By Anthonia Nicol
She kicked him out again.
And all he could do was stare at the front door as the reality of his life dawned on him.
As he turned to walk away, he caught a glimpse of his little boy, crying and staring hopelessly through the window, and his heart squeezed inside his chest.
They told him, but he wouldn’t listen. He was addicted to her.
As he burrowed through the snow, he scanned the neighbourhood for an open inn however, he knew there wasn’t meant to be any open at this time due to the weather.
His best hope was Stevie’s place, which was fifteen minutes away by car.
He couldn’t drive.
She took the keys and everything else in that house because the court gave them to her.
He groaned.
He could tell that Stevie had taken off for his leave as he approached his house on foot, and he would have known this if he had answered his phone earlier.
But Cassie picked another fight even when he tried to avoid one. He always told himself this was the last straw, but Jason always returned to her.
No more, he concluded.
He retrieved his phone from his heavy brown jacket and found a brightly lit street light to help him use the device.
He smiled.
‘I left the keys in the flower pot near the garbage can.’
Stevie was always prepared for crises, especially his. He found the key, opened the door and immediately ran to the fireplace to make a fire.
A fire in place of heaters.
It was his choice to set his headquarters up in the country.
His employees tagged along because he was Jason Raoul Estevez, the stockbroker with the golden touch and a cabinet full of awards as proof.
But his skills at work didn’t help him with his marriage.
As small as Louisana was, he would reckon his last brawl with his wife…. ex-wife, would be in the papers because everyone here was an informant.
Damage control, he thought. The news of his divorce cost him a few clients. He had to squash rumours before they made the news.
He called his assistant.
‘Yes sir?’ said a sleepy voice at the other end. He groaned again.
It was three in the morning, yet he knew she would pick up.
‘ Allie, I had another fight with Cassie. It was loud. I’m sure the neighbours heard. Please see that it doesn’t escalate.’
There was a cold silence before she replied, ‘ I’ll get on it, sir.’
‘Thanks, Allie. I owe you one,’ he said, relieved.
‘Just doing my job, sir,’ she replied. Cold indifference. That was what it was. Allie was tired of him and her job.
He wondered why she still did it.
As the warmth of the flames drove the frostbites away, his thoughts settled on his son.
How was Cassie going to manage with him?
Cassie was granted full custody because she claimed he was never home.
And he never was. He was a workaholic.
However, he always ended up with the boy because she couldn’t handle Shawn, but her plea was more compelling to the judge.
Everyone assumed he cheated on his wife on those late nights. He had the looks. He had the attention. Proving it was a waste of time.
He groaned. It was a terrible night.
And the next day didn’t make him feel better. The brawl was all over the headlines of the local newspaper.
Strange and judgmental eyes ripped through him as he walked to his office. His was the only white-collar business still open this close to Christmas, and it had always been that way.
Even when they were in New York.
He saw Allie waiting nervously in the lobby, and he spat, ‘Did you do anything, Alexandra?’
She was equally upset. ‘Everyone wanted the scoop. I couldn’t get near this one.’
He snorted as he moved past her to the elevator.
‘Is that Stevie’s shirt?’ Allie enquired, puzzled.
‘Is that any of your business?’ he retorted.
She looked away. Some of the staffers had started trooping in, all of which had their eyes on their boss. They were local folk, not heavy earners, but heavy on gossip.
Jason always expected her to perform miracles.
She watched him battle with the elevator buttons for a while before saying, ‘ Maintenance asked us to use the stairs till they gave the green light on the snow situation.’
He stopped. No more walking!
‘How did snow get into the building?’ he asked, bewildered.
‘It didn’t. It affected the underground cables, or so they said.’
He sighed and headed for the stairs. ‘I need a jug of coffee and breakfast, Allie.’ he ordered.
‘Sure,’ she replied, heading towards the canteen.
More of that cold indifference. Jason wondered if this was a prelude to her resignation, but he wouldn’t dare ask. He needed her.
He opened the door to his apartment-like office and thought of how to deal with this scandal. He had a stakeholders meeting today. It couldn’t come up.
It might not have if Cassie hadn’t walked into his office panting and shoving Shawn towards his father in the middle of the meeting.
‘There. Stay with your father before you make me go deaf.’
Shocked, Jason unintentionally closed his laptop and caught Shawn mid-shove. ‘Have you lost your mind, Cassie? ‘ Jason asked, pulling his crying son close.
‘I’m done, Jace,’ Cassie replied just as Allie walked in with Jason’s breakfast.
Cassie washed Allie down with a degrading gaze and smiled sheepishly before leaving the office.
Allie looked on as Jason struggled to comfort Shawn. She bit her lip and blinked. ‘Your breakfast, sir’.
‘Yes, thank you,’ he managed to say.
‘Let me get Shawn his breakfast while you continue the meeting, sir.’
She reached out to the boy, and Shawn jumped into her arms. Jason wasn’t surprised, but he was embarrassed. His assistant spent more time with his boy than he did.
His meeting!
It ended with a decision that Jason found unsettling. He had to go to El Paso, Texas.
Jason raked his hair with his fingers.
Home.
The place where his strict dad said he was a good-for-nothing boy who would only charm his way to women’s hearts and never do anything good with his life.
After he got two girls pregnant at the same time.
The place that scared him forever.
And now, he was making that dreaded trip back home as a single dad.
He tried the elevator again and kept his fingers crossed as it descended to the canteen, noting his streak of bad luck that day.
He found Shawn sleeping peacefully in Allie’s arms as she sang his favourite lullaby to him. He smiled. ‘You know he hums that tune before he sleeps,’ Jason
said behind Allie. She turned and smiled back at him. She was a natural with Shawn. He was almost tempted to leave him with her till he returned, but he was sure his parents would want to see him.
He knew what he had to do.
‘Allie, I’m going to El Paso to see the Swansons. We need this account. We are bleeding clients. Do you mind coming with me, for Shawn’s sake?’
She sighed and took a moment before she answered. ‘Sure.’
She sounded nervous. He couldn’t blame her. The last thing he was sure she didn’t want was to be labelled as one of his women.
‘There’s nothing to worry about, Allie. No one will think we are together. I’m known for having a type.’
I know, she thought. ‘When are we leaving? ‘
‘The forecast says the road to El-Paso will be clear tomorrow. I wouldn’t risk flying in this weather.”
Allie nodded. ‘I’ll pack a bag and get Shawn some supplies.’
‘Ger some for me too, and a rental’, he pleaded, and she gave him a puzzled look.
‘What?’ Jason asked. ‘Four years together, and you don’t know what I like?’
‘I’ll see to the rental,’ Allie said.
‘ Can you take Shawn with you?’ Jason pleaded again. ‘I wouldn’t know what to do.’
Allie looked exasperated. ‘No problem, sir.’
He understood that look. She was his assistant, not his child’s babysitter, but Shawn looked so peaceful in her arms, and the boy was anything but at home.
Allie picked him up at Stevie’s place with the rental at 8 a.m. Before he took the wheel, he saw that Shawn was in a new carrier and was preoccupied with his new toys. Allie sat at the back with his son, and he watched at intervals how the two related with each other.
He felt ashamed. Neither he nor Cassie had that kind of bond with Shawn. Cassie never wanted children early and brought it up every chance she got, which led to Shawn spending more time with him.
No Allie.
Jason sighed. If he didn’t know better, he would say Allie disliked him for his terrible reputation, which he couldn’t do anything about, and constant demands, but she never left.
He attributed her resilience to her love for his son, and he took advantage.
He wouldn’t be a good stockbroker if he didn’t know how to seize an opportunity.
They arrived at the Estevez’s residence later that evening. It was a serene drive void of conversation as Allie occupied herself with Shawn.
It wasn’t like they were friends.
He and Allie were strictly professional, and he preferred it that way.
He parked the car in the driveway and waited for a welcoming committee. It didn’t look like Allie wanted to alight from the car. She was as nervous as a frightened kitten.
His father was the first to appear, then his mum followed. Both of them looked apprehensive. Yeah, that’s what he did to them. He was their problem child.
But he was here now, so they had two choices.
Kick him out, and he would gladly use the excuse to put up in a nice hotel or let him stay in a place he didn’t want to stay in but had to, so the neighbours wouldn’t have anything to gossip about.
He got out and smiled.
‘Hi, Dad,’ he said.
His father didn’t respond.
‘Raoul, ‘ his mother said, like she had missed him.
‘Jason is what he calls himself now,’ his father cut in.
‘I brought your grandson,’ Jason said, ignoring his father’s last remark.
‘Cassie came with you?’ I thought you two were divorced,’ his father mocked.
He maintained his smile.
‘I didn’t come with Cassie,’ he explained.
Jason opened the door for Allie and Shawn.
‘Allie, meet my parents, Carlos and Sophia Estevez.’
It took a while, but she finally looked at them.
‘Mum, Dad, this is Alexandra, my P.A.’
There was silence.
‘Pleased to meet you, Alexandra,’ Carlos said as he hugged her.
‘Thank you for helping Jason look after our grandson.’
‘It was and is a pleasure, sir,’ Allie replied.
Jason saw the tension in her shoulders ease up a bit.
‘Hello, Alexandra,’ Sophia said.
‘Good evening, madam.’ she replied. Sophia hugged her briefly and took Shawn from her.
‘Will you be coming in or staying in one of those fancy hotels you are used to now?” Carlos asked, gesturing with his hands.
Even with his success, he still wasn’t good enough. How long was he going to use the past to taunt him?
‘It was a long drive. I’m tired.’
He rolled their luggage past Carlos and followed Sophia into the house.
Carlos smirked as Jason passed him and waited till he was in the house before he turned to Allie.
‘My son is more hopeless than I thought.’
She looked away as she tried to stop herself from crying.
He moved closer.
‘ He doesn’t recognize you, does he?”
She let the tears flow freely now.
‘ I won’t tell him, but we both know nothing stays hidden in El-Paso for long.’
‘ I shouldn’t have come,’ she wailed. ‘ I thought he would prefer to stay in a hotel. Away from here.’
Carlos walked with her to the house.
‘He left New York to set up shop in Louisana. Part of him misses home. I have always thought of my son as an enigma. His body wants something, but his spirit wants something else, and he never slows down enough to figure out why. Always
restless.’
Allie dried her eyes quickly. ‘She won’t want me in there,’ Allie confessed to Carlos.
‘And risk her son’s wrath? All our lips are sealed.’
‘ But the truth will come out, Allie. And if it does, we will all bear the consequences.’
Shawn fiddled with his toys on a mat when Allie entered the lightly furnished living room. The last time she was here was the worst day of her life, and the eyes of the woman that haunted her dreams were piercing through her like knives.
‘Sophia, it’s time for dinner,’ Carlos reminded her, trying to ease the tension. ‘ Where is Raoul?’
”Resting,’ Sophia said.
Carlos heard the anger in her voice. ‘Sophia, let’s talk outside.’
‘Why? It’s time for dinner.,’ she replied.
‘Outside, now!’ Carlos ordered.
Carlos led Sophia out the door and ensured they couldn’t be heard.
‘Whether we like it or not, fate made this happen. They won’t be here for long. Let’s try to live peacefully.’
‘She is his assistant, Carlos! Why did she go to him after our agreement? Are you sure she is not the reason Cassie and Raoul divorced? You know Cassie and her family. We will all have to pay back what we were given because this foolish girl breached the agreement. ‘
‘Cassandra was never right for him!’ Carlos confessed.
‘Whether you like it or not, Cassie is partly responsible for your son’s status today. He’s always worshipped her. The fame Cassie’s family enjoys rubbed off on our son. We should be grateful. ‘ Sophia countered.
‘If they find out she’s here, they will come for their money or your farm, Carlos,’ Sophia pointed out.
‘I will pay the money back!’ Allie cried from behind them.
Carlos and Sophia turned around abruptly.
‘and I plan to resign as Jason’s assistant. Please, he has business to attend to here. I don’t want to ruin that. I will resign once we get back. I have been planning to for some time. Please. Just three days. I won’t say anything. ‘
‘Having you here is trouble,’ Sophia pointed out.
‘I won’t say anything, ‘ pleaded Allie.
Sophia snorted as she walked past Allie into the house.
‘I shouldn’t have come here,’ Allie cried out.
Carlos felt a strain in his left arm.
‘Are you alright, sir?’ ‘ Allie asked, rushing to him. ‘It’s alright. I’m fine. Get some rest.’
She dried her eyes and returned to the house. Sophia had retired to her room and taken Shawn with her. Allie sighed. Resigning to the realization that dinner was off the table, Carlos led Allie to the guest room and retired to his own.
But it was far from a quiet night. Eventually, there was a knock on her door, and Shawn was placed in her arms before anyone could get some sleep.
______________________________________________________________
It was a shorter drive from his parent’s house to the meeting venue, but Jason concluded that he should have stayed in a hotel.
He saw the murderous look his mum shot at Allie and chuckled. Every girl was Cassie’s competition, but he couldn’t blame Sophia.
The shirt and pants he had on fit perfectly. Allie knew him, his colours and his style.
He caught her staring as he emerged from his bedroom. She turned red when their eyes met, and Allie quickly averted her gaze to his son.
He would die before admitting it, but he was jealous of the love and attention Allie gave Shawn. Unwavering. Just like her devotion to her job. However, he felt like something was about to change. Jason couldn’t have her in two places simultaneously, but he wished he had her with him.
The meeting with the Swansons was swift. He was nervous, but he tried not to show it. They had decided before he got there. At first, the news of his divorce unsettled them, but they reconsidered after learning that he still owned majority shares in the firm.
They acknowledged his hard work and the sacrifices to ensure his clients always had his attention and high profits. But they needed him to get his personal life in order as his affairs always made the headlines.
Another win.
For some reason, he wanted to celebrate with Allie in one of his favourite restaurants and stopped by to make the reservations.
He recognized the restaurant manager as a former classmate. ‘Hey, pretty boy! I heard you got into town yesterday. ‘
News travelled fast in El Paso. ‘Yeah, Andre, and I’ll be moving out soon. My business here is concluded for now.’
‘Oh? I thought you were staying for Christmas.’ Andre said, puzzled.
You have been away for years and only want to spend two days with your folks? Come on!’
‘There are wounds I want to keep closed,’ he said firmly. Andre started to say something but stopped in good judgment. The past still tormented his friend.
‘Alright, see you tonight then.’
He was back with a nervous-looking Allie and his son later that evening and after the strangest afternoon.
He interrupted a heated conversation between Sophia and Allie in the presence of Cassie’s parents, who visited for the first time in years when he showed up in town.
He wanted to ask Allie what happened, but Jason couldn’t risk her resigning now.
She trembled as he led her to their table. Curious eyes darted their way. Jason sighed. It was a small town, and he was a big deal.
He returned his focus to Allie. He shared the good news with her, and all she asked was, ‘ Will you be getting back with your ex-wife?’
He would have been outraged by the question, but that was their mode of operation. She always took him back after a win. Then Jason and Cassie would assume the young power couple role before another fight that Allie would have to cover up.
He didn’t answer.
Andre chose to serve him personally. He started by placing a bottle of their best champagne in an ice bucket, then asked for their food choices when he got a good look at Allie and froze.
Allie looked away.
‘Is something wrong?’ Jason asked Allie, then Andre.
Andre looked at Jason, puzzled. This had to be the weirdest turn of events he had ever witnessed.
‘Nothing, Raoul. Your menu choices, please.’
Who was he to judge?
They gave him their orders, and he left, asking the head waiter to take his place, but Jason didn’t notice.
Something was going on.
His eyes were fixed on Allie. She was nervous, and she focused on Shawn to avoid a conversation. The way Andre looked at her. They knew each other. He remembered her reaction when they arrived at his parent’s house and the argument with his mother.
He observed as he rushed her dinner. She probably skipped breakfast.
Investigate later. Enjoy the evening, Jason told himself.
‘Would you like to dance?’ he asked Allie, extending his hand to her.
She blinked. ‘ I can’t leave Shawn alone.’
Oh, right. Jason felt awkward for asking. ‘Thank you for doing this,’ he said, squeezing her hand. She pulled away. ‘It’s my pleasure, sir.’
She was sad. Sadder than usual, Jason thought. Maybe he went too far with the date because it wasn’t work-related. He should have asked her what she wanted instead.
But he was afraid of her reply.
He observed as Shawn slept soundly in her arms. He couldn’t lose that, but he knew it was inevitable.
‘You deserve a raise, Allie. I’m giving you one,’ he said impulsively.
He was doing it again.
‘Thanks, sir, but…’
But? Jason’s heart skipped a beat. But what? She’s quitting? She stopped talking. Why?
He looked at her, but she was looking ahead.
At Cassie’s car pulling up in front of his house.
To be expected, he thought.
First her parents, then her.
He led Allie through the door and was amazed at the barrage of eyes on them.
Her parents, his parents, Cassie, and a couple he didn’t know.
But it looked like his P. A did.
‘Alexandra,’ the unknown woman said to his P.A. ‘What are you doing?’
She looked like his P.A.
Her mother.
Here?
He couldn’t remember if he ever asked her where she was from.
‘Give Cassandra the boy,’ her father ordered.
‘No!’ Jason cut in. ‘Cassie told me she wanted to be free of me. She let go of Shawn. My son is not a toy she can
discard and pick up when she likes. Neither am I.”
He looked at Cassia.
‘Why are you here?’
Cassie walked towards him. ‘I want my family back.’
Of course. New client, more money, more fame, Jason thought.
‘Your family isn’t here,’ Jason cut in.
She blinked in surprise. ‘You have never spoken with me like that before.’
‘And that was where I went wrong,’ Jason replied. ‘Shawn stays with me.’
‘I have full custody of him,’ she reminded him as she reached for the sleeping child.
Jason stood in her way.
‘We will revisit that with the witnesses who saw and heard you toss him away like he was nothing.’
She laughed.
Then turned to Allie. ‘Her?’
‘Give me my son.’
Allie stepped back.
‘Don’t listen to her, Allie.’ Jason ordered. ‘You and your parents can leave my house now, Cassie. ‘
‘Not until we get what we paid for, right, Allie?’
Jason’s brows came together in confusion.
What was she talking about?
Why were Allie’s parents here? Were they Allie’s parents?
‘ What is going on?’ Jason asked Sophia. She was silent. Carlos was silent.
‘Give me my son, Allie,’ repeated Cassie impatiently.
‘No,’ Allie said softly but firmly.
‘I will return your money but not my son.’
Jason froze.
Two pregnancies, one night.
The phrase that haunted him for five years.
‘I have full custody of him,’ Cassie spat.
‘And I ‘m his mother!’ Allie yelled back.
‘QUIET ALEXANDRA!’ ordered her father.
‘No!’ she said. ‘I won’t let her near him anymore!’
‘I will sue you and your parents for…”
‘Go ahead! I have nothing left to lose!’ Allie cried out.
With that, she was out the door, taking the key to the front door with her and slamming the door shut.
Jason didn’t have time to react before he heard the car race out into the night.
He checked his pockets. The keys were gone.
His heart thumped. ‘Dad, your keys!’
Carlos searched his jacket with trembling hands and produced the key to his truck.
‘Raoul ‘ he said.
Jason heard it.
The plea. There was no time for anger. He just needed to catch up with Allie.
He went round the house through the garden door and started the truck. Cassie was behind him. ‘ I want my son back, Jason.’
Jason stopped, turned around and looked at Cassie with eyes that made her take two steps back.
‘ When I rr, I don’t want to see you or your parents here.’
“This isn’t over,’ she said, backing away.
‘No, it isn’t, ‘ Jason replied.
He prayed Allie and his son were alright. As he pulled out of the driveway, he attempted to use GPS to track the car. Thankfully, Allie didn’t turn it off, but he was worried about her state of mind.
Shawn’s mother.
His head was reeling. He didn’t know Allie till she applied for work at his company. A shy, plain-looking blonde, who, according to his friends, was good for him as he was less likely to fool around with her.
His heart thumped wildly in his chest as he remembered that night. Two ladies. Cassie and the other was…
He swallowed hard. It was her.
She stopped at what he remembered as the fraternity hall in college. He could see the car now, packed underneath bright street lights.
No sign of Allie. She had to be in the car with Shawn. It was a cold night.
He packed the truck behind the car and approached slowly. Her eyes were shut, but her body trembled as she sobbed.
Gently, he opened the door to the passenger’s side and slid into the car.
Shawn was awake and at the back, busy with his toys.
There was silence.
He shut his eyes.
‘I would never take Shawn from you. I was going to…’ Allie said
He put a hand to her lips.
‘Forgive me., he said.
He shook his head in disgust.
‘Please don’t take it easy on me,’ he begged. He was crying now.
‘Remember this place?’ Allie asked.
He didn’t respond. His eyes reLouisanad shut as the tears sipped through them.
He remembered. The place, her, that night, everything.
It all came back to him like a lightning bolt.
Cassie wanted her punished, and he was the punisher. As a reward, she gave him the best night of his life.
Or so he thought.
‘The repercussions of that night haunted him since.
Allie supposedly lost her baby and
left town.
The fall-out with his parents
The bickering around town.
Marrying Cassie, he thought.
He wept uncontrollably now.
Her soft palms rested on his shoulder, but that made him sob harder.
‘Allie. Allie, please…’
‘I have forgiven you, Jason,’ she said reassuringly. She was shocked. She was prepared for an angry outburst, but not this.
‘How could I forget…?’ he said between his tears.
She hugged him. ‘I’m so sorry!’
Shawn started crying at the back. Jason tried to compose himself before carrying and caressing him.
‘How did Cassie take Shawn from you?’
Guilt was eating away at him, Allie thought. Over the years, she dreaded the moment Jason would come to discover the truth.
But she never expected this.
She sighed heavily.
‘Cassie was never pregnant. She was afraid you would be compelled to marry me, and she wouldn’t have that. ‘
He was heading to Wall Street, he thought.
‘Her parents offered mine five million dollars for Shawn. We were behind on our mortgage, and my dad was swimming in debt. I didn’t want to, but I was too scared to go against my dad. After that, I was confined to my aunt’s house for the duration of my pregnancy. ‘
Shawn had calmed down. Jason was surprised, and Allie smiled. ‘They were at
the hospital the day I gave birth. I only caught a glimpse of Shawn before they took him away.’
‘My parents knew all this? ‘ Jason asked. Allie paused. She didn’t want to tell him that his dad’s farm depended on his compliance even though he was against his union with Cassie.
‘They wanted you to be happy,’ she replied.
Of course, they knew. That’s why his mum threw daggers at Allie every chance she got. He always wondered how his dad raised the money to keep the farm. They probably got compensated for Cassie’s dream.
He felt sick.
‘Can we put up in a hotel tonight? ‘ he asked gently.
‘Yes,’ Allie replied.
He leaned over and planted a kiss on her forehead. ‘Thank you,’ he uttered.
Thank you, she thought. She was sure she would sleep well for the first time in four years.
Cassie’s parents invited their family lawyer, who reiterated the terms of the agreements both families signed with his clients.
They all knew what they needed to do.
Sophia paced around the living room and looked at Carlos, sitting on the sofa and looking lost. Allie’s parents had agreed to speak with Allie to let Shawn go. She could meet other men and have other children.
Carlos disagreed with them.
He had let his son down.
His son would have paid for the farm if he had told him.
But would he have forgiven him? He never had good words for Raoul. He criticized and compared him to others.
His heart broke. This should never have happened.
He felt a tight pain in his chest, then the sound of people muttering before everything went black.
When Carlos opened his eyes, he was happy to see Jason and Allie to his left, holding his grandson.
He tried to speak, but he couldn’t. His entire body felt too heavy to move.
Sophia sat beside him, crying.
Stroke.
He knew. It was coming.
Raoul was talking to the doctor. Allie was blinking tears away. He understood. A deep sleep washed over him. He didn’t resist.
They stayed for the funeral, but before heading to Louisana, Allie reluctantly paid a visit to her parents, seeing how quickly Jason lost his dad.
Instead of another argument, they asked for help out of the contract.
She knew the terms. She had saved some money, and Allie wrote a check to settle the debt.
.
Before she joined Jason and Shawn in the car, she received a credit alert of double the amount from her boss.
She froze. ‘Thank you,’ she uttered in shock.
He nodded in response, but his spirit was heavy with guilt and loss.
In the days that followed his father’s death, he had a heart-to-heart with his mother after securing the farm.
‘It’s our fault. We always felt you cheated to get into Wall Street so you would return in no time.
That stung him, but he let her continue,
‘Raoul, your father loved you. We loved you. We didn’t know how to show it. Please think about forgiving us as you travel to Louisana.’
He. shut his eyes. ‘ I don’t know if I can, but I will visit often.
Please keep the farm running. That was his dream.’
I am never going to forgive Cassandra for this, he vowed.
Sophia could only nod. She was deflated and disillusioned by the events of the past few days.
Before Allie knew it, they were back on the road to Louisana. He was silent for most of the trip before he said, ‘Allie, I know this is sudden, but do you mind staying with me and Shawn?’
‘I don’t think you need to ask me that, Jason. There’s nowhere I would rather be,’ she replied.
‘Thank you. I just bought a house that looked spacious for us. I hope you will like it. ‘
She smiled. He loved her smile.
It was contagious.
‘I’m sure I will love it.’
All this time, he couldn’t figure out why he needed her.
Now he knew.
Looking at her smile through the rearview mirror, he hoped she understood that this was one of the ways he could show her that he loved her.
But he needed to do better.
The house was perfect, in Allie’s opinion. It had a nursery for Shawn and four en-suite bedrooms. Jason wanted something bigger but was satisfied with the look on her face.
”I love it!’ Allie exclaimed. The living room was the same size as her house in El- Paso.
‘I’m glad you like it, Alexandra, because unfortunately, I will have to fire you.’
She turned around abruptly. ‘ Why? Please don’t. I can work, look after Shawn and take care of the house.’
He smiled and pulled her into an embrace. ‘What time will you have to rest? I remember stealing your nights with annoying phone calls. I don’t think you have had a good night’s sleep in a while.’
She pulled away. ‘ I will manage. Please don’t fire me..’
‘ Alright. But, I will be hiring a housekeeper to assist. Please don’t say no.’
She didn’t. Her body was still reacting to his embrace. He noticed and chuckled.
‘I have to go out for a bit,’ he uttered.
Allie put Shawn down. ‘ it was a long drive. I’m sure you are tired. Please rest. ‘
‘I will. There are several things I need to do first.’
Allie frowned. Lines were forming around his eyes, and his shoulders were tense.
“As your P.A., I am asking you to take a moment to rest. Whatever you have to do can wait till tomorrow,’ she advised.
‘And as my wife, what would you advise?’ he teased.
She froze, felt her cheeks turn red and looked away.
‘Until you can answer that, I will remain your boss. Get some rest.’
He left.
Get some rest? What kind of question was that? She was vibrating. She rested her back against a wall to steady herself. His wife? She loved the sound of that.
But it was unfair of him to expect her to answer immediately, even though she wanted to.
She smiled.
He needed to rest, but he couldn’t.
He wanted answers.
Jason bought the rental. It had memories he wanted to keep. Memories that helped him heal. Now, he needed to close the doors to the past so he could have a
future with Allie.
He smiled.
She was never able to hide how she felt about him. Affection, longing, frustration, anger, love…
It was all in her body language. She was easy to read.
He was going to tease her into saying yes to him.
But he couldn’t stay the night because, unlike her, he couldn’t hold back.
So he was going to channel all that energy into getting every trace of Cassie out of his life.
And hers.
He was in front of his old house as a new man. He rang the bell. She was
waiting for him. She knew he would come.
She was prepared.
New Lingerie with a glass of red wine in her hand. ‘You took your sweet time,’ she said huskily.
‘We need to talk,’ Jason said, moving past her into the hallway leading to the stairs and the living room.
‘I’m interested in a different type of conversation,’ Cassie said, attempting to remove his jacket.
He swatted her hand away, but that didn’t deter her.
‘I want full custody of Shawn,’ he said plainly.
Cassie chuckled and went to the bar to pour another glass of wine.
‘You had no right to take him from Allie.’
‘She sold him to me,’ Cassie corrected.
‘ You knew who she was all this time, didn’t you?’
She sat on the long sofa and motioned Jason to join her.
‘Of course, I did. It was fun seeing her suffer.’
‘Why?’ Jason asked, bewildered. He reLouisanad standing. ‘After what we did to her?’
Cassie looked serious. ‘You didn’t expect me to be fine with Allie, my mediocre classmate, having everything while I ended up with nothing, did you? Was I supposed to allow the worst night of her life to turn out to be the best thing that would have ever happened to her?’
‘You’re sick, Cassie,’ Jason said in disgust.
‘And you are delusional, Jason,’ Cassie countered, ‘if you think I am going to let her have what belongs to me.’
He chuckled. ‘I am not yours. Not anymore. ‘
‘You’re here with me,’ she pointed out. ‘Four years, and she never stirred anything up in you. Poor girl always loved you. She watched from a distance while you ran after me, seeking my attention. You never even noticed her. Not then and not in the four years she worked with you as your P.A. That’s sad.’
‘Yet you chose to punish her? Why?’
Cassie drank in satisfaction. The bitch didn’t tell him everything after all.
‘We had a common dream, you and I. New York. And you got us there, but I always wondered how you did it.’
Jason blinked in confusion. Cassie had lost her mind. ‘ What are you on about?’
‘You wrote several applications, but only one went through. The one she wrote for you. Professor Brady was always sweet to me. I got the chance to see the application. Oh, Allie! She wanted you both on Wall Street. I wasn’t going to have that.’
Jason was stunned.
‘You know I’m not lying to you. You were beyond shocked when you got the offer, and your parents thought you cheated.’
He loosened his tie as internal heat spread through his body. Allie, he thought.
‘I thought that bonfire night would end her obsession for you. Imagine my surprise when I saw her in your office. Bitch never knew when to quit. Come and sit. Only you can be hot in winter. Figuratively and literally,’ Cassie added.
‘Shawn,’ he repeated. ‘I want full custody of my boy. You know what will happen if we go to court again. I don’t want to put him through this.’
‘ You mean you don’t want to put Allie through that,’ she corrected. ‘My, my. Are you falling in love with her? No. It’s guilt. You want to make it up to her.’
‘Shawn!’ Jason insisted.
‘Spend the night with me, and tomorrow, you can have your brat.,’ she said quickly.
He paused, and she watched him like a hawk.
‘Court it is,’ Jason decided as he headed towards the entrance.
‘You don’t want me as an enemy, Jace,’ Cassie warned.
‘What do you want, Cassie? You did all this to have me, and when you had me, you threw me away! Several times! I lost my dad to this obsession! What do you want? He asked in frustration.
Cassie smiled at him. ‘For you to comply. Now, stop your whining and come back to me.’
Rage grew in Jason. At that moment, he felt like committing murder, but he turned around and left.
‘You’ll be back,’ Cassie uttered.
He took a moment to compose himself before getting into the car and driving
to Stevie’s house. No, he couldn’t go home. Not while he was an emotional mess. He shouldn’t have gone to Cassie, he thought as he fell on the sofa after making a fire.
He shouldn’t have left Allie and Shawn alone.
Now, he couldn’t leave Cassie unchecked. If he did, she would ruin their lives all over again.
Allie couldn’t sleep. Her gut told her he went to Cassie. She paced the room she chose for herself, the next room to the master bedroom and the one she dared to dream she would share with Jason one day.
But his phone was off. She was uneasy. Had he given in to her again? Allie fought
back tears. No, she couldn’t think like that. She had to believe in their recent experiences and trust that whatever he felt for her was strong enough to overcome that viper.
What did he feel for her?
Guilt? A need to make the last five years up to her? Gratitude?
‘Stop!’ she said to herself. She was going to drive herself crazy. One thing was clear. She wouldn’t answer his question until she knew his true feelings.
She had to know.
He waltzed in early the next day wearing clothes she bought for him. Did this mean he didn’t go to her?
Enough, Allie thought. I have a right to know.
‘I was worried,’ Allie said as he locked the front door.
‘I’m sorry. I should have called,’ he said.
She breathed heavily.
‘Were you with her again?’
He didn’t answer. Infect, he acted like she said nothing.
‘I need to know, Jason.”
‘Allie, please.’
‘What am I doing here, Jason? Am I here to look after Shawn? Is there another scandal you want me to clean up? ‘
He looked away, and she couldn’t tell if it was because she hit the nail on the head or if she was irritating him.
Her heart fluttered.
‘I’m going to take Shawn to my apartment, and I will work from home for the remainder of the week if that’s fine by you, boss.’
He was hurting her again. Jason wanted to reach out and kiss her. For opening the door to his future. For loving him even when he didn’t know her.
But he could tell that manipulating her for so long had left her distrustful.
Still, he had to say something.
‘Allie, it’s complicated but..’
‘You know where to find me,’ she cut in, then Allie raced up the stairs and started putting her things together.
She left in a taxi, and Jason didn’t stop her. Not because he didn’t want to but because he decided that when he brought her back, he would bring Allie home to a life where she wouldn’t have to worry about Cassie.
He called Stevie. ‘I will give you more vacation time if you return home now.’
Stevie understood like he always did. He took the next flight to Louisana and was at the office in the afternoon.
‘I want full custody of Shawn,’ said Jason to his lawyer. He gave Stevie a summary of what he discovered in El Paso.
Stevie couldn’t believe what he heard.
‘ Allie? Our Allie? Shawn’s real mother?’
Jason nodded.
‘My old man was right when he called me a fool. I could never see what was right in front of me. I have to close this chapter with Cassie and Stevie. Now. Or I will lose Allie forever. ‘
Stevie smiled, ‘ You have come to terms with your feelings for Allie and stopped playing those ridiculous games, eh?’
Jason was embarrassed that his friend noticed.
‘I will. I need to check up on her and Shawn. We didn’t part on good terms.’
‘Allie always forgives you, Jason. You are her kryptonite,’ Stevie teased.
‘But let’s get serious here, Jason. If we go back to court, we will win for sure. Cassie knew she didn’t have a case anymore. That left her with one option. Getting you back, which didn’t work, right?’
Stevie raised an eyebrow.
‘Right!” Jason stressed as if to assure him of his innocence.
‘Then Cassie today is desperate. You cannot leave Allie and Shawn alone.’
Jason’s face turned white.
Call now! he thought.
With shaky hands, he dialled Allie’s number.
‘Hello Jason,’ said Cassie at the other end.
His heart thumped.
‘Where’s Allie?’ he demanded, jumping off his seat and getting his coat.
‘ 7 p.m., Birthday suit, sushi, red wine at home by the fire, or they are both dead.’
She hung up.
Jason looked fearfully at Stevie.
‘We need to call the police,’ Stevie said. ‘No,’ Jason cut in. She will kill them.’
‘Jace, don’t go back to her,’ warned Stevie. ‘
I will inform a trusted friend in the force. They will begin a secret search for Allie and Shawn. Don’t do anything rash.’
He would because there was no other way.
‘Stevie, there is no need. Allie and Shawn are home with Cassie.’
‘Huh? How do you know that?’ wondered Stevie.
‘She wants Allie to watch.
She wants to punish her again.’
____________________________________________________________
‘
This is the end of the line for one of us, Allie. It’s a pity it had to come to this. Many men in the world, and you chose my man. What did you think would happen?’
The way she swung her pistol around made Allie nervous. What if she hit Shawn? He had been crying non-stop since she forced them into a van and brought them here.
She had a silencer attached so the neighbours wouldn’t hear.
She couldn’t scream for help.
‘He was here yesterday, you know,’ said Cassie. ‘But he resisted me. I can’t have that.’
‘Please! Punish me, but not in front of Shawn!’ pleaded Allie.
‘For once, I agree with you. His crying is making me nauseous.’
She grabbed Shawn and locked him in a closet. ‘No!’ Allie cried. ‘Please!’
‘Would you prefer I shot the boy?’ Cassie asked casually. Allie closed her mouth with her hands and shook her head vigorously.
‘Good. Now, I am not that bad. I will let you go once Jason arrives and gives me what I want. If he gets here late, well, the boy suffocates, and it won’t be my fault. You wanted him out of the way.’
Allie shook with tears. She could only tell if Shawn was alive if he continued crying. Cassie had finally lost her mind.
7 p.m. A car parked in the driveway. Cassie checked to see if he was accompanied. He came alone. He had a bottle of red wine and several packs of sushi.
She smiled.
As obedient as ever.
He rang the bell, and she opened it, swinging the pistol around. ‘Hello, handsome,’ she said huskily as she dragged him in by the tie.
As he passed the hallway, he saw Allie sobbing, and he could hear Shawn from…from the closet.
‘Cassie, please let them go. Take me instead. I bought plane tickets. We could go somewhere new and start afresh. Please let them go.’
She loved the sound of that…
But it was a trap.
‘Beg for their lives, Jason,’ she said as she waited for the humiliating spectacle.
He looked at Allie apologetically. She nodded lightly as if to say she understood.
He fell to his knees.
‘Have mercy, Cassie. I will comply
henceforth. I will always be yours. I’m sorry I walked out on you yesterday. It will never happen again. Please. Let them go, and I won’t resist anymore.’
He looked at her for approval, Cassie thought. He loved this mediocre woman. Were they fooling her all this time?
She corked the gun and pointed it at Allie, ‘ No. He can never be mine if you live.’
Before she could fire, Jason lurched at Cassie, forcing her to point the gun upwards and shoot at the ceiling.
Jason wrestled the gun away from Cassie and unloaded it after pushing her to the ground. She went for Allie’s throat, and Jason pushed her off Allie. Cassie hit her head against the bottle of red wine Jason brought.
It shattered and left her unconscious.
Jason raced for the closet to get Shawn. He was exhausted from excessive crying. ‘Are you alright? Is he ok? ‘ Allie asked desperately.
He nodded briskly as he unbound her feet. The police were waiting at a safe distance.
Once the door opened, they rushed to help him get Allie and Shawn to the hospital.
When Allie opened her eyes, she expected to see the bright lights of a hospital room, but she was home.
Jason was sitting by her side, and Shawn was fighting to get off him and onto his mother.
She chucked and met Jason’s eyes.
‘Hi, boss,’ she said slowly.
‘Hi princess. You gave me a scare,’ he confessed.
He hadn’t slept.
‘Cassie? Is she..’
‘She’s in police custody,’ Jason replied.
She heaved a sigh of relief and then heard pots clanging. ‘What’s that?’
‘I hired a housekeeper and a butler while you slept.’
Allie frowned. He looked to her left. She followed his eyes. There was a ring by her left palm.
She grabbed and examined it.
An engagement ring.
‘ I should be begging you to marry me, but I can’t let go of this little rascal, or he will jump on you. ‘
She laughed.
Still, he managed to get on both knees while trapping Shawn with one hand.
‘Allie,’ he started. ‘I am not very good at expressing my feelings. I never learnt how to do it right. All those times I schemed and plotted when I sensed you were about to resign were my own very sick way of letting you know that I loved you and couldn’t live without you. But I promise to do better. I am sorry about how we started, but I will spend the rest of my life showing you that saying yes to me today will be worth it. You deserve better than this fool kneeling before you, but I will not let you go because you make me want to live. Please marry me. Not for Shawn’s sake but for mine. Please.’
She sat up, gave him the ring, and extended her left hand.
‘Please marry me would have sufficed,’ she pointed out.
He nodded briskly.
‘And as your wife-to-be, I’m asking you to take time off work so you can rest in my arms.’
Jason smirked. ‘Alexandra, Shawn is just as restless as his dad. I will do more.’
She leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips.
‘Then do more. I can’t wait.’
****************************************
THE END