AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When I land in Florida, I give the cab driver my dad’s address. I knock on his front door, holding my breath. I didn’t tell him I was coming. A few seconds later, the door opens and his face appears. His eyes grow large as a huge smile spreads across his face.
“Hi, Dad.”
20
WESTON
“It’s official.” Gregg shakes my hand vigorously.
“It’s official,” I repeat. I’ve just closed what will soon be one of the most lucrative deals of my career, helping me pave the way as a major market share owner in the transportation industry. I should be ecstatic and celebrating, but it doesn’t hold the joy things like this used to. It’s just a business transaction, nothing more. I leave the conference room, letting the lawyers finish up as I head back to my office.
“Weston?” I turn to see Natalie following me down the hallway. “Can I talk to you for a moment?” She doesn’t have her normal overly friendly demeanor today.
“Sure.” I usher her into my office, closing the door behind us.
“First, congrats on the deal.” She smiles.
“Thank you, not just for the congratulations but also for your work on the deal. I appreciate it.” After our last conversation, she did everything to negotiate with Nile’s lawyers and my own to make sure the deal went through as smoothly as possible.
“Listen,” she says, taking a seat. “I owe you an apology.”
“Actually,” I say, interrupting her, “I think I’m the one who owes you an apology. The way I spoke to you last time was rude.”
“No, it was… understandable. I’ve thought a lot about what you said and you were right. I did take advantage of your grief, but I also want you to know that it came from a place of loss and hurt on my own part. After Mike left me for someone else, I was really struggling with my self-esteem. I missed having Mira around to talk to; she was always there to talk sense into me when he and I were going through something. She really was an amazing person and if she knew how I behaved, how I made you feel, she would be really hurt by my actions. So I’m sorry. I’m also incredibly sorry for talking to Daphne. I had no reason to do that. I went to apologize to her at school the other day, but I must have just missed her because she wasn’t there.”
I let out a sigh. I’m thoroughly shocked to hear her talk like this. “I appreciate that. I know we both acted on our feelings of loss and loneliness. I should have handled things better with you… and with Mira.”
“I— I knew,” she says nervously.
“You knew?” I ask, confused.
“About Ken.” She says the name as if I should know who she’s talking about.
“Ken who?” Then it hits me. “Ken? That’s his name? The man she loved?”
“Shit.” She hangs her head. “Sorry. I thought you knew.”
“I knew there was someone else. I knew she was in love with him but that’s about it. I asked her once but she didn’t tell me so I left it at that. I didn’t want to know.” I spin in my chair, staring out the window of my office. “Whatever happened to him?”
“I don’t know for sure. She told me that she called it off with him after getting sick. She didn’t tell him why, just that she couldn’t do it any longer. I guess he took it really hard, started spiraling and begging her to come back.”
“Did you ever meet him?”
“No. Never saw a picture of him or anything. I just knew his name. Ken.”
“Ken what?” I spin back around in my chair to look at her. I’m not sure what I’m going to do if I have his last name. What would be the point in finding out who he is now?
“I don’t know. She never told me his last name. I just saw him saved in her phone as KF. Anyway”—she stands up—“I should get going but I’m sorry this conversation went in this direction. It wasn’t my intention. I—I’m just sorry for everything.” She walks out my office, leaving my head spinning with that name.
* * *
“I don’t wantto go to school, Daddy!” Daisy’s face grows red as tears stream down her cheeks.
“What has gotten into you?” I try to hide my frustration, but Daisy’s tantrums have grown increasingly out of control this last week. “You love school, sweetie.”
“Not anymore!” she shouts, throwing her socks across her bedroom. “I want Miss Flowers back,” she says through tearful hiccups.
Fuck.I had hoped she wouldn’t have caught on that there was something between us that is now not between us.
