Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Weston
We walked into the living room where Zoey sat cross-legged on the couch, watching a reality dating show while scrolling on her phone.
“Can I help you?” she asked without even looking up.
“Ahem.” I cleared my throat, and she looked up.
“Why do you both look weird?” Her eyes narrowed.
“We don’t look weird,” Sam said.
“Mom, you’re smiling way too much, and Wes looks like he’s ready to negotiate a merger.”
The kid couldn’t have been more accurate. Sam sat down beside her.
“We have something to tell you.”
Zoey grabbed the remote and paused the TV.
“Oh, my God.” Her eyes widened. “Are you two engaged?”
“What? Oh my God, no,” Sam said.
Instantly, Zoey’s hand clasped her mouth.
“You’re pregnant!”
“What?” NO!” Sam exclaimed. “Seriously, Zoe. That’s where your mind went?”
“Well, you two are very dramatic.”
I sighed and sat in the chair across from the couch.
“Your mom and I—”
Sam put up her hand. “I got it, honey.” She smiled. “We’re moving in with Wes.”
Zoey rolled her eyes. “That’s it?”
“What do you mean, ‘that’s it?’” Sam frowned.
“We practically live here already. I have a drawer in my bathroom, off the bedroom that I sleep in more than I do my own bed at home.”
“Wait, what?” Sam said. “You have a bathroom drawer?” She glanced over at me. “Did you know that?”
“Yes. You didn’t?”
“No. I had no idea.”
“You’re lovestruck, so I’m not surprised you didn’t notice,” Zoey said.
“So, you’re okay with it?” she asked Zoey.
Zoey laughed. “Are you OKAY with it, Wes?”
“Why wouldn’t I be. It was my idea.”
“Because this means you’re officially signing up for the full package.”
“Full package?” My brows furrowed.
She held up her hand and started counting on her fingers.
“Me stealing your hoodies.”
“Only the ones I don’t wear.”
“Me eating all of your expensive snacks.”
“Not a problem. What’s mine is yours.” I smiled.
“Me making fun of your music choices.”
“I can handle that. No problem.”
“Me having friends over and having sleepovers.”
I stared at her for a moment and looked at Sam.
“See,” Zoey pointed, “that right there is the face of regret.”
“Friends and sleepovers are fine,” I reluctantly said.
“For the record, I’m happy. I like it here. I have five floors to get lost on.”
“You mean four floors.” My brow arched.
“Correction. Four floors.” She rolled her eyes. “You make her happy, Wes. But let’s get one thing straight.”
Now, I was worried.
“Okay.”
“You are never, under any circumstances, allowed to walk around the kitchen shirtless.”
“Zoey.” Sam shook her head.
“What? We need boundaries.”
“Fair enough, your highness.”
“One last thing. If you hurt my mom again, I will tell everyone at school that you cried during The Notebook.”
“That was one time.” I held up my finger.
Sam looked at me wide-eyed. “You cried during The Notebook? I don’t remember that,” she smirked.
“You fell asleep, Mom. He cried like a baby.”
“I did not!” I defended myself. “Maybe a tear or two, but that was it.”
“Sure.” Sam slowly nodded.
“I hate both of you.”
“No, you don’t.” Zoey smiled. She got up from the couch, walked over to where I sat, and wrapped her arms around me. “Thanks, Wes. Now we can be one happy family.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
Her words hit me square in the chest. And she was right. We were a family, and I wouldn’t have my life any other way.
There was a knock at the door.
“Oh, I hope that’s my Taco Bell,” Zoey said.
“Taco Bell? Really?” Sam cocked her head.
“I’m hungry, and there isn’t any food in this house.” She jumped up and opened the door. I froze when I heard my grandmother’s voice.
“Oh, it’s you,” I heard my grandmother say.
“The one and only. I do have a name. It’s Zoey.”
Sighing, I walked over to the door.
“Grandmother.”
“Weston.” She pushed past Zoey. “Samantha, isn’t it?” She stared at her.
“Yes. It’s nice to see you again, Evelyn.”
“It’s Mrs. Castile, dear.”
“Okay then. My apologies,” Sam said.
“What are you doing here, Grandmother?”
“We need to talk, Weston.”
“About what?”
“I’d prefer somewhere private.”
“And I’d prefer not to leave my family sitting in the living room wondering what this is about.” I arched my brow.
“Very well.” She pursed her lips. “I’ve received three calls this week from board members asking if everything is all right.”
“Everything is fine.” I walked over to the bar and poured a scotch.
“Is it? The Weston Castile I know doesn’t leave the office at five o’clock.”
“I’ve adjusted my schedule.” I tipped the glass to my lips.
“You’ve canceled important business dinners.” Her stern look wasn’t anything new to me.
“I didn’t cancel. I rescheduled them.”
“You turned down the Chicago expansion project.”
Sam glanced at me with a worried look. I hadn’t told her about that yet.
“It wasn’t the right time.”
“The right time?” she scolded. “Your grandfather built this company on making sacrifices.”
“There it is.” I smiled. “I knew it wouldn’t be too long before you threw his name at me. He missed holidays. Birthdays. Vacations. Need I go on?”
“Wow,” Zoey said. “That’s terrible.”
Sam slowly closed her eyes as I silently smiled.
“He built an empire,” my grandmother said to her.
“Cool. Did he know his kid and his grandson? It sounds like all the man did was work.”
Go Zoey. Go Zoey.
“Mind your business, young lady.” She turned back to me. “People are noticing your lack of focus, Weston.”
I chuckled. “You mean they’re noticing I have a life outside of work.”
“Work is your life,” she spoke through gritted teeth.
“No.” I shook my head. “No, it’s not.”
“It’s what made your grandfather and the company so successful. Don’t you dare stand there and tell me otherwise.”
“He died with the company, grandmother. My father died with a family. He put his family first, not the company.”
“I know, and it was an issue ever since he married your mother.”
For years, I accepted everything she spewed at me and never stood my ground. But now, things were different. I was different. And I would no longer be bullied by her or the board.
“I know you think Sam is a distraction.”
My grandmother stood there, her eyes cold, not saying a word. She didn’t have to. Her silence confirmed it.
“But she’s not.” I extended my hand to Sam. She walked over and placed her hand in mine. “She’s the reason I’ve finally figured out what matters.”
“You’re making a mistake. A mistake that will cost you everything.”
“No.” I smiled. “The only mistake I made was being foolish enough to lose her once. I won’t make that mistake again. Samantha and Zoey are moving in with me. This is their home now.”
“This is reckless, Weston,” she said.
“That’s where you’re wrong. It’s a decision that I made.” I wrapped my arm around Sam’s waist.
“It’s a foolish one.”
“Wow. You really know how to make people feel welcome,” Zoey said, heading to the front door, opening it, and grabbing her Taco Bell from the porch.
“Zoey, please,” Sam said.
The thing was, I loved it.
“What? She’s acting like we just told her we’re joining the circus.”
“You’re allowing emotions to cloud your judgment.” My grandmother stared at me.
“I’m pretty sure that’s called being in love.” Zoey laughed.
“The adults are having a conversation, child. Now, take your disgusting food to the kitchen.”
“Zoey, you can eat your Taco Bell on the couch,” I said, and Sam shot me a look.
“Love you, Wes.” Zoey grinned. “Listen, Grandma. If the ‘adults’ are having a conversation, then maybe the adults should act like it. Not you, Mom and Wes.”
“You have no understanding of what it takes to build a successful life, child. And from what I can tell, you’ll never be successful with that disrespectful mouth of yours.”
“Grand—”
“It’s okay, Wes. Maybe I don’t. But I know what it looks like when people actually like being around each other.”
“Zo—” Sam started, and my arm tightened around her waist.
“You think this is amusing?” my grandmother asked Zoey.
“No. Honestly, I think it’s kind of sad.”
“Zoey.” Sam’s eyes widened.
“What? She thinks success means working all the time and being miserable.” Zoey looked at my grandmother. “If that’s the secret, I think we’re good.”
“You’re going to let her speak to me that way?”
Zoey answered her before I could.
“To be fair, you did come to HIS house to tell him not to be happy.” She shrugged. “That’s being a bully, and I defend those being bullied.”
“I’ve had enough. I will not stand here and be disrespected by these lower-class people.”
“Then I guess it’s time for you to leave,” I said.
“You will regret this.” She pointed at me and walked out the door.
“I’m sorry, Wes.” Sam hugged me.
“For what? She deserved every word handed to her.”
“Zoey, what you—”
I stopped Sam.
“Come here.” I held out my arms to Zoey. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You told her exactly what I’ve been too afraid to say my entire life.”
“She’s awful, Wes.”
“I know she is. She always has been.”
“Can I eat my Taco Bell now?”
“Yes,” Sam said. “Wes and I are going grocery shopping.” She smiled.
“Right. I forgot about that,” I sighed.