"Carter, I'm not making any promises."
"Well, let's hope the next time I see you, it's not on the other side of the glass." He laughs nervously.
"I'm going to Savannah. I'll call you tomorrow."
He nods, and I push past him grabbing my keys.
The walk down to my car is cold and windy, and the second I reach my driver's seat, I know I can't go straight to Blake. I'm going to find him, and I'm going to tell him that he is done holding any power over my life.
The Corvette is probably the last thing I need to be driving right now, pissed off. I got back to Savannah way quicker than legally possible, but honestly, it helped to blow off some steam. I decide against busting down any doors tonight and to sleep it off at my house. I will gain some composure to find him tomorrow.
The second my car hits the driveway, I feel sick. I don't want to be here without her, this should be our house. The garage door creaks back closed, and I open the door into the kitchen. As I flick the lights on, I notice a figure sitting at the bar.
"Hello, Judson." Ryan goes to stand and struts toward me. He looks way too comfortable in my house.
"How did you get in here?" I demand. I can feel the anger burning inside me like wildfire.
"Jameson is anything but subtle. I knew he was going to tell you about my run-in with your girlfriend. Knowing that you are predictable, I figured you'd come back to Savannah to look for me, so here I am." He smirks.
"What did you do to Blakely?"
"Nothing. She was too easy to scare off. I guess you taught her well. She's a mess though Judson, you really should find someone that at least has two working hands and can have kids."
I pull my fist back, and it finds his jaw before I can even muster up any words. He stumbles back, wiping his mouth before laughing.
"You are finished. I don't know what you want coming around and trying to fuck my life up, but it ends tonight. I'm not afraid of you anymore, and I found the paternity test,Dad."
His eyes turn dark, and he takes a step toward me and grabs my shirt, "I knew from the moment she got pregnant you weren't mine. I didn't even want kids, so I was careful,extracareful. Jameson was my only mistake, and your mother paid for that." I shove his hands off me, clenching my jaw shut.
"You don't deserve to be a father, and you sure as hell didn't deserve my mother."
He makes his way toward the door, "Stop digging around in my business Judson, there isn't anything to find. I won't fight you for the company. I have a new business venture in mind." I laugh to myself because I highly doubt it's legal.
"I know what you want to know Judson, the questions are all over your face. The answers…" He tosses a key on a keyring at me across the kitchen "are in that storage unit." He opens the door and slams it behind him.
I take a deep breath as I pull into the storage building, not far from our old house near the docks. I feel strange coming here so late, but I need to know what is inside. I push the key in, and the door rolls up. It's dark, so I use the flashlight on my phone to find the light switch.
It's basically empty. Against the back wall, there are two cardboard boxes. My curiosity peaks as I look around to make sure I wasn't followed. I open the lid of the first box and find an envelope on top addressed to me. I rip it open, finding a handwritten note inside.
Judson,
The first time I saw you, I knew I couldn't stay away. I physically couldn't do it. When Emily died, I didn't think I'd ever find anyone else that made me feel, really feel. Your mother opened up my heart. She made me see things I didn't think were even possible. I didn't mean to fall in love with her, but she made it too easy, and Ryan made everything more difficult. She was afraid of leaving him, what he would do. The reputation he had created would have been ruined had everyone known that your mother had an affair, so he did everything in his power to keep me away. Telling you at such a young age would have been confusing for you, so I thought I could build a bond with you in other ways. I bought the house next door, much to Ryan's Disapproval, and I wouldn't have accepted any amount of money for that house. I wish I could've gotten the nerve to send you this sooner but with Ryan put away, hopefully for good, I want you to know the truth. I want you to know I've always been proud of you, from your first home run to taking over this massive empire to honor your mother. You've always been my best friend and my son. I love you.
Jake "Russ"
The papers fall back into the box as my hand trembles. I lean my head back against the cinder block wall. The tears flow quicker than I can wipe them, and I feel the worst pain in my chest I think I have ever felt.
Russ wasmy dad.
After all this time, I finally know the truth. I decide against going through the boxes tonight and put them in my trunk. So many of my questions are answered, but so many still float around my mind. How did Ryan know about this, and why did he hide it all here in this storage unit?
It's a cold night, but there is only one place I want to go, the only place where I've ever felt like I belonged.
The dock.
CHAPTER 40
BLAKELY