Personal Experiences (51 page)

For the pain and heartache they had to go through growing up, not having a normal childhood, always having to watch over their shoulders. I cried for joy; I wasn't caged anymore. I could let someone else be the strong one, give them some of the control. I was exhausted from trying to push him away. I couldn't fight him anymore. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled myself close to him, if I could've I would have jumped in his skin, that's how close I needed to be to him. I missed him; for seventeen years I pined for him; wishing he would find a way back into my life. Here he was; the other half of my heart; holding me, telling me he wanted to be a family with me.

"Nothing's gonna pull us apart this time, Elle. He's not gonna hurt you anymore or my kids."

There it was; what I always wanted. Someone to take some of the slack. He was going to help me carry the load. He wanted his kids, they weren't just "bastard children" to him, they were his kids… HIS… he had love, just as much love as I did for my babies.

"I told you babe, I was anchored to you forever and always, that doesn't mean when we fight we go our separate ways. It means when we fight we may pull away but we're strong; supported by each other you'll always be joined to me babe. No getting away from me again. I can promise you that."

I giggled and looked up at him "we're bendable… not breakable."

He pushed my hair off my face and mouthed "That's right."

I pushed up on my tippy toes and kissed his mouth a sweet gentle kiss and then broke it off quickly, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the parking lot; he laughed

"Where we goin, Elle?"

I giggled back "Doncha wanna meet your kids?"

We drove to the school early afternoon. On my way, I asked if Rachel would pick up Harlee so that we could spend some time talking with the twins. She agreed; happily. So there we were, parked out in the parking lot waiting for me to go in and get them.

"You ready?" I asked TJ…he looked so nervous.

He cleared his throat "I think so" I smiled at him, he smiled back at me. "It will be fine."

I went into the school and had the secretary call for the kids, I signed them out and waited for them impatiently in the hallway. I saw them approaching from down the hall. As soon as they reached me I gave them a hug and explained why I was there picking them up early.

"I had an old friend come into town, he's moving back here and I thought you two might like to join us, kinda have a skip day." They high-fived each other and we walked outside. We came to the car and TJ got out. He looked so fucking nervous I was attempting to mentally communicate with him so that he would take a breath; didn't work.

"JoJo, Luc this is my friend Trevor; all of us call him TJ." He stuck out his hand, his eyes going back and forth between the two children that were his he was just meeting for the very first time.

Luc spoke first "Ummm, nice to meet you, TJ."

Trevor couldn't talk yet so he just nodded. After Luc spoke JoJo thought it was safe for her to speak so she said the same exact thing "Nice to meet you, TJ". As he shook her hand. TJ nodded again. I thought we should get on the road "Well, let's go grab a cup of coffee."

We made it to the coffee shop but decided to grab a cup and head to a park where there weren't as many people. I didn't know how they were going to react to this news so I wanted less people around.

We got to the park and found a cozy little area. TJ had a small blanket in the back of his rental, so we took that and laid it down on the grass. We all sat down and looked at each other. I looked at TJ and nodded I was going to start this.

"Before I get started, I just want to tell both of you how proud I am of you and how much I love you. Everything that I have ever done in my life has been for the benefit and well-being of all three of you. Even though at the time at the time it seemed like the best way to go and then down the line it really wasn't, I've thought about ya'll before myself." They both looked at each other and said ok.

I thought if I was going to explain this, I needed to go back some.

"I've known TJ here since second grade. He is Auntie Rachel's cousin and he was my first boyfriend; my only boyfriend." Out of nowhere JoJo chimes in "before daddy right?" I looked at TJ and his jaw tightened. I didn't respond.

"My senior year of high school something happened, ya'll." They could see something wasn't right. "I got pregnant." I could see Luc start to sit up. He was starting to put this puzzle together. I had to hurry up and finish this so they didn't freak out. "I didn't tell TJ that I was pregnant. He had just been offered a scholarship and he needed to go. Daddy was TJ's best friend, he knew about ya'll; we made a deal; he'd be your daddy if I never told TJ about ya'll."

Luc stood up and pulled his hands through his hair "No… No… No… No… tell me this isn't happening."

I had to stay calm or else he was going to lose control; just like his daddy "Luc."

"No momma, you mean to tell me all those times that motherfucker has been shitty to you."

"Dylan Lucas! What have I told you about that tongue, son!" I know he was pissed but he still needed to show some respect.

He dropped down to his knees and held his head in his hands. I could see his chest vibrating. He was quiet for a long while "I used to pray every night momma, every night I'd ask God to make sure I didn't take after my daddy. I didn't want to be that kinda man, momma."

I broke down. I couldn't see my son like this. He was my protector. He was my sweet precious angel that got me through so much.

I hugged him, crying with him repeating over and over how sorry I was for lying to him. I reached over and took a crying JoJo into my arms too. I held my seventeen year old babies in my arms, as though they were minutes old and continued to repeat how much I loved them and how I didn't mean to lie to them.

I pulled away and told them. "Your daddy is a good man, Luc. You are your daddy's son, you're just like him." Luc looked at TJ and I could see TJ's eyes were shiny.

I heard Luc sniff "So, you're my dad, huh?"

TJ smiled a small smile, he really didn't know what to do. "Yeah Luc, I'm your dad."

Luc ran to him and hugged him. TJ closed his eyes and hugged him as hard as he could.

"I guess that means you're my daddy too, huh?" JoJo said. She always had to ruin a moment. We all laughed and I looked at my daughter and her father and those tiny dimples right under their eyes were a dead giveaway.

She jumped in the middle of the hug and I came up on the tail end and we just squeezed together for a minute or two and then we broke apart. Things were about to get serious again.

"So, what happens now?" JoJo asked.

That was when TJ spoke up. "Well, I think I've lost enough time with you kids, I don't wanna lose anymore. I'm movin back to Richland; my company's headquarters will be here now. I want us to be a family. I wanna marry your momma, I've already had your birth certificates changed. Now I grew up here in this town; there's gonna be a lot of talk. If you have any questions concerning anything you come talk to me about it, got it? We're all just getting on the right track I don't wanna derail when we're just building up speed, deal?" Everyone agreed. We continued talking for a while, TJ got to catch up with them and they got to know about him. Then I had to tell them the big news.

"Ok ya'll, one more thing. Bear has threatened that if I ever have contact with TJ again or try to divorce him, he will run off with ya'll, including Harlee and take you down to the swamps in Louisiana and hide you so I can't find you. So for now, we cannot talk about this meeting…ok? Not even to Harlee. I didn't think it was right to make ya'll suffer anymore. I know that he's been wanting to meet you for a bit now and I didn't want to lie to ya'll anymore."

They agreed and we decided that we needed to go. I had to cook dinner and get Harlee from Rachel's. TJ and the twins exchanged cell numbers and if they ever needed him day or night; call. If they ever felt in danger call 911 then call him. He already had his lawyers working on some things. That must've been the phone call with Loren.

TJ drove us back to my office. We all hugged goodbye and promised that we would do this again and soon. I told him that I would talk with him later. We got in the car and drove to Rachel's.

That night seemed more energetic. The twins and I seemed to be on the same page whereas poor Harlee was looking at us as though we weren't her real family. I had forgotten that JoJo had a dentist appointment in the morning at 9, so I texted Loren that I would be in as soon as I dropped her back off at school and apologized profusely about today and needing tomorrow morning off as well. I promised that everything would be caught up by tomorrow night.

Bear never came home that night which made the night so much better. The next morning I got the kids up for school and made breakfast. It was nice not having to worry about if Bear was going to walk downstairs and start in with us. I wrote a note for JoJo to take to the office saying to be up there at 8:45 and that I'd be picking her up. The kids caught the bus to school so that I could finish up all the dishes and get dressed.

I went upstairs and began my normal routine. I turned on the water in the shower and went to make the bed real quick. That was when I felt my skull break into a million pieces; I gasped and then everything we dark.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Present Day

Trevor

I woke up in my hotel room immediately thinking of yesterday's meeting. I got to hold my children in my arms; yeah, they maybe seventeen and almost grown adults but to look at a different human being and see your face on him… on her even made me catch my breath now.

I had some errands to run and was planning to stop by Richland Manufacturing to drop off some paperwork to the main foreman there. The construction crew was supposed to be there first thing Monday morning to begin demo on the old offices and make a new and much needed office building.

I seemed to have had a bunch of pinned up energy, I felt I could run 20 miles and still not be winded. I laid out my suit and headed for the shower. I turned on the water, let it get hot and grabbed my toothbrush. Elle has a habit of brushing her teeth in the shower. I can't seem to bring myself to try it.

Speaking of Elle, I couldn't stop thinking about her; everything that had happened lately seemed like a dream to me. Seventeen years I waited to come back to Richland, and I was coming back with a vengeance. That fucking dick Bear once took everything that meant something to me; now I was coming back to collect and take some extra as well. He was gonna have a shit fit when he found out that I own the company that he works for.

 So now, I planned on taking his wife; my soon to be wife, I was also taking his kids…all of them. I was planning on adopting Harlee as well. I was keeping this a secret from Elle though; I was making it a wedding gift. As a matter of fact, I scheduled a meeting this morning with Loren Stevens to discuss the matters at hand. I had him on behalf of Elle, file for divorce with her receiving full custody of the children, for a restraining order on her and all three of the kids and I've got the paperwork on hand to file a motion of adoption for Harlee and a name change for the other two.

Oh yeah, the shit was gonna hit the fan. I finished brushing my teeth and looked at the clock; I still had plenty of time. I hopped in the shower and begin washing my body. I reached my stomach and hips; I pulled the soap down to my lower extremities. I could feel myself; I was rock hard. All this thinking of Elleny was not helping. I could still feel her on my skin, her hard nipples rubbing against my chest, her ass pushed up against me as I pressed her up against the wall. Plunging my finger up inside of her as she dripped all down my hand. She smelled and tasted so good on my tongue. I took myself in my fist and begin to stroke. I was so hard and needed to come so desperately, the head of my cock was almost purple. Slow at first just like she teased with her tongue. Jesus, her mouth felt so good around my cock. I started to speed up. Thinking about how hot and wet her mouth was, she loved me to fuck her mouth fast and hard, she would guide my hand up to the back of her head to push her head down to make me touch the back of her throat. Her grip on my hand would grow tight telling me to hold her there for a second. Her teeth barely nibbled on my head while she licked at the tip like it was an ice cream cone getting every glistening drop of my pre-cum. I began stroking faster. I could feel my orgasm building. I was going to squirt all over my hand imagining it was Elle's mouth. I felt the first jet of come shoot out against my hand, then relief as more and more sprayed with the water surrounding me. I took a breath in relief and finished washing up. I got out and quickly shaved my face and splashed on some cologne and went to get dressed.

I ran my errands so, now I was sitting in Loren Steven's office looking around, hoping to see Elle, I hadn't heard from her last night or today but she said she'd call me. Listen to me, I sounded like a horny high school boy waiting around for a phone call. Stevens was going over all the paper work that had been filed and had set up court dates. I heard my phone ring. I looked at the caller ID and noticed it said JoJo's name. I answered immediately.

"JoJo?"

Stevens turned around. He knew the whole story between Elle and I. It was quiet on the other end of the line.

"Honey, you there?"

"Ummm, daddy?" Ah, there went my heart.

"Ummm, you told me to call you if I needed something or if something was wrong? Well, I can't get a hold of momma. She was supposed to be here at 8:45 for my dentist appointment and she's not here. Have you heard from her?"

I looked at my watch 9:35; all the sudden I couldn't breathe. I felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. The first thing that went through my mind was not to panic for JoJo's sake. My eyes went straight to Stevens.

"Uh, no honey, I haven't talked to your mom this morning, but I'm gonna find out where she is ok? She probably fell back asleep." I saw Steven's grab the phone and start dialing. I couldn't wait for him, I had to try and find her. I tried to think of where Bear might go. I decided I was gonna check the house first; see if maybe there are clothes scattered, maybe bags lying around; see if they possibly left for somewhere. I ran down the hall, through the fire escape I think I was jumping stair wells at a time because next thing I knew there were no more stairs. I ran to the parking lot while digging for my keys. I beeped the locks and started the car right away. I threw the car and drive and didn't stop between her office and her house. Too much time had passed; he could've already hurt her bad enough that she could be de-