Bailey’s gaze widens with shock. “Oh my god, Elijah, that’s terrible.”
“It gets worse…” I suck in a deep breath, smelling her sweet strawberry scent coming from her hair and body, calming me down. “When I was fourteen, she came to visit me. She would come to the house when she knew no one else was there. She told me not to tell anyone, that it was our secret and that she just wanted to see me. She told me that she loved me, and I believed her.”
“That, wow… I don’t know what to say to that… what happened?”
“She used me. She used my blind love against me, she used me to clean out my father's safe, and then she ran with the money just like she did before… without batting an eyelash.”
“Elijah! What the hell? Why didn’t you ever tell me about this?” Bailey pushes up onto her elbows so she can look at me. “I’m so, so sorry. I can’t believe she did that to you. I don’t know how someone could do that.”
“I never told anyone about this because I was ashamed, ashamed that I have a mother like this and ashamed that I let myself be played. Ash and my dad know obviously, but apart from them, no one knows. I wanted you to know though. I want you to understand why I’m all fucked up, and it’s not an excuse for his behavior, but it’s why my dad is a complete asshole.”
“This definitely explains why your dad acts the way he does… and you are not fucked up. You were hurt by a woman who is supposed to love and protect you. She is the one who is fucked up, not you.”
Her loving words are like a caress, like a soft blanket being wrapped around me tightly. I don’t think I will ever get rid of the scar my mother left behind, but in this moment, I feel like they have become less deep.
Somehow Bailey has managed to make it better, heal me from the inside out, restore my trust and my hope that I can have the life I should have, that I now want. That one day I can have a family, get married and be happy.
Happy with my Sunflower.
15
Bailey
* * *
“I’ve got a quick meeting, and then I want to have lunch with you,” Elijah tells me, leaning over the desk, planting a soft kiss to my lips. I still can’t believe he’s mine, and that we’re really doing this. It has always been a dream of mine, but never would I have thought we would be together, and certainly nothing more than friends.
I nod. “Perfect. I need to look over the designs for the bar further.”
His fingers ghost against my cheek, and then he’s pulling away, walking backward toward the door while keeping his eyes on me.
“I love you,” he mouths and then twists around, pressing the elevator button. Seconds later, he disappears inside and I’m left alone to my own thoughts. I still haven’t told him I love him back, and it’s not because I don’t, because I do, I love him with my heart and soul.
I guess I’m just worried that the moment I say it, all of this will turn out to have been nothing but a dream. And I can’t bear that. If this is a dream, I never want to wake up. I sort through the designs looking over bar top options and bar stools, but everything blends together. All I can focus on is the fact that I still haven’t told him I love him.
The elevator dings and opens a second later and I’m about to tease Elijah, asking him what he forgot. Only it isn’t Elijah. A woman stands there, her eyes moving dizzily around the office space. Who the hell is she, and how did she get up here? Confusion settles deep in my gut. The woman looks like a blonde bombshell, with legs for miles. Surely she can’t be here to discuss something with Elijah, can she be? The long cream-colored trench coat she wears covers most of her body from view, making it hard for me to get a good look at her.
“Is Elijah here?” Her voice drips with annoyance.
“He just stepped out for a little bit, can I help you with something?” I try my best to hide my disdain for the woman from my voice since I don’t know her from Adam or why she is here. Judging people isn’t really my thing. She walks over to my desk, her eyes flicking over its contents
“Are you his assistant or something?”
I grind my teeth together, my anger reaching a very unreal height. She shifts impatiently on her feet, twisting her body to the side.
“I’m not, but if I can help you, then I certainly will.”
Tipping her head back, she laughs. “Help me. Oh, you can’t help me, sweetheart, unless you can tell me where Elijah is. I really need to talk to him…. Or more like, tell him something.” She pulls back the lapels of her jacket and there’s no way to miss it, the distinct baby bump protruding from her belly.
My mouth pops open, the shock on my face something I cannot hide. “Is that… is it his?” I manage to get out. I know it’s wrong of me, but I truly hope that it isn’t, because if it is, well that means a number of things, the biggest being that Elijah lied to me and that he’s going to be a father... to a baby I am not the mother of.
A sinister grin pulls at her red painted lips and I’m pretty sure I’m going to vomit. A hand drops down to the growing bump, and she rubs over it gently.
“What do you think? Of course it’s his. What do you think, I am some whore who doesn’t know who her baby daddy is?”
Suddenly I can’t breathe. I can’t do anything. Everything starts to close in around me. Elijah is having a baby. He’s having a baby with this… whoever she is…
“I was just dropping by to tell him. I found out a couple months ago but wasn’t sure when I should let him know. I guess no time is better than now.” She shrugs like it’s not a big deal, but it is, it’s a huge fucking deal.
“He’s uhh, he’s out right now, but I’m sure he’ll be back soon.” The acid in my stomach rises up my throat and I have to swallow it back down or face vomiting all over my desk. Shoving away from my desk, I start to grab my stuff. I can’t be here when he gets back, when he finds out. I don’t want to see his face or hear him lie to me again. Him lying to me once sure makes me wonder if any part of this was real.
I look up and find the woman twirling a strand of blonde hair around her finger. “Should I like wait or what?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.” I point to a table across the room. “You can sit over at that table and wait for him.” I plaster on the fakest smile I can manage because the alternative is far worse, and there is no way in hell I’m going to cry in front of Barbie.
“Seriously…” She huffs, almost stomping her stiletto-heeled foot.
I walk around the desk, sliding my phone into my jeans while slinging my purse over my shoulder. I start to walk toward the elevator when the unnamed woman’s manicured hand reaches out and grabs onto my arm.
“Where are you going? You can’t leave me here alone!” She’s looking down at me like I’m a peasant and she’s the queen, and I guess to her, that’s what I am. I’ll never be able to compete with her, or the fact that she’s having his baby.
“I have to go. He won’t be long, I promise.” I shrug out of her hold and continue toward the elevator. I order an Uber on the way downstairs, since going to get my car isn’t an option right now. I don’t want to be anywhere near Elijah.