Chapter 129: I Had No Plans Of Leaving You
The rest of the weekend flew by too fast, and Monday arrived before I felt we’d had enough time together. Matt’s private security business, connected to the company, helped us find a personal bodyguard for Amelia and set up a more robust security system for the house. They set up shop in the empty garage, which would undergo renovations to make it more comfortable.
We didn’t want her to feel suffocated, but when she was home and we weren’t there, the guards would be watching over the house. If she had to go out, she would be accompanied by one, and the other would keep an eye on the house. I personally think Justin should have had some sort of security, being so well-off, even in a French-style neighborhood. His net worth was substantial, making his home an easy target, especially when he was living alone.
It was a good thing Matt had vetted men ready so we could both go to the office. We hated to leave her, but she insisted she had a lot to do—I currently couldn’t get anything done because I was fucking worried. I got hourly security check-ins, but I wanted to be there to keep her safe. A phone buzzed, pulling me out of my self-appointed funk.
“Hey, Mother, how are things over there?” I picked up the call; it was my mother, and a smile spread across my face.
“Hey, Donald. Everything is good, but there’s something important I need to discuss with you. Can you video chat right now?” She asked. Her tone sounded like a casual conversation, but her words worried me.
“Yes, sure.” I switched to my computer and called her via FaceTime. She was sitting in the kitchen and looked good, so I didn’t anticipate any bad news.
“We were approached by scouts from the Hellywood Academy at the young authors’ event we attended on Christmas Eve,” she began, and my breath caught. Hellywood was an elite boarding school for advanced children. Their program was specifically designed for younger students, providing a safe space to finish school and begin college, up to the master’s level. It’s an invitation-only school; otherwise, I would have enrolled Emily already.
“They told us they’d be in touch, and I just received a formal invitation in the mail, inviting her to enroll. The semester starts in three days, but they’re willing to give her a late start since they reached out so suddenly,” she finished, and I stared at her speechless.
This was amazing news, but I also knew Amelia would be crushed. She was so excited to work with Emily, but this was also an opportunity for Emily that I didn’t think I could pass up.
“I know this is a lot, and that you hired someone specifically for Emily, but now that she knows about being invited to the school, she’s already started packing and asked me to call you on her behalf,” she added, and I chuckled; that was just like my daughter.
“Send me the information so I can call the school,” I said, and she nodded.
We talked a little longer before saying our goodbyes, and I immediately called the school with the information I’d been given. The school was upstate, so she’d be a lot closer to me. I didn’t want to be the type of father who seemingly discards their child to a boarding school, but this one is different. She would get the best education money could buy. I knew Amelia would do a great job, but when Emily keeps advancing, that’s when it would start to become a challenge. I was on the phone with the head of admissions for a good hour, ironing out details. The school was fifty thousand per semester, which was a bit cheaper than I expected but still quite expensive.
When I got off the phone, I pulled up Justin’s schedule to see where he would be. Luckily, he’d booked off office time for the next hour, so I went to find him. I got to his office, and he gestured for me to come in. He was on a call and didn’t seem too happy, after the holidays exposed the strengths and weaknesses of the company. There were two branches, in particular, that under-delivered significantly on the west coast, and I needed to visit them before we left for Australia. I walked over to the large floor-to-ceiling windows that took up one side of the room; from a high-rise building, the city was beautiful. It wasn’t nearly as large as other cities, but it was a decent size and not as crowded.
“Hey,” he said softly, walking over and giving me a kiss. I wrapped my arms around him.
This was the first day back at the office together since we started this relationship, and I enjoyed being able to see him at work. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him in tight.
“I need to talk to you about something,” I murmured against his neck.
He pulled back and led me to the small sitting area in his office. He’d taken his suit jacket and tie off; his sleeves were rolled up, and a couple of buttons on his shirt were open. He looked sexy as fuck.
“What’s up?” He said and walked over to a small bar area and pulled out two sparkling waters, handing me one and opening the other for himself.
I relayed what happened over the last couple of days, and he listened patiently. He was very good at schooling his expressions because I couldn’t read him, and when I finished, he sighed.
Chapter 129: I Had No Plans Of Leaving You
“So what do you want to do? I don’t think we could have him without Amelia for the duration of the Australian tour,” he said slowly, and I shook my head.
“There’s no way in fucking hell that I would be okay with leaving her behind. I just knew she was excited about the whole thing, and this news would crush her,” I said, leaning back onto the couch and shutting my eyes.
My head was beginning to hurt; everything was going to be perfect, and now I had a feeling she would hate me. The pounding in my head grew as I thought about it, and dread filled me. I felt a tight squeeze on my hand and opened my eyes, meeting the cool eyes of the man I was beginning to love. Wow, did I really just think about love? Am I falling in love? I was so cautious of these emotions because they’ve fucked me over in the past. I also know this feeling isn’t just for Justin but also Amelia. This was all so new to me, and would they accept that I have such strong feelings for both of them? Fuck, I never thought I would have to deal with all this again. Not that I don’t want to be with them; it was just unexpected.
“Where did you go?” He asked softly, moving closer to me. I reached up and caressed the side of his face. I don’t think I’ve ever met a man quite as beautiful as him.
“Gosh, you are gorgeous,” I said softly, running my fingers down the front of his throat gently until my hand was resting on his tight chest.
He blushed, giving his soft face a more boyish look. I grinned at him and pulled him closer to me so that he was tucked into my side. Cuddling in a suit wasn’t comfortable, but I needed a few moments holding him.
“I was thinking about how I won’t be able to bear losing either of you. The thought makes my heart hurt,” I said while his hand stroked up and down my chest.
“Never,” he said softly. “I have no plans on leaving you ever.”
“And job or no job, I don’t think Amelia would leave so easily. We made this position for her, and I can make her another one just as good. We have a lot of employees who have children; let’s brainstorm before we come to any conclusion. We did it before, and we can do it again,” he said, kissing my neck, and a knock on the door interrupted us.
He gave me one more kiss before standing and straightening his clothes before calling for whoever it was to enter. It was Jocelyn, and she didn’t look herself at all, and it worried me. Justin’s face turned into an expression of concern as she entered.
“Are you okay, Jocelyn?” he asked. I could tell she was fighting tears.
He pulled her into his arms, and she fell apart. I never saw her show so much emotion. She was so calm and collected throughout the situation with Rodrigo when everyone else was distraught. I walked over and rubbed her back with my hand; she was clutching onto Justin for dear life. Both of us exchanged a look; this was…