THE CEO'S PARAMOUR

35.

That brief Christmas visit was surprisingly dramatic.
Murdock Shaine.

Peyton.

After failing to get a sneak peek at what Kol's after had bought as presents for christmas, my boyfriend and I decided to just wait till it was the day for opening presents. "Hey babe look I found a chocolate bunny under the tree." Kol exclaimed holding up the little candy bunny.

He was trying to fool me by acting as if he didn't take it from the bowl I had put them in. "Kol you're not eating any more chocolate, no matter how hard you try." I chastised sternly and he scowled. "Can I have you then, I swear I will suck you slowly and savor you too." He whispered in my ear making heat rush to two places on my body, between my things and my cheeks.

Resist Peyton, resist, I chanted in my head, and thank heavens above it worked. "Nope not gonna work, now hop away and let me marinate this bird." I teased and he gave me the I will deal with you in the bedroom look before strutting away, more like limping away as his legs weren't completely fine.

I chuckled watching him act like a child along with his father as they hung the christmas ornaments which I had gotten a while ago, they reminded me of the little christmas dinners I used to have with my friends, now Hilda and I no longer talked and it seemed she moved away from the city as well.

The doorbell rang and I wondered who it was, Doc and Tajil usually just walked right in, along with Shawn as well. "Hey babe can you get the door!" I yelled from the kitchen. "Yeah I got it!" Kol replied and I continued to work on the large bird, I had already put in the stuffing along with the marinate all that was left to do was pop it in the oven.

I kept working on the dishes that I was supposed to serve for dinner, each of them were my friends and family's favorites, so I needed time to make sure I had them all, I wondered why Kol hadn't gotten back, Mr Tempest was no longer in the lounge as well.

So I went to check what was going on, when I got to the door my heart dropped to the floor, I stood frozen where I was, I wondered how she found me, how she knew I was here, she was all the way on the other side of the country.

"Mom." I mumbled feeling repulsion even when I said those words. "Peyton baby it's okay, I already told her to leave." Kol rushed over to me and I grabbed onto him for support. "What are you doing here Mrs. Fisher." Mr. Tempest spat, he knew about my mother, both him and Kol, I didn't hide my past from them.

"I came to enjoy the holidays with my son, of course, he's made it in the world, it's only right for me to want to celebrate with him, I am a mother who misses her son." She replied sweetly but each word was venom to me. "No you don't, having a restraining order against you meant I didn't want to see you, changing my surname meant I wanted nothing to do with you!" I yelled toward her making her flinch.

"Listen here boy, I am your mother, you will respect me do you hear me, I didn't raise you like this, now invite me inside like a good child, I won't have any of this nonsense, you're already a disgrace by being this man's bitch, now I'm overlooking that, so open up." She responded and Mr. Tempest punched her making both Kol and I gasp.

"How dare you speak about my son like that, he cut ties with you a long time ago, he's not the boy you trained to sell drugs for you, he's not the boy you tainted with your filth, he's a better mature man with a great future ahead of him, I told you that if you step foot anywhere near North City I would kill you, don't tempt me to do so." Mr. Tempest defended me and all I could do was  watch him stand up for me like the father I never had.

"Now pick up your jaw from the floor and go back to the backwater bayou you crawled out of, I know you burnt your cash and you're looking for money to start the syndicate again, too late wretch, the police are coming for you." He concluded and the woman who was supposed to be my mother immediately turned and ran for the gate.

I stood where I was, baffled by how easily she could turn and leave, it wasn't hard to accept that the woman who had given birth to me was a drug addict fugitive, she was a reminder of my past, one I wished I could erase and start over again.

"That brief christmas was surprisingly dramatic." Doc exclaimed as he climbed out of the car with Tajil behind him. "I wished that horrible bitch would stay away for good, I'm so sorry Peyton." He comforted as Kol held me in his arms, though I knew this might've been the last time I saw my mother, I was surprisingly okay with that.

She had brought nothing but despair in my life and her leaving was the best thing she could've done for me, I just wanted to have peace. "The police will deal with her, they always have an eye out for her since she's been trafficking with the syndicate that turned on her." Mr. Tempest explained as the door shut behind him.

"Are you okay my love?" Kol questioned and I nodded, even if it was just a brief moment, it had brought out a range of emotions and memories from my past that I had shoved away and forced myself to forget. "I'm okay, I just didn't expect a brief visit from my haunting past." I muttered and Kol held me in an embrace.

"She's gone now, it's okay, she's never going to hurt you, never going to get to you, I promise my love." I held on to that promise, and I knew Kol would keep his word for better or worse he would keep his word. "I'm okay now, and I won't let her ruin today for me, we're going to celebrate." I announced as Mr. Tempest pulled me into a hug.

"Always so strong, that's why I'm proud of you." He mumbled in my ear and I chuckled. "Now get to making my favorite, I'm sure you planned a feast." He added and I nodded enthusiastically. "Come on Doc, Taj, the tree needs more decorations, oh, and hang the socks." I instructed dragging Doc with me.

"Are you sure you're okay, it's fine if you're not." Doc offered and I knew he was right, it was okay not to be okay, but I was going to stick by my word, even if I was not okay completely I wasn't going to let my mother ruin Xmas eve for me, I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of ruining something I loved in my life.

"Nope I'm okay, and we're doing this, I already have everything plan, I'm not letting her ruin our dinner, now get to chopping." I asserted making Doc laugh and began chopping the carrots and other veggies. "Sausage rolls are ready." I stated and Kol limped into the kitchen immediately after. "I don't care if I ruin my appetite, I want one." He whined and I couldn't resist his kicked puppy look with a sad wagging tail.

"Fine, just one, and no more." I conceded and Kol grinned whilst Doc burst out laughing. "He's like a child on literal Christmas." He remarked and we both burst out laughing as Mr. Tempest and Taj snuck in candy from the ones I had put out.

I wasn't going to let my past or mother get in the way of the life I had built for myself, the life I knew I deserved to have, and the love I knew I had earned in my life, I wouldn't allow anything to ruin the joy of christmas under the mistletoe.

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I hope this chapter answers the bit of mystery behind Peyton's childhood.

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