8. Chapter 8
Chapter 8
C HAPTER EIGHT
RORY
The night sky was littered with stars and I admired the beauty of it. The cold was numbing my body and I was glad for it. I needed that numbness. I had spent the past two days locked up in my room, thinking and crying so much that I wasn't sure I had any tears left.
Now, I stood in front of Ember's. I glanced at my watch. It was just past 8PM but I could tell from the banging music and the line of people outside that it was packed. I headed inside, giving the bouncer a friendly smile. He gave me a small nod and I walked into the bar.
Inside, the air smelt like smoke and booze. The music was loud, pounding, and throbbing in the air. I walked up to the bar and looked around for Jake. He stood at the other end, a flirty smile on his face as his hands expertly flipped a glass.
I watched him work for a while. His dark hair was tied back and his white button-down was rolled up to his elbows, revealing his tan forearms. He whispered something to the girl and she giggled, biting her lip and batting her eyelashes.
He leaned closer, his fingers brushing her arm.
"Jake," I called.
He jumped, startled. His gaze whipped towards me and he smiled, a bright grin that lit up his whole face. "Rory, you're back," he said.
The girl beside him pouted and Jake shot her a wink before walking over to me.
"Want a vodka tonic?" he asked.
I grimaced. "No, thanks," I said, placing my palm over my belly. "Just give me a Sprite."
"Sure?" he asked.
I nodded. "Where's Vivian?" \
"In your office going over a few papers," he replied, placing a glass in front of me.
I took a sip.
"How are you holding up?" he asked, concern in his eyes. "Still feeling sick?"
"I'm fine," I said, not meeting his eyes.
"Well, if you need anything, let me know."
"I will," I nodded.
He walked away and I looked down at the glass in front of me. I would never have gotten a sprite, but now…
I headed over to the office, knocking once before opening the door. Vivian sat at my desk, her glasses perched on the bridge of her nose and a pencil stuck in her curly hair. She was bent over a few files, a frown on her face. When I shut the door, she looked up.
"Hey," I greeted, walking towards her.
"There you are," she sighed. "I've been calling you. How are you feeling? Did you go to the hospital?"
I didn't respond immediately. I took a seat across the table and stared at her. She was a good friend, a loyal person. She would stay by my side and help me through this, I was sure.
"Rory?"
"I need your help," I said, straightening my jacket.
"Of course," she replied, setting the files aside and focusing on me. "Anything. Just name it."
"I need you to watch over the club for a few months," I said.
She tilted her head, confused.
"I have to leave for a bit," I continued.
"Leave?" she asked. "Where are you going?"
I placed my palm over my belly. "Just out of the city. I'll be back in a few months. Obviously, I can't leave Ember's without a manager. I was hoping-"
"Of course," she said, her brown eyes wide. "But...why are you leaving?"
"It's a long story," I replied.
She glanced at the door, then her gaze shot back to mine. "I won't ask if you don't tell me, but I want you to know I'm here for you, Rory."
Vivian was a good friend and I was so grateful for all the work we had done together in the past five years. But right now, there was nothing I wanted more than to leave.
I smiled. "I know, Vivian."
She smiled back and then said, "Okay, we'll have to go over the books and everything, so we can discuss the new financials and the management strategy. We can also talk about the staffing and the new hires, as well as-"
"You've been handling everything just fine," I interrupted her. "I trust you. If you need anything else, you can always call."
She smiled.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Vivian and I turned to see Jake walk in.
"Hey, sorry but there's someone here looking for Rory?" he said, glancing at me.
"Me?" I frowned. "Who is it?"
"Raphael Barlowe," Jake answered.
My stomach twisted into knots. This morning, I saw pictures of Raphael and his band mates at the airport on Instagram. They were back in New York. I knew very well that the pregnancy would not stay a secret for too long after that. Rylan was definitely going to attack his brother and reveal everything.
"Send him in," Vivian said.
"Wait," I called.
She frowned at me.
"Tell him I left already, please," I said to Jake. "Say you didn't see me go out but that I left."
"What?" Vivian asked, confused. "Why?"
I didn't respond.
Jake nodded and walked out while I stood quickly. "I need to leave, through the back," I said.
"I'll escort you," Vivian said, taking off her glasses and standing.
"Thanks," I said.
We walked out of the office and headed to the small storage unit at the back of the club. The music was a lot lower and the smell of smoke and alcohol was less powerful. There was a single exit, hidden behind a few boxes.
"Rory," Vivian said, holding onto my shoulders.
I stopped, turning to her.
"If you ever need anything," she said. "Even just someone to talk to, call me."
She sounded worried and I knew I should probably have said something but I was so confused, so overwhelmed that the words died on my tongue. "Thanks, Viv," I said. "Take care of the club for me."
"I will," she promised.
I pulled open the door and walked out. The moment the fresh, chilly air hit my face, I relaxed. The back door led to a small alley behind the club. I wrapped my jacket around me and started walking.
The front of the club was still busy but I took a quick glance around before walking hurriedly to the parking lot. I didn't know what I was doing. All I knew was that I didn't want Raphael to know about the baby. I didn't want him involved.
I was already terrified and alone and scared and having him around would only complicate things. Raphael wasn't just the son of one of the richest and most powerful families in New York, he was also a famous celebrity.
The media would go nuts.
I couldn't be part of that.
When I got to my car, I searched through my purse for the keys and tried to unlock the door. Once I heard the click, I pulled open the door. A hand shot out from behind me and slammed the door shut.
I jumped, releasing a gasp, and whirled around.
"Not so fast, Rory," Raphael's voice said.
I turned around, my chest heaving, and my heart racing.
I hadn't seen him in a month but his presence was just as overwhelming as it was before. He wore a leather jacket and dark jeans. A black baseball cap was tugged low on his head but I could see hints of his blonde hair peeking out. His jaw was set and his blue eyes were hard.
"You're back," I breathed.
"Yeah, I am," he said. "And we need to talk."
"About what?"
He stared at me and my cheeks heated. He knew. Rylan had told him.
"Raphael-"
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, trying to push him aside and reach for the door.
He slammed a palm against the metal and I flinched. He looked pissed. I had never seen Raphael Barlowe look...pissed.
"You and I are going to go somewhere and we're going to talk," he said, slowly like he was trying to make sure I get the point.
"No," I snapped. "We are not."
"I won't ask twice," he said flatly and a chill ran down my spine.
I glared at him, anger simmering in the pit of my stomach. "I don't know what you want but-"
"You'll know when we talk," he said, leaning away and grabbing my hand. "Let's go."
He pulled me away from the car and dragged me back into the parking lot.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I snapped, trying to break free. "My car is back there."
"You'll give the key to one of my guards and they'll drive it back to my house for you."
"I'm not going to your house," I hissed.
"And I didn't want to find out I'm going to be a father while getting punched by my own brother," he countered. "We can't always get what we want."
I froze and he yanked me toward a shiny silver car. It shone in the dark and the lights blinked as the door unlocked. Raphael guided me into the backseat and then slipped in next to me. He closed the door shut, reached across my body, and I jumped, moving away from him.
He shot me a glare but helped me buckle my seatbelt. Then he took the keys from me and wound down the window. A guard hurried to the door.
"You saw the car?" Raphael asked.
"Yes, Mr. Barlowe," the guard replied, taking the key.
"Drive it back to the house."
The guard nodded and rushed off.
"We're going to your house?" I asked, staring out the window as the car pulled onto the road.
"Yes," he replied. "My house, not my parents."
I was silent for a moment. "Are your parents-"
"They know about it too," he said.
I swallowed. I had loved Mr. and Mrs. Barlowe. They treated me so well while I was dating Rylan. What would they think of this?
"They're not mad," he said.
"That's not why I was thinking."
"Then what were you thinking?"
"Nothing," I lied. I wasn't ready for this.
Raphael didn't say anything else and silence fell over us. He was quiet. His face was a blank slate. There were no emotions, no reactions. I couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling.
When we got to his house, the security opened the doors. He got out, and I followed, trailing behind him. The last time I was here, it was to spend a night with him. I had agreed only to spite Rylan. How did that one decision end with me here again, in the home of a man I hardly knew, who was the father of the child growing in my belly?
We walked into the foyer. It was cold, even with my jacket on and I huffed. Raphael glanced at me for a moment and looked away. "This way," he said, walking through the hallways and leading me toward a large room.
It was a library. Shelves lined the walls, filled with books. A chandelier hung above us and a plush rug was spread out over the floor. Raphael sat down in an armchair and gestured towards the one opposite it.
I sat, folding my hands over my lap.
"Do you want something to drink?" he asked.
I shook my head.
"What about something to eat?"
"I'm fine," I said.
He stared at me for a moment, and I held his gaze. I could feel the tension crackling between us and a sense of dread washed over me. Why did he bring me here? What could he probably have to say?
"Look," I said. "I wasn't planning on bothering you with this. I have a flight scheduled for tomorrow. I’m going to leave New York for a while."
"Why?"
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Because I know very well that this may not be what you want. I know who you are. I know that what you want to focus on right now is your career. I don't want to intrude or throw this on you. It's fine if you don't want to-"
"It doesn't matter what I want," Raphael said matter-of-factly. "It's your body and your choice. I don't get a say."
"You do," I insisted.
"I don't want to," he interrupted me. "I'll accept whatever you decide, without any argument."
I frowned, surprised.
"So tell me, Rorry," he said, glancing at my belly and then looking up at my face. "Do you want to keep the baby?"