Chapter Nineteen
Noah
By Wednesday, our new product was in the news along with my declaration of love for Elena, and all eyes were on Saturn Intelligence. I was sure it was because of the press release and kissing Elena that it was such a big deal. If it had been only a product, it would have been like any other release. It wouldn’t have been special.
But it was special, now.
And because of the media coverage, everything increased. The results of our surveys and research projects shot up, the feedback was spectacular, and our numbers changed from quadrupling within a few months to so much more than that.
Again, it was the extra attention that caused it. I was sure that the moment we released the product, the financial struggles I had been through with SI would be a thing of the past. We were in the news now as the company to watch out for, releasing a product that was highly anticipated.
The launch date crept closer and closer, and we worked hard. The offices buzzed with excitement and energy. The rumors had died down now that Elena and I were officially together, and everything was working out the way it should have.
I was proud of Elena. It was thanks to her that this was happening at all. She had given me more than any woman I had been with before, and it wasn’t only about the company. She gave me more emotionally, as well. Spending time with her was fulfilling. For the first time since Cheryl left, I believed I could have a happy ending again. I had hope that I could be happy and that Lilly could have someone that she could look up to and turn to, someday. We weren’t that serious yet, of course, but there was hope.
And hope was all I needed.
“Come over to my place for dinner tonight,” I said to Elena when she came to my office to bring me files I needed. “It will be the three of us. Lilly is asking about you.”
Elena smiled and agreed. “I love spending time with both of you,” she said.
I liked how she was with Lilly and how Lilly was around her.
When Elena arrived later that night, Lilly ran out to greet her and bring her inside. She dragged Elena to her room to show her the dollhouse I had given her for Christmas.
“She’s going to do this until you’ve seen every one of her toys. Twice,” I said when they joined me in the kitchen. I was heating up food Diane had been so kind to cook for us.
Elena chuckled. “I don’t mind. I like that she wants to share with me.”
“Food’s ready,” I said. “Lil, go wash your hands, quick.”
Lilly ran out of the room and Elena helped me carry plates to the table. We ate in the dining room more often now, instead of always sitting in front of the television. It was great to have something normal in our lives again.
“Spaghetti and meatballs!” Lilly cried out when she sat down.
I smiled. “It’s her favorite, aside from pizza.”
Elena smiled, pushing her food around on her plate. “It looks great,” she said. I watched her as she speared a meatball and lifted it. She looked reluctant.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’m feeling a little sick,” Elena said. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
I nodded but continued to watch her. She took a small bite of the food, chewing slowly.
“Oh, God,” she said, pushing her chair back. She pressed her hand to her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled through her fingers before running out of the room. I heard her throwing up in the guest toilet. I hadn’t heard the door close.
“Is Elena sick?” Lilly asked when I stood up to check on her.
“She’ll be fine, Angel,” I said and hurried to the guest toilet. Elena sat on the floor, forehead pressed to the toilet in front of her. She groaned.
“Let me get you some water,” I said and ran to the kitchen. I returned with the water to find Elena right where I had left her. “Here,” I said.
She took the glass from me and took two sips before handing it back.
“Elena?” Lilly asked, coming around the door.
“Sorry, sweetie,” Elena said, sitting up and forcing a smile. “I think I’m coming down with something.”
“Like me?” Lilly asked, and she looked worried.
“No, no. Just a bug,” Elena said. I helped her up and we walked together to the living room. Lilly clambered onto the couch and sat down next to Elena, holding onto her hand.
“How long have you been feeling like this?” I asked.
Elena shook her head, frowning. “Since Monday, I think,” she said.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
She shrugged. “I thought I was just a bit under the weather. I thought it would pass.”
I was worried about her. “Please go have it checked out, okay? You can take time from work for a doctor’s appointment if that’s what you need.”
Elena nodded. “Maybe that’s a good idea. I think I need to go home, get some rest.”
I didn’t want her to leave but it was the best thing for her if she was feeling sick.
“That’s a good idea,” I said.
“Are you leaving?” Lilly asked.
“Elena is feeling sick, sweetie pie. Remember how you went to bed and slept a lot when you were sick? She needs to sleep, too.”
Lilly hugged Elena. “Okay,” she said.
Elena stood up, and I walked her to the door. When we reached her car, Elena opened the door and got in.
“Wait,” I said. Something was off about her car. When I looked at the tires, I realized what it was. They were flat. All four of them. When I kneeled to inspect them, I realized they were slashed.
I was furious immediately. “Nicole,” I gritted out.
Elena leaned out of her car door, frowning. “Who’s Nicole?”
I sighed. I shouldn’t have said it out loud. “Your car tires are slashed,” I said.
Elena gasped. “Are you being serious?” She got out to look at her tires. When she turned to me, I couldn’t read her expression.
“Who is Nicole?” she asked again.
I groaned. I didn’t want to go there but Nicole had forced my hand.
“She’s the woman that was in my office on Monday morning. We dated for a short while, more than a year ago. It didn’t work out, but she has it in her head that we belong together and she’s been making life a little difficult for me, lately.”
Elena frowned. She was pale but she had enough energy to be irritated with me.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this before?” she asked.
“Because I didn’t think she would be a problem. Who doesn’t have a crazy ex, right?”
Elena wasn’t amused. “Not to the point where your current girlfriend’s tires are slashed.”
She had a point. I sighed and nodded.
“Come inside,” I said. “Sit down. I’ll order you an Uber. We’ll wait together.”
When we were inside, I put a movie on for Lilly to keep her busy and sat down with Elena. She didn’t look happy. Her skin was pasty from feeling sick, and her green eyes were dark and brooding.
“So, tell me now,” Elena said. And she was right, she had a right to know about Nicole if it had gone this far. I hadn’t thought the bitch would slash Elena’s tires. If I’d known she would do something this drastic, I would have reacted to her calls and her visits differently.
“After Cheryl left, I felt like it wasn’t fair for Lilly to grow up without a mother figure in her life. She’s a little girl, and I can’t always give her everything she needs. So I dated again,” I said. Elena sat with her body turned sideways, leaning against the couch. She looked wilted and it made me worry for her.
“How long did you date for?” Elena asked.
“Only a couple of months. She wasn’t good for Lilly. They didn’t get along well enough to make me feel like it was worth it, and I was raising a daughter by myself and mourning a marriage that should have been forever. I didn’t have what it took to be a boyfriend at the time, and Nicole and I weren’t right for each other.”
“Did you break up with her?”
I nodded. “I broke it off with her. I explained myself to her, telling her I wasn’t ready to move on. I shouldn’t have dragged her into my broken life, and I realized that it was better to do it all alone than to force something to work.”
“I guess I can understand that,” Elena said. “It’s not easy being a single father.”
I shook my head. “It’s not, but Nicole isn’t letting this go, now. I’ve picked up a stalker, and she’s not happy about you. Especially now that it’s all over the news. It’s hard to miss.”
Elena sighed. “I wish you would have told me about this, sooner.”
“I should have,” I said. “I didn’t think she would become this bad. At first, it was just a text or a call saying she missed me. It only got worse after the photo was printed.”
Elena shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment. “That’s horrible. You’ve been through so much, I’m amazed you’re still going strong.”
I chuckled without emotion. “It hasn’t been easy but there’s only one way out of this, and that’s forward. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I’m sorry about all of this.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Elena said. “I can imagine how hard it must have been for you in the beginning, and you couldn’t have known that Nicole would act like this. Please, don’t be sorry.”
But I was sorry. I was sorry that a woman like Nicole had to be in our lives when things were beginning to work out for me when it was already heading toward perfection. I was sorry that Elena had to get caught up in all of it. I felt like it was my fault. I had a lot of baggage, and Elena didn’t deserve so much trouble so soon into our relationship.
Elena pressed the back of her fingers against her mouth.
“Are you alright?” I asked, alarmed.
“I’m okay. As long as I don’t eat there’s nothing to come back up. But I think I need to get home, now.”
I nodded and found my phone to order her car. When I was sure there was one on the way, I helped her up and walked with her up the driveway to where the Uber would pick her up.
“Let me know when you’re home safely,” I said. “I’m worried about you.”
“I will,” Elena said, hugging me. She turned toward the Uber when it pulled up, and I closed the door behind her.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I said and watched the Uber leave with someone that had come to mean a lot more to me than I’d ever thought was possible.
I was worried about Elena, both about her being sick and about Nicole causing so much trouble for her. I never wanted her involved in this.
When I walked back to the house, I looked at her car. I would get the tires replaced for her and have the car dropped off in the morning. It was the least I could do to make all of this better.