Chapter Twenty-Two
ALEX
Witnessing Tomi storm out is one of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced. She’s probably cursing my name right now. I didn’t fight for her when she needed me. But fighting for her with her here would have made my father worse. Now she’s gone, I can say what I need to.
“She’s pregnant?” Mom almost whimpers from the other end of the table.
I smile at her. “Yes, Mom, you’re going to be grandparents.”
Dad throws his knife and fork onto his plate. “You need a DNA test, Alex. I mean, look at her… that baby could be anyone’s.”
I start to pace the room as I run my fingers through my hair, trying to keep my shit together. “You don’t get it, do you, Dad?”
He lets out an unamused laugh. “No. How could you be with a thing like her?”
I turn to face him. “A thing? Can you hear yourself? She’s not a thing. Fuck! She’s a woman, a woman I love, a woman I intend to make my wife. She’s the mother of my child. And I know, believe me, Dad, I know you struggle with letting me go. But you… doing this shit is only pushing me further away.”
He scoffs. “You’re free to go whenever you want, boy. You want out of Scott Enterprises, you fucking go. But don’t expect a payout or your inheritance—”
“ Fucking hell! I don’t care about money, Dad. That’s what you care about. I want a family. I want Tomi, our baby, and Levi, all of us together as a family. You can’t understand that because you lack the capacity to love unconditionally.”
He scoffs, rolling his eyes.
“It’s true, Aldwin,” Mom mumbles from the other side of the room.
Dad glares at her, making her eyes fall to the table like she knows she spoke out of turn.
I hate she feels like that.
“You’re blinded by her charm or lack thereof. I don’t know what’s so special about her, son, but you need to make a choice. Her or us.”
I stand taller as I shake my head. “Then there’s no choice. I’m sorry, Mom, I love you.” I stare back at Dad sternly. “I’ll hand in my resignation on Monday.”
“ Alex! ” Mom gasps as I turn, walking out of the dining room.
“ Alexander Scott , you come back here right this instant!” Dad hollers.
I turn back as he glares at me. “I’m not your whipping boy anymore, Dad. You show my partner some respect, or you don’t get to see me, her, or your grandchild. It’s as simple and as complicated as that. Thank you for dinner, I’ll see myself out.”
Mom sobs. Hearing her breaks my heart, but I have to stand firm on this. Tomi is my priority and my future, and I need to go now and make things right with her. I hope she isn’t too fucked off with me for not standing my ground with Dad in front of her. I hope she understands why. I know she’ll be hurt, but it was for her own good. I just have to get that across to her.
Walking out of the house, I glance over at her car to see her leaning against it, waiting with her arms folded across her chest. Exhaling with relief, I wasn’t sure she’d still be here, to be honest. She’s the type to start walking home. I’m glad she waited for me. I slowly edge toward the car, waiting to see if she’s going to turn and hurtle abuse at me. I can’t blame her if she does.
But nothing.
Her head’s down, and she’s quiet.
Too quiet.
She’s seething.
This is worse than her yelling at me on the street. The silent treatment is far more painful. As I approach, she side-eyes me, and I press the button to unlock the car. She doesn’t say anything, just opens the door and gets in.
Shit.
I walk to the driver’s side and slide in, putting the keys in the ignition, but I don’t start the car. Instead, I turn to face her. Her arms are crossed over her body defiantly as she stews in her own mind. “Tomi, I—”
“Don’t talk to me—”
“But I—”
She holds her hand up to stop me, and I purse my lips, knowing I need to let her cool off before I attempt to settle this with her again.
“Just so you know, I’m resigning on Monday.”
Her head snaps around to me as I start the car, but she doesn’t say anything. She simply shakes her head, then turns to look out of the window.
I pull out onto the street to drive us home in an awkward, tension-filled silence.
***
The car ride was so tense it was hard to deal with. All I wanted to do was talk to her, but I knew she would shut me down at every possible avenue. So I kept my mouth shut. The one thing I’ve learned about Tomi is she’s a stubborn, headstrong female, and when she sets her mind on something, she won’t shift until she wants to.
Pulling up her mini at home, I exhale as she yanks off her seatbelt and escapes the car before I can even turn off the engine. Shaking my head, I slide out of the car and walk behind her as her heels click-clack on the pavement. It must be hurting her dainty feet.
She walks to the door and opens it, storming in without me as I stroll in behind her. The smell of cakes baking and leftover chicken pot pie wafts through the air, making my stomach rumble as I close the door behind me.
“You’re home already?” Greta calls from the kitchen.
Levi’s playing video games in the family room.
I walk in.
Tomi isn’t there.
I furrow my brows. Where the hell is she?
I stroll into the kitchen, glancing at Levi, who isn’t paying any attention to our arrival. “Hey, yeah, we’re back early. Didn’t go so smoothly.”
Bang.
A door slams.
Levi groans. “Loud!” he grumbles.
“I know, buddy.”
He nods as I wince at Greta, who pats me on the shoulder. “Better to deal with whatever it is now than let it fester, I say.”
Stiffening my shoulders, I prepare myself. “Wish me luck.”
She chuckles. “Good luck.”
Inhaling sharply, I head toward our bedroom, where I can hear her moving about. I have no idea what she’s doing, so I slowly creak the door open. “Tomi?”
She doesn’t answer, so I open it fully to see her packing a bag.
The sight knocks me almost off my feet as I rush inside the bedroom, closing the door behind me while I watch her packing my clothes into a duffle bag. “Tomi, what the fuck are you doing?”
She slams a tank top into the bag, then turns to me with no tears in her eyes but a steely determination. “Alex…” she calls me by the name I thought she’d never, ever , utter.
Shit, this is bad.
“I know I’m pregnant with your child, and I’m not going to stop you from seeing the baby, I’m not that kind of person, but this, us … it’s not going to work.”
My face scrunches as I step closer to her. “This is bullshit, and you know it, Tomi. Don’t let my dad scare you away. You’re stronger than that.”
Her eyes narrow on me like she wants to rip me a new asshole. “Scare me away? No, Alex, he didn’t scare me. That man showed me a simple truth.”
My stomach lurches as I see the intensity on her face. “What truth is that?”
She gulps, faltering a little. “That we’re not meant to be.” She turns to keep packing.
I step forward, grabbing her arm to stop her.
She swings around. “Family means everything, Xander.”
She called me Xander. There’s still hope.
“He can’t accept mine. I won’t let you lose yours.” She stiffens.
“Well, what do you think walking away from the woman I love is? Walking away from my child is, Tomi? You are my family.” I place my hand on her stomach. She doesn’t flinch, but I see her soften slightly as I stare into her eyes. “You two, and Levi…” I pause for a second, thinking about the right words. “If I lost you three… that would be losing my family . Tomi, can’t you see that?”
Her eyes ease with understanding as her hand moves to mine on her stomach. She exhales like it’s sinking in. “I don’t want you to stop talking to your parents because of me. I don’t want to be the reason you quit your job, and you have a rift that’s so large between you and your father that you’ll never step over it.”
I move in, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her to me. She finally gives in, her hands snaking up around my neck as we hold onto each other.
“The rift was there long before you came into my life. He’s the one making this an issue. Mom loves you. If he’s the only one with the problem, then he is the problem… not you.”
She grimaces. “It doesn’t change the fact that there is a problem, though. I can’t have him anywhere near Levi if he’s going to talk about him that way. I mean, Xander…” she blinks a few times, “… that was horrible.”
My chest squeezes as I recall the way my father spoke about Levi. He doesn’t deserve that, Levi’s far from an idiot. He’s one of the brightest young people I know. He just has a hard time dealing with his emotions, and that most definitely does not make him stupid. I hate that my father is so prejudiced. He’s a stubborn old bastard, and he finds it hard to change his mind once it’s made.
“I know, and I’m so sorry he spoke to you like that, Tomi. I can’t…” I pause, trying to find the right words. “I can’t defend why he is the way he is. All I know is that he’s trying to keep me in his life the only way he knows how.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do, keep you in his life, Xander.”
I shake my head. “By forcing me out of yours? No, not going to happen. If he’s the one making me choose between you and him, then he’s the one who’s going to suffer. Because it’s you , Tomi, it’s always going to be you .”
Her eyes begin to mist up as she leans her forehead against mine. “I don’t want to be the reason you stop seeing him, though, Xander. I can’t be the reason.”
I lean in, planting a quick kiss on her lips. “You’re not, baby… he is.”
She weakly smiles and leans up, placing her lips against mine again. I’m at home every time her lips meet mine. This is how we’re meant to be—not at each other’s throats or sitting in deafening silences, but locked together kissing each other. Sure, life with Tomi’s never going to be all sweet and flowery every second of every day, she’s far too feisty for that, but I live for moments like this when we’re alone, locked in each other’s arms and kissing like we mean it.
My tongue collides with hers, and I pull her body against mine further. My cock hardens slightly in my jeans. I can’t help it, she does that to me so easily as it presses against her abdomen. Her fingers lace through the hair at the nape of my neck, just the way I like it, while she whimpers into my mouth. I want to take this further, but Greta is out in the other room. Doing anything with her here would be off.
I pull back and delay the kiss, gazing into her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere. Understand?”
Tomi nods her head as I caress her cheek. “Now, let’s go out and have some of that leftover pot pie because it smells amazing, and I can assure you Greta’s dinner is so much better than the food we were going to have anyway.”
She bursts out laughing as she pulls away from me, taking my hand in hers. “What the hell was that on my plate?”
I shrug. “It was quail.”
Her eyes widen as she snaps her head back at me. “Jesus Christ, thank God I didn’t eat it. That’s way too fancy for me… the poor little birdy. Let’s go hang out with my amazing brother and his nanny. As a family.”
I can’t think of anything I’d rather do right now. “Fucking perfect.”
We walk toward the door.
What will Monday bring?
I’m quitting Scott Enterprises, but it will put the new Hope & Faith Ink in jeopardy. I don’t think Tomi’s put that part of the equation into her thinking just yet, but I have, and if I know my father, Tomi’s studio will be pulled from the design schedule the minute my resignation takes effect.
I have to find a way to stop that from happening.
And I have one day to figure out how or find a different direction.