His Butterfly

Chapter 29: Pissed Off

Reese's POV

I adamantly refused to leave Avery's side for more than ten minutes at a time. She was never to be alone in that room. I couldn't bear the thought of taking any chances with her life hanging in the balance. If it meant hiring a damn bodyguard, then so be it.

Her friends displayed remarkable understanding and patience towards me. They never pressed for answers about our unconventional relationship. Frankly, I wasn't even sure what kind of relationship we had. What I did know, without a shadow of a doubt, was that whatever caused her pain inflicted the same upon me.

Gazing upon Avery's delicate frame, a wave of sorrow washed over me once more. It had been an agonizing two days since I last witnessed the radiance of her enchanting eyes. Those captivating orbs possessed the power to thaw even the coldest of hearts, stealing my breath away from the very moment we crossed paths. Lost in their profound depths, I was captivated by the way they shimmered with sheer delight whenever she was overcome with joy. If only I could bask in even a fraction of the elation she felt upon learning she had secured the job.

The memory of that moment remains etched in my mind, as vivid as if it happened just yesterday. Her radiant smile illuminated the room, and in her excitement, she embraced me without a second thought. The sheer power of her embrace left me invigorated, a surge of energy coursing through my veins for the remainder of the day. It was a sensation, unlike anything I had ever experienced before, not until that fateful Friday night and the subsequent day spent in my hotel room. How could two distinct women have such an identical, profound impact on me? It was a perplexing enigma that my mind struggled to comprehend.

I had never been one to commit to any woman for an extended period, but with Avery, everything felt different. Lately, all I yearned for was to wake up beside her, to feel the warmth of her presence, and to imagine the miracle of our child growing within her. The desire to explore these uncharted territories consumed me, leaving me longing for a future I had never envisioned before.

I forcefully snapped myself back to reality, realizing that my runaway emotions were beginning to overpower me, leading me down a path of irrational thoughts. The mere idea of losing Avery was already proving to be an unbearable weight on my shoulders, and now my mind was conjuring up absurd scenarios. I refused to delve into what these thoughts implied about my feelings toward her; it was a territory I wasn't ready to explore.

Planting a tender kiss on Avery's cheek, I turned away and made my way towards the window. The world outside appeared serene and inviting, a deceptive facade masking the harsh reality that lay beneath. People in this world could be cruel and unkind, a truth I knew all too well from personal experience. My father exemplified this, constantly taking and taking until there was nothing left for him to seize and destroy.

In stark contrast to my father, my mother embodies everything he is not. She radiates selflessness and possesses an unwavering belief in the goodness of others. I pray that I have inherited her qualities, as I fear becoming anything like my father. This fear has kept me from fully committing to anyone, afraid of the potential harm I may cause. Lately, however, I find myself envisioning a future where Avery and I are a blissful family, and the mere thought terrifies me. I refuse to be the one to extinguish the radiant light that fills every room she enters.

"Brendan, I'll be right back," I hastily utter as he enters the room, my attention still fixated on the ringing phone.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Reese? Canceling one of our most crucial and significant meetings?" My father's voice booms through the phone, filled with anger and frustration.

Unlike my father, I never believed in prioritizing my job over the well-being of my employees. I held the belief that if an employer genuinely cared for their employees' welfare, everything would fall into place. This doesn't mean I neglected my work ethic; it simply meant I refused to follow in my father's footsteps, as his approach had proven to be detrimental. I never wanted my employees to feel intimidated or fearful in my presence.