Fake Boyfriend (35 page)

I nod. "I
promise." As much as I would like to run away and never have to see
him and his perfect face, I would never keep his child from
him. I know Dave is right, Ruxin will want to take care of
this baby and I'll let him. I'll let him see him or her
whenever he wants. I'll never hold his child against him, no matter
how much I don't want to see him.

Dave
hands me a water to take my prescription's, "Wait the pharmacist
said she needs something in her stomach when she takes those or
she'll get sick again." Russell warns.

Robert
stops at a Panera restaurant and Russell goes in to get soup
for me and sandwiches for the guys. By the time we get back to my
apartment I tell the boys I'll be fine and wont be leaving
for the rest of the day. Dave even agrees to leave after I
promised him I am going to eat, take my pills and go straight to
bed. I take out the soup and eat it slowly while watching the
news. I take my pills right after I finish eating and starting
walking to my bedroom.

A sudden knock on my door stops me and I turn, walking
back to the door. Its probably one of the guys. I look through the
peep hole and open the door. "What are you doing here?"

Ruxin
Novak

I cancel
the rest of my day after Xavier leaves. I wont be able to get
anything done and I don't want to make a mistake I'll regret later.
Julia comes in with my lunch and I wave her away, not wanting to
eat. She doesn't listen, just sets the container on my desk. I see
her eyes land on the Tiffany boxes and I explain. "They're our
wedding rings."

"You're
keeping them?" She asks.

I
nod. "Yes."

"If
you're keeping them, then why did you practically kick
Miss Thorpe out of your office." I hear a hint of disapproval
in her voice. 

"Tell
me how that's any of your business?"

"Its not,
but you need to talk to someone. If you want my advice, I
say fix it before its too late." She says,
seriously.

"She
doesn't want this life. She doesn't want the real me." I
reply, looking at the boxes.

She
snorts loudly and I glare at her mocking face. She
crosses her arms and glares back. "You don't
honestly believe that. The woman who couldn't keep her lunch down
after you kicked her out and broke her heart. You're saying she
doesn't want you?" She asks in disbelief.

"What?"

She nods.
"As soon as you shut the door she got sick in my waste
basket."

"She
did?"

"Yep,
trust me. The woman is head over heels for you and scared
shitless."

"Why
would she be scared?" I question.

"No,
idea. I think you would know better then I would." She states,
leaving the room.

Why
would Eva be afraid to love me? That doesn't make sense, I
assured her time and time again I only wanted her. She
knows how badly I want her. Unless that's not the part she's
afraid of. She loves me and she's scared. Scared of what I'll do?
Scared that I might leave her? I thought we buried that
fear?

I think
about over every detail of our relationship for hours, Its not
me Eva is second guessing. Its herself, but why? Her mother
and William? Even if I'm right how does it apply to our
relationship? William left, I wouldn't. It dawns on me my actions
from today. I did leave her, she admitted her feelings and I shoved
her out of my office thinking I know her heart. Thinking she
deserves more then me. Eva's mother rejected William after she
found out he was cheating. Her mother turned her back on
the man she loved and as Eva tells it, she never loved again. Is
she afraid of loving as deeply as her mother did? She witnessed
first hand her mothers love for a man destroy her. Am I
being casted in the role of William? Or is
Eva putting herself in her mother's shoes? Closing
herself off before she has the chance of getting hurt. Afraid of
ending up like her mother, alone and broken hearted.

I stand
up abruptly and call Robert's phone as I walk to the elevator,
ignoring Julia's startled face. "Mr. Novak." He answers.

"Is Eva
in her apartment?" I ask.

"Yes, sir
we left her there. She said she wasn't  going out again
tonight. She's been sick lately and wanted to go to
bed."

"Sick?" I
question. Instantly concered after what Julia told me about her
throwing up.

"Yes,
sir."

"Why
wasn't I informed?" My anger starting to show.

"I didn't
know until after we took her to the doctor's office today." He
resounds, apologetically.

"Yet, I'm
only finding out now?" I ask, not hiding me irritation.

"Yes,
sir."

"What was
wrong with her?"

"I'm not
sure. She insisted on going in to see the doctor alone." He
explains.

I grip my
phone tightly. "Did she get any medicine prescribed to
her?"

"Yes,
sir." He replies, almost evasively.

Hitting
my limit with his incompetence I yell, "What medicine did she
get?"

"I don't
know, sir." He states, firmly.

 
I hang up having heard enough and call Henry
telling him to meet me in front of the building. I need to
clear my head, but I cant see past the red haze. I pay three
skilled men very good money to protect and inform me of Eva
and anything she does. However, those three highly paid men didn't
bother to call when she went to the doctors. Robert calls me
if she so much as sneezes, now I'm get nothing from him. My
irritation mounts with every step I take to the car.

I get in
without a word to Henry and call Dave. "Mr. Novak." He answers,
like he was expecting my call.

"I want
you to explain to me why I wasn't informed of Eva's
illness."

"She
asked us not to tell you." He replies, simply.

"I pay
you to tell me. Not to listen to her." I remind him.

"I did it
out of respect for her feelings." He states in
defense.

"Why
didn't she want me to know?"

"You'll
have to address it with her." He states, firmly.

"I'm
addressing it with you!" I shout.

"I'm
sorry, sir. I cant tell you that." He replies, not at all
sorry.

"You're
fired." I seethe, uncaring that he is honoring Eva's
wishes.

"I
figured as much." He mutters and I end the call.

"Where
to, sir?" Henry asks, from the front seat.

"Just
start driving." I respond.

"Yes,
sir." He replies, pulling into traffic.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ruxin Novak

Just as
we pull away there's a rapid tap at my window. "Stop the car." I
order, seeing Julia's face. I roll down my window curious as to why
she is stopping me, when unceremoniously she shoves the two
ring boxes I left on my desk at my face.

"Sorry, I
didn't want you to forget these." She says, breathless. I take
the boxes.

I
hesitate only a moment before taking the boxes. "Thanks, Julia." I
say, slightly amused,

"You're
welcome, Sir." She replies, backing away from the car. I roll up my
window and look at the boxes as Henry moves forward in
traffic.

I look at
the boxes gathering my courage I and pick one up, opening it
slowly. I stare at the platinum band and I hide the shock
and I feel. The word, "Mine" engraved along the
band. This is only something Eva would've thought of. I
chuckle. "Miss Thorpe's, Henry. Go as fast as you can."

"Yes,
sir." He responds, merging into another lane.

I take
the ring out and put in on my left hand. She may wish to wait to be
married to me, but I am her's now and forever. I'll never take
it off.

The ring
says it all, she accepts me, she understands me and I have
been foolish enough to try and stop her.

When the
car finally stops in front of her
apartment building I walk quickly inside and to the
elevators, not wasitng a moment. I step off the elevator and see
something I never thought I'd ever witness. Cindy crying
in Eva arms and Eva consoling her.

Sensing
my presence Eva turns to me still holding her step sister. Her eyes
widen slightly and she raises her hands off Cindy's back,
mouthing, "I have no idea."

She makes
soothing noises to Cindy and turns to help her inside. She leaves
the door open for me and  I follow after them, my curiosity
piqued. Eva easies Cindy onto the couch and reaches for a box of
tissues on the side table, handing them to Cindy.

"I'm
sorry." Cindy cries loudly.

Sitting
next to her and patting her back Eva asks, "Sorry, for
what?"

Cindy takes out a letter from her purse and hands
it to Eva. Eva accepts it hesitantly and pulls out
the letter within the already opened envelope. She unfolds it and
starts to read. Her hand covers her mouth and her hands are
slightly shaking as she reads the letter.

Eva Thorpe

When I
opened the door to Cindy I didn't expect her to fling herself
into my arms. Surprised by her actions and the sobs that
accompanied them, I did the only thing I could think of. I
comforted her, holding her and patting her back affectionately. I
don't know what brought this on, but obviously something
big.

I look up
seeing Ruxin starting at us astonished and I tell him I have no
idea what is happening. I motion for him to come in as I usher
Cindy into the apartment and on the couch, handing her a box of
tissues.

She hands
me a letter and I open it, realizing my mothers handwriting
instantly. I bring my hand to my mouth as I read.

William,

I writing you to tell you I'm pregnant. I tried to call
your office phone number but lucky me I found your home
phone number through information. Imagine my surprise hearing a
woman answer, only to tell me that she's your wife and also
pregnant. After your wife's refusal to hear me out, I've
written her a letter as well. I've told her of your infidelity and
your proposal to me, (the ring I gave to a homeless
man) and begged her to believe that I had no idea she
existed. I hope you're happy with yourself, because I am ashamed I
ever knew you and so disgusted that I loved you.

I changed my telephone number as to never have to
hear your voice again. I'm horrified at the thought of tearing
apart a woman's marriage. Especially, since she's expecting
your first child. I can only imagine what she is
feeling.

Even so you've left me with an amazing gift. I never want you
to intercede in my child's life. Take care of your wife and child.
If you try to see me or this baby I will publicly humiliate you and
go to the media about your indiscretion.

Regards, Maggie.

"I'm
sorry." She says, crying louder.

I look at
her sympathetically and with tears in my eyes, mom wanted
nothing to do with, William. I was just a slap in Susan's face.
William never cared what he did to my mother or Susan. He is the
snake in all this, he's the disease. My mother was right to keep me
away from him, to guard me from such a callous uncaring
man.

"My
mom lied to me, I'm sorry. I thought you were using dad, I
thought your mother seduced him and you were only here for his
money." She explaines through hiccups.

"Our
father has some explaining to do. I didn't even realize we were so
close in age." I state, stunned.

She nods.
"He used to sit at the table when I was growing up and after he'd
receive a copy of your report card he'd read out loud how
accomplished and smart you were. I hated you. You were perfect and
he rubbed our noses in it."

"A good
report card, didn't make me perfect. He never knew me, really." I
reply.

"I know
but it still hurt." She says, looking at her hands.

"Where
did you find this letter?" I question.

My mother
talked me into finding your rental agreement and stopping payments
on this place." She explains looking around. "My mother doesn't
want you here."

I scoff,
"That part is plain to see." 

She
smiles weakly and continues, "So, I was going through
his office and found a set of random numbers taped to the
underside of his desk. I knew it was to his safe. I put the code in
and inside was this letter and a stack of pictures of you and
your mother. He kept a file on you and your mom, random things, but
the worst thing he did was pay off any man that started dating your
mom or showed an interest. He recorded the names of the men and the
amount he paid them."

"Paid
off?"

"Yeah, he
would pay them to stop seeing her." She states, sadly.

I fall
back onto the couch my mother loved my father, but she did try to
move on. I remember a few times my mother getting ready for a date
only for the man to never show up. William had her followed until
the day she died, but why? To insure that she would die alone,?
That she wouldn't love another?