29. Anthony
CHAPTER 29
anthony
After lunch, we all took a refreshing dip in the lake. But after hours of swimming and cooling down, most of us agreed a lazy late afternoon nap was the best. Julie, Shoua, Andy, and I made dinner while everyone else was still napping around dinner time. Our parents seemed thoroughly surprised to wake up to dinner being ready.
Sitting at the head of the dining table with the sun setting behind him, my dad smiled brightly after telling everyone he wanted to make an announcement.
His eyes had a glint to them as they landed on Andy then moved to Julie and then flicked between me and Shoua. He looked so happy .
“I have a big announcement and it couldn’t have come at a better time with great food, amazing wine, and the people I care about the most in my life. Andy and Anthony, when you two were born, I admit I was scared shitless. There I was, married to the love of my life, and with the most perfect set of baby twin boys at twenty-five. I didn’t know what I was doing with my life, and I was afraid I’d fuck up, but I made the choice that I was going to be a father. I’ve watched you two grow up into fine, incredible men and I couldn’t be prouder,” my dad said and then chuckled softly. His voice was light and bubbly as he glanced at my brother.
“Andy, you’ve always been the brainier one between you and your brother. Your mom and I could hardly keep up with your academic achievements as you grew up and continuously accomplished greater and better. I never wanted to admit it, but I know for sure you got that cleverness from your amazing mom. Not from me.” Everyone laughed as my mom playfully slapped his chest. “I’m delighted you’re working hard at one of the top finance companies in our country, and it makes me so happy to hear how high you continue to soar.”
He turned to look directly at me with shining hazel green eyes. His eyes misted over for a quick second. “Anthony, I’ve been marveling at the work you’ve conducted on this house all day—from the kitchen to the living room, and to the bathrooms—it’s all gorgeous. I hope you’ve been giving yourself all the credit for the beautiful work you’ve accomplished on this home. It was here where it all started. It is because of you, your expertise, and what you’ve done here that our revenues have more than doubled these last two fiscal years, son. Our company is now a multimillion-dollar company because of you .
“We would have never reached this point if it wasn’t for you. Your mom and I can retire and not have to worry much because of your hard work. I’ve been considering this for a while, but I I’ve finally decided now is the time.” He let out a long breath as he continued to hold my gaze. “Anthony, son, I will be stepping down from my position as head of Hughes Developers Incorporation. I want you to take over within the next three to five years after I show you the ropes and help you ease into the position. I believe it is time this company made strides toward a brighter future with you as its leader. You’re ready.”
I blinked, unsure of how to react.
Our parents were only fifty-five years old. I didn’t expect my dad to give this kind of speech for another ten years at least. Although it was great news that he trusted me enough to hand over such an important role, I wasn’t sure how well I could fill his shoes.
He had accomplished so much on his own. My dad built Hughes Developers Incorporation from scratch while I felt like I could barely compare myself to him. I may be a project manager with years of experience under my belt now and I’m confident with what I currently do.
The truth is I knew now because of my dad’s guidance and expertise. He was the one who always guided me, even now when I ran into issues. So, I question my abilities to take over what he built. Would I truly be able to take over this company and do as great of a job as him? What if I fuck up? I still wanted more time to work harder and be more fitted for this role through the projects, money, and connections I brought in.
“Are you going to be retiring then?” I wheezed.
My dad let out a thunderous laugh. “Of course not! I’ll be stepping down, but I’ll work as a project manager. I have far too much energy to retire and just sit around the darn house, you know!”
I bobbed my head up and down in a stiff nod, relieved. I gulped my beer down thickly, with worry and dread racing through my mind. What if I fail? What if our company burned to the ground because of my incompetence? Sure, I’m confident when I’m the project manager in my little team. But to be the leader of the whole company? I wasn’t sure how I’d do.
A warm, smaller hand touched mine, threading our fingers together and pulling me out of my thoughts. Her sweet coconut scent lightly wafted over to me before she leaned in and whispered, “You’ll be incredible, Mr. CEO.” Shoua flashed me a gentle smile; she was so full of confidence that I would be fine.
Andy, who was sitting on the other side of me, placed a firm hand on my shoulder, giving me a quick squeeze. “Congratulations, I know you’ll be great, Anthony. I can’t think of anyone who deserved this more than you.” He turned to our dad with a wide grin. “Dad, at the rate you’re still going, will you ever retire though?”
Our dad let out another booming laugh. “Not unless one of you boys start having kids soon, then I’ll gladly be home all day to look after my grandkids!”
I snickered, glancing over at Andy and Julie. “Yeah, you two. When are you going to start having kids?”
“In three years!” my brother answered giddily. Everyone laughed at his excitement. He turned to Julie with bright eyes. “Right?”
She giggled. “Maybe.”
I chuckled, grateful the current of the conversation had shifted. Despite shifting the topic to the happy couple, the fact that I would soon be taking over the company hung over my head. I was going to be the leader of Hughes Developers Incorporation in a few years. I was nothing great like my dad, but I hoped I’d at least have the potential to be.
Shoua drew calming circles over my knuckles, bringing me back to earth instead of being lost in my thoughts. I squeezed her hand, silently thanking her, and she smiled so gorgeously back at me my heart skipped a beat.
I held her hand all night up until the moment she pulled away before going to bed. Despite going to sleep with fear and dismay still weighing me down, I dreamt of her scent, the softness of her lips, and the supple dips, curves, and lines of her body.
I was consumed by her and only her even in the midst of my own worries. Because with her, I always knew I’d be fine. With her, I knew who I was.
“Did Dad give you any clue he wanted to step down?” Andy asked. He heaved as we came to a slow stop from our morning run. We ended up on the other end of the vast lake, glancing at our rental house as the sun rose.
We agreed last night that we needed to wake up early for a run, partially to get the blood flowing but mainly to talk in private. Even though the house was big, we didn’t want anyone to overhear our conversation.
“I had no idea,” I admitted with a ragged breath. “Who would’ve thought he would be saying that now?”
Andy let out a laugh. “It’s because he’s proud of you. To be honest, you should be happy. I know you’re worried and everything, but you’ll be fine.”
“Says who?” I asked.
“Says me. I know you’re scared, but it’s what you deserve for your hard work, Anthony.” Andy clapped his firm hand on my shoulder and gave me another reassuring squeeze as he did last night.
I scoffed. “You’re not the one who’s been named to take over the company Dad built on his back. So, of course you’d say that. But what if I fuck up? Have you ever thought of that?”
Andy shook his head at me. “You’ll be fine. I’m serious, Anthony.”
I grumbled. “Of course that’s what you’d say.”
“I’ll be there to help you out.” He turned to look at me with certainty.
“All the way from SoCal? You’re going to help me all the way from Santa Mariana?” My brows furrowed together, confused.
He started blushing, and I knew he was going to start talking about Julie. “Once Julie and I get married and start having kids, we plan to move back to Sunset Valley. We want to raise our kids here and I want to work for Dad’s company.”
“You sure? It’s not nice like all those swanky finance companies you worked for, and it’s boring. We’re just a general construction and development company in Sunset Valley. It’s nothing exciting. Unless if you think kitchen remodeling is fun.”
Andy shrugged. “It’s fine. I would rather have that than waste my life away at some big firm and not be able to spend time with Julie and the kids. It’s great money, but I want to be an amazing partner and dad the way Dad is to Mom and us. I can’t do that if I continue to work in a big firm with all the long hours I must commit to my job.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle, making Andy raise a brow at me. “What?” he asked.
“You talk as if you and Julie are already married with kids.”
I always figured Andy would be serious when it came to Julie. He sounded so mature when he talked so casually about marriage and children. I’d never seen this side to him before, and it only made me feel even more like a child. My brother was maturing and becoming more of an adult as he planned his future with Julie. Meanwhile, I was in a fake relationship with my best friend and floundering at the idea of taking over a company.
We may have come into this world together, but we weren’t the same.
A shy smile tugged on Andy’s lips at my comment. “Not now. But, yes, eventually. Besides, I can’t have my kids grow up without them living in the same city as you. I want my kids to grow up close to you, Anthony. I want them to know their uncle.”
I couldn’t help but flash him a wobbly smile. “Shit, Andy. Don’t make me fucking cry over this sappy crap.”
He laughed out loud. “Excited to be an uncle?”
“You fucking bet.” I grinned.
“How’s things going between you and Shoua?” His brow raised as his smile pulled into a sly smirk.
“Good.” My answer came out a bit gruff, and that alone revealed too much. Andy perked up, ready to fire questions, when I saved him from the one thousand questions he’d probably ask. “I slept with her.”
Andy’s smirk dropped as his eyes grew wide. He took a moment to recollect himself, pushing his long brown fringe out of his eyes. “W-wait. You mean you two had?—”
“Sex. Yes, we had sex with one another.”
I chewed on my bottom lip as Andy let out a long, exasperated breath in disbelief. “Fucking hell, Anthony. Did you take her out on a date first at the very least?”
“No, we kissed at the bar and . . . things got heated . . . and we just didn’t stop.”
Andy let out another heavy sigh. “What are you two now then? Are you together?”
I hesitated, almost unable to say the truth. I opened and closed my mouth as he watched me closely. “No, just friends,” I muttered. “We’re . . . just friends.”
“Just friends?” Andy didn’t look convinced as concern burrowed into the lines of his face.
I nodded robotically. “Yeah, that’s what we agreed on.”
He shook his head, a mix of frustration and pity in his eyes. “That’s not how it works. You can’t just have sex with your best friend and go back to being ‘just friends.’”
“I know! It’s just . . . things are just—” I hesitated, stumbling over my words. “C-complicated.”
My brother watched me as his expression softened. “Are you sure you’re okay with this? With just being friends with Shoua?”
I swallowed thickly as my brows furrowed together. “I don’t know,” I admitted with a sigh. This was the first time I had been honest about how I felt. “I really don’t know anymore.”
Andy tipped his head to the side, blinking slowly at me. His calculative eyes observed me down to every little reaction I had and any lack of it. He knew me better than anyone else and even better than I did at times, which was the worst. I could never hide anything from him, even if I tried. But neither could he from me.
“I know you know what you want, Anthony.” His voice was soft, but it still had a particular nudging edge to it. “You’re just not doing anything about it. If you love her as much as I know you do, honesty is the bare minimum she deserves.”
My lips pursed into a thin line, and I started feeling the dread of it all. “It’s not as easy as you make it seem! You never told Julie the truth about how much you were in love with her for all these years either. Because of what? Fear . Don’t make it seem like it’s the easiest thing to do, Andy!”
“Exactly, which is why I empathize with you. But you will never know what might happen if all you do is wait in doubt.”
A silence fell over us as my heart began to thrummed harder and harder in my ears. We had stopped running minutes ago. But my heart still worked harder than ever, hammering against my chest and making my ribs ache with apprehension.
“You never know, Anthony. She may want the same and you’ve been stupid enough to believe otherwise,” Andy said.
A long moment settled between us as his words hung heavily in the air.
“Ready to head back?” he asked. I stiffly nodded as an annoying smirk flashed across his face. With one sharp slap on my shoulders, he was off as fast as lightning. “The last one back to the house has to confess their undying love to their girlfriend!”
I bolted after him, yelling, “Asshole! You got a head start!”
“Shut up! Not my fault you didn’t see that one coming!” Andy’s laughter echoed along the trail as he effortlessly picked up his speed.
I pushed myself harder even as my legs began to burn. Just as I was about to catch up to him, he slipped out of my reach. His aggravating laugh only riled me up, forcing me to run harder. This fucking asshole was going to make sure I lost.