Chapter 70 I Tried To Call You
Author’s Note: We’re in the home stretch, you guys. About 6 chapters to go. Possibly 1 or 2 more if they get too long.
Pals... thank you for reading.
Thank you for coming along for the ride. Thank you for getting invested. Thank you for voicing your opinions. Thank you for liking it. Thank you for maybe not liking it sometimes. Thank you for being patient with me. Thank you for gifting. Thank you for caring so fucking much. I really didn’t ever dream that anyone would.
I owe you guys so much, and I love you deeply.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Rhys once again meets me by his front door once I get out of the taxi and the gates buzz open for me. The hug is a bit less awkward this time, and I find myself thinking about how much I miss him being in my day-to-day life.
But having Uncle Rhys in my life regularly means returning to my father’s organisation. And there is no way in hell I am doing that anytime soon. Especially not now. If the likelihood of David talking to me now is zero, the likelihood of him talking to me after I join my father’s side would be minus 1000.
“He doesn’t know you were here the other night looking for him. Wasn’t sure if you wanted–” Rhys starts to say as we both walk into the house.
“Thanks Uncle.” I interrupt, before taking a deep breath in.
“He’s out by the pool. You know you could stay, hang out for a bit?”
“Didn’t bring my bikini.” I retort, making Uncle Rhys laugh.
“Flying visit it is then.”
Uncle Rhys pushes open the French doors dramatically signalling his entrance to the garden, drawing the attention of the numerous people stationed around the grounds that I was not expecting.
Then their eyes fall on me.
I notice a couple of them from the docks, including one of those that tried to manhandle me out the doors. At least he has the decency to look embarrassed as hell and avoid looking me in the eyes.
Rhys leads me down the steps to the pool, and I am very aware of the hushed whispers starting to gather momentum from behind me. Finally, I spot Malcolm pacing around the pool’s edge while talking on the phone.
Stopping a bit away from him, I wait for him to notice me. It takes at least 30 seconds, which goes to show just how self-absorbed he truly is.
When he eventually locks eyes with me, he quickly ends his conversation and pockets his phone.
“Elizabeth. What a lovely surprise.” Malcolm says. I feel Rhys shift beside me.
Uncle Rhys is loyal to my father, there is no doubt about that. But it is also Uncle Rhys who noticed how unhappy I was in the business, and gave me some starter money to get out on my own. He always had a soft spot for me, and he was always aware of how my father treated me.
And he knows how much I have grown to resent my given name.
“Spare the shit.” I say bluntly, although it does nothing to wipe the smile off Malcolm’s face as he walks toward me. “I’m here to talk about Reid.”
“I thought you weren’t going to be involved in any of this?” He replies, the patronising way he says his words not lost on me.
“I’m involved with him. Not with you.”
“Not according to what I heard recently.” He counters, his smile widening.
I blink at how sharply his comment stabs through my chest, then take a deep breath in to centre myself again.
“Give him the docks back.”
“Oh, I wish I could.”
“Then do it.”
“I can’t. We made a deal. Is that all?” He asks, going to turn away from me.
“Then I’ll make a new deal with you.” That gets his attention. “There must be something else you want?”
Malcolm turns back to me, then smiles. Creepily. Like the cat who got the cream. It makes me nervous, but I am determined not to let it show. So I stand, silently, waiting for my father to answer me. He is never usually one to back down from a deal.
“Glad to see the old you is still in there somewhere, sweetheart.” He finally replies. It makes my skin shiver. “There was another option on the table. Reid didn’t go for it.”
“What was it? More territory? Money? His business?”
“Nothing as insignificant as that, I can assure you. But if you can agree, then I’ll gladly return the docks to him.”
“What was the other option?”
“Tsk tsk, that’s between the men I’m afraid. If you’re indeed here to barter for your beloved, I assume you can agree to the terms on his behalf too. Am I wrong?”
I think about how to play this. I do not exactly want David knowing I was here, talking with Malcolm, especially not about him. But I need to get David back at least one thing he has lost because of me. How bad would it be if I do not know what the condition is? Malcolm said it is not any more territory, money or Whitaker Enterprises. I cannot think of anything else that David would want to risk losing.
So… surely it would not be too catastrophic?
“You’re not wrong. I accept.” I state, holding my hand out for him to shake. My father laughs, and shakes my hand.
“A deal’s a deal.” Malcolm smiles. “I’ll return Reid’s docks to him by the end of the day.”
“Great. Hope to see you never.” I say childishly, before spinning on my heel and storming off.
I can feel him watching me, but hear Uncle Rhys start a conversation pretty quickly, so I just focus on getting out of the damn house. Speeding past the other cronies, slamming the front door open, I march down the path and press the buzzer button a hundred times before the gates finally start opening.
Now I feel like I can breathe again. My legs are walking me quickly down the pavement, and my fingers feel tingly and numb as I start getting my phone out of my jeans to call Sel.
It rings straight through to voicemail.
Groaning in frustration loudly into the air, I redial Sel’s number and wait as it rings. When I hear the voicemail start again, I start to get worried. Hanging up, I order an Uber, then try to call her again.
Sel always answers the phone when I cal, unless she is asleep. Even then after a few rings, she will pick up the call and just yawn her way through the conversation. It is the first and most important rule between the two of us – always answer. So the fact that she is not picking up is odd. Especially because I know she is fully awake by now.
What is weirder is the fact it is ringing and then going to answerphone.
I am antsy in the car as the Uber drives me back to her place. I rush out a ‘Thanks!’ to the driver before speeding out the car toward the building, and running up the stairs.
While I’ running, a horrible thought occurs to me.
What if my father has gotten to her?
I am struggling to put the keys in the lock, having them slip from my fingers twice before I finally open the door and hear–
Laughing.
Looking at the couch, Sel is sitting there with someone, both of them laughing their heads off, and not noticing that I have walked in.
“Umm, hi?” I call, making them both turn toward me.
It is then that I see the other person’s face.
“Ethan?!” I squeal, happiness instantly blooming from my chest and making me grin, as he smiles back and stands up from the couch, walking toward me.
“Nora, how have you been, babe?” He asks charmingly before wrapping me in a hug. I cannot quite believe that he is here, in the apartment, after not seeing him for so long.
When I hug him back, I notice how he feels bigger, broader in my arms, but the scent of him is exactly the same as I bury my face in his chest, his head resting on top of mine. He still towers over me just as much as he used to.
It is just what I need at that moment. Someone familiar. Someone who makes me happy. Enveloped in all their goodness.
Breaking apart, I look up at him. His hair is slightly lighter in colour, his skin slightly more tanned, but his green eyes still shine, and his boyish smile has stayed exactly the same too.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I ask, finally closing the door behind me. “I thought you were still in Australia?”
“Nah, I came back a while ago. The outback lost its appeal after a few too many spider bites.” He laughs.
“How come you never called?”
“Someone changed their number, didn’t they?” He teases, bopping his finger on my nose, making me scrunch it up playfully.
“Yeah, sorry, it’s been…”
“Sel caught me up.” He shakes his head. “Although I’m sure she’s left some bits out. Still, sounds like you’ve been through hell, princess.”
I blush at the use of his old nickname for me, walking past him toward Sel as I try to hide the fact that he clearly still has his Dom effect on me.
“Yeah it’s uh… been crazy. When did you pop over?” I ask, sitting on the couch and turning to face him as he follows me, wondering how honest Sel has been.
“He turned up an hour ago.” Sel answers for him. “I said it was a miracle he still remembered my address.” She laughs.
“Well, I knocked on a few wrong doors before I got the right one.” Ethan replies.
Sel stands from the couch, gesturing for him to take her place, and as she walks past me, I grab her wrist.
“I tried to call you.” I whisper.
“Oh did you?” She asks, patting her pockets. “I don’t know where my phone is. Sorry, I was just here chatting. Everything go okay?” She queries, now looking around the apartment for her phone.
“Umm... I think so, will talk to you later.” I mutter, before turning my attention back to Ethan, and Sel sets about trying to find her phone. “So, is this just a flying visit, or..?”
“Somewhat.” He shrugs, shifting a little closer to me. “I came over hoping that we could catch up properly? Maybe dinner?”
“I…” I stutter, his proposal catching me off guard. “I don’t think I’m particularly good company at the minute.”
“All the more reason, I can help get your mind off of things. Come on, indulge an old friend for the evening.” He persuades, his hand coming to rest over mine in my lap. “We can go to that place on 5th with the dirty fries you love?”
As if on cue, my stomach rumbles, and the two of us laugh.
“Okay. Yeah, dinner sounds nice.” I reply, smiling at him and for the first time that day, feeling happy.