(Winona)My brain is mush and it’s almost nine at night when I answer Phillip’s call.“I think you should call it a night,” he says.“Is Abby okay?” She’d been a little off this week. Maybe coming down with a virus.“She’s asleep. All tucked up with Puppy.”“Did she ask about me? I’m always there by bedtime.” I do feel guilty missing bedtimes all this week, but we usually get a video call in to say goodnight.Time just flew by tonight though after the board actioned all of our recommendations, I wanted to get the ball rolling.“She sure did. I told her you love her very much and you would be there to kiss her good morning. She was fine. Anne made her warm cocoa and I read her a book.”“Great. Thank you, Phillip. You’ll make the best dad.” He’d make an awesome husband too, but I just can’t go there, even though I know I’m being an idiot not to grab this opportunity. But love isn’t always logical.What am I saying? Love is never logical. It was painful, ridiculous, and dramatic, but nev
(Winona)I’m really not in the mood to battle anything out with Jayden right now. Nor to have my emotions battling inside me like this.“I can go to a club without him, he trusts me.” I’m giving a subtle dig at his past possessive behavior towards me. But why bother, he doesn’t remember.Then a voice beside me sounds as hands almost pull me off the bar stool. “Winona! Yay! Come over to our old booth! Hi Jayden.”“Hi Lisa.”“I’m not sure I’m staying too long.” I say while giving Lisa a look I hope she remembers.“Oh, come one. Just for one drink.” She gets in between Jayden and I with her back to him and winks at me. “I have something I have to tell you.”I get the hint that she is getting me away from Jayden. Perfect. “Look, I’m only staying another hour. I’m beat.”“Sure. Let’s go.” Then she looks back at Jayden. “Sorry, secret women’s business. No insult meant.”“None taken,” he says. “Go ahead. I’m catching up with Lance, anyway.”Catching up with Lance? Has Lance planned this?Lis
(Jayden)“It wasn’t even meant for you, Jayden…” Lisa continues. “It was my fault.”Winona is standing there open-mouthed, clearly as shocked as I am at this confession.“Well, that escalated quickly. I didn’t even bring popcorn.” Lance says trying to ease the crazy tension, no doubt.We all look at him and say, “Shut up, Lance.”“Lisa, what are you saying? Who was it meant for?” Winona asks.“It’s history.” Lisa spits the words out at Ashlyn. “What matters is that you stop lying and saying there’s proof when there isn’t. Winona had nothing to do with the drugs.”“Lisa, I don’t get it.” Winona says.“I’m sorry. I should never have let it go this far. I was too scared to tell you all the truth and look like a complete idiot.” Lisa sobs.She runs out of the club and Winona follows her.Ashlyn just stares at them both leaving and then turns to me. “But…”I say coldly, “I think you’ve already done enough, Ashlyn. Go home.”“No, Jayden, I swear! Your mother has the proof. She told me.”“Se
(Jayden) Winona, younger, in a short dress, dancing. Her body moved in perfect time with the beat. Her smile is just for me, her eyes just for me. That feeling of jealousy smashing through me.A pain sears into my brain as the scene goes black.“Okay. I’ve heard enough.” I hold my head for a few seconds. “I need time to process all of this.”Lance looks at me. “You know. If you want her back, there is a lot to apologize for.”“I never said I wanted her back. I’ve just broken up with my fiancée for chrissakes.”Lance continues as if I’ve said nothing. “Sure, you have a somewhat valid excuse, you don’t remember her. But you were pretty cruel three years ago and that wasn’t called for. And that is coming from me, the person who has broken endless hearts.”“I was angry, confused.”“None of this is anymore Winona’s fault than it is yours. If you want her back, you’ll need to start at ground zero by getting her to be friends again.”I shake my head. “I don’t want to get Winona back.”“Su
(Winona)After a silent taxi ride to her tiny apartment, I get us both a glass of water before asking her about the sudden outburst. Maybe she’s just covering for me. I wasn’t about to hash it all out in the taxi.“Lisa, you are kidding, right? You really don’t have to cover for me. I don’t care about Jayden anymore.” Not exactly true, but I want it to be.“No!” She shakes her head, and the tears start again. “I’ve made such a mess of this. I can’t lie to you anymore! It was me.”“Why would you do something like that?”“I wanted Lance to love me, like Jayden loved you, so desperately. But Jayden picked up the wrong drink and drank it straight down.”“Oh Lisa. That isn’t the way to handle things.”“I know but Lance just friend-zoned me years ago and we were so damn good together. But the way we’d argued that night, before I spiked the drink, I just felt hopeless.” Lisa drops her head down.I rub her arm and she continues.“I wanted to prove to him how good we could be, just to relax hi
(Ashlyn)I was three years younger than Winona and Jayden, and when I was in high school, the school was full of legends of their love. I wanted a love like that and before long I realized I wanted even more. I wanted Jayden to love me like that, not to see me as just a little sister.I tried so hard to be just like her. She acted like an older sister to me. I’m an only child, so it was cool. We did all the same stuff together and she really was amazing. But she had the one thing I really wanted and I couldn’t change that.Their love was crazy. Like all the books and movies. He’d sacrifice anything for her, even his family fortune. After his father passed, then Jayden had the accident, his mother Judy took over the running of the business. But Jayden always remained CEO.Judy knew I loved Jayden and she did everything to encourage me to make him fall in love with me. Winona was out of the picture, in a coma. Who’d know if she’d ever recover and Jayden’s memory was pretty bad.The doct
(Winona)I grip the official adoption papers in my hand. Finally. Phillip is now legally her father and listed on her birth certificate. My heart is hammering, I’m so happy and relieved. Now, no one can make it any different without lawyers and a courtroom.I don’t have to hide my daughter anymore. When I feel Jayden is ready. I will tell him the truth. But for now, I want to at least keep Judy off balance. Hopefully the good news will continue and Abby will be accepted into the preschool.My cell phone rings and it’s a local number. I answer, “Hello, Winona Nolan speaking.”“Hi, Winona. This is Marion Gregory from Johnstone Academy calling.”“Oh, Hi Mrs. Gregory,” I say cheerfully.“I’m very sorry. But we’ve gone over Abby’s information and I’m afraid she’s not suited for our academy.”“Not suited? Is there any particular reason? I mean the fees are not a problem and we live in the area.” “I’m sorry ma’am. We don’t discuss the exact details. But you understand we have many applicati
(Winona)I know exactly what to say. I’ve gone over this conversation a million times in my head.“Are you sure? If Jayden knows about his daughter, then maybe he wants me and his first born heir back in his life. That’s if she is his daughter, which she isn’t.”Phillip pipes up again, “And I must say, I do love Winona and I’ll always be there for Abby as her father, but I wouldn’t stand in the way of Jayden being with his own flesh and blood. What kind of monster would do that? Jayden would be sure to hate anyone if he found out they did that to him.”“You are both playing a dangerous game!” She clearly knows she’s painted herself into a corner and I now have the upper hand. “So you’re saying if Jayden has another child, you won’t be claiming any of the billions for your daughter as the rightful heir, if she was?”Interesting. Jayden having more kids hasn’t come up before. What are they up to? I bet Judy has been trying to make Ashlyn get pregnant with Jayden as fast as she can.“No.