“You don’t mean that. Tell me you don’t believe that.”
I think he’s finally understanding where things are instead of where he thinks they are. For the millionth time, I bury my head in his pillow and cry. My fists grab on to the down and tug. I pull my knees up into the tightest ball against my chest. Everything feels just cold.
I go so inside myself that don’t realize Wes comes over in front of me. The tips of his shoes rest against my bare toes. He crouches down and pulls the pillow from my face. I look up through my tears to find his. He’s crying at the sight of me.
“Don’t leave me, Hayley. Please. I don’t know what I’m doing. I am trying.”
“You keep saying that. When am I going to see it? When will I feel it?”
“I’m going to stay here. Right here. I’m not going to travel unless you can go. I’m going to get you and Hannah connected. I’m going to do whatever it takes. Please say you believe me.”
I want to say I believe him. I wish I could out loud. I just don’t know what I believe anymore. I do know I love him. I think he loves me. Wes huddles down beside me. I curl into his lap, pillow and all. He wraps over me and for the first time in days I start to feel warm.
Chapter 11
Dylan
I thought Jack would take a day or two to set things up. He was on the phone in a heartbeat in the foyer, while I took a video conference at the table. He asked if I’d need help getting ready. I told him that I’d need help with my brace once I was dressed. He said he would make sure we had a car out front when I was ready. He wanted to get to the office as quickly and painlessly as I could. He’s reserved the boardroom, the boardroom, for a meeting this afternoon with her.
Jack doesn’t say much to me on the ride. I don’t know if that is from being disappointed in Eli and me, his anger at what Elyse is doing, or both. I just know the purpose I see in his stature is one I haven’t seen. He helps me inside the building where his assistant is waiting. Caryn has one of the boardroom chairs on wheels ready for me in the lobby. Jack pushes me along with my crutches at my side.
I overhear Jack leaning into Caryn. “You’re sure Eli is occupied?” She simply nods.
“Dylan, I’m going to push you around the corner into the kitchenette and have you wait there. You should be able to hear everything. I want a few minutes alone with her before the confrontation from you. Are you ready for that?”
“I’m ready. I just want to fix this.”
“Trust me. There will be a resolution today, one way or another.”
The promise behind that statement is unmistakable.
I’m sitting patiently and nervously in the chair behind the half wall when I hear the familiar click of heels on the tile just off the elevator. I can also hear her voice with reception, saying she has a meeting with me in the boardroom. I am now more curious than ever to see what Jack has in store.
The receptionist leads Elyse into the room. I can hear her oversized purse plop into one of the office chairs before she walks to the other side of the wall I’m sitting behind. I feel a swarm of butterflies begin to swirl around inside me. They flutter as I hold my breath, praying Elyse won’t find me. Then I hear the voice that assures she won’t.
“Good afternoon, Elyse.”
“Oh. Hello, Jack. Lovely to see you. How is everything?”
I can hear the door close. “It would be going a lot better if I could have some answers.”
“Well, that’s cryptic. I’m here for a meeting, but I think I have a few minutes if you need to talk.”
“I know all about your meeting. I’m the one who called it.”
“What are you talking about? I got a message from Caryn that said I was meeting with Dylan.”
“I know. I’m the one who asked her to tell you that. Please, have a seat.” The silence must be from the shock I only wish I could see on her face. “I wish I could have been upfront about the reason I called you, but I needed to be sure you would show up.”
“I would have come if you’d asked me, Jack. What is it?”
“I’m going to be honest with you now. I’m shocked and angry about facts that have been brought to my attention. Were you indeed in the building a couple of weekends ago?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean it exactly as it sounds. Also, I already know the answer. I’m more interested in if you will tell me the truth.”
“Why would I lie to you, Jack? I never have. You’ve always known where I stand.”
“Yes. That’s what I’m afraid of in this case.” I can hear a chair roll forward, the squeak of someone sitting down. “Elyse, let me get right to the point. I have valued all you’ve brought into these doors. You truly have gifts when it comes to reading a room and for convincing people to your point of view.”
“Well. Thank you, Jack.”
“I wouldn’t thank me, just yet. We’ve had a bumpy history that I thought was behind us. I’m going to ask this one time. Just once. Are you trying to blackmail my children?”
There is another long and powerful silence. I wish I could stand up without giving myself away in order to see the look on her face. “Who said that?”
“I’m asking you a direct question. A simple yes or no will do.”
“Jack, I don’t like your tone.”
“If you don’t like my tone, you’re not going to like my text either. Elyse, I’ve had time to speak with the security and my IT teams. I’ve also had time to speak with legal. There will be an emergency meeting of the board tomorrow. I am worried about how your recent decisions could reflect as a voting and representative member of our directors. I’m going to move tomorrow that you be removed from your seat for cause, unless you’d like to resign quietly now as to, how did you say it, make it so there isn’t an appearance of impropriety. Dylan, would you please join us?”
I can hear an audible gasp from Elyse just before mine. I carefully rise from my chair and clumsily use my crutches to make myself known from behind the wall. I stare into the once defiant eyes, now much humbler, from across the room. “It didn’t have to be this way. I don’t owe you anything. I’m going to say what I’m going to say for me. I don’t live my life by what people think or don’t think of me. Do I care? Of course I do, but decisions I make are about me and my feelings. I’ve worked for everything I have. I could have taken the easy route and springboarded off the Cooper name. I didn’t.
“I definitely wasn’t going to do it with the Sawyer name. This family has been nothing but kind and welcoming since the first day I came to work here, and even more so after they learned who I was to their son. I took a big risk by going against my husband’s wishes to bring my father-in-law in on what you tried to do. I would have rather risked the consequences of that instead of doing something that would give a bully their wishes. I wouldn’t have been able to look myself in the face as a mentor, leader, or anything for the kids I want to help if I let you.”