Egotistically Yours by Hayley Faiman

Chapter Twenty-Nine

BETHANIE

I’m shakenthe entire rest of the day. I stare at my computer and robotically answer the phones. As soon as it’s time to leave for the day, I frantically look around for someone to walk to my car with. There is just no way in hell I’m willing to walk alone, not again.

Shame me once, then twice, and there won’t be a third time. Granted, I’ve been preoccupied with Laurent and his antics, but no more. This is my life, this is my baby’s life.

No more.

Licking my lips, I wonder if I should call the police, but still, I’m not exactly sure what I can even tell them, I have no clue who this person is.

Landry appears at my desk and I smile, letting out a sigh. “Going to get Tucker?” he asks.

Nodding my head, I shut down my computer faster than the speed of light, then I grab my purse and stand. “Holden?” I ask.

He hums, nodding his head. I don’t know why he’s here, but I don’t care. I need him, his protection, at least.

Following behind him, we make small talk, then we gather up the kids. He asks if I’m going to be at Sunday dinner. I don’t know if he notices something is off with me, but he seems concerned.

“I am,” I say, even if I don’t know if it’s the truth.

“Landry?” I ask. He turns to me, Holden’s hand in his as he stands between us. “Can you walk me to my car?” I ask.

“Sure,” he offers with a shrug, then his torso jerks and his eyes find mine. “Why?” he demands.

“I just, no reason,” I lie.

He reads my lie for what it is, but thankfully doesn’t call me on it. He jerks his chin, then together, the four of us walk toward my car. The small talk is a bit stilted, but I don’t care, I’m not alone.

Once Tucker is strapped in the car, Landry clears his throat. “I don’t know what’s going on and I’m not going to ask, but you need to talk to Laurent. If you feel unsafe walking to your car from work, he needs to know. But if you need me to walk you, I will, every fucking day, Bethie.”

“Thank you,” I breathe.

“You’re family and Tucker is my grandson, I’d do anything for you.”

Tears fill my eyes, but I blink them again. “Thank you.”

Landry nods his head once before he jerks his chin toward the car. “Okay, in you go.”

“Okay,” I murmur.

Slipping into the front seat of my car, I start the engine, then wave to Landry before I shift the car into drive and head toward home. Flicking my eyes in the rearview mirror, I notice that he hasn’t moved, he’s watching me to ensure that I’ve driven away safely.

I don’t make any detours as I head home. I’m so exhausted, I could sleep anywhere at this point and I just may. I don’t even know how I get home, but thankfully I am parked in the garage safely.

The exhaustion from not sleeping all night, the up and down crash from my caffeine consumption, the lunch with Melody, the confrontation surprise with Laurent, and then the adrenaline rush from the stranger. I am so mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted that I just want to sleep for a year, maybe two.

Carrying the diaper bag and Tucker in his car seat, I am shuffling my best just to make it to the door when I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I’m only a few doors away from mine and I try to pick up my pace, but the car seat is bulky and heavy.

I don’t look behind me, too afraid that I’ll see him there—whoever he is. Shoving my key in the lock, I almost miss, but I don’t.

My heart is racing as the sensation fills me. He’s watching me, he’s close by and I feel like I may be going crazy, but also, I’m just plain terrified.

Once I’m inside, I slam the door behind me and spin around, locking it quickly, my heart racing. That adrenaline is back again. I whimper, then I hear Laurent’s voice behind me.

“Baby, is everything okay?”

I spin around, gripping Tucker’s seat as if my life depends on it before I let out a scream. Laurent watches me, his lips parted in what looks like shock and awe. Then he calmly walks over to me, as if he’s walking over to an injured animal.

“Bethie?” he asks softly as he reaches for the car seat and slowly takes it from my hand.

He looks down into the seat and ensures that Tucker is okay. When he’s satisfied with how Tucker appears, then he turns to me and wraps his arms around me. Wordlessly, he pulls me in for a hug.

I melt in his strong arms.

Then, I cry.

“What the fuck, baby?” Laurent rasps.

Shaking my head, I think about hiding it from him, but I can’t. “Someone has been following me,” I breathe.

He pushes me away, but only enough so that he can look into my eyes. His strong arms still hold me tightly and I sigh because even one night away was too long and I don’t think I could let him leave. I know without a doubt that I couldn’t leave him. He’s everything to me. I don’t care what that makes me sound like, it’s just the truth of it all.

“What?” he shouts. “Who?”

The look in his eyes, it isn’t just concern, it’s beyond that. It’s knowing. “Who the fuck is following you?” he asks on a demand.

His control, it’s slipping, or maybe it’s already gone. I blink, trying to blink away the tears, but it doesn’t work. They still fall as I stare up at him, my heart slamming against my chest.

“I don’t know,” I whisper.

Laurent shakes me. My head snaps back and I whimper with the pain as it slides throughout my entire body. Then he stops and takes a step back, releasing me as he lifts his hand and slides his fingers through his hair, tugging on the edges.

Then his eyes lift to mine and he winces. “Laurent?”

“It can’t be connected, can it? Fuck,” he rambles. I don’t know what he’s talking about.

I reach for him and try to get him to calm down, but he doesn’t, he curses again and turns around, then takes his phone out of his pocket.

“Laurent,” I scream before lifting my hand to my mouth, covering it as tears continue to fall from my outburst. He watches me for a moment, his phone in his hand.

“I haven’t slept for a full day. Then I had to go into work today on no sleep, then this man has been following me and harassing me. And I still don’t know where you were last night. Just wait a fucking minute and talk to me,” I snap.

I am about to completely lose my shit, myself, everything. Thankfully, he sees that. I watch as he tosses his phone onto the sofa and gathers me in his arms, then to my surprise, he sits down on the chair and places me in his lap.

Laurent holds me.

He holds me while I cry.

We stay there until Tucker wakes up. Until he’s sick and tired of being in his car seat. I don’t blame him. I would probably feel the same way in that little hot seat.

LAURENT

We don’t speakabout the incident for a while. I had planned on telling her about Melody showing up to my office today. Melody, who basically left lunch with her and came to me.

I’m not sure what her endgame is, but both her and Cody are fucking with our heads and I don’t like it. A simple business deal with an old college friend is turning into a goddamn nightmare. One that I wish I could erase completely.

I watch as Bethie picks up Tucker then takes him upstairs to change him. She comes back down a few moments later and begins to feed him. I haven’t moved, too content to watch her, but also my mind is so fucking scattered and spinning so quickly, I’m trying to put everything back into place.

I’m trying to mentally prioritize what the fuck I’m going to do and what needs to be dealt with first.

Clearing my throat, I decide food needs to be first. Food, then some explanation about this man, this stranger who has made it very clear he’s watching my woman, following her, and not afraid to confront her.

A man that I have no doubt in my mind is connected to my mother. Susan Astor has zero scruples. She had no problem whatsoever sending someone to violently attack Lucinda, her own daughter, so what would stop her from doing the same to Bethie.

After all, my mother has already told me to get rid of her and Tucker.

“Laurent?” Bethie asks.

Blinking, I allow my eyes to focus, then shift my gaze over to her. She’s staring at me, though I’m not sure how long she’s been doing that. I clear my throat. “I’m ordering some dinner. Then we’re going to take a long bath and talk.”

“Talk?” she asks on an exhale.

“We need to discuss this man, what he’s said to you. Then we need to figure out what happens from this day forward.”

Bethie licks her lips, her eyes never leaving mine and she lets out a long and loud exhale. “What happens from this day forward, I don’t know that I want to hear that,” she whispers.

My lips curve up into a grin. “I checked out, I admit that. But never again.”

“I want to believe you…”

Holding up my hand, I stand and make my way over to her. Dropping my arm, I bend down slightly and touch my lips to her forehead.

“I haven’t given you much reason to trust or believe in me, so I understand. I’m trying, baby. I’ve never done this before,” I admit.

Admitting that I’m fucking terrible at something pisses me off. Mainly because I’m used to succeeding in everything that I do, but this year, this moment in my life, I am failing at everything that I do and it’s bullshit. I’m not used to being a failure.

“And I’m trying really hard to be patient, but Laurent, you disappeared on me. You can’t just not come home. If you want to sleep on the couch, if you want to sleep on the floor, it doesn’t matter just as long as you come home,” she says, stressing the last few words.

Nodding my head once, I clear my throat before I speak. “I had planned on it. I called Lawrence to talk to him, then I started drinking, then I was just too drunk, and I spent the night at his place, on his couch.”

Bethie licks her lips, her eyes searching mine for a long moment. When she speaks, it’s as if a weight is lifted off of me. I have been feeling so goddamn guilty for ignoring her, for thinking of walking away, for letting my mother get to me.

“Okay, Laurent,” she breathes. “Next time, come home. Even if you don’t want to talk. Or if you stay with Lawrence, call me. I would even accept a text, but don’t do nothing. I thought you had left me, that you didn’t want us anymore. It broke me.”

Twenty-four hours.

That’s how long it took for me to destroy all of the trust that Bethie had in me and I can blame absolutely nobody but myself. Crouching down to my haunches, I look her in the eyes, I watch her and I give her a smile.

“There won’t be a next time,” I rasp.

She smiles, but it’s sad and it doesn’t reach her eyes. “But if there is,” she says, though I know that without a doubt she means, when there is. “Then just call me, text me, or come home.” Her eyes widen as she tilts her head to the side and she smiles.

Chuckling, I touch my mouth to hers, then shift and touch my lips to the top of Tucker’s head. This, I could lose this, and without them, I am not complete. I don’t care what my mother says, they are perfect for me and this life is exactly what I didn’t know I needed, but I do need it—need them.

Standing, I fish my phone out of my pocket and put in an order for delivery. Then I take Tucker from Bethie and I give him a bath while I demand that she do the same for herself. She does, though partially, reluctantly.

She’s exhausted, I can see it wearing on her and I try to make the evening as stress free as possible, because when she finds out about Melody and my mother, she’s going to lose her goddamn mind.