Chapter 57
1570words
"Wow," I said, completely flabbergasted. Christina didn't strike me as the type to be a runaway. But then again, I had not expected her to send men to attack me after all the time passed.
“So she sends men to hurt me and at the first spell of trouble, she runs away? Does she even think all of the things through?”
I heard him sigh through the phone and could tell that all of this weighed on him more than he would let on.
It made me wonder what he would have done if I truly had told him about the way his mother and sister bullied me all of those years earlier.
Might we have found a way to stay with each other after all?
But then I had to keep in mind that that wasn’t the only problem we had back then and shook off the memories.
“I don’t really know what she’s thinking to be very honest.”
“It’s not hard to imagine. Nothing more than vengeance.” I said quietly
"I need you to be a bit more careful from now on, Em. I know how much she sees you as the enemy."
I blew out a breath, "I'm not going to live in fear."
"I'm not saying you should. I'm only asking you to be a whole lot more careful from here on. Do you think you can manage that? At least, until we find her?"
I slowly began to nod, then remembered he could not see me, " yes, I can manage that. Thank you."
"you can… thank me, by having dinner with me tomorrow?"
My knee-jerk reply was to decline, then I remembered that I was practicing being less cold. In any case, I thought, looking over at the new divorce documents I had printed out, there was something that I really wanted to speak to him about.
And it was long overdue,
"sure. Tell me the place and time."
The next day, I came home early from work, with enough time to rest, before I changed from work clothes into a black dinner dress. Then placed the divorce documents in my bag. With everything that happened with him, William, and I, I was going to persuade him to sign the papers…by all means necessary.
"You look beautiful," he said when he got up to welcome me at the table he'd reserved for us.
"Thank you," I said and looked around, there was a brown man in a black tux, playing at the piano, and an angel fountain not so far from where we sat,
"It's a nice place," I said and found myself wondering how many times he'd brought Kate to this place.
"you're quiet," he said, spooning some soup,
"Not a lot to say," I said, honestly,
"I'm actually you're even here at all."
I pressed my lips together, and slowly reached for my bag, "about that, I actually have a good reason for coming." I brought out the divorce papers and slowly passed them across the table.
He raised a brow as he accepted it, glanced through some pages before handing it back to me,
"I'm tired of saying no. And I bet you're tired of hearing me say no. So how about this? How about stop."
"stop?" I asked and he nodded,
"stop, and give me time. Give us both time."
"time to do what, exactly?"
He spooned some more soup before he responded,
"You and I are going to be [partners during this period of your project. Whether you like it or not, we are going to be all up in each other's business. I don't know about you. But I like it a lot. But the truth is, we cannot be all up in each other's business if you can't even stand the sight of me. We can be all up in each other's business if we are working on a divorce. Divorces are always messy."
"Then we can cancel the partnership."
"I don't think so. A deal's a deal."
"Of course." I said and pressed my lips together, "So what are you proposing?"
"time. During the course of this project, let's at least try to get along. Stop shoving your papers up my face, because I won't sign them. And then… just try and not push me aside every time I try to be nice to you."
"I see."
"yes. So in a nutshell, I guess I'm simply asking, you to try to be friends with me?"
I choked on the iced tea I was drinking and looked at him like he had another head,
"Did you just say friends?"
"yes. Friends. Life would be so much easier if we were."
I looked at him for the longest time to make sure he wasn't joking. He neither smiled nor laughed, so I knew he was serious. And he was seriously shocked.
"friends," I murmured.
"I know it will be hard for you. Seeing as you're so hell-bent on hating me. But trust me, I'm not that bad."
It was my turn to raise a brow, "of course you aren't."
And this time he smiled, then stretched out a hand, "So, deal?"
I looked at his hand, and hesitated for a moment, before finally taking it, "fine. Deal."
I was still not over being "friends" with Paris, and I wondered what Ashley would say about the new way of things. She would laugh no doubt, maybe with a bit of worry. After all, she didn't exactly like the guy. No one who cared for me did. And I completely understood them.
But he had a point, we were business partners now, and the least I could do was try to get along. There would need to be some boundaries, as I had no desire to fall mightily in love. But we would establish them as we went.
But at the very least, I didn't have to pretend to be angry every time I saw him.
but his mother? She was another case entirely, and I wished to no end to never having to deal with her again in my life. But sometimes, wishes were not granted.
"you!" Luna Lara shouted as I got out of my office building that day, after work hours,
"me," I said, and kept walking, hoping she would leave me alone,
"quite bold of you, to be walking away from me while I'm speaking to you."
"Good heavens, woman. This has nothing to do with bravery. I'm merely trying to protect my sanity." I said, stopping in front of my car.
"You think you're sane. With all the deranged stunts you've pulled lately?"
"excuse me, ma'am. But I believe the only deranged one, barking mad in front of my vehicle, is you. Now leave, because if you're in my way, once I get into my car, I will hit you."
"you're threatening me?!" I simply rolled my eyes and opened my door, but she grabbed my bag, suddenly making my wolf very angry,
"you're the reason my daughter is nowhere to be found."
And alas, whatever anger I felt, turned into rage. I turned to her
"Luna Lara, have you gone totally mad?"
“I know you can’t be talking to me.” She said with a frown.
I turned, yanking my bag out of her reach and restrained from pushing her,
“There’s no one here, Ma’am. There’s only you and me.”
“You insolent little brat.”
“Enough with the insults, okay? You left your parkland to meet me at my office to insult me? Are you that bored where you are?”
“I came to tell you to watch your back!” She said, pressing a finger at my shoulder and I angrily slapped it away.
“You have threatened me, for the last time,”
“This is merely the beginning, I am going to make sure you pay for making my daughter have to leave the comfort of home. Leave me to myself.” She said emotionally and I could only sneer at her,
“Let me remind you that it was your beloved daughter who sent men to attack me. I’m not guilty of anything but being acquainted with the lot of you!”
“You think we are proud to know you?”
“I don’t care what you feel about knowing me. All I know is that if any one should be accused it is your daughter, not me. So leave me alone!”
“You're the one spreading stupid lies about my daughter hurting you. We all know better.”
“I’m sorry that you are in the dark about your daughter and that manipulative daughter in law of yours. I can’t prove Kate’s guilt yet, but I will. Once I’m done with both of them, being on the run will be too little of an issue.”
“Big words for a woman who isn’t sure when she might be attacked.”
“It’s all you’re good at. Like mother and daughter. But I’m not afraid of either of you. Because whatever happens to me, be sure to receive it back in ten folds. You have been warned.”
“You will watch your tongue.”
“Or else what?” I asked, jutting out my Lower chin in defiance.
She rose her hand to slap me, but her hand was held back by another and I looked up to see Paris looking down at his mother with fire in his eyes,
“You’re about to cross a line, mother.” He said stoically
