Negotiating Tactics

Twenty-Five

Noah

I left Alex’s apartment,everything—everything—inside of me demanding I go back.

I didn’t know how long I stood outside her building wrestling with myself.

Not believing I had fucked up so royally.

Unable to accept that I had been so close to having what I had never known I wanted and fucking lost it.

I was so angry, I was stunned, knew that I needed to do something.

It was that or I would much back into the building and not let Alex go until she promised to be mine.

If I were stronger, I would have done just that.

But instead, I found myself in my car, not all surprised when I ended up at Dominic’s.

The doorman waved me in, and Dominic was there, the front door open, as I stepped off the elevator.

“You don’t look surprised to see me,” I said.

“I hear congratulations are in order,” he responded.

His expression gave away nothing, and I couldn’t stop my mirthless laughter. “News travels fast.”

“In this family it does,” he said.

Family.

He meant Birdie, Aunt Clem, even Alex, and for split second, I felt the same way I had when I was a kid

Alone.

Cast out.

Dominic smacked me on the shoulder and pulled me inside.

“Aunt Clem wants to talk to you,” he said.

“What?” I asked, looking at him, my brows lifted in surprise.

“I don’t ask questions. You’ll figure out why soon enough,” he said, a little smirk on his face now.

“Birdie’s not even going to come say hi?” I asked.

“Not until you talk to Aunt Clem,” he said.

He nodded down the long hall toward the den.

I walked toward it, curious.

When I saw the tiny woman sitting in a chair that practically swallowed her, I couldn’t help but smile.

“You think I don’t look so tough?” she asked, her eyes bright with amusement.

“How many others have made the same mistake?” I responded, entering the room.

She had a rickety-looking card table in front of her with another chair opposite her.

“Have a seat,” she said.

Then, she reached for the cards that lay on the card table, her fingers moving over them nimbly.

“I was told to never play cards with you,” I said.

“Have a seat, son,” she said as she shuffled.

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, not able to stop myself from smiling.

I thought of my nonna and wished she was here.

“You know how to play canasta?” Aunt Clem said, her voice bringing me out of the past.

“Not even a little,” I responded.

She met my eyes, then gave me a quick once over. “You look smart. I know Alex wouldn’t give you the time of day if you weren’t. You’ll pick it up,” she said.

I let the remark pass without comment and watched Aunt Clem as she dealt the cards.

About half an hour later, I looked at Aunt Clem. “You’re right. I am pretty smart, but this game makes no sense at all,” I said.

She huffed. “Don’t try to weasel out now that I’ve walked you through the rules. Let’s play,” she said.

Before I could respond, I heard someone approaching, and looked over as Birdie walked in. “Did you come to rescue me?” I asked.

My sister-in-law smiled. “You on your own, Noah. I just came to check on Auntie Clem,” she said.

Birdie looked at the old woman, tenderness—and worry—in her expression.

“I told you to stop fussing over me, girl,” Aunt Clem said.

Birdie studied her, then smiled patiently. “Seems like you’re fine. I’ll let you toy with Noah here a little bit longer, and then we’ll get you home,” she said.

“Don’t interrupt my game again, Birdie,” Aunt Clem said, though I could see the softness in her expression.

“Take it easy on him, it,” Birdie said. Then she looked at me. “Good luck.”

Her laughter trailed behind her as she walked out of the room, and after a steadying breath, I gave the completely incomprehensible game my best shot.

“Not bad, greenhorn,” Aunt Clem said.

“Not bad?” I arched a brow. “I didn’t win a single point.”

She shrugged and then rolled her eyes. “Of course, you didn’t. But you stuck in there, and that’s good,” she said.

I got the sense she wasn’t talking about the game anymore and put my cards down.

She did the same, her eyes yellowed but still piercing, raking over me.

“So, as I understand, you’re Prescott’s outside child,” she said.

She stared at me, gauging my reaction, though there was no hint of anything in her voice. No judgment, no pity.

“Prescott’s bastard. Yes, that’s me,” I said.

On the surface, the words might seem harsh, but there was no heat behind them, and Aunt Clem gave no outward reaction to them.

“You don’t sound ashamed of that,” she said.

“Should I be?” I responded.

She laughed. “Not one bit. But some people carry the sins of their fathers, something I suspect you know better than most,” she said.

“Are we talking about me here, Aunt Clem? Or Alex?”

The old woman smiled. “See! I told you you’re smart,” she said.

I looked at her, trying to figure out what to do next.

What to say.

Then, after a moment, accepted that it didn’t matter.

Whatever conversation we were going to have, Aunt Clem was going to run it, so I figured it was best if I played along.

“So, I guess I should have something to say about you getting my girl in the family way,” she said.

“Alex is an adult,” I said, trying not to sound defensive.

“And that’s supposed to make it okay?” She didn’t pause long enough to let me answer. “What do you plan to do?” she asked.

“You’re asking some private questions, Aunt Clem,” I said.

“Who’s going stop me?”

I couldn’t help but smile, and she returned the expression.

“I guess I should apologize for saying that,” I said.

She waved her hand and scoffed. “Not necessary. A stubborn man like you probably felt honor bound to push back, even if a little bit,” she said.

“What makes you think I’m stubborn?”

We hadn’t spent any significant time together, and I was genuinely curious.

She laughed. “Is this the part where I tell you that you don’t get to be my age without figuring out some things about life?”

“Well, I suppose you could,” I said.

“I could, but we know that’s all bull hockey. Some people older than even me are dumber than this table. So, no, age isn’t how I know you’re stubborn,” she said.

I chuckled. “Then how?”

“You got my Alex to fall for you. No easy feat, and a task that would exceed the grasp of a lesser man. I know my girl, and she couldn’t have made it easy,” Aunt Clem said.

“No, she did not.” I chuckled.

My voice was quiet, but even I heard the emotion in it.

“Well, I suspect you know the reason behind that, which is why you did what she did,” Aunt Clem said.

“Should I be talking about this with you?” I asked.

“Well, who else you gonna talk to? Birdie isn’t gonna tell you anything, and your brothers, who are nice enough, don’t know shit about my girl. So, the way I see it, I’m your only option,” she said.

I smiled. “So, you’re on my side?” I asked.

She laughed heartily. “Lord no. I’m on Alex’s side. Her side and that baby’s. The people who matter. And I’ve decided that you’re good for them. So, I’m on their side, and you’re exactly what they need,” she said.

“I guess I’m flattered,” I said.

She looked me up and down, incredulous. “As you should be. You don’t get my seal of approval without earning it. So don’t do anymore dumb shit and mess it up,” she said, turning serious.

I looked away, then looked back at her, deciding to speak freely.

“Her father is garbage. He’s not worthy of her. I just wanted to make sure he couldn’t hurt her again,” I said.

It felt odd to defend myself, but I felt compelled to do so.

“I understand that. I even agree. But here’s the thing. You might be right—you are right as far as I’m concerned—but you don’t get to make that choice for her. And if you know Alex, and I know you do, you know it’s hard for her to trust.”

“Whose fault is that?” I asked, my voice angry.

“Oh, I know exactly whose fault it is. But it’s your responsibility now. If you love her, and I think you do, you have to trust her. And you have to let her trust you. I didn’t like seeing him hurt her any more than you did, but it wasn’t your place, Noah,” she said.

I wanted to argue but decided to save my words.

“So, how you gonna fix it?” Aunt Clem asked a moment later,

“What makes you think I can?” I said, the gravity of this fucked-up situation hitting me.

I might have lost her.

In trying to protect Alex, I might have done the one thing that would push her away forever.

“Like I said, you’re smart. And you love her too. So fight for her,” she said simply.

“You might not like the way I fight, Aunt Clem,” I said.

“Is that supposed to be a warning?”

“Yeah,” I responded honestly.

She laughed. “I didn’t tell you to place fair or to be nice. I told you to fight. But use your brain. I know you wanna go in there and tell her what’s what. But you’re smart enough to know that’s not gonna work,” she said.

“Then what do I do?” I asked.

I sank into my chair, then met Aunt Clem’s eyes when she leaned forward and patted my hand.

“You do for her what no one else has ever done. Do for her what no one else has ever done for you either,” she said.

I met her eyes, and she smiled, nodding at my unspoken question.

“And what’s that?” I finally whispered.

She patted my hand tenderly.

“Be there for her, Noah. Be there.”

Noah

Be there.

Aunt Clem’s words rang in my head two weeks later as I opened the car door for Alex.

“This isn’t really necessary,” she said for probably the thousandth time since I had walked her out of her office.

I gritted my teeth and looked at over at her, hoping that the expression on my face passed for smile.

“I know I don’t have to be here, Alex. But I want to be,” I said.

Then I looked at the road and drove off.

It was her first appointment, and I’d had to practically browbeat her to have her agree to let me come along.

It wasn’t that she was mean about it.

I could have taken anger, but this…this niceness was so much worse.

She was being so polite, I wanted to scream.

Before, when we were in my car, she would fiddle with the radio or chat about something, but now, she was sitting next to me, her hands on her lap, her eyes straight ahead.

I might as well have been a rideshare driver.

No, that wasn’t true.

She would have chatted a rideshare driver.

But she was stonewalling me.

I fucking hated it.

I’d called her every day. She’d answered every question, but she wouldn’t let me in.

This distance was testing me, pushing my resolve, but I remember what Aunt Clem said, knew that I had to do this.

Knew that, for the woman and child who were my family, I would.

“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Alex said thirty minutes later.

“I have to agree,” I said.

They’d taken blood to confirm the pregnancy then given her few resources and told her they’d be in touch to set up an appointment.

“Lunch?” I asked.

“No, I?—”

Something in my expression must have given her pause.

“Sure,” she finally said.

I was glad she had relented.

I was going to take Aunt Clem’s advice but would only allow Alex to push me so far.

“I’m going to miss lunch meat,” Alex said.

“The doctor said you could have it. You just have to heat it up,” I responded.

“Yeah, but warm cold cuts don’t even sound right,” she said.

I just laughed and stayed silent as I led her to a lunch spot, one that happened to be next door to her OB. She placed an order for chicken—chicken that I intended to ensure was thoroughly cooked—veggies, and brown rice.

“I’ll have Dominic’s chef prepare meals for you,” I said absently.

“No, that’s not necessary,” she said, frowning at me.

“Look, Alex,” I said, my patience wearing thin.

I stayed quiet, took a deep breath, and then started again.

“Alex, whatever happened between us, we have the baby to consider. And right now, taking care of you is taking care of him or her. So I’m going to do that. No arguments,” I said.

I kept my face emotionless, wanting to be ready for her response.

You could have knocked me out of the chair when she gave me a curt nod.

There was a shift after that, something subtle, but she talked to me a little bit about the cases she was working on.

Nothing of real substance, but it wasn’t the silent, distant Alex that I had confronted for these last couple of weeks.

By the time we left lunch, I felt something like hope.

“Have a good day. I’ll call you tonight,” I said when I stopped in front of her office.

She looked over at me. “You too.”

I moved on instinct and leaned over to place a quick, hard kiss on her lips.

Her eyes widened, and then, to my surprise, she smiled.

She got out without saying anything else, but I sat for a moment, trying to hold onto that feeling.

Hope.

For the first time in weeks, I believed I might have a chance.