled big. “Absolutely, sir. And we are ready and prepared to move forward with energy and excitement. I’m glad to hear we will be in the same boat together.”

  The investors hung up and Logan clicked off the speaker. Amber smiled and clapped her hands together. “It worked! It freaking worked. I knew it would.”

  Logan stood up and walked around, helping Amber to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, feeling her melt into him. “Thank you, Amber. I know that was incredibly hard for you to do. I know that it meant putting your own ass on the line, and you did it for me.”

  Amber pulled back and looked up at Logan. “I’m so sorry for never telling you about Bradley. It doesn’t matter what my excuses were, I did you wrong. I did Bradley wrong too. I robbed you both of four years together, and I can’t make that up. I am sorry that I lied to you. It was the hardest thing I ever did, and I never want to be in that situation again. We have to be honest with each other from now on. No matter where you and I end up, we are going to be parents of a precious little boy. That means that we have to trust each other enough to tell the truth when it matters the most, even if it’s hard to do.”

  He smiled at her, seeing the Amber that he recognized again. “It’s not all your fault. And I have done my share of bad things to us. All we can do now is move forward.”

  Amber nodded and looked down at her watch. “So, I have to go pick Bradley up from daycare at the end of the day. Obviously its early now, but tonight, do you maybe want to come over and spend some time with him? We can tell him together who you a
re and you two can take some time to get to know each other. I’ll fix dinner and we can all eat together. You can stay as long as you want.”

  Logan grinned. “I would love that. I really would. What time would you like me to be there?”

  Amber thought about it for a second. “Let’s say six?”

  Logan nodded his head. “Sounds perfect.”

  Amber put her hands together. “Good. I’ve got some work to do, so I’ll see you later.”

  Logan watched Amber as she walked out of the room, heading back to her office. He sat down behind his computer and leaned back. Just the thought of spending time with his son sent excitement through him. He couldn’t help but think about all the times he had spent with his father growing up. He always told himself if he ever became a father, he wanted to be just like his dad. He was going to get the chance to do that, and that was amazing to him.

  For the last five years, he had done nothing but think about business. It was not only the way he was able to create his empire, but it was the only thing he could do to keep his mind off of Amber. During that time, he figured that he wouldn’t have a life outside of work for a very long time. He didn’t want to date, he didn’t want to go out, and he wasn’t interested in meeting anyone else. He never thought he would end up with his own little family. He never thought he would actually have someone to hand his legacy down to. But there he was, Bradley, with his curled hair, his beautiful eyes, and his amazing smile.

  It seemed crazy to Logan, but he felt like he loved the kid already. There was some sort of unspoken bond that he had with him, something he had noticed but ignored the first time he played with him in the yard at his parents’ house. Logan was pretty sure that he had known all along that Bradley was his son, he just wasn’t able to admit it to himself until he heard it from Amber.