“You were acting like a prick,” I say honestly.
“Wow, finally, an honest opinion from daddy dearest,” he says sarcastically.
“You’re lucky you weren’t arrested,” I tell him.
“You’ll be pleased to know that I was, but they let me go with a warning.” He sounds like he’s almost proud of that. “And that bitch will get her comeuppance.”
“Stop it,” I scold.
“What? She fucking used me, and she won’t get away with it,” he fumes.
“Used you for what?”
“Sex.”
I had to fucking ask. Now I wish I could take it back.
“She fucking had her way with me and then went all cold turkey on me,” he says, his eyes glazing over.
“So what?” I say, because none of this adds up.
“She can’t just give me the goods and then leave. No one leaves me. No fucking one unless I want them to,” he says, raising his voice.
My God, the way he’s speaking is like she’s in danger… but he wouldn’t be that stupid, surely? Either way, I’m not taking any chances, and I’m fucking glad she’s working in the same building as me now. A blessing in disguise. I can’t let anything happen to her, it would break the final part of my heart that is whole.
“Danny, please, let me get you some—”
“Fuck off. I don’t need you.” He gets up, grabs the vodka bottle and turns away from me. “You can see yourself out.” And then he’s gone, leaving me sat at the table.
I hear a door slam somewhere in the apartment, and I presume that he is going to drink himself stupid and pass out. And with a heavy sigh, I get to my feet and leave.
As a father, you always want to do the best for your kids. I always wanted to have a close bond, be there for the milestones, be there for everything, but I wasn’t. I even got arrested myself once because I wanted to watch him in a play, but his mother called the cops and said I was harassing her, and they carted me off. I was questioned for a short while and then let go, because she had fuck all evidence of her accusations. I missed the play, and a part of my heart cracked that day. His mother is poison, evil, and she’s passed all of her traits onto our son.
I’d go and speak to her, but the damage has been done and there is no reasoning with crazy.
So with my heart heavy, I walk away, knowing that all I can do now is be there for him when he falls. Because he will. It will come, and then maybe, just maybe, he might accept the help I’m offering him.
ChapterNineteen
Cameron
“Fuck me, this is like some type of next level shit,” Marcie says when I take her onto the marketing floor at Elite Enterprises. “Elite indeed.”
“I told you this place was amazing,” I reiterate.
“You sure did, and I’ll be sure to not doubt your word again… most of the time,” she says, earning her one of those eye rolls I seem to do a hell of a lot around her. I show her around the entire floor, including the two offices that sit adjacent to the project room—and Caleb’s office—that will be ours. Or rather, will be hers if she takes the job, because mine already has my name on the door, which I was not expecting when I walked in here, but they are certainly on the ball with everything considering I took the job less than twenty-four hours ago.
“So, you wanna go and talk bonuses, pay structure, holidays and all of that jazz?”
“Absolutely,” she says eagerly, and I turn to lead the way to Anthony’s office, but as I do, I’m hit by a familiar scent, and when I look up, I see Caleb coming towards me. My heart does a fucking flutter at him, and dear lord, that suit… Light grey trousers and jacket, black shirt, collar open slightly, black dress shoes, his hair looking slightly windswept... fuck, I think I’ve just come.
“Morning, ladies,” he says as he smiles and breezes straight past us and to his office. I follow him with my gaze, and it isn’t until he shuts the door that I remember to breathe.
“Damn,” Marcie says from behind me. “How did he make that look so hot?”
“What?” I say, trying to be blasé, as if I have no idea what she is talking about.
She pins me with her stare and one of her eyebrows raised. “Don’t give me that, Cam. You practically had your tongue hanging out of your mouth when you saw him.”