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“Your mother is in there and I’m trying to avoid her. It appears the few days I spent at the hospital changed the woman I married into a dragon. She’s always spitting fire.”
“Aren't you worried she might drag your ass into the building if she catches sight of you hanging out here?”
He shrugs.
“I’ve got my gloves on. The hat is warmer too, even though it makes me look like a clown in this tux,” Dad complains. The Chemo treatment make him feel cold like winter.
“You look okay to me.”
He laughs and turns to look at me.
“So how do you feel about being the Managing Director of a billion-dollar company?”
I glance around, pretending to search for cameras.
“I see no reporters around. Do you have a miniature camera clipped to your tux?”
He’s silent for a moment.
“I saw the way you looked while the ceremony was going on. Your gaze was fixated on your fiancée and there was a hint of fear in your eyes. I’m assuming you were distracted and not having second thoughts about claiming the position?”
That's the question. Damn.
Why does it have to be a question? Despite Father’s approval and assurance that my love life is what he’s wanted for me, I can’t help but feel that he’s going to unearth the truth and call me out on my bullshit just like he did in my high school when I smuggled a girl dressed like a man into the house.
“I’m excited, Father. I’m looking forward to the years ahead. To take this company to greater heights and make waves in the business world.” The words rush out in a sigh.
In all honesty, I want something more. Father isn’t wrong about the fact that I was distracted during the meeting and even when we moved to the Event Center for the reception.
Father and Mother did drop by my house last weekend, in the afternoon, for just a few hours. Felicity handled herself with grace. Father was very happy to see the interaction between Felicity and Eli, and he is very excited to learn of Eli's talent in painting. That visit cleared any doubt he might have about Felicity and me.
Almost everything is going well with the plan. My heart is heavy when Felicity's beautiful face shows up in my mind.
It’s been a few weeks since Felicity moved out of the master bedroom to one of the guest rooms several doors away from mine. She’s been quiet, distant… even cold at times. The bond between her and Eli has been growing, she’s been spending more time with Eli. They’ve been painting, baking, playing games, and making fun things together around the house. However, I can tell she seems torn. I saw her standing in front of the window, gazing outside in silence by herself a few times. She seems to have no interest in talking with me, and I don't force her either.
At first, I thought her coldness was going to kill the feelings I have for her. Loving someone and having them abandon you… without a fight is enough reason to hate them. But that’s not the case here. I can’t get her out of my head. I keep replaying every single memory we’ve created and wish for more… plan for more… ache for more.
Felicity is a rejuvenating force… a breath of fresh air after years of being tucked away in a cave. There are times I’ve tried hating her, fixating my thoughts on the fact that she's so willing to throw what we have away without a fight. She doesn't even give me a fucking chance to prove myself… prove to her that we belong together, that I’m nothing like her fucking ex.
The only thing I seem to hate about her is the fact that she’s giving her past a chance to ruin us. However, a part of me understands why she feels that way. After I signed the divorce papers and Amelia moved out of the home we built together, I felt something in me die. I made a firm decision that I wasn’t going to fall in love again. But here I am, pining after a woman that doesn't want me. Such a horror.
As I think about Felicity, my mind fills with images of our future - a wedding, a honeymoon in Hawaii, having more kids, and watching Eli grow up and become independent. It's overwhelming, and I feel like the space around me is closing in.
Father nudges me.
“You and that stunning fiancée you’ve got to set the ball rolling. The responsibilities are going to be overwhelming from now on. You’ll need a wife to shoulder them with you.”
“We haven’t discussed that yet.”
“Well, you don’t have to. I overheard your mother asking her about colors and the event planner. Maybe you won’t have to lift a finger. Just show up with a tux on the day they’ll pick, and say, ‘I do’, then kiss your woman in front of a million and one strangers.”
I frown.
“What makes you think a wedding is going to happen?”
He shoots me a puzzled frown and that one expression causes my heart to sink lower, right down to the pit of my belly.
Damn! That question will raise Father’s brows. He’s sharp-witted and can easily detect foul play.
