“Excuse me?” I shook my head.
“I saw him and his family here at the marina the summer he was sixteen years old. One day, when his parents went off to do some shopping, I approached his boat and got to talking to him about random things. We talked about the summers and he told me about the Hamptons. He talked all about you and how he wished he could see you again. It was then I knew I could trust him. I took him out one night when his parents were at a party thrown by their friends. We talked. I told him who I was, what happened, and why I had to do what I did. I hired him to look after and to take pictures of you and send them to me. So, the box you found under his bed were photos I paid him to take.”
“I can’t believe any of this.” I paced around the deck.
“Addison, it killed me not to be able to see you grow up and miss the important events of your life. I got to watch my little girl become this beautiful woman because of him and I will forever be in his debt.”
“It doesn’t excuse the fact that he lied to me about everything. Our entire relationship was based on a lie, Dad!”
“He was afraid of losing you. He’s trying so hard to divorce Ellie. The poor guy has been miserable since he found out she was pregnant. Not to mention the fact that she’s certifiably crazy.”
He pulled his ringing phone from his pocket, looked at it, and then at me. I knew it was Andrew who was calling him.
“Hey. I’ll have to call you back. Yeah, she’s here and she’s safe. Talk to you soon.”
After Charlie ended the call, he placed his phone back in his pocket, looked at me, and took hold of both my hands.
“He loves you, Rosebud. He always has, and he’s worried about you.”
Tears started to fill my eyes.
“I don’t know if I could ever trust him again, Dad.”
“Addison, sometimes we have to lie to protect the ones we love.”
“I still can’t believe you’re here and I’m talking to you,” I spoke. “I never got over your death, and in some way, I think it was because I never really felt you were gone.” A tear streamed down my face.
“Andrew told me that you were having a hard time and he also told me that you freaked out when he took you to the marina.”
“I never went near a boat or the water again after that night. I couldn’t. The memories of that day were too painful.”
“He was supposed to bring you here himself and we were going to talk to you together and explain everything. But then you found out about Ellie and the pictures before he had the chance. He and I both needed to make sure you were ready for this.”
“And what would have happened if I didn’t fall for him?” I asked with a slight attitude.
“There was no doubt in my mind that you wouldn’t.”
“We were eight years old, Charlie.”
“It doesn’t matter, Rosebud. The two of you had such a strong connection to each other and something like that just doesn’t disappear. I know you felt it the first time you saw him again.”
“Fuck!” I placed my face in my hands.
“I’m so sorry, baby. But you have to understand why both Andrew and I did what we did.”
“I’m trying, Charlie. I really am!”
“I know it’s going to take a while for you to absorb all of this and I understand.”
“Do you ever get lonely here?” I asked him with a sadness in my voice.
“I have friends. But nothing or no one could ever replace you or your mother and the life we had together.”
“Mom still misses you something terrible, and at times, I feel bad for Edward because he will always walk in your shadow.”
“Edward is a good man, and as hard as it is, I’m happy he stepped in and took care of the two of you. You needed a father figure in your life.”
“I resented her for marrying him, but he was good to me and he tried really hard to fill your shoes, but I wouldn’t let him.”
Charlie reached over and grabbed hold of my hands, giving them a gentle squeeze.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“Maybe a little,” I replied.
“Come on, let’s go to the Fish Shack and grab something to eat. They have the best fish n chips in the world.” He smiled.
We got up from the table, and as we were walking off the boat, he turned to me.
“By the way, you’re my niece, and I’m Bobby Griffin from Wichita, Kansas.” He smirked.
As we were eating the world’s best fish n chips, according to Charlie, and talking about my teenage years, my cell phone rang, and Emma was calling.
"Hello," I answered.
"Where the hell are you? Do you have any idea how worried we are about you? We come home from work to a note that said nothing but how you needed to get away. Are you okay? What's happened? Who are you with?"
Emma always overreacted just a bit.
"Emma, please calm down. I'm fine. I just needed some time on my own to think about things, that's all."
"Have you talked to Andrew?"
"No, I haven't. Why do you ask?"
"I saw him at Neiman Marcus today and he looked like someone just killed his dog."
"I have to go, Emma. I’m fine. I just took a little trip to Florida to clear my head. I'll call you soon.”
"Wait…when will you be…"
I hit the end button.
Charlie sat across from me and laughed, for he could hear every word Emma shouted.
“Your friends love you very much and I’m so grateful to them. You know they can never know about me, right?”
“I know.” I looked down.
After we ate, we walked back to Charlie’s boat. I was exhausted. We stood at the railing and stared up at the brightly lit starry sky.
“I looked up at these stars every night,” I spoke.
Charlie hooked his arm around me and I laid my head on his shoulder.
“If you're ever sad or lonely, just look at the stars, for they will watch over you and light your way,” he spoke.
“I never forgot those words, Dad.” I let out a big yawn.
“Get some sleep, Rosebud.” He smiled as he kissed my head. “You can take my room. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“No, Dad. This is your boat.”
“No arguing.” He smiled. “You’re sleeping in my bed.”
****
I could smell the fresh brew of coffee as I opened my eyes. Nice and strong was how Charlie liked it. I walked up on deck and smiled as I saw Charlie sitting there reading the newspaper. It reminded me of when I was a little girl on Sunday mornings.
“Hey, Rosebud, how did you sleep?”
“I slept good, Dad. How about you?” I kissed his cheek.
“Not too bad. That couch is comfier than I thought it would be.”
I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down across from Charlie.
“What are your plans?” he asked.
I looked down at my cup and ran my finger around the rim.
“I don’t know, Dad. I don’t know where to go from here.”
“First things first, you need to make peace with Andrew. Now that you know everything, it’s time to start fresh.”
I sighed.
“Do you love him, Rosebud?”
“Yes.”
“Then give him another chance. Things will be different now. But he still has Ellie to deal with, so you’re going to have to understand that.”
“I do understand.”
We sat for a long time and talked about Madeline. Even though he laughed at half the stuff I told him she did, I could see the pain that resided in his eyes. The thought of leaving Florida frightened me. I didn’t want to leave him. I wanted to stay and be close to him, but he wouldn’t allow it.
“Addison, you have a life in New York. Go live it. Make peace with Andrew, get your job back, and have fun with your friends.”
“You’re my life, Dad,” I spoke with tears in my eyes. “I just got you back.”
“Give m
e your phone,” he spoke.
Handing him my phone, he typed in his number and handed it back to me.
“Bobby?” I laughed.
“That’s how it has to be, honey. You know that. It’s not a good idea to really talk on the phone, but we can text back and forth. Just don’t call me Dad. You never know who’s looking over your shoulder.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The next morning, I climbed out of bed and got dressed before grabbing a cup of coffee. I looked around the boat and noticed that Charlie wasn’t anywhere around. Taking my cup to the table, I picked up the white piece of paper that was lying on it.
Rosebud,
I had to go out for a while. I’ll be back later.
That was strange to me. Why would he leave and not take me with him? I sighed as I took my coffee up to the deck. Once I reached it, I stopped and stared at the man who was leaning up against the railing with his arms folded and a small smile upon his face.
“Andrew, what are you doing here?” I asked in shock.
“I came to make sure you were okay. I was worried about you.”
“I’m fine under the circumstances. When did you get here?”
“A little while ago. Charlie left so we could talk. That’s if you’re ready to talk. If not, I could just stand here and wait until you are.” He smirked.
I couldn’t help but smile. He was so handsome standing there in his khaki pants and white cotton button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
“Would you like some coffee?” I asked.
“Coffee sounds good.”
He followed me down to the kitchen, where I poured a cup and handed it to him.
“Let’s go on the deck. I’m ready to talk,” I spoke.
We both walked over to the railing and looked out at the water at the boats that were passing by.
“I know how much of a shock it must have been for you to see Charlie,” he spoke.
“It sure was a shock. In fact, I think it still is,” I spoke as I gripped my coffee cup with both hands.
“Listen, Addison. I’m so sorry for everything, and I don’t blame you if you never forgive me.”
“I just wish you would have told me from the beginning who you really were and about Ellie. Charlie I could sort of understand, but the rest—”
“I know, and I regret everything. I wanted to tell you so badly that I was AJ, but I was afraid you wouldn’t remember me.”
“Andrew.” I looked up at him. “How could I not? We had the most amazing summers together. You were my best friend. I never once forgot about you.”
“The day you left the Hamptons, I knew that would be the last time I’d ever see you again.” He looked down. “We kept going back summer after summer and I hated it. I would sit on the beach and build those damn sandcastles, looking around and hoping that I’d see you running over to me. Things were never the same after that summer.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the seashell he had kept on his desk.
“This was the last shell you gave me,” he spoke. “Do you remember?”
“We gave each other all kinds of shells, Andrew.”
“Right before your mom called you inside that day, you reached into the pocket of your shorts and pulled it out. When you handed it to me, you said, ‘This is our promise shell. Do you promise to always be my friend—'"
“No matter what.” I smiled at him. “I remember.”
“When Charlie came over to our boat when I was sixteen, I just thought he was a cool guy. Then he told me who he was, and like you, I was in shock. It took me a while to even process what he was asking me to do. I did it, Addison, not just for Charlie, but for me as well. It was my chance to see you again. Even though I knew there was no way I could disrupt your life, I still felt close to you. I knew the day would come when we’d be reunited.”
“Andrew, I need you to be honest with me. Did you bring me to New York?”
He stared into my eyes and then looked straight at the water.
“Yes. I had Veronica set it up. Please don’t hate me any more than you already do. I would have hired you anyway, even if we had never met. You’re a very talented architect and LAC is or was very fortunate to have you on board.”
I took in a deep breath.
“I don’t hate you. I could never hate you for what you did for Charlie.”
“But you hate me for what I did to you.”
“Andrew.”
He took in a sharp breath. “I love you, Addison. I’ve always loved you.”
“You’re married,” I spoke as I stared out into the glistening water.
“Only by a stupid piece of paper. It never should have happened. I already explained that to you.”
“But it did,” I spoke as I glanced over at him.
“Does that mean you don’t want to be with me?” he nervously asked.
I swallowed hard at his question.
“Our whole relationship was built on a lie. You understand that, right?”
“Of course I understand that.” He stared at me. “I’m sorry I lied to you and I promise it will never happen again. I wish I could make you understand why I did it. I thought you understood, but apparently not.” His voice grew intense.
“A part of me does understand, and the other part of me doesn’t. You didn’t know how I’d react if you would have told me from the beginning. You just assumed I wouldn’t want anything to do with you and that was the wrong thing to do.”
“I know that, Addison!” He pushed off the railing and paced around the deck. “If I could go back to the beginning and do things differently, I would. I would have told you who I was and I would have told you about Ellie. God!” He placed his hands on his head. “I’m divorcing her. I will make her sign those papers even if I have to give up everything,” he spoke through gritted teeth.
The pain that consumed him was too much to witness. My heart ached and there was nothing I could do to help him.
“Talk to her again, Andrew. Make her see the two of you shouldn’t be together.”
“I’ve tried. I even offered her ten million dollars to start a new life and she refused. She said she didn’t care about the money. She only cared about me. That’s the phone call I got that day you were in my office. Even if you don’t want to see me again, I need your forgiveness. I can’t live knowing you hate me.”
I stood there in silence and stared at him.
“Your silence says it all.” He shook his head. “I’m going to head back to New York. Tell Charlie I said goodbye.” He placed his hands in his pockets and turned and walked away.
As I stood there, I saw the little boy, my best friend, walk away with his head down like he did every summer we had to say goodbye. An overwhelming sadness consumed me.
“Andrew, wait!” I ran after him.
He stopped and turned around.
“I love you.”
A look of relief fell upon his face and I ran to him and wrapped my arms around him.
“Are you sure?” He squeezed me.
“Yes, I’m sure. No more lies, Andrew. I can’t take any more.”
He broke our embrace and placed his hands on each side of my face.
“I promise you that I will never lie to you again. I love you so much and I’m so sorry.” His lips tenderly brushed against mine.
“It’s about time.” Charlie smiled as he stood a few feet from us and clapped his hands.
Andrew and I both laughed as we walked over to him.
“You two good?” he asked.
“We’re good, Dad.” I smiled. “But I think we still have quite a way to go.”
The three of us spent the day and the evening together reminiscing. The next morning, it was time to head back to New York and I wasn’t sure if I could leave him.
“I don’t want to leave you, Charlie,” I spoke as I hugged him.
“I know, Rosebud. But, you can come visit anytime you want. I’ll always be here. In fact, I expect you to visi
t all the time.”
“I will, but that will be dependent on my job, wherever I’ll be working.”
“You’re coming back to work for my company. You’ll step in exactly where you left off,” Andrew spoke. “And you can take as much time off as you want to come visit Charlie.” He smiled. “Boss’s orders.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
After Andrew and I boarded his plane and it took off down the runway, a sadness took over me as I stared out the window and the plane lifted off the ground.
“You can see him anytime you want to, sweetheart,” Andrew spoke as he took hold of my hand and brought it up to his lips.
“I know, but I missed him so much. All these years, I thought he was dead and now he’s not, and I have to leave him.”
“But now you can talk to him over the phone or text him. At least for now, you have that.”
I glanced over and gave him a small smile.
“Where do we go from here, Andrew?” I asked.
“I don’t know, Addison. I’ve been thinking a lot about that.”
“Well, we just can’t go around flaunting our relationship while you’re still married.”
“Please don’t say that word. I am in no way married to that woman except by a piece of paper. I just need a little more time.”
“Then we’ll continue on like we were.”
“That’s not fair to you, sweetheart. I hated not taking you out. I want you on my arm and I want to show you off to the world.”
“And we’ll have that. Can’t you just get a judge to sign off on the divorce? I mean, I’m no expert, but there has to be something you can do to end it without her actually having to sign.”
“I’ve tried. My attorney took it to court, and because of her drinking/pill problem and attempted suicide, the judge didn’t think she was stable enough. So he told me he would revisit the case in six months after her treatment and a report from her doctor and then possibly take it to the Supreme Court if we had to. Do you know how long that’s going to take if I have to go that route?”
“Let’s not worry about it right now, Andrew.”
“How can I not when it’s the one thing stopping us from having a real relationship?” he spoke in anger as he shook his head.
“When we arrive in New York, I’m going to have to go home and talk to Emma and Jasper. I abruptly left, and they weren’t too happy about it. But I can come by your place later.” I grinned.