“Okay.” She relented.
“I’m going to take care of him, Addison. That’s why I wrote that. That’s why I lied, why I need you to stay away.”
Addie laughed, and when his expression didn’t change, she sat up, searching his face. “You’re joking, right? William, tell me you’re joking.”
William shook his head slightly. “He’ll never stop, Addison, not until he wins. Men like him never do. My guys are having a tough time getting anything on him, and the cops don’t do anything with what they do get. I know what I’m doing, and I need you to trust me. I know I shouldn’t be telling you any of this because now you can be implicated should something happen—if it goes wrong, I mean. It won’t. And I’m sorry, Addison. I didn’t want to involve you in this any more than I already have. But after I wrote that letter, I swear I could almost fucking feel your pain, and it gutted me. When I called, I was going to tell you, Addison. I was going to tell you what a piece-of-shit liar I am, but I could tell how angry you were with me, and then I heard your boys in the background, calling you to dinner. I thought about you being with him, and I lost my nerve. Lying to you like that, knowing I hurt you and that he was there to ease the pain I’d caused and I couldn’t do anything about, it killed me. When you showed up last night, I thought I was dreaming. I saw the look on your face, and it confirmed everything I already knew. I can’t take seeing you hurt like that. I know I hurt you, and I’m sorry, so fucking sorry.”
Addie grabbed his face and kissed him hard. She pulled back as tears sprang to her eyes. “No, William, you can’t do what it is I think you’re planning to do. I won’t let you. Don’t you see? You’re letting him win. This is what he wants. I’m asking you . . . I’m begging you not to do anything stupid. I love you and I need you. You have to promise me.”
William watched her face grow more and more serious as her eyes plead with his. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Silly girl,” he chuckled, “you thought I was serious?”
Fourteen
Patrick knew Addie would be furious if she found out that he’d invited Michele to the lake around their children, but what was he to do? Michele was furious with him as it was, and she was carrying his child too, after all. Addie would just have to deal. So far, though, inviting her there had mostly been a disaster because as it turned out, motherhood apparently didn’t come naturally to Michele. She seemed like a fish out of water and pretty much kept her distance from the boys. She was cold and distant, not too much different from how she was in the boardroom, and it worried Patrick. He finally got up the nerve to mention it after they’d had lunch and he set the boys up in the media room.
“Are you feeling okay? You seem, I don’t know, unhappy.”
“I’m fine.”
Patrick smiled condescendingly. “Are you sure? Because I thought you wanted to be here.”
Michele slammed the magazine down she’d been reading. “I said I’m fine, all right? What more do you want from me?”
“I don’t know, but I’m thinking a little interaction might be nice, though.”
She frowned before storming to the table for her purse. “I’m going.”
He stood and took her purse from her. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You want me to sit here and play house, Patrick. That’s what you want. Your wife left, so you called me for back up. Well, I’m just not going to do it. I’m finished playing second fiddle to her. And you know what? Now that I’m having your kid and you’re busy acting like one, you suddenly don’t seem all that appealing anymore,” Michele hissed.
“I beg your pardon,” a voice interrupted.
They turned in unison to see his parents standing there. “Mom. Dad.”
“Who is this, Patrick? And what is she saying?”
Michele squeezed at her temples. “Oh fuck,” she whispered under her breath. “I’m going now,” she said louder.
“Mom, Dad, this is my boss, Michele.”
They both stepped forward and shook Michele’s hand; they were nothing if not polite.
“I thought I told you guys not to come. What’re you doing here?” Patrick asked as he looked from his father to his mother.
“We wanted to see the children, and we were worried,” his father replied.
“Obviously, for good reason,” Penny chided, fluffing a throw pillow.
“Well,” Patrick started before he was interrupted by a loud thud as Michele fell and landed motionless on the floor. “Call an ambulance,” he screamed as his parents scrambled. “Mom, get the boys; keep them upstairs.”
“It’s okay, baby. Everything is okay.” He whispered over and over as he rocked her back and forth. “It’s going to be all right, I promise,” he soothed as he watched the blood pool around Michele’s head, and he realized he wasn’t quite sure who it was he was trying to convince.
Patrick paced the hospital halls as he waited for an answer as to what was going on. Michele hadn’t regained consciousness that he’d seen, and they were running a battery of tests, trying to figure out what was going on. He still hadn’t been able to get ahold of Addison. Despite everything that had happened, he was pretty glad his parents had shown up when they did.
It seemed like hours before a nurse finally came out to get him, ushering him into the tiny room where Michele was. She looked different, lying there in a hospital gown, hooked up to so many monitors—definitely, not like the strong woman he was used to seeing.
Suddenly, an older tallish man in a while coat appeared from behind a curtain, startling him. “Are you next of kin, sir?” he questioned.