“Will turned out good because he went against everything Rocky taught him. I don't know where Will would've ended up if it weren’t for Nikki. Probably managing some strip joint in a seedy part of Manhattan.”
I’m damn proud of Will, especially since he dealt with me during those years he and Amelia were apart. In hindsight, I should have stayed out of their relationship. I’m guilty of making his life hell and being the reason why he was miserable for four years. He’s proven to be the man for my daughter. In the end, that’s all that matters now.
“You're right. Will goes against everything Rocky says, and he’s a billionaire in his own right.”
“Ashton is our grandson just as much as all the other children. Ultimately, it is Will and Amelia's responsibility to help him navigate through this. We are his grandparents, and I want to be there for them if they need us. It's new territory for us too.”
“I know,” I agree softly. “I just never expected to be this involved with grandkids. I guess, I felt for the longest time, we raised our kids. Our job was done.”
Charlotte pats my hand. “Speaking of raising children, I guess you forgot about one daughter who hasn't come back home yet. It's past her curfew.”
All of a sudden, I remember Alexa. The occurrence with Ashton distracted me from the ongoing issue of my youngest daughter. I glance at the time. It’s past ten on a school night. There is no text message from her to tell us she’s running late or even just a courtesy text to tell us she’s still alive wherever she is.
I take a deep breath trying to control my anger. No matter what I do with this kid, she refuses to fucking listen. Given her older sisters have moved out, she thinks she has the freedom to do whatever she pleases, and act like them. Yet, Alexa is forgetting she lives under our roof, and as far as I'm concerned, our rules.
“Charlotte,” I voice in a stern tone. “I'm done with Alexa and this behavior. If it comes down to us taking her things off her, phone or car, I'm willing to do that. I'm serious. She's not a responsible adult yet. Alexa’s in her senior year. She hasn’t even applied for colleges.”
“Lex, we've gone over this. College is Alexa’s decision.”
My blood begins to boil, my temper bubbling beneath the surface, ready to argue again over this broken record of an issue. “This isn't just Alexa’s decision. She must attend college, and we have yet to have this proper discussion with her. Time is running out. If she expects me to pull strings to get her into a college, she will be incredibly disappointed. She will attend college just like her sisters.”
“You have to stop comparing her to Millie, Ava, and Addy. They’re different. Millie always wanted to go to law school and worked hard to make sure she got into Yale.
As for Ava, yeah, sure, she was a bit of a struggle. She wanted to go to college for the social aspect and parties, but regardless, she went and still graduated in business school.” Charlotte takes a deep breath, knowing this is a very touchy subject with me. “Addy is much like Amelia, very academic. She sets goals and does everything in her power to achieve them.”
All of what Charlotte is saying is true. Each one of our daughters has successfully navigated their way to adulthood. Yet if the truth is told, my faith in Alexa following their footsteps is disappearing by the minute. She’s not afraid of Charlotte or me—disregarding our rules with no care for consequences. Of late, if the older girls join us for a family dinner, Alexa makes it out like she’s held against her will, and spending time with us is a chore, not a privilege.
“We need to be easy on Alexa, okay? It's hard to be following the footsteps of three sisters who are very successful in their own right. So, perhaps when you are calmer and not angry that it's past her curfew, we can have a discussion about the future.”
I cross my arms beneath my chest. “You expect me to sit here and do nothing?”
Charlotte leans over and grabs her phone from the nightstand. “I will text her and make sure she gets home within the next hour. Tomorrow, I will deal with her. As for you, please just give yourself a moment to remember Alexa is only eighteen.”
“Exactly, Charlotte. She's only eighteen. She lives under our roof, under our rules. Do you remember what you were doing at eighteen?”
Beside me, Charlotte tilts her head with annoyance. “Sure, I was sleeping with my best friend's married older brother.”
“Why are you getting annoyed with me? I’m pointing out the facts.”
“I'm not arguing about this anymore, Lex. Tonight's been a little bit more than what we bargained for. You've got your presentation to focus on for tomorrow. I'm going to take the kids out for playtime in the park, then head over to Adriana's.” Charlotte yawns, then continues, “I’ll make sure Alexa is here for dinner tomorrow night. How does that sound?”
“It sounds like you're my bossy wife who probably needs to get laid.”
“And it sounds like you're my controlling husband who has forgotten that we have a house full of grandkids.”
“Are you saying we're supposed to be celibate for five days? I never signed up for this when I agreed for all of them to stay over,” I remind her.
“I’m saying you're going to be exhausted, and sex will be the very last thing on your mind.”
The thought of not touching Charlotte for five days is making me hard. Fuck, perhaps I’ll wake her up at night once we know all the kids are fast asleep.
“Charlotte, baby, when it comes to you, sex is always the first thing on my mind.”
Charlotte punches my arm with a soft laugh. “That's so romantic of you. Now go to sleep. I love you.”
I let out a low-rumbling growl realizing tonight is not the night, especially since Alexa’s absence weighs heavily on my mind.
“I'm going to head downstairs and wait for Alexa.” I throw the sheets off me, grabbing my navy robe hanging near the bed.