Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
“You know, I’m going to be needing a home here in Miami. I understand that many things have happened at James’s mansion, but if you’re interested in selling it, I am interested in taking it.” Ronaldo’s words shocked me.
I hadn’t even considered selling James’s mansion yet, and the fact that he was asking took me by surprise. After everything that had happened at that house, I honestly couldn’t imagine returning there. Even though I knew that everything had been cleaned up and the house patiently awaited for someone to arrive.
“I’m going to need some time to think about that,” I whispered, trying to keep my emotions from showing. “If we’re done here, I really need to be excused.”
Ronaldo nodded his head in understanding as he looked over the paper. “I’m sorry that this happened to you. I wasn’t very close with my cousin, but I knew he was a good man, and he loved his family more than anything.”
The sincere words that Ronaldo spoke caused my eyes to water. Blinking back quickly, I forced the emotions back down as I slowly stood and held out my hand. “Thank you. It’s been a pleasure.”
“No, thank you,” he replied, taking my hand. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
As soon as my conversation with Ronaldo was done, I made my way from James’s office and towards the elevator. Neal was right behind me, and before the elevator doors opened, he grabbed my shoulder and stopped me.
“Are you sure that you’re okay?” he asked softly as he pulled me into a hug.
“I’m okay, Neal. I just need to go home and rest. Do you think that you can ask him for like a week or two so that we can get James’s things out of the building?”
Neal chuckled as he pulled away from me and glanced down. “You really should have read the papers.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant. “What do you mean? Can I not take those things?”
“The company won’t be taken over for another three months. The deal has been signed, but he won’t take physical possession until that time, which gives you three months to come in here and take anything out of the company that you want. Including files and everything else which we will need to dissolve the company.”
I hadn’t even realized that any of this would have been a possibility, but perhaps if I had read the paperwork, I would have seen it. Three months did give me time to be able to move past what had happened a little bit more before being able to do the hard stuff like packing.
“Oh, okay.” I smiled. “Well then, I’ll leave you to finish up everything else?”
“Of course, sweetie. Why don’t you have the driver take you back to the beach house? If you want, you can spend a few more days there while I’m busy taking care of everything. Then we can sit down and talk like you wanted to,” Neal replied before giving a soft kiss on my cheek.
“Actually, I want you both to come over for dinner tonight. I’ll order take in, and we can chat about some stuff,” I said. He stared at me for a moment with a concerned glance as if he was worried something was wrong.
However, when I smiled and leaned up to gently kiss his lips, he relaxed. I didn’t want him to think things were changing between us because they weren’t. Yes, I missed James more than I thought I was going to, but it didn’t mean I cared for Neal any less.
I simply needed time to get back to my old self.
“Okay, we’ll be over in a bit. Now please… go to the house, and get some rest.”
With a soft chuckle, I nodded and stepped into the elevator, feeling slightly more positive than I had in days. Perhaps, a vacation would help fix things. I didn’t know. The only thing that I could do to ensure I wasn’t going crazy was to find other things to do.
Becca.
When I left James’s office, millions of thoughts ran through my head about what was going to happen. But one thing was for sure, I needed to take my father’s advice and change scenery. For too long, I had struggled and fought with everything that was going on, my emotions completely messed up and everything else in my life going a little haywire.
I had to get myself together. I had to put my big girl panties on and take initiative for what was going on in my life. And I had to do it soon because before I knew it, a child would be born, and I would be responsible for that child.
The soft knock at the front door let me know that Neal and Allegra had arrived, and as the door opened, I turned, looking over my shoulder to see their smiling faces enter through the doorway. “Hey, guys. I’m glad to see you could make it.”
“Well, of course, we would make it silly.” Allegra laughed as she took off her coat and hung it on a nearby hook. Fluffing her blonde hair out, she stepped forward and made her way towards the dining room, where I was currently finishing the table.
“What’s all of this?” I gestured to the flowers that were in Neal’s hand and a bottle of sparkling cider. Nonalcoholic, of course.
“Well, I figured that we could take a toast to getting one more thing knocked off the list of things that you need done. I know it’s the last thing that you want to discuss, and I’m not here to discuss details, but I figured a small toast of something non-alcoholic might make you smile.”
The gesture was kind enough, and I was pleased that he would go out of his way to make something so small become so sentimental. “I appreciate that, Neal. You’re absolutely wonderful.”
Taking the bottle from him, I made my way towards the kitchen, where I searched for the opener, and as I did, I felt Neal’s presence behind me as he followed.
“How are you doing? I know the last few days you’ve wanted time to yourself, and I will admit that I’ve been slightly worried because of your absence.”
Glancing at him, I could see the concern on his face as if perhaps he had maybe thought he had done something wrong for me to become as silent as I was. I’d leaned on him for the past few weeks, and even the past few months, really, and through everything, I never pushed him away like I was doing lately.
“Neal…” I said softly as I pushed a smile across my lips to try and show him that I was okay. “You have done nothing wrong whatsoever. I just needed space to be by myself to kind of get my thoughts together.”
“I know that’s what she said. But part of me just can’t help that you regret being with me and leaving James.” He replied as his eyes cast downward towards his hands. As if the thought had reeled over his mind a million times.
Stepping forward, I set the bottle on the counter and stopped what I was doing. My hands lay against his as I put the distance between us to a minimum.
“I don’t regret anything with you, Neal. What happened between James and I was. Not meant to be, obviously, and as much as I wish she hadn’t lost his life, he did. But one thing I do know for sure about James is he wouldn’t want me to be unhappy.”
“You’re right,” he replied softly as his hand brushed the hair from the side of my face. My cheek cupped within his palm as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against mine. “How are you so wonderful?”
The laughter that escaped me was unexpected. But as he pulled away with an amused look in his eyes, I shook my head, smiling even brighter. “I don’t know about wonderful, but I try my best.”
“As touching as the moment that you two are having is….” Allegra called from the dining room, causing us both to turn and look at her with sheepish grins. “I’m very curious to know exactly why you called us here.”
The excitement and the news that I planned on sharing with them were eating at me. I had never really gone overseas, except for when James had taken me out and the one time that Neal and I ventured somewhere. But to think about going somewhere exotic, somewhere that most people only dreamed of, had piqued my attention.
“As you both know, a lot of things have gone on lately that neither of us could have ever imagined happening. With all of it, I think that we all deserve a well, long happy break away from reality to where we can refresh our minds and also possibly have some fun.”
“Wanting to go abroad?” Allegra questioned as her eyes scanned down to my stomach and back to my face. “Don’t you think you’re a little too far along for that?”
Shaking my head, I scoffed with laughter. “Goodness, I’m only in my second trimester. You’re acting as if I’m about to pop any day.”
“Well, I know that, but I’m just saying, did you clear it with a doctor?”
Their eyes were on me, and I knew that they wouldn’t let this go until I gave them the assurance they needed stating that I was okay to travel, which of course, I was.
“Actually, I did speak with the doctor a couple of days ago about the possibility of me being able to fly in my current state. Simply because I might have to move, and he did say that it would be perfectly fine as long as I did it before my eighth month mark.”
The words I spoke seemed to be exactly what Allegra and Neal were hoping for. And as their faces perked up a little with happiness, I continued explaining exactly what it is that I wanted to do.
“I want for us to go to New Zealand,” I said quickly, hurrying up and pushing out exactly what I wanted to do before I got cold feet and wasn’t able to explain to them where I wanted to go.
New Zealand was a beautiful country with Four Seasons, Immaculate in every way, and all of the people just seemed so laid back and happy with their lives. It was somewhere that I wanted to go to be able to recharge myself.
I was just hoping that Allegra and Neal would be down for that.
“New Zealand?” Neal said hesitantly. As his cheeks puffed out while he exhaled, and his eyes grew a little wide, slowly nodding as he thought over the idea. “I mean, I haven’t been there in a very long time, and it was only once for a business event, but I suppose it wouldn’t be a bad place to go.
“That’s a really long flight back. Are you sure that you’re going to be up for the challenge? I mean, that is a lot of hours in a plane. You’re looking at two days of traveling.”
She wasn’t wrong. It was going to be a very long flight, and as much as a private plane could take me to certain areas, I didn’t have a big enough plane to be able to take me all the way there, but I did have a way to make it work.
“I understand. I actually had that all figured out. We’ll take the plane to Hawaii. We’re going to spend a day and a half in Hawaii resting and relaxing after the first long bit of flight, and then we will get on a large passenger plane and take that plane to New Zealand.” I replied confidently, having thought about this very long and hard.