Lost in madness

Chapter 20

Andrew

I sat deadpan across from my father in the bustling conference room filled with Asian investors, listening to him drone on about the importance of securing the new business deal.

I stared back at the clock bored, while fiddling with my pen and I could feel the tension rising in my chest as his stern gaze bore into me.

So far whatever he was saying was working, but I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in my stomach, knowing that if this went wrong it could set our relationship back a mile, we never had a good father and son relationship but business-wise I think we are fairly thriving, I just had to keep playing the puppet and see how it goes.

After the meeting had ended, I stayed behind to talk to him. His stern gaze bore into him as he cautioned me about my behavior earlier.

"Andrew, you know how important it is to make the right decisions."

"I apologize."

He shook his head at me in disappointment,

"That being said, I talked to your father-in-law last week. We are setting up a doctor to see you and your wife, she's one of the best in Miami."

"What for?"

"It's been a year and yet no signs, not even a miscarriage, that doesn't give you cause for concern." He gritted.

I felt anger bubbling inside him but held back. "Sally and I are waiting for the right time."

"You think I care about your opinion. All this has been planned from the very moment James was born, since James is incompetent, you'll just have to do. I married you into that family to make an allegiance, and there are no ties without offspring, their family is very relevant to our future plans, and with your election coming up in a few years we don't have time to play games, do you hear me? So you're going to walk into that clinic with your wife and you're going to figure out a way to start pumping babies by the end of the year, that's the only way you're getting on my seat or you can forget about the company and run off with that lousy mistress of yours."

My anger simmered beneath the surface, but he bit his tongue and nodded along.

"Don't make any hasty choices that you may regret later on." He said after me. I clenched my fist to the point of bleeding and turned around to leave.

As I made my way back to the car and drove for hours, I had no idea where my thoughts were leading. Instead of driving back to a perfectly laid nest, I found myself parked in front of Dabe's house, staring up at her window, like a stalker and feeling a sense of guilt wash over me. I have no idea when or how I got here.

As I stared up at her window, bathed in the soft glow of the streetlights, I knew that I was playing a dangerous game. But at that moment, all I wanted was to hear her voice and look at her, even if it meant risking everything I had built over the years.

I reached for my phone and dialed her number, my heart racing as I waited for her to pick up.

"Hello?"The sound of her voice filled my ears, soothing me in a way that I couldn't explain, "You got to stop calling me at 2 A.M."

"Who else can I call at 2 A. M?"

"Your wife."

I stiffened, "Do you mean that?"

"No, I don't... Why did you call?"

I smile and let out a huge sigh of relief, "I just needed to hear your voice, you know what it does to me."

"You okay?"

"Yes." I lied, "Even better now that I've heard your voice."

"Don't be cheesy."

I chuckled.

"I missed you, a lot." I rather listen to her talk all day than return to my thoughts, Dabe has no idea how happy she makes me feel, I wish I could show her, instead, it's been one disappointment after the other, I don't know why she puts up with my shit, I will do anything to see her happy and that involves letting her go but the thought of her in the arms of another is like a dagger in my chest and I can't breathe, "Enlighten me, did you have fun today?"

"Well, I smacked someone in the face today, does that count as fun."

"Whoa, that's unexpected."

"My colleague, Sasha, she's racist and annoying and she had it coming, unfortunately for her, I was having a bad morning and she just happened to show herself up in my face."

The night stretched on, the darkness enveloping me as we continued to talk. And in that fleeting moment of vulnerability, I knew that I was dancing on the edge of a precipice, with no way of knowing if I would fall or regain my footing.

"Did you get hurt?"

"No."

"Then, I'm proud. Throw in a kick or two for me next time."

The line goes silent and I can feel her smiling on the other side, having me smiling as well, until a random dog starts barking, blowing my cover. The last thing I wanted was to look like a stalker.

"Andrew, where are you?" Dabe quickly reached out to her window and caught me, her eyes widened, "How? I mean how long?"

"I just got here."

"Why do I feel like you are lying? Is everything okay? Wait, hold that thought—"

"You don't have to come down."

"The hell I do."

She doesn't listen and catches up to me outside, she's wearing nothing but her nightwear, and it's freezing out here.

"Dabe, you're going to catch a cold."

In an instant, she reaches over and crashes her lips against mine leaving me breathless and astonished all at once.

I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist to pull her in for warmth, not sure for how long but it was the most soothing thing ever, when we broke apart, she looked up at me, with those beautiful brown eyes of hers, "You hungry?"

"Famished." I breathe.

"Let's get you inside then, I make the best tuna sandwich in New York." She said as she dragged me by hand and towards the door, and inside. I didn't want to be anywhere else.