Broken

Chapter 23

Chris pov...

"Goodmorning..." I say to ma as i walk into the kitchen. Sammie and Sophie are still sleeping... Ma was up like always. She is always up at the crack of dawn... "Good morning..." Ma says smiling... "I hope Sammie doesn't mind i helped myself..." Ma says and i smile... "Of course, not..." I say knowing that Sammie would not want ma to wait until she was up to have coffee... I pour myself a cup of coffee...

"So, you two sleep in the same bed, huh..." Ma says smirking at me. I blush... "Yeah we talked a lot over the last few days... Nothing really happened yet... But we both want to try..." I say leaving the little make out session out and ma smiles... "That makes me happy... I always told you Sammie was the one for you..." Ma says smiling and i smile back... "We still have a long way to go... But they are coming with me to Boston..." I say my smile growing bigger and ma's face lights up... "Really?" She asks and i nod... But then her face turns serious... "What?" I ask and she takes a deep breath... "Chris... Then you need to figure out what you are going to do about Kim..." She says and i nod looking at my cup of coffee... 

"I know... I am going to end her employment... And our so-called friendship..." I say feeling disgusted by even calling it that. Ma looks at me worried... "She is not going to like that Chris... I am scared what she will do when she finds out Sammie is back in your life... Especially when she finds out you two have a daughter..." Ma says and her worries scare me... I take a deep breath and i am about to say something when ma speaks...

"After your call... I talked with Carly..." She says and this piques my interest and i look at her... "Chris... That woman... She had us all fooled in a way... I never really liked her but this... This i had not even expected... In a way i knew she always had a thing for you... But from what Carly said she just hoped that one day you would finally notice her and sweep her off her feet... That as long as she could get rid of your girlfriends... She would have a chance...  And she always managed to easily get rid of your girlfriends... But with Sammie... Sammie and you were serious... Sammie was well liked by everyone... Sammie was well loved by me... Carly... Shanna and Scott... She got along with your friends... Both your childhood friends and your work friends... Carly heard things from other people... Rumors... She despised Sammie... She could not stand the fact we all loved her... Carly told me the rumors she heard of what Kim has said and done to Sammie...  What she said to others about Sammie... Things i dont even want to repeat as it was so vile... To be honest... I am amazed Sammie sticked by you. It pains me that she has suffered all that and we didn't know until it was too late... She sees Sammie as a threat and with Sammie back in your life and with a kid... I think she will see her as even a bigger threat... And i dont think she will go away easily... I think you should prepare for the worse to come... We owe it to Sammie and Sophie to protect her from Kim... She has suffered enough..." Ma says and i sigh... I close my eyes as it just hurts... I had been so stupid and blind... I blindly trusted Kim because she had been my friend since high school and i was a fool...  Ma's words scare me... I need to protect Sammie and Sophie... Would Kim really try to hurt Sammie and Sophie... Would she really do that? 

"I just dont get it... I never thought of Kim like that... It never even crossed my mind... I never saw her more than a friend... I never gave her the impression that we could be more..." I say feeling desperate... "I could understand if something had happened between us... But nothing has ever happened... NOTHING...." I say getting frustrated and ma sighs... "I believe you sweetheart..." Ma says and i groan... 

"I feel so stupid... Stupid for not seeing it... Stupid for not wanting to listen to you and Carly... I missed 3 years of my little girl's life... And why... Because Kim had some stupid notion that one day i would choose her? That getting rid of Sammie would make me choose her. I would never... Not even if she was the last woman on earth... We were friends... We worked together... That is it..." I say and ma sighs... 

"I get that sweetheart... I think she just thought as she sticked around long enough at one point you would come around...  But you have to figure out how to move forward...  You have to protect Sammie and Sophie from the fury Kim will unleash when you tell her that you cut her out of your life... Because Chris if you want to be part of Sammie and Sophie's life... If you want any chance of a future with them, you need to cut her out..." She says and i nod... "I know... It is a demand from Sammie... She doesn't want Kim anywhere near Sophie... She made that really clear..." I say and ma smiles... "Mama bear..." She says and i smile back before letting out another sigh... 

"It is just... I feel so betrayed...  I know i am to blame to... But how could she do this... How could she have manipulated me so that i missed 3 years of my little girl's life... She has been my friend for so long... My manager...  She was there every step of the way... Where am i going to find a new manager i can trust... How am i ever going to trust someone who works for me again... How do i protect Sammie and Sophie so this will not come back to bite them... I dont want this to hurt them anymore than it already has... Everyone in my team works for Kim... I need a whole new team..." I say feeling more and more anxious and ma walks over to me and puts her hands on my shoulders... "Breathe sweetheart... Just breathe... Why dont you call Robert... He will be able to help..." She says and i sigh and nod...

"Yeah, that is a good idea... I will call Robert... First thing i do when we get back to Boston... I just have to make sure to have everything in order and airtight before i drop Kim..." I say and ma nods... "And dont tell Kim you are back in town..." She says and i nod... 

"Daaaaaddy!!" We all of a sudden hear and i chuckle... "Wauw... She calls you in the morning?" Ma says smiling and i blush... "I had gotten up with her the last two days... I let Sammie sleep in..." I say and ma smirks... I kiss ma's cheek... "Thanks for being here... For listening..." I say and she smiles... "Always... Now go get your daughter before she wakes up mommy..." Ma says and i smirk and walk to Sophie's room... 

"Goodmorning princess..." I say walking in, and she smiles her arms stretched out to me... "Daddy!!!" She squeals and i smile... This little girl has this power over me... Her smile could lift the darkest of moods...  I lift her up and kiss her cheek... Ma is right... I need to do everything in my power to protect Sammie and Sophie... If Kim could have lied and manipulated me for so long who knows what she is capable off... I walk to the kitchen and i smile as Sophie waves at ma... 

"I'll make breakfast... When i am almost ready you can wake up Sammie so we can have breakfast together... I dont want her to feel left out..." Ma says all excited and i smile as i sit down with Sophie in my lap...