Chapter 12

Logan

Megan is keeping me at arm’s length, I don’t blame her, but it’s frustrating. Every time I come to see Ella, I tell myself I need to keep myself in check. That I’m here to visit Ella, it’s when we end up alone that I can’t help myself. She looks at me in a certain way, or something happens between us that makes me feel like it’s not been five years since I saw her. That we didn’t break up or that I never left. Like just now. Seeing her get so embarrassed and playful, it’s a part of her I don’t see anymore. It’s like she’s closed herself off to me, keeping her guard up all the time.

“What is it?” Megan asks, moving off her chair and walking towards Ella. Courtney walks towards us and places Ella in the chair Megan just vacated.

“Promise you won’t be mad at me,” Ella tearfully says to us both. I don’t want to brag, but I make cute as hell babies. People can call me biased, but looking at her, she’s the cutest little girl I’ve ever met. I nearly laughed when Megan told me she called her a bitch.

“Ella, I only get mad at you when you do something wrong,” she says to her. She sighs when Ella cries and hiccups. “Ok, I promise not to get mad at you,” Ella looks at me.

“I promise too,” I say.

“There are these girls at school, and they’re mean to me all the time. They say nasty things and make me do their homework and steal things. They made me take things from you, mommy, to give to them,” she sobs. “They’re the ones that cut my hair. I’m sorry, mommy,” she cries.

“Oh, sweetie,” Megan says, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her out of the chair into a hug. I watch as she comforts her the best she can.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I asked you if you were being bullied,” Megan says, and I can hear the hurt and anger in her.

“They said no one would believe me because I’m a baby,”

“I’ll always believe you,” she says and hugs her again.

“Please don’t make me go to school,” Ella cries into her shoulder.

“You’re not going back,” she says and looks at me.

“I’m sorry I called you a bitch, mommy,”

“We can talk about that later,” she looks at Courtney, “phone the school, set up a meeting for today,” she tells her and walks out of the kitchen with Ella. I frown and look at Courtney.

“She’s going to sing to her. It calms Ella,” she tells me as she takes her phone out of her pocket.

“Let me speak to them,” I say and hold my hand out. She frowns at me. “Ella is my daughter; I want to speak to them,”

“Fine,” She hands me the phone and the school secretary answers.

“Hi, this is Logan Peters, Ella Wrights father,” I start. She replies with some pleasantries. I look at Courtney. “Tell Ella to write down the names of all the girls that have been bullying her,” I turn my attention back to the phone. “I’d like a meeting with the Principal, please, regarding my daughter today,”

“Oh, I’m afraid she’s not free today. Can I ask what it’s regarding?” she asks.

“Yes, my 4-year-old daughter is getting bullied, your school has failed to notice it, she’s refusing to come to school and is crying her heart out right now, so I want to speak to her today, and the parents of the students,”

“Ok, sir,” she pauses, and I give her an out.

“I will get the names for you, and I’ll call you back in an hour,” I say and end the call. I put Courtney’s phone on the side and then send a quick text on my phone to my secretary and PA.

Megan walks back into the kitchen. She moves her hand through her hair and then shakes her head before folding her arms and pacing. I watch as she mutters to herself, checks her phone when it vibrates but ignores whoever it is. Standing up, I walk over to her and pull her into a hug. She tenses in my arms for a couple of seconds before finally relaxing.

“It’s ok,” I say to her.

“I asked her, I asked the school, what else was I supposed to do? I should have known.”

“How?” I ask.

“I should have noticed the signs,”

“You did, and you thought she would tell you,”

“She’s four. I shouldn’t have taken her out of kindergarten. At least those kids are close to her age, and she’d have friends,” she sighs before pulling away from me. “What did you say to the school?” she asks.

“That I want a meeting with the principal and the parents of the children that bullied her,” I state.

“Why? Haven’t you got work?” she asks.

“The beauty of being the boss of a company, you can get others to do some of your jobs. I’ve got no important meetings. I can stay or meet you at the school at the time of the meeting. It’s up to you.” I’d rather stay. I enjoy being with her and Ella. I love how curious Ella is. She asks any question that comes to her head.

“Must be nice,” she says. “It’s up to you; I didn’t have much planned today, just a run with Max and getting my nails done for work,”

“You’re working tonight?” I ask.

“Yeah, just in the Lounge, I’m singing tonight and tomorrow night we’ve all got the night off, so we’re going out. Ella is going to my dads,” she tells me.

“Well, you do that. I’ll look after Ella. We’ll be having this meeting today,” I say, and then I hear a door open and then Ella runs in. She holds a piece of paper up to me. I take it, and then she holds her arms up to Megan to get her to pick her up. The paper contains all the names of the kids that have bullied her.

---

“Do you want to get lunch?” I ask Megan when she comes back from her run. She blots the sweat from her neck with a towel.

“What time is the meeting?” she asks as she unclips Max’s lead and fills up his bowl with fresh water.

When she left for her run, she left me to look after Ella and set up the school’s meeting. I’m not sure if it was to give me a chance at a bit more responsibility with Ella or if it’s because she’s too upset to deal with it.

“Three,” I tell her.

“Ok, I need to take some pictures for my Instagram, and then I’ll get ready,” she says as she takes some water out of the fridge.

“What do you mean? You don’t have an Instagram,” I state with a frown.

“Someones a little internet stalker,” she teases as she sips her water. “It’s for work,” she says. “I’m working tonight, so I need to do some promotion, plus I get paid when I post a sponsored photo,” she tells me. “I’m going to go get a shower. Where’s Ella?”

“She’s in her room. She said she wanted to do something for you to say sorry,” I explain. Ella came out of Courtney’s room when Megan left to talk to me. “She thinks you’re still angry with her for calling you a bitch,”

“I am. She shouldn’t have said it,” she says and then looks at me. “Are you ok to look after Ella for a little longer? She’s not usually here when Courtney and I do promo photos, and I don’t want her seeing what we’re doing,” she asks.

“Sure,” I say with a frown.

“It won’t take long, about an hour,”

“You don’t have to rush. I can order us lunch if you want,” I offer. I don’t want her to think I’m offering lunch as a date. She’s made it clear that she wants our relationship to be strictly platonic, only friends. Hard as it might be, she’s right to desire just that. I have to prove myself to her.

“Yeah, that will be better. I’ll ask Courtney if she wants anything,” she says and walks off towards the bedrooms.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve only been in the kitchen dining area, the living room area, and Ella’s room. I know the layout due to the whole building’s blueprints, but that’s not what I want to know. It’s probably a bit creepy of me, but I want to know what her bedroom looks like. It’s going to be her whole personality, no one else’s. Her grandfather probably decorated the room she had before, and the room at the home she grew up in was her teenage room. She’s different now.

Everything about Megan has changed. She’s not the girl I fell in love with. She’s someone much better; strong, independent and her own woman. Every decision she makes is for a reason; her emotions do not lead her. The other day I watched her talk on the phone to a guy I’m guessing she’s seeing, they’d argued by the look of things, and she just ended things like she was updating someone about the weather. Courtney told me it was because he wanted to meet Ella, and she didn’t want him to. It was as simple as that. She does what she wants and what’s best for Ella. For once, she’s thinking about what she wants and what’s suitable for her.

Courtney walks out of her bedroom and smirks at me before walking towards the kitchen. I frown at her. She’s covered up now, not dressed but covered.

“Lunch?” she asks. I tilt my head. “How hard are you going to try to get back in her pants?” she asks.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“I’m not stupid, and neither is she,”

“I’m not,” She holds her hand up to stop me.

“Save it. She was a mess when you left. I was the one that helped her pick up the pieces; you stay in your lane. You are not what she needs; you’re what Ella needs. Just know that if it weren’t for Ella, we’d be gone right now. The last thing she needs is you trying to weasel your way back in and breaking her,”

“I have no intention of breaking her,” I state.

“Say that to your fiance, Megan may not have stayed up-to-date with what was going on with you, but I did. I knew you were in New York way before she did. You can tell her all you want that this engagement of yours is fake, but your fiance thinks it’s genuine. As long as you keep your dick in your pants around her, you get to keep it. Do I make myself clear?” she threatens. I nod, not wanting to anger her any more than what I seem to have. I’m not sure if I’m pleased she has Courtney to look out for her or frustrated. Courtney will most likely persuade Megan to keep me at arm’s length. The front door opens a couple of seconds later, Yasmin comes into view. “You dirty little stop out,” Courtney says with a chuckle.

“Fuck off,” Yasmin snaps as she takes her high heeled shoes off. Her green eyes glance at me as she walks to the coffee pot. “Have you told him yet,” she says to Courtney.

“Just now,” Courtney replies, and I know they’re talking about me.

“Good,”

“Listen, I’m not out to hurt her,” I state. Yasmin shakes her head as she pours herself a coffee. “It’s true,

“Why are you here, then?” Yasmin asks.

“For my daughter,” I’m not lying, but it’s not like I don’t think about Megan. “Ella is my priority,”

“And Megan?” Yasmin asks. I shrug and look down. “The way you look at her says different,”

“I love her; she’s the mother of my child. I’m always going to have some feelings for her,”

“Well, she doesn’t need it. When she loves, thinks or sees you, it hurts her, so you make sure all you’re after here is Ella. Be a dad and nothing more,” Yasmin says. “God knows none of us needs love anymore,” she mutters and walks out. I hear Ella greet her. I wonder if Carl knows she has such a bleak outlook when it comes to relationships.

“It just took Megan a long time to get to where she is,” Courtney says. I sigh and look at her to see the sadness in her eyes. “I’ve never seen anyone hurt like that. I don’t want you to do it to her again. I think you leaving her broke her more than what Jonathon did. Ella was the only thing in her life that kept her together,” she quietly tells me.

“I get that,” I say, drawing a small smile from her before she looks away from me.

“Don’t tell her I told you; she’d hate for you to know,”

“I won’t,”

“Courtney,” I hear Megan call and then she walks into the kitchen with a black wavy wig on and a pale pink silk dressing gown. “C’mon, I don’t want Ella to see me like this,” she says.

“Where are we going, the terrace?”

“No, change of plan, we’ll do them in the bathroom,” she says and walks in, and it’s then I see she’s wearing transparent platforms that have the word ‘Tips’ drawn on and a slot for coins. “I’m starving,” she says as she opens the fridge. “What food are you ordering?” she asks, looking at me from over her shoulder. I tear my eyes from her pert arse and look at her.

“What do you want?” I get my phone out of my pocket.

“Greek?” she asks. “I kind of want some halloumi; Ella likes wraps, she’s really into eating foods that she can eat with her hands, I think it’s just her being lazy,” she says with a grin.

“Mommy,” Ella calls and runs in from her bedroom. Megan tightens her dressing gown and kneels to Ella. Ella hands her a card she’s made her. I notice it says ‘I’m sorry Mommy,’ in large red writing and drawings of other things. Megan opens the card and reads it to then look at her. “I’m sorry, mommy,” Ella sheepishly says.

“I forgive you,” she says and hugs her.

“I love you, mommy,” she says, hugging her tightly. I smile a little when I see the tension leave Megan’s face. Courtney is right. Ella is the person that keeps her together, keeps her happy. Ella is her world.

“I love you too,” she pulls back and looks at her. “Mommy has to do something for work, so I need you to be a good girl for Daddy. I’ll be in my room if you need me, but I won’t be long,” she tells her. “Daddy has some things to ask you anyway,” she says, and I frown. She looks at me and stands up. “Tell her about the new schools,” she says to me. I nod.

Forty-five minutes into looking after Ella, Megan had texted me asking what Ella was doing. Ella had fallen asleep watching a documentary about big cats in the wild. She loves anything to do with animals and science. When I asked her what she wanted to be when she’s older, she told me; a vet. I’m not sure that will if she finds out that it’s not all saving animals.

‘She’s asleep,’

‘Can you do Courtney and me a favour?’ she asks.

‘What?’ I ask.

‘We need a couple of pictures together, and the timer isn’t getting it right,’ I frown and get up from the sofa. Max is curled up on his bed with a cat which is something I never thought I’d see. I think this one is called Pepper.

“I don’t know which one is your room,’ I put.

‘The one at the end, Next to Ella’s,’ I probably should have known she’d have the master bedroom. There’s not much difference between many of the rooms. I know there are two master bedrooms, one has a bigger bathroom, and the other has more closet space. Megan’s room is the one with the bigger bathroom.

I knock on her bedroom door. It swings open, and Courtney is standing with a towel wrapped around her. Her black hair is wet, and she’s wearing the same shoes as what Megan was wearing.

“Normally, we’d ask Yasmin, but she’s locked herself in her room,” she tells me and pulls me into Megan’s room.

Megan’s room isn’t what I expected. I’m not really sure what I expected. The walls are soft white, dark wooden floors and a four-poster dark wood bed in the middle over a shaggy light grey rug. She’s added more clothing space by having a set of white drawers. Her bed is full of cushions in varying shades of grey. I notice there are candles all over, and there seems to be some incense burning on her dressing table, along with some animal figures. She seems to like elephants.

“Is she ok?” I ask.

“Yeah, she hooked up with Carl and is beating herself up over it,” she tells me, and I frown, I’m sure she was working last night, and Carl was in meetings with me until late. They must have met up afterwards. Courtney leads me into the bathroom, and I see Megan standing at one of the two sinks reapplying red lipstick. Her black wig is also wet, and she’s wrapped around a white towel.

The bathroom is the same as her bedroom, completely white with dark brown wood flooring. A large bathtub sits against one wall opposite the sinks, and the walk-in shower is to the left. I notice the camera stand set up outside of the shower with a ring light.

“We need you to take some pictures of us,” Megan says.

“Ok,” I say and watch as she puts on a white and silver detailed mask that comes low over her nose. Courtney is wearing a similar one but with gold detailing.

Megan unravels her towel, revealing a silver bikini, the strings of the top wrap around her body a couple of times before typing at the back. The bottoms are a high leg cut and are almost a thong. Courtney does the same revealing the same bikini in gold.

I can’t help but notice the change in Megan’s body. Her hips are slightly wider, giving her an hourglass shape. She still has definition and muscle tone showing she kept up her fitness. Her breasts sit heavily in the bikini top. I’d wonder if she had them done if they didn’t move so naturally with her body. The bikini bottoms and the heels make her already long legs look even longer, and it turns me on. I also notice her tattoo is covered with makeup.

Courtney’s body is smaller than Megan. She’s thinner but just as tall, making her look even skinnier. Her breasts are petite, there but small. She’s always had a model-like body; I noticed that when she was in high school. She is just as toned as Megan but has a plumper butt.

Megan pulls Courtney with her into the shower and turns it on. I watch as Courtney sorts Megan’s bikini straps out. I catch Megan watching me as I look at the camera. It’s not an actual camera; it’s an iPhone. I guess they use this to take their pictures. Looking at her, I wonder if she thinks about me the way I do her. She’s beautiful, and right now, my thoughts aren’t clean. If Courtney wasn’t here right now, I’d gladly get in this shower with Megan.

“What’s this for?” I ask.

“At the club, we can be booked together,” Courtney tells me. “For a private room, so we do a promo on both of our insta’s for it,”

“We tend to make more money together,” Megan tells me. “Make sure you get our shoes in the picture; we get paid for every post with them in,” she says. I nod and look at the screen. I turn the phone for portrait view and watch as they get into a pose.

They both stand under the spray, facing the camera at a side view. Megan moves her hands around Courtney, one moves up to Courtney’s mouth, and Courtney's hand moves to Megan’s other hand, making her hand move down her body. Her leg bends up, hiding where Megan’s hand is, making it look like she’s moved her hand into her bikini briefs.

“Take a couple,” Megan tells me. I nod and watch in the camera as she goes to bite Courtney’s shoulder, and they both look dead at the camera. I take a few like she asks. At one point, they face each other, and all I can say is this is hot as hell. They seem to play on the ‘have they slept together or not?’ theme.

“Do you purposefully play on the have they or haven’t they theme?” I ask as Courtney pulls on the strings of Megan’s bikini top. I press the camera button and look up at them.

“What do you mean?” Megan asks.

“Well, when you were dancing with each other for me, it made me wonder if you’d slept with each other, made me see why you’re both a crowd favourite,” They both giggle and look at each other. I take another picture. “What’s funny?”

“Nothing,” Megan says, making Courtney laugh and then grab Megan by her head and kiss her. I shake my head and take a couple of pictures. Courtney pulls away and looks at me.

“Have you?” I ask with a frown.

“I guess that’s something you have to wonder,” Courtney says as Megan turns the water off.

“Shall we order food?” Megan changes the subject and walks out with the iPhone dismissing the conversation entirely.

---

???

I watch the little girl kick and scream over going to school. Her mother is completely unaware of me. She always is; I’m invisible to her, even when I’m in front of her. Seeing her this close is different for me; usually, I only get to watch her when she’s out. Her routine has been changing a lot recently.

Over the past year, I’ve watched her religiously. I wanted her the moment he told me about her, at first I thought about approaching her, talking to her but then I saw her with some guy. It was then I knew I wouldn’t be able to have her the way I wanted. I watched her as she went on dates with different men who had no right, who didn’t have permission.

They get up and suddenly leave. She’s angry, and I’ve never seen her angry. The little girl called her a bitch. I would have laughed at the stubbornness, but that would get me noticed. The doors open again, and she walks back in with that vile man. This man is wrong. This is the man I was told wasn’t around anymore, but here he is. He is back and in her life. I’d kill him, but I’ve seen the security he has, and it would be a problematic kill. The only thing I can do is watch him also.

I’ll bide my time and sooner or later I’ll get my chance at having Megan. After all, I have permission to have her and her daughter.