Chapter 100: Two’s Company
Moana
With my face still burning from Kelly’s slap, I needed to get away from the banquet before anyone saw me and started gossiping even more. If anyone saw me crying, I knew that Kelly would be satisfied as well, and I didn’t want that.
As I gathered what little dignity I had left and started making my way through the gardens, the sound of the music and the partygoers talking and laughing slowly began to fade, replaced by the sound of the crickets chirping and the sound of the fountains. I eventually found a quiet garden not too far away with a fountain in the center and rows of peach trees circling the perimeter, their sweet fragrance filling the air.
I leaned against one of these trees and bowed my head, finally letting the tears flow now that I knew I was completely alone.
All my life, I only ever wanted to create a beautiful family of my own. After spending my childhood in an orphanage, I always wanted to bring a child into the world with two loving parents who would never leave. The thought of having a big, happy family always made me smile, but now it only made me cry more as I realized that even my own child might never have that now.
Even if Edrick did accept this child, he would never accept me and his family would never accept either of us. How could I bring a child into a mess like this? How could I bring a child into a world in which his or her own grandfather hated them with a burning passion?
As I thought about the possibility of packing up and leaving, even with Michael’s money, it made me sob even more. It wasn’t even just about Edrick or the baby, either; Ella had become almost like my own child in my eyes, and I couldn’t bear the thought of her confused, sad little face wondering why I was leaving. But no matter what, one way or another, someone would sow the seeds of hatred in her mind at some point. Whether it was disdain for the new baby, thinking that it would replace her, or whether it was disdain for me and ruining her family structure, I couldn’t imagine a scenario in which someone wouldn’t eventually give her the wrong ideas and create bitterness in her heart.
“Are you alright?”
I didn’t hear him coming as I cried. I jerked my head up and whirled around to see Edrick standing behind me with his hands in his pockets and a concerned look spread across his face.
“Um… Yes,” I said, straightening myself and wiping the tears from my eyes with my handkerchief. “Just hormones. I got a little overwhelmed with all of the noise and the people.”
Edrick didn’t seem to believe me, but he didn’t pry. Neither of us spoke for a few moments; as he glanced over his shoulder at the mansion, the sounds of the party carrying over to us across the summer breeze, a small sigh escaped his lips. I couldn’t help but wonder if something had happened to him, too. Maybe Kelly and his father pestered him in a similar way.
“It’s a nice party,” I said, just wanting to change the subject.
Edrick shrugged. “Normally, yes. This year…” His voice faltered, and he swallowed hard. “Want to walk?”
I nodded. “Yes. Walking would be nice.”
We started to walk together, neither of us speaking. I held my purse in my hands while Edrick kept his own hands in his pockets, but there was no denying the closeness behind us as we walked. Neither of us spoke, but I enjoyed the silence. It was nice, after my interactions with both Ethan and Kelly, to just walk quietly with someone who seemed to have a similar understanding of what I was going through.
I forgot sometimes that this pregnancy was affecting Edrick in a similar way. Sometimes, I supposed that I got so caught up in my own feelings about it that I forgot what it meant for him — to have a child with a woman he only just met, and to have feelings for that woman when it was socially unacceptable for him to act on them. It must have taken a great toll on him.
We passed through a stone colonnade that led to another, bigger garden. Up ahead, there was a large fountain surrounded by white stone and red rose bushes. There was a small, ornate stone bench at the front of the fountain, and it called to me; after everything that happened, especially with the heat of the summer evening, my feet were beginning to ache and swell in my heels. I tried to pick shoes with low heels, but the pregnancy was making even those feel uncomfortable.
“Is it okay if we sit?” I asked, gesturing to the bench and looking over at Edrick. My face quickly went red as I did, seeing how handsome he looked in the dim light with the breeze ruffling his hair. I quickly looked away, swallowing. “My feet hurt a bit.”
Edrick nodded. We approached the bench and he gestured for me to sit, but he continued to stand, thoughtfully inspecting the roses on one of the bushes. I watched in silence as he touched the petals with his fingers, as though he was counting each one.
“It must have been nice, growing up here with all of these gardens,” I said, looking around. “It’s so lush.”
“It was one of the better parts of living here,” he said quietly. “Plenty of places to escape to when my father was in a mood. He rarely bothered coming out this far, so sometimes when his moods were especially sour, I would even sleep out here under the stars.”
I couldn’t help but feel bad, imagining little Edrick sleeping outside when his father was being cruel or moody. But when I looked up at him, I saw that there was a bit of a smile twitching at the corners of his lips. He didn’t seem too upset by it; if anything, he seemed to be remembering those days fondly. I realized now that maybe those days were preferable to these ones, before he grew up and became a CEO.
It also reminded me of what Tyrus had told me earlier that day, and I couldn’t contain my curiosity.
“Tyrus told me that you went to college together,” I said.
“Mhm.”
“What was college like for you? What did you go for?”
Edrick shrugged, walking now over to the next rose bush. “Business. Nothing exciting.”
I paused, biting my lip. College was supposed to be an exciting time — a time for exploring the things that make you happy and choosing a career path that brings you joy. Edrick, however, didn’t seem too fond of that time at all. “What else would you have studied?” I asked. “When you were little, I’m sure you didn’t say you wanted to grow up to be a businessman.”
The Alpha billionaire, much to my surprise, let out a chuckle. “No, I suppose not,” he said, his eyes lifting finally from the roses to look up at the moon. “It’s embarrassing, though.”
“Everyone has embarrassing dreams when they’re kids,” I insisted. “You can tell me.”
Edrick was silent for a few moments. Then, with a sigh, he finally answered. His voice sounded almost choked. “I wanted to be a teacher,” he finally admitted. “A… music teacher.”
My heart skipped at this thought, but at the same time, I felt confused; I had never seen Edrick play any sort of instrument or even mention an interest in music.
“Do you play any instruments?” I asked.
He nodded. “Piano, mostly.”
That was strange; there was a piano in the penthouse, which Ella only used for her lessons. Other than Ella, I may have heard Amy or Lily plunk on it once in a while, but Edrick never even looked at it. I opened my mouth to ask why, but suddenly, before I could say anything, the Alpha billionaire did something even more unexpected.
He kicked off his shoes, peeled off his socks, and rolled up his pants.
“What are you doing?” I asked, stifling a chuckle as he climbed up on the bench.
“You said your feet hurt,” he said, stepping over the back of the bench and straight into the fountain. “Come on.”
I stood, shooting Edrick a confused look. He seemed entirely sober; I hadn’t seen a drink in his hand all night. And yet, here he was, standing barefoot in the fountain out behind his parents’ mansion. And he was holding his hand out for me with an earnest look on his face.
“The water feels nice,” he said. “I promise.”
