The Love Triangle (BWWM Romance) (34 page)

“I have to go in for a while, but I promise I will be home as soon as I can. A few have made comments that I'm always watching the clock.”

“Aww, well that makes me feel bad. What did you say?”

“I told him that if he had a wife like you, he would be rushing home just as quick.”

“You didn’t say that!”

“I did. Let’s just say they really want you to come in for the next office party.”

Dahlia was a little shocked, but also happy that he was proud of her and wanted to show her off. They got home and though she was feeling better, Charles suggested they watch a movie instead of the vigorous lovemaking he had been thinking about all day. He held her against him as they watched her favorite movie. His touch was like fire or Nyquil and she was quickly falling asleep to the rhythm of his heartbeat against her ear.

*** 

Charles was distracted the next day. He couldn’t stop thinking about Dahlia and their baby. Every time he said it in his head, it still felt strange and a little jarring. He was going to be a father.

Charles was blank-faced and staring off into the distance, when Stacy walked into his office. She didn’t knock, just barged in and shut the door hard behind her. He came to from his thoughts and looked up at her with startled eyes. “What are you doing here, Stacy? I thought I made it clear that we needed to cool off now. I'm married.”

“Oh, Charles. How long do you really think she is going to keep you busy? It has been what, two or three weeks. You will tire of her and I just wanted to let you know that I may not be there waiting for you if you keep ignoring me.”

He sighed, sitting up as she hovered over him. Her blonde hair was pulled back how he liked it and he knew that she knew. Stacy was a beautiful, but highly manipulative woman. She had been a challenge, much like many of the other women he had dated. There was no love between them, but he did care and did not want to hurt her feelings. But the fact was that he was married changed everything. While he originally thought we would be ok having a mistress since his marriage started out a sham, now that he knew he loved Dahlia there was no way that would happen.

“Look, I just want to make a real go of it, Stacy.”

She pushed the blonde strand back that had escaped her high ponytail. “I don’t get it. When you told me about it, you acted like it wasn’t going to change anything and now you want to make a ‘go’ of it?”

Charles tried to think of a way to say it without offending her. “I hadn’t met her yet and things changed, that’s all, Stacy. You deserve better than just being my side chick when I get unhappy with my marriage.”

“You’re right. I do deserve better, but I wonder what has changed your mind?”

“I love her.”

He spoke the words softly, but it did nothing to temper the reaction in her own face. They had fooled around for over a year and in a couple of weeks, he was in love? That fact hurt more than his refusal to answer her calls anymore. She had gone down to his office with the intentions on fixing things between them. Stacy had never met another man like him and she missed the way he dominated her in the bedroom. He was the best she had ever had and she was not ready to give that up over a silly Vegas wedding.
 

“Don’t you miss me, Charles?” She bent down and her hands went to his pants, dying to unleash what she missed most.

“Stop, Stacy, we can’t.” He pushed her hands away and she gave him a deadly look.

“What is it, Charles, that you don’t want me anymore? I will do anything you want, anything.”

His noise crinkled at the desperation that laced her voice. She was begging to suck him, her hands battling his to get to her pants. “Stop, Stacy, she’s pregnant and I love her. Shouldn’t that be enough? I’m sorry, but I can’t see you anymore, especially if this is how you're going to act.”

He pushed back from his desk and stood up, walking to the door. “How can she be pregnant already? I bet she was already knocked up before you got married. Seems kind of fishy, doesn’t it?”

“Only in your mind, Stacy. Stay out of my office unless you are called in and don’t call me anymore. If I have any more business with Jacob, I will make sure to have him send out another partner.”

She didn’t say another word, storming towards the door that he held open for her. It was his lack of caring that bothered her most. He honestly didn’t care that she was leaving, nor did he ache for her the way she did for him. Stacy left with a smile on her face, though it was the malicious type that never actually reached her eyes.

Chapter 11

Dahlia had her own worries. A month into the pregnancy, she was still getting morning sickness and though she loved sex in the morning, she wasn’t able to for a time. Charles would whine, but he was more or less understanding. They went to their first doctor’s appointment and though she thought he wouldn’t go, he volunteered. He wanted to do everything together and when she saw his face with the sound of the heartbeat, she almost melted. Her happiness was cut short though by a lawsuit started by her brother James. He wanted to fight the legitimacy of the marriage, as well as the will itself. He was trying to argue that their father was not of sound mind and she was not either, for agreeing to such crazy terms.

She finally called him and he actually seemed surprised to get the call. “Hey, big brother. How are you?”

“I see you got served, but why are you calling instead of old Alfred?”

“I want to talk this out. We can’t keep fighting over it. It's just money, James, and we both have plenty of it. Daddy did what he did for a reason, but I don’t think it was to punish you. He knew that you had to live free. He didn’t understand it, but it is what it is. I don’t want to fight anymore. You're the only family that I have left.”

There was a silence that stretched out for what seemed like forever. She had never addressed the will and Dahlia thought that it was a fine time to. They had been fighting for too long and with the baby growing inside of her, she wanted him/her to know her uncle. With very little of her family left, save for a few distant relatives in other states, James was all she had. There would always be a tension from their past, but Dahlia had convinced herself that it was possible to get past it. If only for the sake of her unborn child, family was important.

“I will meet with you, Dahlia. You sound different. What has changed?”

“I just realized how important family really is and how little we have left. I got married without any family there and now I'm pregnant without any family for my future child.”

She heard him hiss on the other side and she cursed her big mouth. It was like a flood gate, but the pregnancy was something that she had not been ready to discuss and by the sound of him, he wasn’t ready to either.

“You're pregnant?”

“Yeah, about a month.”

“That was really quick.”

“I actually love him. I don’t know how Dad did it, but he picked the perfect man. I know that you and Charles will get along. You’ll like him if you get to know him. So do you want to meet for dinner somewhere? Try to talk this out? You could come by tonight if you want. Charles is a really good cook.”

She waited for an answer, her heart pounding in her chest. It would be such a relief to put it all behind them. Dahlia had even thought about just upping the money in his accounts to give him more wiggle room. She knew that he didn’t need it, but a little money for a little peace seemed a wise investment to her.

“I would love to get together, but I don’t think I'm ready to meet the new beau. Why don’t you come over to the apartment on 5th?”

She nodded, shaking her head. “Okay, what time, bro?”

“Whenever, I'm here all day.”

“Okay I'll run over there in a few, give me about thirty minutes or so.”

He said goodbye and Dahlia felt a weight lifting off of her shoulders. If they could talk like that in person, there was no way that they would have a problem. All she needed to do was keep her cool and remember that they both had to let go of the past and move on. It was sometimes easier said than done, but she was hopeful for the future. She left a note for Charles if he got home before she did and she set out to make things right with her brother. They had only seen each other a couple of times since the funeral and each time had ended in a fighting match. She was determined that it would not end the same way. She didn’t realize how different that meeting was going to be...

***

There was something in the air when she got to his house. It was the way he smiled and looked. His eyes never quite met hers, but she took it as he was embarrassed of his behavior. It wasn’t like it was her fault that she was left everything, but his lack of eye contact made her nervous.

“Thanks for inviting me over, James. It's been far too long since we've spoken.”

He nodded, though he walked away to the other side of the large kitchen counter, waiting on her to say more. James then went to the other counter and handed her a cup of steaming coffee. “Thanks. I know that things have gotten ugly between us, but there is no sense in us fighting anymore. What is it that you need, James, and I will do my best to make sure that you get it.”

James eyed the glass in his sister’s hands and he almost made a move for it, but he didn’t. He watched her take another drink of it and he smiled to himself. “I don’t really need anything, dear sis. Things always have a way of working out the way they are supposed to, don’t you think?”

She nodded. Dahlia wanted to believe that, but it was hard to. “I guess so, but I wonder what made you change your mind. Alfred said that you needed money and were threatening him.”

He waved her words off like they were nothing. “Trust me, it was nothing. You know how old Alfred is. He gets nervous of his own shadow. I'm harmless and though I'm broke right now, it won’t be long until I have some money coming my way.”

“Oh? Well that sounds good. I'm glad for you, James. I know that Dad didn’t want us fighting like this. I’ve been really missing them lately. So what else are you up to, got a girlfriend or anything?”

James did not know what to say to her questions. She took another sip of the drink, but it did not seem to be acting the way it was supposed to. Had he not put enough in? James became nervous, wondering what was going on with her. He asked about her husband and the pregnancy until he started to notice a bit of a slur in her voice. “Are you okay, Sis?”

“Yes, I just… wow, I feel really strange all of a sudden.”

She was feeling more than strange, her stomach starting to cramp up. Setting the coffee down, her heart was pounding in her chest and her throat felt like it was tightening up. Dahlia was becoming alarmed, but it was the calm look on her brother’s face as she coughed that gripped her with fear. She pulled out her phone and dialed the number for Charles. She knew that he would come, but James came around the counter before he answered.

“Now, sister, I can’t let you do that. It will spoil all of my fun and well, what's the point of doing this?”

“Doing what?” Her voice was muddled and restricted from the tickle in her throat. She pressed her stomach with a hand, pain shooting through her abdomen. “What have you done to me?”

“Just given you a few herbs in your coffee. Did you not taste the hemlock?”

Dahlia knew the plant and what it was for. She went from confusion to panic and she charged at him to get her phone. If she could only get it, Charles would save her. Dahlia knew that she had to get to the phone, but the room was starting to spin. No matter how hard she breathed, she couldn’t get in enough air and she passed out in a heap on the kitchen floor.

James stared at her unmoving body for several minutes before he set the phone down on the counter. “Stupid bitch. Now we'll see who gets the company.”

He had a need to kick her, but he reminded himself that it would not be untraceable if he stomped her in the head a few times. There really was no point. As paralysis took over her body, she would die very shortly. He didn’t see a reason to waste any more of his energy on her. Looking down at her one last time, James felt a wisp of guilt. Had she really been there to make peace with him?

James shook his head. It didn’t matter what her intentions were. What had happened was pretty clear and now she was out of the way, the baby was out of the way and he would inherit it all. There was no clause for him to deal with and if he was happy about anything the most, it was that he had finally outsmarted his father. The only thing that he didn’t like about that fact was that he wasn’t there to rub his nose in it. James liked to think that if he was watching from wherever he was, that would be okay too.

Her brother had always had a vicious streak and it was her fault for not giving him what he wanted. Surely she had to know what would happen if she just ignored his request. She had been living in marriage bliss, making babies and not even worried about her brother who was struggling to pay rent. It wasn’t fair and even with her dying on the floor, it wasn’t enough. He walked out of the room, not wanting to hear her breathing anymore. The very act was making him angrier.