The Contract

Chapter 49

ᴅᴏɴᴏᴠᴀɴ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ

It's been two weeks since the hospital with Evan's mom, and exactly one week since I've seen Evan's face.

Three days after being dismissed from the hospital, I helped Judy, Evan's mom get into a private clinic to get the help she desperately needed, and in the past two weeks, she's managed to get life back on track, putting Evan and his mom in a good place, as mother and son.

Judy divorced Roy and changed her name back to Beckett, and Evan pressed charges against Roy's two teenage daughters, the very ones that broke into his old apartment, putting a restraining order on the daughters, and their father, Roy.

I'm on my way home and after being away for a week for a business meeting for partners in Europe, I can now say that I was looking forward to going home because I know Evan would be there.

Evan has been busy the past week with work as an actor, he's gotten a movie role with a big-name film director, and yet despite how busy he will be, and how demanding my job is, I'm happy for him, he got what he wanted, he made a name for himself.

I simply gave him a push, all Evan had to do was show up and impress them, as he impressed me, without getting on his knees, I call that a job well done.

It's Tuesday, and it's Evan's 23rd birthday, and from speaking to his mom on the phone, I know they'll be throwing him a surprise birthday back at the penthouse.

With my work taking me to Europe, I was supposed to be there for 2 weeks, and miss his birthday, but after shifting things around, and working into the night and into early hours in the morning, I finished everything in 5 days.

I didn't waste any time getting back on the plane for NY, I knew how disappointed Evan was when I told him I would miss his birthday, even if he didn't say it, I knew he wanted me there with his family and friends to celebrate.

I'm an hour away, and right now I know Evan's with his best friends drinking, knowing they'll be back at the penthouse by 3, giving me time to get cleaned up and changed back at my place, knowing his mom would be there, setting everything up with the help from some of his friends I met briefly.

I thought long and hard about what to give Evan, being 23 and the young guy he is, I was lost with what to get him, but speaking to his mom, who I've grown close to, I finally decided what to get him, I'm just hoping that he likes it.

Meeting Evan's friends for the first time, before leaving for Europe, I couldn't help but wonder if he was satisfied being with me, someone who has already done it all, I've been married, and had a child, while Evan is still young, and has yet to experience life.

A part of me wanted to let him go, settle down, and live the bachelor life, to let him experience life without me while he was young, to know if it was me he really wanted, and not just because of how I felt about him.

I'll admit, being almost 13 years older than Evan has been hard for me to come to terms with, having not felt bothered by it until I saw him with his friends, and then with mine when he met them.

I love Evan Beckett, and life with him in mine is better, that much I don't deny.

My son Jamie loves spending time with me and Evan, and Emily already calls him family, it's more than I honestly expected, given our age difference.

"Mr. Steele, we're 30 minutes away." My driver announces, I nod my head and sigh and grab my phone from my jacket pocket.

Evan texted me ten minutes ago, with a photo of him and his friends, with the text 'wish you were here' plastered over the picture of them smiling into the camera.