Chapter 10

The next morning, I stretched out my legs and took a deep breath. I woke up slowly, forgetting where I was, trying to nestle myself deeper into the covers. The sun was peeking through the blinds and I tried to bury my head under a pillow when I heard a beep.

It was a familiar beep, but in my sleepy state it took a while for me to recognize it.

“My phone,” I said to mostly myself as I picked it up. I had a text message. It was from my mom.

It simply said, “Just texting to see if you’re ok. You forgot to call last night.” And attached was a picture of Mom, Sadie and Dad together in front of the breakfast table. It was a terrible attempt at a selfie and it made me laugh.

I felt guilty at first that I’d gotten so wrapped up last night that I’d forgotten to call, but then I squelched that guilt. It wasn’t like I’d been caught being irresponsible with a complete stranger. I’d just got swept away by my child’s father.

I texted her back that I was sorry and that I would call soon, then scoured the floor for my bra and dress. I found them and slipped them on.

Where the heck was Griffin?

I made my way out of the bedroom and ran into a tall figure.

“Hey, you! Long time no see!”

Oh, God. Not this again. It was Jackson.

I opened my mouth to greet him when I felt two hands grab me by the waist and pull me back against a hard chest I instantly recognized as Griffin’s. He hugged me from behind, holding me possessively as he spoke to Jackson.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay in the kitchen?” Griffin said to Jackson.

“I had to pee,” Jackson whined.

“There’s a lady in the room, for God’s sake Jackson, watch your language.”

Jackson looked contrite. “Sorry. But I did have to pee. You’re looking good... errr... sorry, what was your name again?” I opened my mouth to tell him when he interrupted again. “Nina! That’s it!”

His phone beeped and he reached for it, giving me a wide grin. “I’m keeping this one far away from you. Phone killer.” He walked away as he began to talk on the phone. “Hey, hun! Yeah, yeah... I’m over at my brother’s. Remember that girl I told you about who went berserk and tossed my phone... she’s here! No, seriously, she is. She and Griffin are back together. You know he always liked the crazy ones...” he said, disappearing into a room.

Griffin looked at me and I looked at him and we both snickered.

“Your brother just called me crazy. I didn’t go berserk. He’s exaggerating.”

“Well, I don’t know about that.”

I punched Griffin playfully in the shoulder. He caught my hand and brought it up to his lips to kiss the back of it.

“Did you sleep well?” He asked meeting my eyes and giving me a sexy look.

I gave him one of my own and said, “The little sleep I had was enjoyable...”

“Are you complaining?” he teased, leading me to a barstool at the giant quartz island in his kitchen.

“No.”

“I would hope not, you’re the insatiable one that kept waking me up. I should be the exhausted one.”

I couldn’t help but blush in the daylight. He was right. I can’t remember how many other times I had woken up to initiate sex with him all over again. It had been a delicious evening... one I definitely would never forget. One I’d love to repeat, but first, I had to tell him the truth.

“Griffin, remember the other night when I said we needed to talk?”

“God, I hope this isn’t about Jerry because if you tell me you’re in love with him, I swear I’m going to throw him from a building.”

“Why are you so obsessed with Jerry?”

“Isn’t it simple? He’s into you. I can’t have another man sniffing at my woman.”

I raised my eyebrows. So, I was his woman now? Interesting.

“Jerry is just a friend. And you and I only became ‘reacquainted’ last night.”

“And what a good night that was,” he said jokingly, giving me a lewd wink.

I couldn’t’ help but laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Don’t I know it.”

The doorbell rang and Griffin looked annoyed. “I’m not expecting anyone. Be right back. Watch these eggs for me, I hate overcooked eggs.” He muttered almost to himself as he walked to the door.

He wasn’t wearing a shirt, just flannel pajama bottoms that hugged his backside in the most appealing way. I liked the way his back muscles moved with his every step. Apparently, while I got curvier, Griffin got sexier... sometimes it’s not fair being a woman. I popped a small piece of an egg in my mouth and added another. I was starving.

He went to open the door when the door opened up on its own and Mrs. Wallace came striding in.

“It’s almost noon... why don’t you have any clothes on? I didn’t raise you to be a heathen—” She stopped abruptly as she caught sight of me.

“You! What are you doing here?”

I opened my mouth to speak and the words came out as gibberish because my mouth was full of eggs.

She turned to Griffin and said, “What is she doing here?”

“She has every right to be here, Mom. Calm down,” Griffin said more fiercely than I would have expected.

“I will not calm down!” she said, marching past him and coming within inches of me. “You just don’t give up, do you? Do I have to pay you off again? Why won’t you just leave him alone?”

I looked at Griffin who looked at me curiously.

“Pay you off?” He said to me and then looked at his mom, “What are you talking about?”

“I paid her $250,000 to leave you alone. And she took the money and apparently is back for more.”

“What?”

“That’s not true,” I said, finally able to defend myself now that I was done chewing.

“Oh, really? Then explain where the $250,000 went.”

I gulped hard. “I used it.”

“You see!” his mom said victoriously.

Griffin looked at me as if he’d never seen me before. I felt humiliated and vulnerable... the same way I felt all those years ago when Mrs. Wallace had lied to me about Griffin having a family. And then it occurred to me that because of her lies, my daughter hadn’t known her father. It was because of her lies that my daughter didn’t know her uncle or know that she had a cousin and another one on the way. I was done with Mrs. Wallace scheming.

“It’s true, your mom paid me $250,000 to make me go away.”

“And you took it,” Griffin said emotionlessly. I felt my eyes tearing up, but I was determined to not let her win this time.

“What your mother didn’t mention is why... ask her why I left. She led me to believe a lie.”

She glared at me and turned to Griffin. “I told you already, Griffin. This is why I had security escort her out. I just wanted to protect you from her, I knew she was bad news. Not our kind, at all.”

“And what exactly is our kind, Mom?” Griffin growled.

“Griffin, I—”

“Stop. Dad wasn’t our kind, and yet you married him.”

Her lips grew tight. “This isn’t about your father.”

“In a way, I think it is. From what I understand, you went out of your way to make sure Nina never got to me.”

“I did what was best. She’s a predator. A gold digger.”

“Stop, Mom. Just stop—”

“You heard her! She took my money! She doesn’t have a conscience! I paid her off for cheap!” she spit out, her voice growing shrill. She was finally losing her composure and we stared at her. As if realizing it, she straightened her shoulders and slipped a hand through her perfectly coiffed hair. “Ask her,” she finally said.

Griffin turned to me. There was no accusation in his eyes. In fact, he just looked tired. His eyes were guarded, but he looked exhausted as if he had had all he could take emotionally for one day. Apparently, Mrs. Wallace was always a handful.

“She implied that you had a family. So yes, I took the money. I... I needed it.”

“See there! I told you,” she said.

“You lied to her and told her that I had a family?” Griffin said.

“Not exactly. I might have implied it but she drew her own conclusions.”

“You’re lying! You did more than imply.”

She shook her head. “Who are you going to believe? Some floozy that whored herself on an island or me?”

“Woah, woah, woah,” said Jackson cutting in. “I told you, Mom, they were entertainment specialists. Not whores.”

If she hadn’t been implying that I was a whore, Jackson’s interjection would have been funny.

“If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck and acts like a duck, Jackson, then it’s a duck,” Mrs. Wallace said coldly.

“Or a goose... they look a lot alike,” Jackson quipped.

“Shut up, Jackson,” Mrs. Wallace snarled. Jackson promptly excused himself.

“Mom, you have to stop,” Griffin said ignoring Jackson.

“Stop? Stop what?”

“Interfering with our lives.”

“Interfering? Me helping you avoid a scandal is what you consider interference? Me trying to get the rubbish out of your life is a disaster?”

“I’m not garbage,” I growled, finding my voice.

“You’re right. You’re way worse than that. At least garbage knows its place.”

I was done talking. I was ready to strangle that old lady. I jumped down from my barstool and was making my way over to her when Griffin stepped in between us.

I knew then that it was time to tell Griffin everything.

“After she called security on me, I gave Cliff my number and contact information. She must have got it from him because she arranged to meet up with me at an ice cream shop on the beach. I thought I was meeting up with you, but she turned up instead with the $250, 000.”

“So I lied. I was just trying to protect you from the ugliness of life. Is that so bad? Why do I feel like I’m on trial here? I did nothing wrong,” she screeched.

“I saw you playing on the beach with a little girl and I saw you hug a woman. I thought you had used me, especially after you left so abruptly.”

Griffin looked confused and then turned to his mom and said, “How could you?”

“What?”

“You took her to the ice cream shop at the beach? The one we used to go to with Dad every weekend? You took her there to do your dirty work?”

“I did what I had to do.” Mrs. Wallace was stoic, her expression gave away nothing of what she was feeling.

“I know the beach and ice cream shop you’re talking about. Our dad used to take us there every weekend, I thought it would be nice to take my niece and my friend... the woman you saw me hugging. I’ll never forget that day, because my niece met her father that day. It was a special day for her so I wanted it to take place somewhere that had been special to me... special to all of us.”

Griffin’s mom’s lips grew so tight they were barely perceptible. She sat down on the couch and pleaded with Griffin yet again. “I just did what I thought was best.”

“I know and that’s why it’s so sad. You thought keeping me away from someone I cared about was good for me. Think about that, Mom.”

She shook her head. “Nora had already caused enough pain with her bad decision-making. I just didn’t want to go down that road again.”

“Yes, because keeping up appearances is so much more important than your kids’ happiness.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s not true and you know it. Your happiness, Jackson’s, even Nora’s means more to me than my own.”

“Oh stop, you’re no saint, Mom.”

“Neither is she!” she yelled, pointing at me. “You think she’s the only man you’re seeing?”

I furrowed my brows. “What the hell are you talking about? More lies?” I looked at Griffin who placed his hands on his hips and looked down at the floor shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth.

“Mom, you’re off your rocker.”

She became livid and leaped up from her chair. “I saw her a few days ago cuddled up with some guy at the gym! Ask her if you don’t believe me.” She turned to me and said, “And don’t you try to deny it.”

“There’s nothing to deny,” I said with a carefree shrug, “You did see me with a guy... my cousin Kenny. He’s an instructor there.”

“A likely story—”

“Not another word. You’ve said enough,” Griffin interrupted in a cold voice. She finally had his undivided attention.

She swallowed thickly. “You’re going to take her word over mine.”

He said softly, “Mom... I haven’t been able to take you at your word since Dad died.”

She pulled her face back as if he had just slapped her. “Ok, I see. I’ll just leave now.” She stood up slowly and walked to the door as if she wanted him to stop her, as if she was giving him the chance to tell her not to go. She was sorely mistaken.

“Ok, well, call me when your world falls apart. Because with her, that’s the only future you have. A future that’s worth nothing.”

With that parting shot, she got into the elevator and was gone.

“Is she gone?” Jackson said, sticking his head out.

Griffin closed the door silently, not answering.

Jackson happily sat down on the couch and said, “Hey, I don’t blame you. If she offered me $250,000 I would have taken it.”

I flinched. “I didn’t want to take it, I tried to give it back to her—”

“Jackson,” Griffin interrupted. “Go home. I need to talk to Nina alone.”

I swallowed hard. I should have known I wasn’t getting off that easily.

“Oh,” he said, sounding disappointed, “I guess I should head home then.”

“Yeah, you should,” Griffin said softly. I could hear the anger bubbling under the surface and apparently so could Jackson.

Jackson abruptly hugged me and whispered, “You’re on your own, babe. Sorry.”

I sighed, knowing he was right. Griffin grabbed him by the shoulder and practically shoved him out the door.

“Hey! This jacket is expensive!” was the last I heard from Jackson as Griffin slammed the door.

I sat down heavily on the couch and he sat across from me.

“Did you plan to tell me?”

“About which part?” I said deliberately coy.

“The money...”

“Oh, that part.”

“Is that why you came back to see me that day in the office? You wanted money?”

“What? No! That’s not why!”

“Because Jackson said you wanted nothing to do with me when I left the island. And then suddenly you showed up months later, just out of the blue...”

“Listen, I know how it looks, but that’s not what happened.”

“Isn’t it?”

“I mean, yeah, I was angry with you after you left me on the island. I thought there was something more between us and when I woke up and you weren’t there, I was really hurt—”

“I already told you what happened.”

“Yes, years later.”

“But that still doesn’t explain why you showed up months later, that does sound suspicious.”

I was speechless. He thought that lowly of me? Really? I took a deep breath and tried to stay cool and collected. Don’t get emotional, Nina.

“I’m sorry if that seems suspicious, but I was not after your money.”

“But yet when Mom offered it, you took it.”

“I needed it.”

“You needed it?”

“Yes,” I said refusing to meet his eyes. “I didn’t ask for it. I tried to give it back, but I eventually needed it.”

“Where’s the money now, Nina?” he asked coldly. “Spent it all? Got yourself some pretty things? Maybe a fancy car?”

I looked up at him sharply. “You know me better than that.”

“Actually, no. No, I don’t. I know my mother is a misguided snob, but I don’t know your angle.”

“I don’t have one.”

He nodded and then stood up. He began to pace. “I think it’s time that we put all our cards on the table, so to speak.”

I gulped, knowing there was one card I was holding that would trump all other cards.

“Do you want to go first?”

I shook my head.

“Ok, then I’ll go.” He abruptly stopped pacing and leaned against a pillar. “I had Richard offer you the insurance commercial job. It wasn’t a coincidence. I wanted to see you again so I told him to hire you. He didn’t just happen to “share” with me that you were in town. I had him bring you here.”

His confession didn’t surprise me. I’d already put that together.

“So, is that why your mom was at the casting for the entertainment specialist job? She didn’t think Richard would do a good job?” I asked, stalling.

“Pretty much. She wanted to make sure Jackson and I weren’t around any girls that would cause a scandal.”

That had been my initial thought. It made perfect sense and it explained so much. I bet Richard had picked me against his aunt’s wishes and had deliberately paired me up with Griffin to shake things up. Well, he certainly accomplished that.

But that’s not what this conversation was about.

“I guess now it’s my turn.”

“I guess,” is all he said. I couldn’t read his expression.

“After the island, our encounter on the island, I was depressed and so I left to lick my wounds, so to speak. I went back home and I...” I stopped, not knowing what to say or how to say it.

“You realized who I was and that you could get very good money from my family?”

“No! How could you think that?” I said.

He shrugged. “It’s the most logical conclusion. You were a broke actress. I’m set to inherit hundreds of millions over what I already have now. What conclusion would you come up with?”

He was right. All conclusions led to me being one gold-digging you-know-what. But I thought Griffin knew better than that. Apparently not.

I tried to speak calmly and keep my voice from shaking, but I was visibly upset. “I might have been a struggling actress, but I have some dignity.”

“Yes, enough to take $250,000.”

“If I had only had to worry about me, I would not have taken it,” I said angrily.

“What is that supposed to mean?” he said staring at me.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them. “I was pregnant. With your baby. That’s why I took the money. I didn’t ask for it but when your mom wouldn’t take it back and I saw you with that woman and that child, I don’t know... I thought that I was doing the right thing. I knew I would need money and like you said, I was just a broke actress.”

I expected him to yell at me or say something, anything. His silence was killing me. He was staring off into the distance as if I didn’t even exist anymore.

“Griffin?”

“Get out.”

“What?” I hadn’t expected that. He looked at me and his eyes were cold, flat and emotionless.

“Get out,” he repeated simply.

“I tried to tell you earlier—I swear I did.” I didn’t understand why he was angry and then I thought back to the conversation we had about his sister Nora.

“Go,” he said softly. He walked to the door and held it open. “Get out.”

I wanted to fight him. I wanted to yell at him. I wanted to do something, but I did what I thought was best, which was nothing. I walked past him, determined not to show how much pain I was in and I walked out the door. He slammed it behind me, so hard that the noise it caused scared me to the point that I let out a startled cry.

As the elevator came for me, I tried to tell myself to not cry. I tried to tell myself that everything would be fine. I’d done what I was supposed to do. And now it was time to go home.

I reached for my phone and realized I’d left it in Griffin’s place. I would have just walked away, but I didn’t have a way to get home. I’d left my wallet and everything in Griffin’s place.

I marched to his door and banged on it, not caring if my banging disturbed the neighbors.

“I left my phone and my wallet,” I said when he answered the door looking angry.

Without a word, I barged around him and found my phone ringing in his bedroom. I grabbed it and my purse.

At least now I can answer my phone without worrying about him finding out my secret, I thought to myself as I answered, walking past Griffin. The secret was officially out in the open, but for some reason, I didn’t feel any better than before. I got into the elevator and I tried not to think of the pain I felt, that made it hard to even breathe.

I wiped away tears and tried to keep my voice cheerful as I spoke into the phone, “Hi, Mom. How’s—”

“You have to come home—”

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. “Why? What’s wrong?”

Her cellular reception was going in and out. “Mom... Mom?”

“Hon... hospital... come home,” were the last words I heard before the line went dead.