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“The bank just came and slapped a foreclosure notice on the trailer and they repossessed the car. I tried to stop them, but some city fella bought the land and the car was a lease.”
“I know. He allowed me to stay until mom passed.”
“Come with me to New York, Tess. Please. You can’t stay here. You’ll wither away here. There’s nothing here for you anymore.”
I knew she was right.
There was nothing left for me here.
I simply nodded.
“Tia, this can’t be the place,” I said, standing in a large three-bedroom penthouse overlooking Central Park. The place was stunning. Absolutely beautiful. Completely furnished, the apartment had everything we could possibly need and more. Even more, it gave me a beautiful view of one of my favorite landmarks, Stone House. Custom designed by the late Albert Holmes. Stone House was a New York City landmark. Taking up the whole corner city block, Stone house was four stories high. The house, passed down over the generations, was currently owned by George Stone, owner and CEO of Stone Incorporated, one of the wealthiest men in the city.
George Stone was married to a former New York State attorney, Virginia Stone. Together, they had four sons, but only one of them mattered to me. Not because I cared about him, but because when he figured out that I was back in the city, he could make my life a living hell. I knew coming back here would be a gamble, but it was a risk I had to take. Not only for me, but for my son.
I thought it funny that no matter how hard Montana tried to keep his ‘other’ life from me, I already knew the truth. The fact was that Montana Stone wasn’t just the President of the Soulless Sinner M.C. He was also the first-born son of George and Virginia Stone and the heir to the Stone company. The man was worth billions, and yet with everything he did, I still knew the truth. Did he honestly think I didn’t see the papers, read the society magazines? I knew who he was the first moment I laid eyes on him and now I lived literally across the street from him. Though it helped that Central Park was between us, but I wasn’t going to take any chances.
I knew the rules. He laid them out clearly. I signed the NDA he placed in front of me. We had four wonderful years together before I left without a word. Only I didn’t know I was leaving with more than my bags. If he ever found out what I took with me, there would be hell to pay. I may not care about Montana Stone anymore, but even I knew if he ever found out that I gave him a son, my life would never be the same again.
“This place is freaking amazing!”
Smiling, I turned to my best friend and nodded, taking in the luxurious place. The apartment was spacious, with light cream-colored walls. Floor to ceiling windows as far as the eye could see, giving us a panoramic view of Central Park. The open floor plan gave the apartment a homey but spacious feel. There was a suitable chef’s kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances. The off-white furniture blended with the slate gray flooring and sheer white curtains. Several plants of varying species strategically placed with hints of color. Paintings I’ve never seen before hung, giving the place a warm lived in look.
“It’s perfect,” Tia squealed, as she spread her arms wide as she raced around the place, checking everything out. While I was happy, she was ecstatic about the place, I wondered what the rent was. Going to school here, I knew this place wasn’t cheap. With a view like the one I was looking at, I could only assume the rent was in the thousands.
“Oh. My. God! Come check out York’s room.”
Smiling at my sleeping son, resting comfortably in his little stroller, I wheeled him towards Tia. Her exuberance was off the charts and I needed her to tone it down for a moment or she would be rocking York back to sleep.
Entering the room, I stared in awe at the light gray walls with sailboats floating on clouds, painted on the walks. The ceiling was a starry night with the moon and thousands of sparkly stars. The floor, covered in a luxurious plush cream carpet, the color of sand was soft but what caught my attention was the driftwood crib. The very crib I craved to get my son before he was born but couldn’t afford. “Tia, that crib is five thousand dollars.”
“I know,” she smirked. “I knew you wanted it, so I bought it. Did you know that it also turns into a toddler bed and then a full-size bed?”
“Yes.”
“Look Tess, I know you are worried, but don’t. I have enough money to cover everything until you start the fellowship. Let me help you like you helped me.”
“This is too much, Tia. I’ll never be able to pay you back.”
“I’m not asking you to. Soon, you will make your own money. I have all the faith in you.”
“I haven’t heard from the hospital, Tia. They could give the fellowship to someone else.”
“Not likely. You are the most qualified,” Tia said, carefully taking my sleeping son out of the stroller and placing him in his brand-new crib. Covering him up, she leaned against the rails and sighed. “Jesus, Tess, he’s going to be a looker. With all that black hair and bright blue eyes, York is going to break hearts everywhere.”
“Just like his dad,” I whispered, smiling at my sleeping son.
“You never talk about York’s dad. Who is he?”
“It doesn’t matter. Look, Tia, York and I will stay here with you because I don’t have a choice, but I need you to promise me something. If you take York out of this apartment, I need him completely covered and always protected. Okay?”
Tia quirked her head at me. “Okay? Why?”
“I can’t tell you, but being here in the city isn’t going to be easy for me. I had a life here before I left and let’s just say I didn’t leave on good terms. There are people in this city I need to avoid. I shouldn’t have any problem doing that, living where we are. I don’t see them coming to this part of the city.”
“Tess, are you in trouble?”
“No. It’s not like that. Just be careful when you have York outside, okay?”
