Chapter Nineteen
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Caleb
I drove back to my apartment late that Sunday afternoon, exhausted by the events of the past few hours, starting with Alyssa showing up at the club, demanding to see Owen. The fact that Owen had been afraid of his own mother’s erratic behavior had been shocking, and revealing, telling me that Owen had most likely experienced this unstable side to Alyssa before.
After the scene Alyssa had made at our table, my only concern was to get her as far away from Owen as possible, and it was when we were outside on the restaurant’s patio, with her yelling at me, that I realized she was high on something . It wasn’t just her frenetic, hysterical, and initially loud protests, but when the guy who’d accompanied her finally came out to talk to her, to try and calm her down when I couldn’t, her entire demeanor changed. She’d gone from irritable, to confused, to telling him she felt nauseous. That anxiety Alyssa’s mother had mentioned seemed to take hold, and she’d mumbled frantically beneath her breath, “Where is my purse? I need my purse.”
The hostess arrived with her bag, and Alyssa was near tears as she told the manager, who was ready to escort her off the premises, that she needed to use the restroom before they left the club.
The whole scene was bizarre, and concerning.
When I returned to the table, Remy informed me of what he’d found in Alyssa’s purse, and the amount of prescription drugs she’d had on her had been alarming. Not to mention all the different pills that were prescribed by various doctors and pain management clinics to feed her addiction. He’d texted me all the photographs he’d taken so I’d have the evidence I needed to take to her parents.
Unfortunately, I had to cut the day at the beach short, asking Remy to take Stevie, Cara, and Owen back home because my only concern was to confront Alyssa’s parents with the truth of what had been discovered.
With that done, I’d texted Stevie to let her know that I was heading back to The Cortland, and she asked me to stop by her apartment first, which I would have done anyway since I wanted to tell her what had happened with Alyssa’s parents. Not to mention Stevie and I had unresolved issues of our own to discuss.
Cara had Owen at her place, so I had at least the next few hours alone with Stevie. When I reached her apartment and she opened the door, her face lined with worry, all the tension and stress I’d been carrying with me since Alyssa’s appearance at the club finally evaporated.
As soon as I stepped inside and the door closed behind us, Stevie slipped her arms around me and held me tight. I didn’t hesitate to return the hug, grateful to have her support. The emotional and physical distance she’d put between us was now gone. I didn’t know what had happened to change things, but I was beyond relieved to have the Stevie I knew and loved back in my embrace.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, pulling back just enough to look up at me. “Confronting Alyssa’s parents with the truth of their daughter’s addiction couldn’t have been easy.”
“It wasn’t,” I agreed, “but it had to be done.”
She nodded in understanding and took my hand, leading me into the living room. “Valerie is out for the evening with Jack,” she said, letting me know it was just the two of us as we sat down side by side on the sofa, her hand still holding mine. “Tell me what happened.”
I exhaled a deep breath, and while she quietly listened, I told her the details, starting with Alyssa’s parents’ initial denial that their daughter had relapsed. But there had been no refuting the proof I had and I’d informed them if they didn’t finally do something about Alyssa’s addiction and get her back into rehab so she could get the help she needed, then it would be the family court judge who would be viewing the photos next.
That was the last thing her parents wanted, and I’d given them three days to get Alyssa checked into rehab. They’d also assured me that they would get Alyssa to drop the custody case, again because they didn’t want those photographs exposed. I was fine with that, but assured them that it would be a good long while before Alyssa had joint custody of Owen again. Maybe, in time, supervised visits would be approved, but that wasn’t a discussion I’d even consider until I knew with absolute certainty that Alyssa was clean again.
“Are you okay?” Stevie asked once I was done with my story.
I nodded. “Yes. I feel better knowing that I have her parents’ cooperation, which is important because I think they are the only ones who will really be able to convince Alyssa she needs to go back to rehab for a longer treatment. They were shocked to see all the prescription drugs she had on her, and they understand my concern is for Owen, and theirs is, as well.”
“Good.” Stevie squeezed my hand and gave me a soft smile. “I’m glad they were receptive.”
I was equally relieved, but now that I’d taken care of that issue and knew I had Alyssa’s parents’ support, my sole focus was Stevie and getting us back on track. “So, can we talk about what happened between you and me at brunch this morning, before Alyssa arrived?”
She bit her bottom lip a bit nervously and nodded. “Yes. I meant what I said when I agreed that we needed to talk.”
“Then tell me what you have to say, because this past week has been pure hell for me without you around,” I told her, meaning it. “I don’t know what happened for me to get you back today, but I’m thankful that you’re here and no longer shutting me out. Tell me what changed,” I prompted.
She paused, collecting her thoughts. “A conversation with Raven put things into perspective for me and quieted those fears and insecurities of mine,” she said softly, quietly. “I can’t say that they’ve disappeared completely, but what I do know is that I’m not willing to let those issues define me when it comes to you, and us, together.”
I cocked my head curiously, wanting and needing to know more. “How do you mean?”
She swallowed hard. “You’ve never made me feel less than beautiful, and perfect. You’ve never judged me, and you’ve always made me feel like I belong in every part of your life, despite our differences.”
“That’s because I don’t see differences. I see you for who you are, Stevie,” I said truthfully, and reached out to skim my fingers along her jaw. “Not where you’ve come from or what has happened in your past. I don’t give a damn about any of that. All that matters to me is right here.” I tapped the left side of her chest, where her heart resided, making my point.
“I know,” she said, her voice tight with emotion. “You’ve proven that to me, in so many ways, but I couldn’t see those actions for what they were, or believe that I could truly fit into your life, until Raven made me realize that my insecurities were going to end up costing me the best man I’d ever met.”
I couldn’t deny the hope that rose inside of me as I searched her gaze. “I want to be everything you need, Stevie. I want to give you anything and everything your heart desires.”
She smiled at me, so sweetly. “There is only one thing my heart desires.”
“Which is?” I was desperate to hear her say the words.
“Just… you ,” she whispered.
“Stevie…you’ve had me since our first night together,” I told her, needing her to know how quickly and easily I’d fallen for her. “That’s all it took for me to realize that I wanted you in my life, but things happened with Alyssa and while we’ve been going through the motions of what you believe is a fake relationship, it’s been anything but that for me.”
Her eyes widened in surprise to hear just how long I’d been harboring my feelings for her. “So, now that being together for the custody case is no longer an issue…where do we go from here?” she asked.
I arched an incredulous brow at her. “After all that, you have to ask?”
She shrugged, but I still saw the smallest of vulnerabilities in her gaze. “I need to hear it from you.”
“I have something to show you instead.” Something that would give her all the proof she needed to know I was in this relationship for the long haul. That my feelings for her were genuinely real.
I surprised her by standing up, and offered my hand to bring her to her feet, too. She stared at me curiously as she followed me up to my apartment. She hadn’t been there since before the incident with Mark, and I’d made a distinct change that I knew would shock her, but I also hoped it would show her what she truly meant to me.
I led her into my living room, and because it was dark in the apartment the lamps on the end tables automatically switched on, illuminating the new piece of artwork I’d hung on the wall. When Stevie saw it, she gasped in shock.
“Oh my God,” she said, then laughed, a delighted sound I wanted to hear as often as possible. “I can’t believe you bought and hung up Fallon’s pop art painting in your perfectly neutral-colored penthouse.”
I came up behind Stevie, wrapping my arms around her from behind, and she automatically relaxed and leaned back against me. “You’re right about something,” I admitted, and feigned a sigh. “I could use more fun and color in my life. And this painting, which reminds me of you, will remind me of that . Owen loves it, by the way.”
She turned her head and glanced up at me. “I hope you enjoy it.”
I grinned down at her. “I hope you do, too.”
She looked surprised at that and arched a playful brow. “Are you giving me visiting rights?” she teased.
“No, I’m giving it to you,” I said. “With one condition.”
Confusion passed across her features. “Which is?”
I finally released Stevie so I could turn her around to face me. So she could look into my eyes and see how serious I was about her. About us. About a future together.
“My condition is that the painting stays here, right where it is. And you stay here, with me, right where you belong. Because when you look at the painting, and it makes you smile, I want to see that smile for myself, every single day.” I framed her face in my hands and gave her a light kiss before continuing. “ That is what you bring to my life. Color. Fun. A lightness I’ve needed for a very long time. I want you here, with me and Owen.”
She shook her head, her expression perplexed. “I don’t understand. I can’t just move in with you, even if I wanted to.”
“Oh, yeah, right. That damn morality clause,” I said, having already considered the issue. “Give me a second to rectify that situation.”
Bewilderment glimmered in her eyes, but she’d understand soon enough. I left her in the living room to retrieve something from my bedroom, and when I returned, she was looking at the pop art painting, a quirky grin on her lips. She turned around to say something to me, then gasped when I opened a small black velvet box, revealing the three-carat diamond engagement ring I’d bought this week nestled inside, because I’d been prepared to fight for this woman who I knew I couldn’t live without.
“Caleb…” she said, looking both shocked and startled. “What the hell?”
I chuckled. “Okay, not quite the reaction I was going for,” I said, then realized I’d left out something incredibly important. “I love you, Stevie Palmer. There is nothing pretend or fake about my feelings for you. The fact that I fell in love with you so quickly and easily tells me more about who you are as a person, with so many traits that make me want to be a better man for you. I know this is unexpected, but I have every intention of marrying you, whenever you’re ready. But in the meantime, as my fiancée, that means there is no longer a morality clause issue, which means you can move in with Owen and me.”
Her eyes flicked from the diamond ring, up to my face, her feelings for me completely transparent, even before she spoke the words. “I love you, too, Caleb Kane,” she whispered. “So much.”
My heart soared. “Then marry me, so I can make you mine in every way that matters.”
She nodded quickly, her face wreathed in pure joy. “Yes, I’ll marry you,” she said, giving me my future, my forever, with her.