Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter
Fifty-Five
Beulah
I hadn’t told him about Jasper’s text messages. I should have. I don’t know why I didn’t. I’d been thinking about how to tell him and didn’t know if it would affect their friendship even more. Then Stone had said he was going to fuck me in the pantry, and that sounded better. It would be us joined. Close. I would be reassured he was there. With me. In me. No worry about Jasper or Portia. No concern of losing what all I’d found.
My doctor’s appointment wasn’t until Friday, and he’d come inside me again. That was several times now. I wasn’t scared, and I didn’t regret it. When he released in me, I felt marked by him. It was a hedonistic feeling, and it always pushed me further into my own release. The explosion was so beautiful I forgot everything around me.
Luckily, Geraldine had slept another hour after our pantry session, and when she finally came downstairs, we had already eaten chicken salad sandwiches, and Stone had left. But when we’d been in the pantry, I hadn’t cared if the Pope walked in and caught us as long as Stone kept making my world spin.
My panties were damp. They had been all day reminding me of what we’d done. I had been able to focus on that and not Jasper. But now that I was home and Stone was here, I had to tell him. I didn’t want him to think I had been hiding anything from him. I had been, but simply because I was worried about his relationship with Jasper.
Climbing out of my car, I walked toward the door, passing the spot where Portia had stood this morning. She had been warning me that I didn’t know the truth, but I couldn’t expect the truth from her. She was the last person I would believe. I needed to tell Stone about that, too.
Inside the building, the bottom floor was quiet. I’d seen two cars I didn’t recognize outside. Someone had company, and it didn’t sound like Mack and Marty, although both their vehicles were in the parking lot.
On the second floor, things were equally quiet. I was about to go up the stairs to Stone’s floor when the door to Fiona’s apartment opened. She stepped out into the hallway, and her eyes were on me immediately. She looked gorgeous like the last time I saw her. Runway model ready.
“I don’t like most people,” she began. “People annoy me in general. But you, I like. You’re the least annoying person I’ve ever met. And you got rid of Presley.”
“Uh, thank you,” I replied, feeling awkward. This was a strange but very nice conversation. I was glad I didn’t annoy her, although we hardly knew each other, so I wasn’t sure I could even if I tried.
“See that. Very southern and kind. Not chatty and shit. Anyway. Because I like you, I wanted to warn you. His mother is up there with the bride she’s chosen for him. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting both crazy bitches more than once. You’re welcome to come in here and stay with us if you want. He’ll get rid of them soon enough.”
Stone’s mother was here with the fiancée he didn’t acknowledge? I glanced up the stairs. Margot. He had never explained that to me but then I had forgotten about her ever being mentioned until now.
“He didn’t call or text me to tell me not to come. I don’t know if I should hide out or if he wants me to come up there,” I said my thoughts out loud.
“Who gives a fuck what he wants? Those two are vipers. They’ll eat you alive.”
I had the feeling Fiona didn’t do relationships. She seemed more of a take care of herself and not worry about the world kind of girl. Taking her advice probably wasn’t the best idea.
“He may be counting on my showing up to save him.”
Fiona rolled her eyes. “God, I swear you have lived a sheltered life. I’m telling you that you can’t save him. He’ll need to save you.”
Feminine laughter drifted down through the air vents. It didn’t sound like things were going badly up there. “I may come back if that’s okay. I think I should go upstairs and say hello since he didn’t send me a message saying otherwise.”
Fiona shrugged. “I’ll leave the door unlocked. Knock and come on in. I’ll be on the balcony and may not hear you.”
“Thank you,” I told her.
“Good luck,” she replied.
I smiled, and she closed the door. With a deep breath that did little to calm me, I headed up the stairs and didn’t stop again until I was at the apartment door. I listened. I heard a female laugh again. There was another voice, too, but not as loud. This was most likely his mother. He had spoken about her little and from what Geraldine had said she wasn’t a good mother. But she was still his mother, and I wanted to make a good impression. Glancing down at my clothes, I winced. Not exactly how I would like to look meeting her the first time.
Before I opened the door, I checked my phone one more time to see if he’d messaged me. Nothing. He was expecting me. I opened the door slowly and went inside.
The voices were loud enough to follow. One of them was talking about a gala in Manhattan that she said Stone needed to attend. When I reached the arched entryway to the living room my gaze found a tall woman with perfectly styled dark hair and a dress that was both summery yet elegant. The heels she had on her feet, however, looked extremely painful. Her head turned my way, and the resemblance to Stone was unmistakable, although she looked far too young to have a child his age.
“Who is that?” she asked as she looked at me. There was no frown, but I realized that the displeasure in her eyes meant she would be frowning if she could. Her face was tight. Not much movement. She’d had work done. Maybe she was old enough to have a son Stone’s age.
Stone moved with quick, long strides until he reached me. His scowl and the tension rolling off his body was enough for me to know he hadn’t expected them, and he didn’t want them here.
“Who?” another female voice asked. The woman, who I could only assume was Margot, stepped into view. I didn’t get a good look at her before Stone blocked my line of vision.
“Did you not get my message?” he asked.
I shook my head.
He put his hand on my shoulder. “I texted you two hours ago to stay at Geraldine’s until I called you.”
I shook my head again. “I have nothing.”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t want to be here. I’m trying to get them to leave.”
“I can go stay with Fiona,” I told him, wishing I had listened to her.
He studied me for a moment as if he was trying to make up his mind. “It’s not that I don’t want you here. It’s that they are vicious. I prefer to keep you far away from them.”
“Is that Margot?” I whispered.
He frowned. “Yes. How do you know about her?”
“Jasper, Presley. Your supposed fiancée has been mentioned a few times.” I was trying to make a joke, but his scowl made it obvious he wasn’t amused.
“Winston, who is this girl who walked right into your apartment without knocking? Please tell me it’s the help and not another child of your father’s ex-wives.” His mother sounded amused with her last remark. Margot giggled.
“Fuck them,” he muttered, then turned around to face them with his hand splayed possessively on my back. “Mother, Margot, this is Beulah Edwards. She’s my girlfriend, and she lives here.”
If he’d slapped his mother and kicked her in the gut, her expression could not have been more horrified. She even paled. Several shades, actually.
Margot let out a sharp laugh. She was petite, beautiful, stunning, even, and polished. Dark blonde hair that was silky and straight with blue eyes that reminded me of a swimming pool. The pink full lips seemed almost unnatural. “You can’t be serious,” his mother said.
His hand gripped my waist this time and pressed my body tightly up against his own. “You’ll check your words, mother. Or you’ll leave my home.”
“This isn’t your home. Manhattan is your home,” Margot drawled as if this was all very amusing.
“And you’re not my mother. Nor are you family. I have no reason to issue you even a shred of hospitality. You can leave now.”
Margot’s amused look turned to one of shock. Her eyes widened, and she made a very good imitation of someone who had been offended.
“Winston! You will not talk to her that way. Margot is practically your fiancée. How do you think this makes her feel?”
“For the love of God, woman, I have NEVER once acted like I was remotely interested in Margot romantically. Just because you decided I would marry her when I was ten does not constitute a fucking engagement. Both of you are delusional.”
Margot walked regally toward the door where we were standing, briefly stopping just to the right of Stone. If eyes could cut someone, her glance would have sliced me open. “I won’t be waiting on you. I will move on.”
“Thank you,” his reply was one of relief.
She walked out, not waiting for his mother. A lot less dramatic than Presley had been.
“You’re letting her walk out?” his mother asked, throwing her hand in the direction of the door.
“I’m hoping you will follow suit,” he drawled.
She threw her angry glare at me. “He’ll bore of you. It takes proper breeding and a brain to intrigue and challenge him.” She then stalked past us, not looking at her son again.
When she was gone, the sound of the front door closing, his shoulders sagged, and he hung his head. I worried for a moment that he regretted sending them away.
“Why can’t I have a mother who wants nothing more than to see me? Or simply call and check on me. Not bring her agendas to shove down my throat? My father has the worst taste in women.” He turned and looked at me. “I’m sorry you walked in on that. I tried to save you from it.”
“I thought I wanted to meet your mother. She’s your family, after all. I was wrong. But I am even more thankful for Geraldine than I was before.”
He smiled at the sound of her name. “Why are you thankful for Gerry?”
“Because she loved the little boy who needed it.”
A softness touched his eyes, and he held out a hand for me. “Come here.”
I walked into his arms willingly and sighed with contentment as we stood there in silence.
His mother, Portia, Jasper, Margot—none of them matter. Just this. Just us.