BeccaTwo weeks went by before I was actually able to find myself in some kind of contentment. The moment I broke it off with James, I went upstairs and cried my eyes out, unable to focus on anything, and even when Monday came around, and my classes fell back into session, I just couldn't get myself together.Everything, instead, went by in a blur. I felt trapped within my mind, trying to pay attention but doing so numbly because I had ended things with the man I loved. I couldn't deal with the complications. I couldn't keep dealing with the unassured way my life was going, the chaos constantly consuming me.That was no way for any woman or man to live.And though he wanted to keep a hold of me, I couldn't do that.Looking at my phone, I stared at my missed calls from the day. Every day he called me, he would call twice or three times, trying to get me to pick up. Sending me text messages telling me not to do this, and I at first replied. But now?Every time my phone ran
BeccaThe weekend came quicker than I imagined and before I knew it, I was in my car driving to New York City. Even though Neal had absolutely refused for me to do so. He said he would have me flown down here, but I enjoyed driving. It gave me time to clear my mind and relax in the scenery.That is, of course, until I actually got into New York City and then reminded myself why I did not enjoy living in a city, nor driving in one. It was nothing but utter chaos.The bumper to bumper traffic was crazy, and nobody knew how to drive. Nobody used turn signals. People just walked right out in front of you in the middle of the road like they owned the damn place. I don't know how many times I had to slam on my brakes because I almost hit somebody.But as I pulled into the parking garage of Neal's building and found the lovely parking space he had reserved for me, I couldn't be happier.This was going to be an absolutely amazing vacation.Regardless of how the past few month
JamesIt had been two weeks since I had spoken to Becca. I still couldn't believe the moment I was leaving, she found comfort being able to just call it off with me.Maybe I should have tried to force her to stay with me or something. I didn't know what the f*ck I was doing or thinking. At the end of the day, I'd just let her go. I let her say goodbye to me. Even though it killed me, it was happening. I had done so much for her, and she didn't seem to want to make it work. She just wanted a way out, and as hurt as I was—I was angry.No matter how many times I'd called, no matter how many times I texted her—nothing.Only twice did she respond, and those were vaguely a conversation. Her response was just like the other times we'd aruged. She told me I had priorities I needed to situate, and she wasn't one of them. That perhaps in the future, things would change.I was angry, on edge, unable to focus on a goddamn thing because she clouded every single moment of my waking m
BeccaA few days into my visit with Neal and Allegra, I felt happier than I had in a while. We decided to meander the streets of New York, taking in the different sites and also visited a few of the museums.Which, by the way, were absolutely amazing! The entire day had been more than perfect, and though I knew it would only be short-lived, I couldn't help but relish how spending time with them felt.Allegra and Neal had done amazing in making me feel better.It was the first time I had felt some contentment in a long time, and as we rounded the corner near Times Square, I couldn't help but be astounded at the sights before me. The bright, colorful lights, the large screens, the revolving images that were there, not to mention the many people who meandered around as if they had no care in the world.It was mesmerizing, and even though I was not the type of person that would ever be considered a city girl, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to live here in
BeccaSeeing James in New York was not something I expected, but running into him brought up so many memories I didn't know how to control. The way he had looked at me made my skin crawl with pleasure, not disgust, like I expected it would have. I wasn't quite sure why it was he was there, but according to him, he wasn't following me.Deep down, though, I couldn't help but feel him running into me was a work of fate and not of coincidence. Something inside me told me I was meant to see him today.As soon as we returned to Neal's apartment, it was clear Neal was upset over the entire situation. The scowls on his face were absolutely dreadful, and no matter how much Allegra tried to talk to him and make him feel better, he just seemed so angry over the entire situation."Would you please calm down? You're completely ruining the mood. We had such a wonderful day today, and you're acting like this."Allegra's words made him snarl, but when his eyes landed on me, he heaved and
BeccaI wasn't sure what I expected when I allowed Allegra to help get me ready. But Lord have mercy, did this girl have plans I was unprepared for. Staring in the mirror, I had to admit, I did look absolutely gorgeous. My long hair was curled to perfection and held back with small bobby pins at the back of my head, loose strands hanging low over my shoulders, and my makeup dark and smoky, my lips bright red.I looked like a f*cking siren, ready to poach men and drag them to their death. I was wearing lace, leather, and the tallest heels I had ever worn, something I wasn't too crazy about because I knew that by the end of my night, my feet would be screaming at me.Although the moment I stepped from her room heading out into the living room where Neal was waiting, the look on his face said it all. I was absolutely gorgeous, and it made me feel wanted."She really did a number on you, didn't she?" Neal's comment made me blush as his eyes grazed over my body from head
BeccaNever once had I considered what it would be like to be with Neal, but the moment he touched me, my skin felt as if it was on fire. Perhaps it was the alcohol running through my blood talking. Who knows?Though, it didn't matter because I was completely on fire around him.Pushing my back against the wall in the small enclosed room away from the others, his lips were on mine in an instant and as he kissed me, my heart raced with excitement. His hands wandered across my body, my skin burning from his touch. I wanted more.I wanted so much more.Pulling, pushing, everything came completely off, falling to the floor like a lost memory. For a moment, I was worried about someone walking in, but even that idea turned me on."You have no idea how long I've waited for this," he whispered softly in my ear as his lips trailed over my jawline, slowly making their way down my neck. "You should have taken advantage of a situation in the past," I teased.A deep chuckle r
JamesDays had passed since I had been in New York, and with the contract finalized with Chad's father and himself, I had nothing else to worry about. The moment I could tell Tally she had nothing to worry about, I saw a light of happiness in her eyes I hadn't seen in quite some time.Things were looking up, and even Sergie's men had backed off on what they were trying to do… for the moment, anyway.With everything on the bright side, I contemplated the idea of whether it would be safe to convince Becca to come down here. Take her internship with my company maybe… come spend time with me. Anything to get her to forgive me, and let me show her how much I cared.I loved her more than anything, and it took going through all of this to realize what I was losing because of my selfishness. I did not know if I could still fix things, be able to keep her, be able to make it right, but I wanted to try.As long as she will give me a chance.Sitting in my office, I went through the
Becca.I didn't need to push much longer until the baby was born. I let out a sigh of relief as a lot of pressure was released as the doctor announced the head was out. I was almost done pushing. Out came the shoulders, and then the doctor was able to pull the baby out. She lifted the baby up and smiled, studying the baby for a moment. "It's a boy!" she said, causing the room to erupt into cheers. I gave a very quiet cheer of my own, my body completely exhausted. I closed my eyes, tears still spilling down my cheeks. I was still worried about how healthy he was, though, since he had come so early. "The baby is healthy, even if a bit underweight. He'll get meat on his bones in no time," the doctor assured me, reaching over to hand the baby to me. Putting a few clips into place, the doctor handed James a pair of scissors, and he cut the umbilical cord. Then, she began the process of helping me pass the afterbirth while the nurses prepared to clean our son up while
Becca.Several months had passed since our honeymoon, and things had been going wonderfully. The baby was developing very healthily, and they were going to be on the way soon. I was tired as I sat on the couch, reading up on some news. The progress with Guatemala went very well. I had made contact with locals who were going to make sure everything ran smoothly and children would be getting what they needed. The thought made me smile. Children deserved wonderful lives. The kids were just put to bed about an hour ago. 8:00 PM was too early for me to go to bed quite yet, but I was feeling tired. Still, I needed a snack, as my cravings were intensifying lately by quite a bit. I walked up to the fridge and rummaged through it, pulling out a jar of pickles and giving a satisfied sigh. I grabbed a plate, taking out several to munch on while I watched television. Maybe this would help me wake up a little bit. I wanted to wait until James got home. He was busy worki
Allegra."I have made a list of reputable centers that we can look into," I said to Layla, leaning on her as we stared at a laptop on the table. At the moment, we were looking into adopting, though not right this instant. We wanted to do a lot of research first. Not to mention, Layla wanted to get another cat so Onyx had a playmate, and they'd need to adapt to our apartment first. The idea of adoption was a prospect both of us adored. Giving a child a loving home would be a wonderful thing. Layla pointed to the screen, saying softly, "I've heard about that one. Good things, thankfully. I think we should be open-minded about teens." She frowned sadly, closing her eyes. "They are often overlooked.""I agree," I said. "They may be a large responsibility, as teenagers can be rowdy, but I'm confident we can handle it. Can't be worse than being captured by the Russian mob," I said with a chuckle. Layla winced but gave a half-smile. "You still think about that, huh
Becca."This place is beautiful," I said, looking around the fancy restaurant in Florence and letting out a happy sigh. Vines practically dripped from the ceiling, making it feel as though we were in a romantic movie. My life was similar enough to one, at this point! Mariano and Neal sat together across the table from James and I, all smiles and warm energy as well. They sipped wine and nodded, agreeing with my observation about the atmosphere. I took a sip of water myself, always mindful of the baby."This is the place where we met!" Mariano exclaimed with excitement. "When I first laid my eyes on Neal, I knew a prince had entered the establishment. A handsome one that made me swoon in my seat," he said. He winked at Neal, and the other man blushed. I giggled, gushing, "You two are so cute! I'm so happy for you. It really does look like you connected, which is wonderful. Just like a storybook!" Mariano nodded, his grin only widening at the idea. This place had a
James. "Look at how wonderful and huge they are, James!" Becca exclaimed, causing me to smile. It was the day after our first engagement on the beach, and I was happy to relax. At the moment, we were looking at some giant tortoises with a deep sense of awe.She was right; they were the size of side tables. A guide handed Becca some lettuce, which she held out to the tortoise. She squealed with delight as the animal took a leaf from her and began munching, causing my smile to widen even further. I was so happy to be able to relax. Security had reported nothing odd happening, and they seemed to be having a ball as well. I was relieved, though I shouldn't have expected anything bad to happen. Not like the Cartwrights tracked our every move. At least, I hoped not. I shook that thought out of my mind as Becca continued to give a ton of attention to the tortoises. One of the security men walked over with a camera in his hand, beaming at us. "Let's get some pictures of
Becca.This was it. The perfect honeymoon, the one where James and I would have the time of our lives. I was thrilled, my heart singing even as I looked out the window of the airplane we were taking. With the money I had, we were able to charter a private jet. Even after all these months, I'd never completely gotten used to always being able to afford the best of everything. The staff was very kind, including the flight attendants who catered to our every need. Our money came with a lot of advantages. I tried not to think about that too much, though. It made me feel guilty.Rather, when my worries became too heavy, I reminded myself of the charity that I was starting off. I realized I couldn't physically go to Guatemala, but with my wealth, I reached out to locals for the best ways to run a charity for kids there. The representative I spoke with had been wonderfully helpful, and it made me beyond happy that I could still help while not being there. I had decided I
James."This is going to be such a wonderful trip, James!" Becca exclaimed, wrapping her arms around me. I smiled, returning the hug and holding her close. When she pulled away, I gave her a tender kiss.At the moment, we were sitting in the living room of the compound with a laptop open on the table showing all the activities we could do in Seychelles. The pictures of beautiful, pristine beaches with shining sand and deep blue water got me excited, too."I think we should see the tortoises and dolphins," Becca said, giving a smile. "The kids are going to love those pictures. Someday, we need to take them with us, to a kid-friendly area." No doubt she would be paying attention to that during our honeymoon. "That is an excellent idea, my love," I said to her, giving her another squeeze. We exchanged another kiss as she continued to scroll through the pictures and destinations. Thankfully, the trip was taken care of flight-wise and hotel-wise. Having money was
Neal.A few weeks had passed since I met Mariano, and the strong sense of attraction I had to both his looks and personality had not faded. In fact, we were hitting it off even harder now, and I couldn't be happier. Thankfully, I was brave enough to call Becca and say I wanted to visit as a friend. I meant it this time. There was no ulterior motive, not that there had been one, to begin with. She may have been stuck in my head a little, but that wasn't an issue anymore. After some hesitation, she agreed to see me. Likely because I wanted to introduce her to Mariano, which put her at ease for me not actually being after her anymore. I accepted that she was with James. Mariano and I were sharing lunch before heading out. I gazed into his eyes, my own full of adoration for the man. "We're really hitting it off, aren't we?" I chuckled, breaking the silence that had formed between us as we ate sandwiches. Mariano winked, saying, "I think we are, yes. I am thrill
James.Still feeling beyond happy about the news of the baby still being healthy, I walked over to the fridge to get myself a quick snack before meeting with Giovani. Becca was dripping with joy, which made me relieved, to say the least. She had no idea what was going on in the background, and I didn't want her to, either. She shouldn't suffer the stress of anything anymore. My wife was looking forward to a wonderful life with our expanding family, and I wouldn't let worry settle in her mind. At least, despite the stress on my end, we were going to have our honeymoon soon. The kids were happy, and that's all I could ask for. Speaking of which, I stopped into the nursery for a visit before heading off to discuss things with my cousin. Alessandro was playing around with a few cars and stuffed animals. Dahlia sat in front of him, doing the same, making happy cooing noises threaded in with a few words. When they saw me, they let out squeals of happiness and hobbled o