Chapter 87: 87

JAKE’S P.O.V

The last thing I wanted to do was talk to Marie again after everything.

As soon as I got the news that the child wasn’t mine, I blocked her number and didn’t bother to seek her out again. I had no intentions of ever talking to her again, she was a part of my past and I intended to leave her there but I should have known that she wouldn’t be willing to step down so easily. Marie had never been the kind of person to accept defeat.

With a sigh, I dialed her number. It didn’t take long before she picked up, her nasally voice filling the room.

“I was wondering when you would call,” she drawled. I could hear her nails tapping against something and could almost see the smirk on her face. “Have you gotten tired of her yet? Is that why you are coming back to me? I knew that sooner or later, you would tire of her problems.”

“Why don’t we cut the bullshit for a second,” I hissed and she clicked her tongue.

“That’s no way to treat the woman that you spent most of your life with, Jake. All I am trying to do is have a decent conversation with you.”

“I asked you to leave Hayley alone.”

“I haven’t gone near her.”

“Andre?” I asked and she just hummed. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know who that is.”

“I plead the fifth.”

I had forgotten just how infuriating she could be. She loved to play games, she loved to poke buttons and she lived for the thrill. It was one of the reasons interacting with her got so exhausting. It was tiring trying to keep up with her and I wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t bothering Hayley so much.

“I don’t have time for this, Marie,” I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. “Why are you doing this? What do you stand to gain?”

“All I’m doing is helping an innocent woman reconnect with her daughter. Contrary to your beliefs, Jake, not everything revolves around you. It is simply a coincidence that Andrea happens to be Hayley’s mother.”

She was full of shit and we both knew that. She didn’t have a kind bone in her body. The only reason she got involved was to spite Hayley and it didn’t matter how she tried to twist it, she was still a conniving bitch.

“Stay away from her,” I warned. “Leave her out of this- whatever it is. I don’t care what you do to me-”

“So selfless,” she mused. “You were never like that with me. You would have never offered yourself up in my place.”

I sighed, not wanting to get into this with her. “What we had was a long time ago.”

“Still-”

“Goodbye, Marie,” I said simply. “And whatever tactics you used to get Andrea here, use it to get her out.”

“I’m afraid I cannot control the woman, she has a mind of her own but I will try my best.”

Without another word, she hung up. I knew for a fact that she was going to do the exact opposite of what I asked. The entire situation was frustrating to say the least and it made me want to pull my hair out of my scalp.

Marie was the biggest mistake of my life and she never passed up an opportunity to remind me of the fact.

A knock on my door snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked up to find Cheyenne standing in the doorway to my office. Unlike other times, she didn’t walk in, she didn’t smile at me or try to get my attention.

I would have fired her long ago but despite her blatant attempts to get my attention, she was a good worker. She was efficient and smart and she stayed in her lane most times. The most she did was bat her lashes at me. She never dressed provocatively and she never crossed the line- at least not that I knew of.

The little show with Hayley earlier was unprofessional to say the least but I couldn’t bring myself to care. I looked up at my secretary, my arms crossed over my chest as I waited for her to say what brought her in here.

“You have a meeting in the half hour. Do you want me to send the files over to you?”

“Who is it with?”

“Mr. Winston.”

I thought about it for a moment. Winston hated evening meetings and I knew he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to cancel it especially if something else came up.

“Set up a reservation for him and his wife, tell him that I have a family issue to deal with and send him my apologies.”

“Family issues?” she asked and I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Is there a question in there or are you going to do what I asked you to?” her cheeks turned pink and she turned on her heels and disappeared. Just as she was about to lock the door behind her, I spoke. “Cancel the rest of my meetings for the day. I’m leaving early.”

“You never leave early,” she mumbled but to her credit, she didn’t wait around for me to respond.

I was surprised to see Carmine and Hayley seated cross legged on the couch. They were watching something on the big screen but they seemed more enamored by their conversation than with the actual movie.

Carmine was the first person to notice me but I held up a hand to stop her. I stood there just watching Hayley, she seemed so calm, like there was no weight on her shoulders. She was in my clothes- a large hoodie and shorts. Something warmed in my heart just by watching her. I could have stood there for the rest of my life and not have bothered.

She finally caught wind that I was there and turned to me. A small smile bloomed on her lips and she made her way over to me. She placed both hands on my shoulders and kissed me before pulling me towards the couch and I followed her blindly.

I couldn’t refuse her, not when she was in my house and in my clothes. I suppose I was glad that she wasn’t living with me yet because if she was, I never would be able to get things done with her around.

“Watch with us,” she told me as she curled into my side and placed her head on my chest. I needed to freshen up and get cleaned but I couldn’t move, not when she seemed so comfortable by my side.

I had a sinking feeling that as long as she asked for something, I would give it to her. I couldn’t say no to her.

Carmine watched me with a small smile on her face. She sat with us for a minute before making up a bogus excuse and leaving us alone in the living room. Hayley either didn’t notice or didn’t care, she just remained curled up by my side. We sat in silence for a full hour, neither of us speaking, just enjoying each other’s company when she spoke.

“Did you talk to Marie?” she asked and I hesitated before humming. “How did she take it?”

“As well as you would expect,” I shrugged. “I don’t think she will do anything about it.”

She just sighed. “We’ll figure it out. She will have to leave us alone at some point, right? She can’t really bother me for the rest of her life.”

I didn’t respond.

I didn’t know Andrea well enough to make that kind of assumption but if she was anything like Marie, then she wasn’t going to give up, not easily at least.

I opened my mouth to speak but the sound of the doorbell interrupted me. I glanced over at Hayley but she looked just as confused as I felt. I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before standing to my feet and going to answer it.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I opened the door. The only two people I thought were likely to knock were Michael and Kate but Kate was in school and Michael would have called first. I was not however expecting Andrea on the other side of the door.

I blinked when I saw her, wondering if I had conjured her out of my imagination because of our conversation. I glanced over my shoulder at Hayley who was watching me with questions in her eyes, silently asking me who was there.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I told Andrea. “You should leave.”

I made to shut the door but she was faster. Before I could move, she stepped closer to me and I felt the sting of her palm against my cheek.