“Sorry,” she began.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” I replied, rising to grab the box of tissues off of my desk and handing it to her.
“Yes, I do,” Chloe replied, her eyes watching me warily. “For so many things … Crying on your shoulder being the least of them.”
“Chlo…”
“No, please Zoey, let me talk.”
At my nod she continued, “I’m so sorry for the mess I’ve made of everything. For the lies, the years of lies. For not coming clean about why I backed out of going to the camp … and not saying anything when I heard the excitement in your voice when you talked about Gabriel Lewis. I was selfish, and afraid, and I wish I could take it all back.”
“I know you do,” I replied, placing my hand over hers.
“What are you going to do? About Gabriel?”
“I don’t know, Chloe, I really don’t. I like him, could even love him, but I just don’t know if I’m strong enough to get past all of this,”
“You are, Zoey, I know you are. I’ve never seen you like this over a man before. I’d hate for you to throw away a chance at happiness.”
My eyes filled and I decided to be completely honest with her. It was the only way we could move forward.
“I hate knowing that he’s had sex with you.”
Chloe flinched as if I slapped her, but squeezed my hand and said, “Zoey, it meant nothing.”
“It does though, Chloe. It means something to me. You’ve been intimate, even if it was only once, and you had a son together. That’s not nothing.”
“No, you’re right … But we never had feelings for each other. Not the way you guys do.”
I took a deep breath and asked the question I was terrified to ask.
“Will you tell me what happened?”
Chloe shook her head and said, “No, Zoey. Don’t do that to yourself. All you need to know was that I was out with my friends, I’d been drinking, and I decided to do something totally out of character. I never regretted it, especially not after I got Christopher out of it, but I’ve always thought of it as like a dream. Something that happened, but in an alternate reality. I never loved him. I never wanted a relationship with him. And he never wanted that with me.”
“I don’t know if that’s enough,” I admitted softly, tears streaming down my face. “But, God, Chloe, I like him so much…”
This time, my sister held me as I wept. When I was finally tapped out, I leaned back to look at her and said with a wry laugh, “We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?”
She hugged me and said, “I love you, Zoey.”
“I love you too.”
Chloe’s phone dinged, so she pulled it out of her purse and checked the message.
“Gabriel says that Chris is fine. They’re about to go to the pool, then have dinner. He asked if he could keep Chris overnight, then take him to school in the morning.”
“Are you going to let him?”
Chloe’s eyes held a tinge of sadness, but her lips turned up as she said, “Chris was upset with me, but you should have seen his face when he first saw Gabriel. This is going to be good for him … I’m going to say yes. It’s what’s best for Christopher.”
After she responded, she put her phone away and asked, “Can I stay here with you tonight? I don’t want to be alone.”
“Of course,” I replied, thinking it would probably be good for both of us to have each other tonight. “We can order pizza, watch a movie … whatever you want.”
“That sounds perfect,” Chloe said with the first genuine smile I’d seen since all of this had happened.
As we scarfed down pepperoni pizza with black olives and watched How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, one of our go-to movies, I thought about what I was going to say to Gabe when he came over the next day.
I needed to be strong and keep my pants on this time; jumping him before he had a chance to even make it in the house wasn’t going to help us work through our issues. Forgiving my sister wasn’t easy, but we were family … With Gabe, it wasn’t as easy as forgiveness; he hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact, it wasn’t really about him, it was about me … and I wasn’t sure if I had it in me to ignore the fact that he had been intimate with my sister. Especially when I’d have a constant reminder of that fact.
Did that make me a terrible person? Maybe.
But I couldn’t help the way I felt…
Chapter Thirty-Seven ~ Gabe
I’d just had the most incredible night of my life, and when I eased out of the carpool lane at Christopher’s school, I did it with a huge grin on my face.
We’d gone swimming at the hotel pool, went to Five Guys for burgers and fries, then stayed up and watched Thursday night football on TV. And through it all, we talked. We talked about what my childhood was like, what his was like, about playing football in college, then the NFL. He told me about his breakup with Grace, the long distance was too much for them, and I talked about how Reardon had always been my best friend.
We didn’t share everything, and didn’t delve into some of the really heavy stuff, but it was a wonderful beginning, and I was so proud of the young man he was.
Chloe had really done an amazing job raising him, and based off of what Chris had told me, Zoey played a big part in it as well.
I’d tried to push thoughts of Zoey and the issues we were having to the back of my mind, wanting to really focus on getting to know Chris better, but when I’d laid down at night, I could no longer deny my fears.
Her reaction, and apparent inability to talk things through, scared me. Yes, this was a strange and hurtful situation, but if she was ready to bolt at the first sign of conflict, how could we have a lasting relationship?
I went back to my hotel room, phoned Reardon and my agent, then started looking online for local realtors. I liked the area Chloe lived in, but a house like Zoey’s was more my style. Something with a little land, and a lot of room for Chris and his friends to hang out.
I’d always known that I wanted children, and figured once I found the right woman and settled down, I’d be ready to start a family. I never imagined that I’d find out I already had a kid, let alone who was twelve, but now that I had him, I wished I hadn’t waited so long. Or, more accurately, that I’d been there with him since the day he was born.
I guess you didn’t know what you were missing until you had a taste of it.
Once I figured I’d wasted enough time, and Zoey should be up and about, and focused on her day, I got back in my car and made my way out to her place.
After knocking, I turned to get a better look at her property. A nice sitting area with a fire pit off to one side, a basketball hoop, and a grouping of trees along the back.
“Hey,” Zoey said softly, startling me out of my musing.
“Hi,” I replied, my eyes sweeping over her. She looked as beautiful as ever, and I struggled against the need to pull her into my arms. I felt disappointed that things weren’t as easy and carefree as they had been back at camp, but was determined that they would be one day soon. “You look great.”
“Thanks. Do you want to come in?”
“Yeah.”
Well, don’t we sound just like two polite strangers? I thought as I walked in, choosing to go take a seat at her breakfast nook instead of on the couch where we’d had sex yesterday.
“Can I get you a something to drink?”
“No, I’m good.”
When she went and started to make herself coffee, I felt the residual anger from yesterday seeping back in. It didn’t seem like anything had changed overnight. Zoey was still trying to avoid me, even though we were in the same damn room.
“Can you sit?” I asked through clenched teeth.
Zoey’s eyes widened at my request, but she left the empty coffee cup on the counter and came to sit next to me.
After a few moments of silence she said, “So, um, Chloe said Christopher stayed with you last night. How did all of that go?”
“It w
ent really great. We talked a lot and had fun hanging out,” I said, then I pushed a little and added, “I wished you were there.”
Zoey shook her head.
“No, it really isn’t my place. You two should get to know each other without his aunt standing in the way.”
“I didn’t mean I wanted you there as his aunt. I wanted you there as my girlfriend.”
Her mouth got tight and she spat, “But that’s just it, Gabe, I am his aunt, and now you’re his father. It’s more complicated than introducing your son to your girlfriend.”
“So you don’t mind that I’m a father, but you do mind that I’m your nephew’s father … Is that what this is all about? Holding me at arms’ length because of your sister?” I asked, needing to know the root of the problem holding her back if I had any hope of salvaging what we had.
“Is that not a good enough reason?”
I sighed, frustrated but trying hard not to be.
“Yes, it’s a good enough reason … Any reason you have is good enough, but if you won’t talk it out with me, how can we fix it?”
“I don’t know if we can…”
“Zoey, I told you before, what happened with Chloe was nothing more than two people getting off. I hate to sound crass, and I’m not trying to bad mouth your sister, but that’s the God’s honest truth.”
“I know, you’ve both said that, and I believe you … But I still hate it. I hate that you kissed her, touched her, had sex with her … I hate that the guy I’m falling in love with was with my sister first.”
“Zoey…”
“No, you want to know what kind of twisted shit is going on in my head, I’ll tell you. It may not be rational, and some of my feelings may be presumptuous, but they’re my feelings, and they’re driving me crazy.”
“Okay.”
“You’re my nephew’s father. If we got married, I’d be his aunt and his stepmother. If we had more kids, Chris would be their half-brother and their cousin.”
“Those are just titles. Who cares?” I asked, barely containing my anger.
“Maybe I care.”
“Maybe you’re just latching on to this and not letting go because you want an excuse to end things. Maybe it was fine and good when we were at camp and things were easy, but now that things are serious, and we’re facing something we never imagined we would, you’ve decided it’s too hard and I’m not worth the effort.”
“Is that what you think of me?” she asked, standing quickly and actually having the audacity to look offended.
“That’s what you’re showing me here, Zoey. What am I supposed to think?”
I followed suit, standing abruptly and sending the chair flying a few feet behind me.
Zoey’s chest was heaving as she looked at me with hurt and confusion.
“I don’t know.”
“Well, here’s what I know…” I took a folded piece of paper out of my wallet and threw it on the table. “Chris and I are leaving tomorrow for Cherry Springs. I’ve already told Chloe I want her to come with us, to ease her mind about Chris meeting my family for the first time. I wasn’t sure what your plans are, since you’ve been less than happy to see me since I arrived, but I went out on a limb and bought you a ticket anyway. You and Chloe are scheduled for the same flight on Saturday.”
Zoey looked down at the paper like it was a snake before shifting her eyes back up to mine.
“I want you, I think I’ve proven that. I came here for you, just like I said I would, and I want to bring you home, just like we discussed. But, Zoey, now it’s up to you. I’ll make it easy on you. Are you willing to work on your issues and give us a chance? Can you let go of your hang-ups about being Chris’s aunt and my girlfriend? If you’re ready to show up and meet my family as my woman, then get on that plane. If you don’t show up, I’ll have my answer.”
I wanted to pull her to me one last time, but wasn’t sure she’d be receptive to the gesture. So, with my heart aching, I left, and prayed all the way back to the hotel that she’d bought my bluff.
Chapter Thirty-Eight ~ Zoey
I was sitting in front of my computer, the cursor flashing over the blank page in the Word document. I’m not sure how long I’d been sitting there, hours at least, but the words weren’t coming out.
I looked up at the clock, aware of the looming deadline and the fact that not only had I not packed anything, but I hadn’t showered or gotten dressed.
Did this mean I wasn’t going?
I didn’t like ultimatums, and Gabe had definitely given me one. Was I going to let this opportunity pass me by and sit here in my pajamas feeling sorry for myself, rather than getting on that plane and fighting for what I wanted?
Pounding on the door caused me to jump.
“What the…”” I muttered as I pushed back and rose to go answer it.
I swung the door open to see Chloe, perfect from head to toe in her version of casual wear, pressed slacks and a flowing blouse, her hair down and straightened so it was flat, smooth, and shiny.
She walked in, her hands fluttering around her in a nervous gesture.
“Reardon called me this morning,” she began, pacing rather than taking a seat.
“What about?”
“To get my account numbers … Gabriel’s paying me back child support.”
Warmth flooded my belly.
“That’s wonderful.”
“It’s a lot. I mean, a lot, a lot. He wanted to know everything, hospital bills, insurance, all of it. They’re depositing the money today, and I’ll start receiving current child support payments every two weeks.”
I reached a hand out, grasping her arm to keep her still for a moment, and assured her, “Chloe, that’s great!”
“He’s already put money aside for Chris to go to college.”
She was overwhelmed, and I swear there was relief underneath, I just needed to help her find it.
“Honey, you and Chris deserve this. You’ve worked so hard and accomplished so much on your own. All of those nights and weekends on your feet waitressing, taking the good shifts so you could earn more tips, putting yourself through college so you could move up to management and make more. Then finally opening your own business so you were finally able to work from home and be there when Chris came home from school, then take him to practices. You’re an amazing mother, and I’m so happy that Gabe is going to help ease some of the financial burden for you.”
“Some? He’s relieving all of it.”
“Chloe, that’s a good thing.”
“It’s too much, Zoey. I don’t want him to think I’m after his money.”
I chuckled and pulled my sister to me, hugging her hard before pulling back to look at her worried face.
“Gabe knows that … and, Chloe, I’m sure Reardon went over everything and is giving you the standard percentage of Gabe’s earnings. He’s a wealthy man, and he wants to provide for his son. Just think of all the things you can do with it, other than paying off debt. You can finally buy a house, like you’ve always wanted. You can go back to school and get your MBA.”
“No, Zoey, this money isn’t for me…”
I stopped myself seconds before pulling her hair, the need to knock some sense in her great.
“Chlo,” I said with a low growl. “You scraped and saved to put yourself through school while you provided for your son. Your first priority has always been Chris, as it should be, now you have someone to help and take the pressure off of you. You could have denied Chris so much growing up, in order to save money for yourself, but you didn’t. Look at this money as a repayment for everything you and Chris couldn’t afford, if you need to, but I think you should use it for school and a house if that’s what you want. Those are both things that directly correlate with Chris’s livelihood.”
I looked up at the clock and said, “Oh, crap! It’s almost time to go, let me grab my things.”
“You’re coming?”
I thought of what she just told me about Gabe, and
pictures flashed through my mind.
Meeting him and Reardon in the woods that day, Gabe so tall and handsome as he smiled down at me with those fantastic lips.
The two of us paddle boating after our unbelievably hot kiss in the water.
The picnic at the waterfall.
Watching him play football shirtless, and the two of us losing control in his cabin afterwards.
His smile.
His laugh.
That body.
Hell yes, I am going to Cherry Springs!
I shot her a grin and sprinted to my room, grabbing my carry-on bag out of the back of my closet and throwing stuff in there. It was September, so I grabbed shorts, jeans, a light sweater, and my bathing suit … You never knew what could happen. I was shoving toiletries into a bag when I looked in the mirror and squeaked.
God, when was the last time I showered?
“Time?” I shouted.
“We have to leave in ten minutes,” Chloe yelled back.
I jumped in the shower and shaved everything that needed shaving while the conditioner worked its magic, then rinsed and hopped out, toweling off as I rushed into my room and grabbed clothes out of my drawers. I threw a rubber band on my wrist to put my hair up on the drive, then rolled my suitcase out.
“Ready.”
“Hair and makeup in the car?” Chloe asked, eyeing me warily.
She’d never go out looking the way I did, let alone to someplace as public as the airport.
“Yes, dear,” I replied sarcastically, but couldn’t pull it off, my face betraying my excitement.
“Then let’s get on the road.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine ~ Gabe
“He’s really a wonderful boy,” my father said fondly as we watched Chris and Reardon shooting hoops in my parents’ backyard. We’d arrived yesterday, and I’d opted to spend last night at their house, wanting to let them got to know Chris better. Tonight, I’d be taking him to mine. I figured I’d let him pick out a bedroom, then we could go to Best Buy and get him all set up with some video games or something.