Chapter 21
I'll give it to Cole, he's got guts. He's got guts and a stubborn streak I'm loathing with each passing minute here with him.
How dare he blow right back into my life and think he can soften me up with a silly, false compliment?
I know very well how beautiful I am, but not to Cole.
To Cole, I'm always the chubby, clueless girl with zero sex appeal to meet his standards.
But I'm not trying to meet his standards anymore.
As if showing up in my house wasn't bad enough, he had the guts to try to drag my family into this. Why is he here now? Why? After I've kept my secret hidden away for so long, he just wants to ruin everything! Rage stops me from quivering with fear, so I'm holding on to my rage like a lifeline.
“Don't even ask me what I mean because you know what I mean, Sir, ” I add, emphasizing the last word. “So, what do you want?”
His lips flutter open and close, shock very evident on his face. “Dora, where is all this coming from? All I was about to do was remark on how beautiful you look. There's a glow about you, and your body is smoking-”
I wave my hand in the air to cut him off. “Enough! Jeez! Don't you get tired of lying and pretending?” I lean forward, narrowing my eyes. “I know very well what you think about my body. At sixteen, I knew, and a year ago, I knew too. So drop the act.”
“What…”
“I'll tell you what , Cole Prime,” I interrupt him again.
“On my sixteenth birthday, I’d overheard you mockingly assure the woman in your arms that I wasn't your type, moments after you kissed me. And just last year, the scene repeated itself. But this time, you were more detailed. It seems you need a little bit more reminding,” I add with a bitter laugh, noting the frown on his face.
“I am the opposite of everything you find attractive in a woman. You like your women slim with just a hint of curves and a perfectly small ass that you can grab. And!” I pause for effect as a bitter laugh heralds the rest of my sentence. “Perky breasts that won't suffocate you when sucking them.”
His face looks ashen, and I can tell he wasn't expecting this. “Oh, might I add that I was an itch that needed scratching?” I say, deadpan.
Cole immediately falls to his knees and grabs my hand, “Shit! Look, Dora, I messed up. Please give me a chance to explain…” He pleads, squeezing my curled fist.
I shake my head at him. “It seems you don't have anything else to tell me concerning my impeccable work at Prime.
You've seen me, I haven't changed. And now, I'll be leaving.
Don't you dare come to my house again! Send an email if you need anything,” I yell, shoving his hands off me as I grab my purse and rise to my feet.
“Please, Dora, I beg you! Let me explain…”
I ignore his pleas and I ignore the curious looks we’re attracting and dash out of the cafe as fast as my feet can carry me. I drive home in a mad rush. Knowing Cole, he might not give up. Or worse, he might make true on his word to fly my parents down to Chicago.
“Girls!” I yell, bursting into the apartment and taking the stairs two at a time. I bring Gina and Merry up to speed at the flash of light, fear making my words spill over each other like a broken pipe.
When I'm done, Gina sighs. “Well, that does it. It seems like a good time to move.”
I slap a hand over my lips to hold back my sobs. “You think he’ll do something like call my family and fly them down?”
Merry hops off the bed. “Well, I'm not waiting to find out, are you? We’re just as guilty if the truth comes out before you're ready to tell it.”
I groan in response and stretch out on Gina’s bed. Gina proceeds to give me a friendly pat. “As much as we've grown to love Glenview, we are fugitives of the truth and we must remain on the run until we're good and ready!”
I chuckle at the image Gina’s words evoke in my head.
Give it to my best friends to find amusement in the most horrific circumstances.
From under my arm, I spy the both of them pulling out drawers to empty the contents on the bed.
What a group we are! From them being my protectors all through my pregnancy to being present at my baby’s birth.
They've been there, comforting, listening, encouraging, helping…
Not for the first time, I wonder what my life would be like without them.
When Gina announced three days ago that Cole was at the door, my heart literally stopped.
Merry outvoted Gina on who would answer the door and she frightened Cole.
The sound of his voice for the first time in several months did things to me that I didn't think possible.
I want nothing to do with him, but my treacherous heart still pines for him.
The next day Cole came over, Gina had sped from her office, abandoning the final pages of the book she was writing, to give Cole a piece of her mind.
Merry and Gina had fought at the bottom of the staircase yesterday for who would send him off.
Gina had tripped Merry and won the scuffle.
It was impressive loyalty to a friend who was foolish enough to get knocked up during a fling.
Still, I can't regret the result of that brief affair.
I smile as I recall his birth, two months ago.
From decorating the Christmas tree to being rushed into the maternity ward, to five hours of grueling labor.
Then… my happy pill came into the world with the loudest cry.
The doctors laughed while Gina, Merry and I cried.
Since then, the girls have been two extra pairs of mothers to Dylan Prime, our son.
He never lacks love, care, or pampering.
I yawn, exhausted from the emotions barraging me for the last three days.
I grunt as something heavy lands on my legs.
“What do you think you're doing? Get packing!” Merry orders, hitting my legs again with her brimming duffel bag.
“But we haven't even decided on where we're headed! We can't drive around like shepherd less sheep, we have Dylan to think about.” I grumble, scrambling off the bed. Merry and Gina both pause in their acts of packing and glare at each other.
“I thought you were looking for our new location?” Gina hurls her question at Merry.
“No, I found this location, this city, this county, this house! You should be doing the searching,” Merry tosses right back, and their squabbling begins.
I chuckle and exit the room, walking down the hall to check on Dylan in his room.
I crack the door open a teeny bit to find him still fast asleep.
My little prince. I shut the door before the waterworks start and hurry to my room.
Gina and Merry will kill me if they find me weeping in Dylan’s room when I should be packing.
Later that evening, we sit around the dining room totally exhausted after we’ve each packed four suitcases full of clothes and jackets.
“We each get one hour of rest, and then, we resume packing. Except for you, new momma, you get four hours of uninterrupted rest until Dylan decides he wants your cuddles.” Merry orders from across the table, stacking up our empty dishes from our just-finished dinner.
“Right…Make hers a five-hour rest. We don't want any weak momma on our hands,” Gina adds from her perch behind her laptop screen.
I grin at her, “Any good location yet?” I ask, and she darts a threatening look at me.
“Still searching,” she spits out through clenched teeth. I raise my hands in mock surrender and slouch in my chair just as the doorbell rings.
Merry sprints to the door yelling, “That must be Papa Wells. I told him we needed more formula for the neighbor’s baby.”
I can't help but grin. Not even Mr. Wells knows about Dylan’s existence. We’d driven to Northbrook to bring him into the world. Keeping him a secret is a full-time job. I twist to face the door, and as it cracks open, I see who is standing there.
“Oh shit!” Merry exclaims. And then, just because things can get worse, Dylan decides to announce his presence by howling like a banshee.