Chapter 38 James
James
For those few minutes during which Georgie poured out the harsh truths about her past relationship, time stood still. I’ve never felt that level of helplessness before. There was literally nothing I could do to erase her pain. I could only sit with her in it.
Now I’m left with a quiet, white-hot anger that is boiling in my veins.
No fucking wonder she was slow to trust me and why she doesn’t believe me when I tell her she’s beautiful.
Not after her asshole ex used and abused her.
Not after she read what a bunch of immature, egotistical cocksuckers wrote about her.
“James,” she starts, her voice timid. “Please don’t look at the email after I forward it to Charlotte. I don’t… want you to see me through their eyes.”
“I won’t read it. But, baby, nothing they could ever say would change my impression of you.
None of what you read in those messages is true, Georgie.
I think you’re the hottest woman I have ever laid eyes on.
I’ll tell you how gorgeous you are every damn minute of the day until my voice drowns out all the others.
Until my voice is the only one you hear. Okay?”
“Okay,” she whispers. I snake my arm around her shoulders and curl her body into mine.
“But you know what’s more important than how beautiful you are? It’s your heart, Georgie, and you have a heart of gold.”
My phone buzzes where it sits on the table, abandoned after the phone call. I grab the phone and read Char’s text message aloud.
“Meeting with attorneys at their office. I’ll pick y’all up in an hour.
” Lifting my eyes, I study Georgie. She seems exhausted, and it’s barely nine in the morning, so I offer, “Do you want to come? You don’t have to, Georgie.
I know you’ve always had to deal with everything alone, but you and me?
We’re a team, and I’m happy to do this on your behalf, darlin’. ”
With hesitation weaving through her voice, she asks, “Would you? You wouldn’t think less of me for not feeling up to reliving it all again with attorneys this morning?”
I drop a kiss on her temple and then press my forehead against hers. “Never. I’ll never think less of you no matter what.”
Honestly, I’m relieved she doesn’t want to come because I want to go straight for the jugular, and I’m afraid Georgie is too kindhearted to agree that destroying Nolan’s life is the best course of action. Although it obviously is.
I would never stop a man from bonding with his child; except I don’t think Nolan wants a relationship with Weston.
I read their texts. Nolan never mentions wanting to meet or get to know Weston, so I don’t think he has any interest in becoming a father to his son.
I think the only reason he contacted Georgie was that he saw an opportunity to make some quick cash.
This whole thing was never about his son. It was about money.
“Are you working today? Maybe you should call in sick. Stay home, rest, snuggle with our son,” I suggest.
“I’m working the dinner shift. So, I’ll spend the day resting and loving on Weston, but it’ll be good for me to keep busy at the diner. The busier I am, the less time I have to think about all this. Besides, I can’t leave Sheila in the lurch.”
As Josh, Charlotte, and I sit at the oval conference table in the attorney’s office, my leg bounces beneath the polished wood. Since Georgie opted not to attend, I asked Josh to come for moral support.
Two attorneys and an executive assistant file into the room. After introducing themselves, they sit down across the table from us. The lead attorney, Marisol Vasquez, has already been briefed by Char, but she wants me to outline everything again.
I start at the beginning, explaining the timeline of Georgie’s relationship with her ex, how Georgie and I met, and what’s transpired since.
Along the way, Marisol and her partner, Jarrod Watkins, interject questions or ask for clarification on certain points as the executive assistant types notes on her laptop.
When I reach the part about Nolan sending text messages to Georgie threatening to release her intimate photos, Josh explodes.
“That’s bullshit,” he snaps, indignant on Georgie’s behalf. “That’s got to be blackmail or extortion, right? Or revenge porn. Sextortion or something illegal.”
I chuckle, patting him on the back, grateful for the moment of levity. “Gee, thanks, Matlock.”
“He’s partially right,” Marisol says with a small smile. “Does Georgie still have the phone with the texts? And the email she forwarded to herself from Nolan’s phone?”
I pull Georgie’s old phone from my pocket and slide it across the table while Char forwards Marisol the emailed screen recordings Georgie took of Nolan’s group chat.
When I wrap up the story, Marisol taps her pen on her yellow-lined notepad.
“Let’s divide this situation into two issues.
The first is paternity and the possibility of a custody dispute.
If Nolan files anything in family court, he could compel a DNA test, which would establish paternity.
The truth wouldn’t be in our favor here. ”
She leans forward, setting her pen aside.
“That said, I don’t think he wants to venture down that road.
Since he contacted Georgie solely to extort money from her, it’s unlikely he’d pursue any legal action that could cost him significantly.
If he did, he’d be stuck with child support for the next eighteen years.
It’s always possible, but in my experience, improbable. ”
Her assessment reassures me, easing the tightness in my chest. Regardless of whether Nolan pursues a paternity suit, I know my place in Weston’s life. I’ll always be a father to him, but the more I find out about Nolan’s character, the less I want Weston exposed to his biological father.
Charlotte jumps in, referencing something we discussed on the drive over.
“We’ve hatched a publicity plan to establish a believable timeline of James and Georgie’s relationship.
Once the story is out there, Nolan may question his own certainty about paternity, especially since we don’t believe he actually wants a relationship with Weston. ”
Marisol nods. “All right. Let’s move on to the second issue, which is where the law is much more clearly on our side.”
She knots her hands together. “Based on his behavior, Nolan could face multiple charges. First, disseminating private images of Georgie without her consent. Since the crimes occurred in Alabama, they’re classified as Class A misdemeanors.
However, each image he sent would count as a separate charge.
Anyone in the group chat who also shared images could be charged as well. ”
She pauses, then continues, “Threatening to release those images to the tabloids in exchange for money is far more serious. Because he used interstate communications, that qualifies as federal extortion, which is a felony.”
“So, he’ll get arrested?” I interject.
“He could be,” Marisol says carefully. “But you and Georgie need to decide what your end goal is. Do you want justice in the form of charges, a trial, and a conviction? Or is it more important that Nolan leaves Georgie and Weston alone?”
“What do you mean?” Char inquires, her brows knitted.
“If we involve law enforcement, everything becomes public. His arrest, the charges, the trial—every step would be reported on. Georgie would have to testify. Her life would be dissected in the press. And because of her connection to you, James, the media would have a field day. So, while Nolan may receive some fines and/or jail time, Georgie’s life will become fodder for the media. ”
“Damn,” I mutter. The memory of how shaken Georgie was when she told Char and me about the messages makes my stomach twist. I can’t imagine her wanting the entire world to be privy to her pain.
“The alternative,” Marisol continues, “is that we approach his family’s lawyers with a deal.”
“Why go through Nolan’s family and not go straight to him?” asks Char.
A wolfish smirk stretches across Jarrod’s face. “Prominent families aren’t fans of public embarrassment. They’ll pressure Nolan to cooperate rather than risk seeing their son arrested. Plus, there’s the added humiliation of Mommy and Daddy Dearest finding out just how badly he screwed up.”
Can’t lie. I like the sound of that.
“We’d propose that Nolan sign a nondisclosure agreement and a contract agreeing never to contact Georgie, James, or Weston again. In exchange, we won’t turn over the evidence to law enforcement. So, either Nolan disappears quietly, or we move forward with pursuing criminal charges.”
“And you think he’ll choose to sign and shut up?”
“One can never be certain, but the likelihood is high. In the meantime, reply to his last text. Let him know you’ll pay but request a day or two to get the money. That will buy us enough time to get the papers drawn up and sent to his family’s attorneys.”