Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“I also need to let you know that I’m leaving, and I won’t be returning. Thank you for the opportunity, but I quit.”
Confusion riddles his face. “I’m sorry. You’re quitting? Is that what you said?”
“Yes. Effective immediately.”
“Did something happen?”
“Yes, Mr. Downing, something did happen. My loyalty lies elsewhere. I’m sorry.”
“I don’t understand.”
I give him the best, most professional smile I can muster. Then I turn on my heel, grab my bag from my office, turn off the light, and leave.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Ripley
The sun is hot and beads of sweat roll down my back. I recheck the address on the mailbox. Matches the one Nick found for me.
I knock again, the wood of the doorframe scratching my knuckle.
This could be a giant fucking mistake. But, I have to try. If Felicity isn’t going to protect her daughter and do what is right, I will. I’ll try, at least.
I lift my hand to knock again. The door swings open slowly just before I make contact.
Here goes nothing. I hold my breath as Felicity’s eyes find mine. A guard immediately slides over them.
“Hello, Ms. Hayes. I wondered if we could talk for a few minutes.”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“That’s fine.”
She puts her hand on her hip, much like Georgia does when she’s irritated.
“You have a lot of balls coming here,” she says.
“Trust me. I’d rather be doing a million other things besides this.”
She lifts a brow. “Then why are you?”
My heart races. Please let this work.
I choke back the hateful things I want to spew at her. I swallow the accusations, the insults, and the assumptions. None of those things will help me but, more importantly, they won’t help Georgia. And that’s why I’m here.
“I want you to know that I understand your contempt for me,” I say. “You hate me. I get it.”
“How could you possibly understand that? How could you know what your father did to me? What he probably did to countless other women? He swooped into my life, saying all the right things, declaring his love for me. Promised to take care of me. When, in reality, he had a beautiful wife and family at home with no intentions of leaving them. Again, how could you possibly understand that?”
“Well, for what it’s worth, I wish he had left us. It would’ve been a hell of a lot easier.”
Her eyes widen, but she says nothing.
I shift my weight from one foot to the other, the wooden boards beneath me creaking. My brain is empty, forgetting the speech I prepared on my way over here, leaving me standing in front of Felicity fumbling like a fool. It’s not the look I was going for.
“My father hurt a lot of people,” I say, my voice even. “Every day I carry his last name—a name I should be proud of. A name that came from men and women who did remarkable things. It’s my mother’s last name—a woman who’s intelligent and strong. It’s my sister, Bianca’s, name. She’s one of the most brilliant women in the world. And my four brothers and nephew share it, too. They’re kind and hardworking. Men who I look up to and revere. Yet we all share a name that has been tainted and soiled by the man who should’ve protected us. We can never shake that attachment from him.”
Felicity opens the door and steps onto the porch.
“You have memories of him being nice to you,” I say. “That’s more than I have. My father broke my nose, tried to kill my mother and my sister, and gave me all kinds of hangups that nearly ruined my life. Like the one that told me I wasn’t good enough for your daughter.”
Her eyes narrow as if she’s still working through this whole situation. I just keep talking. I don’t know what else to do.
“I’m sorry for what he did to you,” I say. “I’m sorry for what he did to all of us. But all I can do is move forward, be a better man, and try to bring respect and dignity back to my family’s name.”
I take a deep breath, reminding myself to keep calm. This is my one shot. Quite possibly my only opportunity to talk to Felicity.
“Ms. Hayes, your daughter loves you more than anything in this world. I know you have to love her the same. How could you not? I mean, she is a little mouthy sometimes, but that’s her only real flaw.”
Her lip twitches as if she wants to smile, but she doesn’t. That’s where Georgia’s stubborn nature comes from.
“I would never want to hurt either of you, or come between you,” I say. “My family is my foundation, and I know how long and hard we hurt when our father tried to tear us apart. Thankfully, we rallied and are stronger than ever. I could never be the reason that Georgia doesn’t have you … even if it means that I have to give her up.”