Stuck with Mr. Grump

23. Emilia

CHAPTER 23

Emilia

I ’ve been feeling so many mixed emotions all day, ranging from anxiety to relief to downright fear. Carson only told me about Sterling’s return this morning to fuck with me, and it worked perfectly. I couldn’t stop thinking about him and what his return may bring.

I almost cancelled my date but I couldn’t because I know he deserves better than that. Plus I’d been putting it off for so long. I thought I’d stay for a little while, have a nice meal, and try to enjoy my time with him. What I hadn’t been expecting was for Sterling Harrington to show up with his brother in tow.

The first thing I felt when I saw him standing at the entrance to the restaurant was relief. Well, actually, it was shock first and then relief. Because deep down, even if I don’t want to admit it, I’ve missed him a lot and I needed him. And now that he’s here, I have no clue how to act or what I’m even supposed to say.

Especially since I’m on a date with another man.

“What are you doing here, Sterling?” I ask again. “How did you even know where to find me?”

He’s being way too chill right now, although I can see in his eyes that he’s pissed. I don’t know why. I told him I wasn’t going to wait for him. It’s been two years, I’m free to do whatever I want and to date whoever I want, and he doesn’t get to make me feel guilty about that.

Although I do feel guilty. A little.

“Your brother told me,” he replies, his jaw clenched.

Carson, you fucking manipulative asshole!

I run a hand through my hair. “You need to leave, Sterling.”

He scoffs. “Like hell I do. This is the first time I’m seeing you in two years, angel. And you’re on a date with some guy.”

“He’s not just some guy. His name is Ian,” I say on a sigh.

Sterling’s green eyes narrow as he stares at something behind me. “Why does Ian look so familiar?”

I whirl around and sure enough Ian’s turned around to look at us. We’ve drawn the attention of other people in the restaurant as well. I grit my teeth as I look back at Sterling.

“That’s because he was a regular customer at Emilia’s Café,” I say in reply to his question. “Now, can you please leave? This isn’t the time or place for this conversation. I’ll get in touch with you later.”

“That’s not happening, angel,” Sterling says on a smirk. “I’m not leaving here unless it’s with you.”

“Are you fucking serious right now?” I question, unimpressed.

“As a heart attack.”

I know he won’t budge. This is Sterling Harrington we’re talking about. He’s almost as stubborn as me. I glare up at him.

“You’re being rude, Sterling. At least respect the fact that I’m with someone else.”

He shifts closer and his scent surrounds me, reminding me of every single memory, every feeling I’ve tried hard to bury in the past two years. My heart speeds up. Sterling has always been the only person to instill that effect on me.

“If you can tell me right now that he matters more to you than me, then I’ll walk out that door right now,” he prompts.

My hands tighten into fists. “You don’t fight fair.”

“I know.” He grins.

I melt at the sight of the smile. It’s easy, light. Now that I’m really looking at him, something’s different. He doesn’t look like the same man from two years ago, the man with the weight of the world seemingly on his shoulders. He’s lighter and I’m so glad.

“You’re a jerk, Sterling Harrington,” I mutter.

He doesn’t stop me when I turn around, heading back to my table where Ian is seated. I chew on my bottom lip, feeling guilty as I stare at the man with kind blue eyes and a warm smile. Ian’s helped me a lot in the past two years. I first met him when he used to live in Edenton, but we never really spoke.

And then I came to Greenville and started working at my current company, only to realize Ian was acting manager there. He helped me a lot, showed me the ropes. And I knew he liked me. I tried hard to ignore it, though, because I wasn’t over Sterling and I already had a lot on my plate.

The date today was me trying to give him a chance because I know he’s waited for a long time.

“Ian,” I say softly.

He shakes his head, adjusting the glasses resting on his nose. “It’s fine. You don’t have to say anything. I can take a hint,” he tells me.

“I am so sorry.”

“You don’t have to be. It’s not like you led me on or anything. I knew what I was getting into and you always made your position clear,” he states on a shrug. “I wish you nothing but happiness, Emilia.”

My heart aches because he’s such a genuinely good person. I didn’t know people like that still existed, but Ian has such a pure heart. It would be so easy to fall in love with him. But I can’t. Not when Sterling owns my heart in a way that annoys me half the time.

“You’re an amazing person, Ian Tucker,” I murmur. “I hope you find an amazing woman who makes you happy.”

“I’m sure I will.” He smirks, getting to his feet. “One last thing. Sterling Harrington, is he your baby’s father?”

Not a lot of people are aware of my baby’s existence, but Ian’s one of them. I knew I could trust him to keep a secret. I exhale a soft breath before nodding once in answer.

He smiles. “I hope it all works out between you two.”

“We’ll see.”

He steps forward to give me a hug and I hug him back, glad that we’re ending things on such an amicable note. When I glance toward the entrance, I find Sterling’s gaze fixed on us, his displeasure about the hug apparent. I roll my eyes.

Pulling away from Ian, I offer him a warm smile. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

“I won’t.”

After one last look, I grab my purse, walking away and heading toward a man that could very well ruin my present. But I want to choose to believe in a future with him, as well.

Sterling doesn’t say a word when I reach him. He just grabs my hand, leading me out of the restaurant. Neither of us speaks until we’re seated in his car.

Eventually, he lets out a soft sigh.

“Why does it feel like you’re not happy to see me, angel?” he questions.

“Well, you did just crash my date and demand I end it,” I point out.

“I’m not going to apologize for that. You were wasting your time with him. We both know where you belong.”

My heart thuds in my chest. “Do we really? Because the last time I saw you, you were leaving me.”

He opens his mouth to speak but I continue before he can.

“It was a decision I supported one-hundred percent. I understand why you made that choice, Sterling. I’m not holding it over your head. It’s just, we ended things back then. You can’t just bulldoze your way back into my life and expect us to pick off where we left off,” I explain.

“Okay, first off, we didn’t end anything,” Sterling states. “We were never even together, angel. And second, I’m not trying to pick off where we left off. I want to start something new with you. I want us to be together, officially this time. No more false pretenses, no more secrets or hiding our true selves. I want you, Emilia. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes for you to accept that. I’m willing to wait as long as you want.”

My eyes grow glassy because he’s saying exactly what I’ve wanted to hear all this time that I’ve been waiting. I wanted nothing more than for him to come back and tell me all this.

No more secrets… He has no idea I’m hiding the biggest secret of all.

“There’s just…” I falter, gripping my hair. “There’s so much you don’t know, Sterling.”

“You can tell me,” he says patiently. “I’ll listen to it, all of it, angel.”

He has no idea what he’s asking for. He could very well hate me after all this and I’d only have myself to blame.

“Let’s just take it one day at a time,” I breathe.

“Sure. On that note, how about we go on a date tomorrow?” he asks. “Anywhere you want. Since I got reinstated as vice president of the company, I have access to the private jet. We could go anywhere—Peru, Thailand, South Africa.”

“You’re ridiculous,” I say on a laugh. “You’d really just pack everything up and go to South Africa?”

“If you wanted to, I’d go anywhere, angel,” he says softly, looking at me.

Those damn green eyes. My life was easier when I didn’t have to feel them on me. Their searing heat, the way they feel like a window into his soul.

“How about having dinner at a restaurant like normal people?” I smile.

He scowls. “Like Ian?”

“Oh my god, you need to let that go. Ian’s a really good person. He’s helped me a lot.”

“Helped you with what?”

“I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. It’s getting pretty late,” I tell him.

He glances at the watch on his wrist with a frown. “Carson said you’re working. Where?”

“A company.”

“I thought it was on a farm,” he says sarcastically. “What company?”

“I’ll tell you tomorrow. We’ll have lots to talk about then.”

“Fine,” he huffs.

There’s a temporary lull in the conversation and I use it to study him for a couple of seconds.

“How are you, though?” I ask gently.

He smiles. “I was wondering when you were going to ask that. I’m fine, angel. You really don’t have to worry about me anymore.”

“I’ll always worry about you,” I counter. “And how’s Sean, after… everything?”

Marissa passed away six months after they left Edenton. I was devastated when I heard the news. It hurt even more that I couldn’t just go to comfort him. It must have been hard.

“Sean’s okay, too. He didn’t talk for about two months after his mother passed away. It was hard,” Sterling says gruffly. “Then he got better. He’s in New York at the moment. He started school and he’s made some friends. He’s really come out of his shell.”

“That’s good.”

“Losing Marissa’s never going to get easier. We’ve just learned to live with it.”

“I’m proud of you,” I state.

“And I’m sorry it took me so long to come back.”

I shake my head. “You took the time you needed to heal. I can’t fault you for that.”

Sterling starts the car, insisting on taking me to Carson’s apartment. He frowns as he looks up at the building. Carson lives in the penthouse. It’s pretty luxurious.

“Why did you leave Edenton? You loved it there.” he asks curiously.

I don’t reply. Anything I say would be a deflection or a lie. He looks at me and seems to understand.

“You’ll tell me eventually, right?”

“Yes, I promise,” I answer.

“Alright. I’ll be at a hotel in town. Just text me tomorrow when you’ll be available to meet up.”

“Okay,” I tell him, my hand moving to open the door.

“Wait,” he says, stopping me. “Come here.”

He grabs my shoulder, leaning sideways and pulling me into his chest. I exhale.

“I couldn’t let you go without giving you at least one hug,” he murmurs, running a hand through my hair.

A part of me wants to climb into his lap and never let go.

“I missed you, Sterling,” I breathe, gripping his arm and trying hard to hold back tears.

“Missed you too, angel. So much.”

He eventually lets me go and I step out of the car, waving as he drives off. Once he’s gone, my expression crumples. He’s so happy now. How’s he going to feel when he finds out the truth? With a heavy heart, I head into the building, placing a card against the elevator panel to gain access to the penthouse.

I walk into the apartment to the sound of my baby laughing. The sound manages to melt my worries away. I walk in the direction of her laughter to see her and her babysitter seated on the floor. My little girl’s wiggling one of her toys, which creates a rattling sound she seems to love.

Her babysitter, Kim is smiling as she watches her. She’s a woman in her mid-thirties that’s been helping me out with my daughter for a couple of months, ever since I started working. She’s efficient, kind, and my baby seems to love her.

“Hey, Kim. How was today?” I ask, taking off my jacket and placing it on the back of the couch.

“Pretty good,” she replies, getting to her feet. “She was an angel as always.”

I smile, thinking about her dad and how he’s always calling me angel.

“Thanks. I can take it from here,” I tell her.

Kim leaves and then it’s just me and my daughter. I lift her from the floor, placing her on my lap as I settle on the couch.

“Hey, honey. Did you have dinner?”

She giggles, her big green eyes just like her dad’s sparkling. She babbles a couple of incomprehensible words that I listen to intently.

“I saw your daddy today. He looked amazing. I didn’t realize how much I missed him until now,” I tell her.

Her eyes are focused on me like she can really understand what I’m saying.

“Do you want to meet your daddy?”

My daughter blinks.

“He’ll love you. I know in my heart that he will. I’m just scared that he’s going to hate me for hiding you for so long,” I tell her tearfully. “I don’t want him to hate me.”

She lifts her adorable small hand, trying to rest it against my cheek. The touch is comforting.

“I can’t keep him away from you anymore, though. You deserve to know your daddy. Just give me a couple of days. I’ll tell him, I promise. I just want a few days to be happy with him.”

“Mama,” she says with some effort.

That’s the only word she’s been able to say. I cried a bucket the first day I heard it, a couple weeks ago. My smart, perfect little girl.

“Should we watch a movie or do you want me to read to you? I think a movie would be nice. You fall asleep faster when you’re looking at the pictures. How about Frozen ?”

She seems to like that idea so I turn on the TV, playing the movie. She’s out like a light in about twenty minutes but I don’t move, relishing the weight of her in my arms.

My daughter’s the most precious thing in the world to me. I’d do anything to protect her.

Carson gets home about two hours after me. I wrinkle my nose when I smell the alcohol wafting off him. He doesn’t seem too drunk, though.

“Really?” I ask, glaring up at him.

He smiles before practically falling onto the armchair in the living room.

“Sorry. I went out with Spencer Harrington. That man knows how to party.”

My brows furrow. “I thought you didn’t like him.”

“He’s not so bad,” he says on a shrug. “So, did you meet Sterling?”

“You sent him to me, didn’t you? Of course I did.”

“And how was it? Did you tell him about her?”

I shake my head. Carson looks disappointed.

“You can’t put it off forever, Emilia. I’ve been telling you to call him for over a year. And now he’s here. He deserves to know.”

“I’m very aware,” I sniff.

“You need to tell him. I still need to punch the bastard for getting you pregnant in the first place.” He scowls.

“Mind your own business, Carson,” I mutter.

He smirks, getting to his feet with a yawn, “I’m beat. I’m going to bed. See you tomorrow, little sister. Good night, cupcake,” he whispers at my sleeping daughter.

The room falls quiet and I spend a long time sitting there, rocking my baby as I consider what my next plan of action is.

A sharp ringing suddenly cuts across the silence in the room. I frown, wondering who could be calling me so late. When I grab my phone and see it’s an unknown caller, my stomach drops. I answer the call, even though I already know the person on the other end won’t say a word.

“Hello?” I breathe, feeling my heart pounding. “This is the third call in two months. If this persists, I’m going to report it to the police.”

The person on the other end doesn’t respond. Absolutely nothing but heavy breathing and crickets. I hang up two seconds later, tossing my phone onto the couch. It’s getting really creepy and I’m terrified.

Because although I’m not ready to admit it, the call might just be a sign that my past is about to catch up to me.