Thorns of A Rose

CHAPTER 17: The Meeting

I sat upstairs in the baby's room. I just finished the details that the decorator did. I picked out a beautiful lavender color scheme to go in her room. My home was almost done. Tina said everything would have its final touches before my child was born and I was happy with how beautiful my home turned into. Elijah  was here through everything to help me after my doctors appointment. I remember crying to him for days about what I was going to do. I told him I wanted an abortion because I couldn't go through with having the baby after losing Grayson but he kept me sane. He reassured me that the baby would be loved and cared for more then anything in this world so I decided to keep her. I found out the gender as I was roughly 4 months along. The nursery was set up quite nicely with lavender walls and white decor. I told my mom last month and she was so excited to have a grandchild. My brother was growing and I get sent pictures on the daily of his cute appearance. As I sat in my rocking chair in the nursery Elijah  came upstairs.
"They should be arriving any minute babe."
"Thank you Elijah . I'll be down in a minute."
"Do you need help getting up?"
"No I should be fine. I'm not that huge yet. But can you help me pick out clothes to hide my bump?"
"You're not going to tell him about his child?"
"No you know why. Grayson left. He doesn't need to know anything about this."
"Alright cmon let me help you up and we'll get you into our room to change."
Elijah helped me out of my rocking chair and helped me walk into my bedroom. I stripped out of my pajamas into a pair of black pants, a black vline shirt and a black striped blazer.
"What do you think? Can you tell there's a bump?"
"No it looks good. The doorbell just rang. Are you ready?"
"I'm ready.
We walked down the hall and down the stairs. Elijah was holding my hand as Alicia opened the door for them.
"Hello who are you? Is Miss Byers expecting you?" Alicia said.
"Hello I'm Grayson Ledger and this is Red. We have a meeting with Adeline." Grayson said.
"Yes Alicia their fine. Can you escort them to my office and I'll be there in a moment."
"Yes ma'am. Right this way gentlemen."
She walked them to my office space and came back into the kitchen making tea and coffee for all the boys. Elijah and myself finished walking down the stairs and walked into my office where Grayson and Red were both sitting in chairs across my desk.
"Grayson. Red. It's nice to see both of you."
I sat down in my chair and Elijah  stood behind me.
"What can I do for you two?" I asked.
"We want to talk about our businesses. I hope there's a way that can benefit both of us." Grayson said.
"I'm sure we can come to an agreement."
"Why are you stealing my shipments Addy?"
"I just told my people that if you stole ours that we would make sure to steal everyone of yours. It's business."
"Well your business is making mine suffer."
"That's not good Grayson. So what would you like me to do about it?"
"I'm hoping we can fix this and create some good ground between us since your father isn't a factor anymore. What happened Addy?"
"Well it's simple. I texted him after our engagement party because I was extremely pissed about how he destroyed us and I ended his life. Seemed like something you would have done. Taking over the business was just apart of my blood line even though I didn't want it."
"So you murdered your father for revenge?" He asked.
"Precisely."
"Damn looks like I rubbed off on you very well." Grayson said.
He started giggling and I did too. I missed him so much. I knew I moved on with Elijah  but I don't know if I did it because I was hurting and he was there or I actually cared for him. But I knew with Grayson in front of me right now that I still loved him with my whole heart.
"I see you still wear the necklace I bought you."
I felt Elijah's  eyes and hands get tense.
"Yes I do. It reminds me."
"My IT guys were finally looking into your files and we found out Luca was the leak."
"I'm aware. That's probably why I haven't heard from him."
"We're you still using him?" Grayson asked.
"Slightly. Only for a couple shipments here and there."
"Well I could say I'm mad but considering I didn't trust you enough to kick you out and listen to your father I can understand this. So can we come to agreement."
"I'm sure we can."
"I'm sorry. I apology for doubting you and making our relationship harder then it needed to be. I want this deal to involve us fixing our lives. I want you to come home. In exchange we work our businesses together without stealing shipment and we can fix our relationship. I miss you. Not being wanted back by you is breaking my heart and destroying my business. I want us to work together. Equal partners and fix our relationship. How does that sound?" Grayson said.
"I'm willing to stop stealing shipments. We can work together without any problems and make amends on our business relationship."
"But?" He questions.
"I'm going to decline coming back. This is my home. This is my business and I need to stay here and focus on this?"
"Can your man leave? Can we make this private?"
"Elijah why don't you take Red to the kitchen for a coffee."
"Yea boss. No problem."
I could tell by the tone of his voice that Elijah  was upset. But he left the room with Red following behind him. Grayson stood up and shut the door and sat back down across from me.
"Why won't you come back home?"
"Grayson I always felt like a second party person in what was supposed to be my home. You hide college letters from me, you kept secrets from me and now I'm in a place where I don't feel like a second class cizten. I'd like to stay here."
"Adeline you can come home to me and we can work this out. I want to be with you. I want our future together. I will treat you like an equal. You can run your business and I will run mine. You being there will be smoother and easier for both of our business."
"Grayson I spent my life with you. Right out of high school you were my first everything. My first kiss. My first time. You were my first love. I wanted nothing more then you to be my last everything. But I can't go home with you. I have a life now."
"A life without me? A life with Elijah is that what you want?"
"No it isn't what I want! I wanted you! I wanted you to believe me but you didn't! You chose your business over me and that's a memory that lives in my head every single day. I'm still in love with you."
"Then come home Addy. I need you."
"I won't and you need to leave."
"Addy?"
"Grayson you need to leave. Now."
I started crying in my chair. I didn't want him to leave. I wanted him and only him. I wanted him to know about his child. I wanted him to have never turned his back on me that day. I am still in love with him but I didn't know what else to do. I missed him. He stood up from his chair and pulled me up from me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in for a hug. My body was compressed against his. He smelt so good like the woods and mint. His hand played in my long black hair as I nestled my head in his chest. I didn't want him to go. I wanted him to stay. I wanted us to be a family. I don't know why I was doing this to myself. My father was out of the way. I had the family business and my mother and brother was safe. I could finally have the perfect life with Grayson like I wanted. But I knew it wouldn't be that easy with this baby coming. It would only make this harder. I couldn't do that to him. Me and this baby would be both of our businesses weak points. I couldn't risk that for him.
"I think it's time you leave Grayson."
"Okay if that's what you want."
He let me go and opened the office door.
"Red let's go. We're done here. Thank you for meeting with me Addy. I'll text you to set up a contract for our businesses."
"Thank you Grayson."
Elijah came to my side and placed his hands on my shoulders as we saw Grayson and Red leave our house.
"We need to leave. Now." I said.

Grayson's POV
             "Boss what's wrong why'd you agree to leave so easily without her?"
"Get in the car Red."
We got into the black SUV and started driving back into Charlotte.
"Grayson what's wrong?"
I picked up my phone and started dialing Christian.
"Christian, it's Grayson. I want you and Jasper to guard Adeline's house. Don't let her or her guards see you. If there's any movement I want to know about it that minute."
"Got it boss."
I hung up the phone.
"Boss what's going on?"
"She's fucking pregnant."