Escape

I lay here on my bed covered up in light pink comforter hugging the only teddy bear I have left from my childhood. I don’t have the energy to get out of bed realizing that it’s already eleven o clock in the morning. After last night’s confession to my father, I feel drained and empty inside. How did I let it get this far? I missed my morning class and right now I don’t care if I miss the rest of the semester. Tony’s funeral is tomorrow, he’s dead because of me. I killed him maybe not with my own two hands but my hang-ups created the monster he became.

I hear knocking on my bedroom door ignoring everything outside of this room. I pull the comforter over my head trying to block out the noise of Ali knocking on my door. I don’t want to deal with Ali right now and her happy life. I don’t want to do with anyone. I just want to disappear.

My cell phone begins to ring and let it go straight to voicemail. Doesn’t anyone understand that I just want to be left alone? I want to hide from the world, from my family, from my friends until the moment the pain goes away – if it ever goes away. I look out from under the comforter making sure that no one can get into my room with the desk chair against the door and the lock securely fastened. Then for just a moment I realize what I have done with the empty pill bottle on my nightstand and the half empty glass of water staring back at me. Suddenly I begin to feel the world slip away from me once again.

“Paige,” Ali shouted as she bangs on the door. “Please, let me in.”

“What’s going on,” Luke asked coming up behind Ali.

“Paige missed her morning class. Josh called and said she isn’t picking up her phone and she isn’t answering the door. I think something is wrong,” Ali explained as she tried to open the door.

“She was with our dad until late last night. He called this morning to tell me to take it easy on her today. He said she probably wouldn’t feel up to going to class today either,” Luke stated remembering his phone call with his father earlier in the morning.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure, let’s go, or you’ll be late,” Luke told her as he walked away from the woman that was haunting his dreams.

“I hope you’re okay,” Ali whispered putting her hand up to her best friend’s bedroom door. Ali knew that Paige was taking things really hard the past couple of days especially with Brandon still in the hospital. Ali just wished that Paige would talk to her instead of bottling everything in.

Luke walked out of the house not being able to look back at Ali. He was crazy for her, but he knew he had some things to take care of before he went any further with her. He knew what he had to do yet part of him didn’t want to leave. Luke knew he had to see Rory before things got too complicated which meant he would need to confront Rory’s husband also.

Caroline Donnelly felt on top of the world these days. She had everything she ever wanted; the love of a great sexy man, a booming boutique and a family that adored her. As she walked into the mansion on Oak Drive she felt the power that came with being a Donnelly. Once she got married to Dalton in a couple of weeks she would be moving out of the ten bedroom mansion that she grew up in and moving into a one bedroom loft with her fiancé.

“Good morning, Miss Caroline,” Frances announced walking into the foyer. “Your father is in his study.”

“Thank you, Frances,” Caroline replied handing Frances her purse and jacket since the October air in Saunders Bay was a chilly forty-five degrees.

Caroline had requested the time with her father like she had to do many times the past couple of years. He was always working on some new takeover or some dinner party trying to schmooze a new client. As much as she adored her father, she knew he worked too hard and not all of his business deals were on the up and up.

She knocked on the solid oak double doors leading into her father’s office, waiting a few seconds she entered the office. She walked into his office noticing the leather chair was turned around facing the large courtyard outside.

“Have you taken care of Gregory like I requested,” Benjamin Donnelly asked from the chair.

Caroline realized before she could said anything that he was on the phone. She knew the strain between her older brother and her father wasn’t a good one. Gregory never explained why he had left Saunders Bay so long ago and why he never visited. Now her brother was back and the drama between her brother and father was boiling over.

“I don’t want to hear excuses. He has viable information that can destroy me, he must be stopped,” Benjamin ordered with no remorse in his voice. “I know he is my son that is why you make it look like an accident.”

Caroline was flabbergasted at what she was hearing. Her own father was putting a hit on her brother. What information did Gregory have on their father that was so damaging? Caroline tiptoed out of the office as quietly as she entered knowing full well that if her father could destroy Gregory he would hurt her as well.

“Are you sure about this,” Gregory asked Charlotte who was pulling him into Juniper’s. “I mean your dad isn’t a fan of my family.”

“I know, but both of us know you are nothing like the rest of your family except maybe Caroline,” she stated as the door opened. “And I haven’t really been working the past couple of days, so I need to make an appearance.”

“No one told you to spend the night with me last night,” Gregory said smiling as he pulled Charlotte into his arms.

After they had dinner last night in the hotel, they had retreated back to his hotel room where they had talked for hours about his mother and her daughter. They had fallen asleep in each other’s arms realizing that after their second date they hadn’t slept together since the night they met.

“Charlotte, I’m so glad you came back,” Bebe stated walking up to her boss and the manager of Juniper’s. “Who is this good looking guy?”

“Have you seen my dad,” Charlotte asked Bebe as she pulled away from Gregory but kept their hands entwined.

“He’s in the kitchen cooking. Pat is sick with the flu so she won’t be in for the next couple of days,” Bebe stated looking at the dark-haired stranger up and down licking her lips in approval.

“Thanks,” Charlotte replied walking towards the kitchen with Gregory right beside her.

“Is this place usually this quiet,” Gregory asked noticing only a couple of tables were full.

“Lately it has been, the construction down the street has been hurting our business. There usually isn’t construction this time of year, but somehow your dad was able to talk the city into starting it a few months early.”

“That’s because my dad has some city officials in his pocket,” Gregory explained. “I can see what I can do about getting you more business though.”

The two of them stepped into the kitchen together noticing Jack Parker stirring a couple of pots on the stove.

“Dad,” Charlotte stated coming up behind her father whose back was to them. “I want you to meet someone.”

Jack turned around with wooden ladle in his hand holding it out to Charlotte to taste.

“Taste this, I think I might have put a little too much cayenne pepper in it,” Jack told his daughter as she sipped the concoction he was making.

“Just a tad,” Charlotte commented after tasting the jambalaya he was creating. “Grandma would put a quarter teaspoon in her jambalaya. What did you do put in a tablespoon?”

“No, you know me, I don’t measure things, a pinch of this and a pinch of that,” Jack nodded going over to the cutting board and chopping up a green pepper.

“Well your pinch was a little to much,” Charlotte stated going over to the counter on the other side of kitchen and grabbing a fresh roll off the counter.

“Not necessarily, Charlotte, a lot of chefs don’t measure things,” Gregory pointed out. “In Italy many of the cooks in the restaurants I worked at didn’t measure a thing.”

“Italy, not bad, you must be the new man in my daughter’s life. I haven’t seen much of her the past couple of days,” Jack said as he wiped his hands on his apron then put his left hand out to shake hands. “Jack Parker and you are?”

“Dad, this is Gregory, I met him a few nights ago at the Wexler Hotel that’s where he has been staying,’ Charlotte explained trying to ease her way into telling her father who Gregory’s family was.

“Nice to meet you, Gregory,” Jack said shaking his hand. “What bought you to Saunders Bay? Do you have family here?”

“Dad, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. He grew up here and his family is still here.”

“As long as he isn’t a Donnelly, I’m alright with that,” Jack laughed picking up the cutting knife to continue cutting up the peppers.

“Funny you would say that, sir,” Gregory stammered wiping his sweaty hands on his pant leg. Gregory went over to the pot of jambalaya stirring it slightly then putting a pinch of black pepper in it. “I left Saunders Bay years ago when I found out some interesting things about my father. Since then I’ve been trying to gather enough evidence on my father to put him away for a long time. I think I may have gotten what I needed and that is why I came back here. I met your daughter and learned some interesting things that could help me in getting my father prosecuted.”

“You’re the oldest one that no one talks about, aren’t you,” Jack said remembering the conversations he had heard around town about the eldest Donnelly child.

“Daddy, I didn’t know when I met him and he didn’t know about me either. Now we have gotten closer and he’s nothing like Tyler or his father for that matter. He is more like his mother, Marybeth. You told me that you met her once or twice.”

“Yes, I have but that was long ago,” Jack stated remembering the short brunette that was the total opposite of her husband.

“My father had her killed and it took me years to prove it. I haven’t taken any of that man’s money, everything I have I have worked hard for or I have paid for with the trust my mother left me. I want to bring down Benjamin Donnelly just as much as you do,” Gregory explained as he picked up the ladle and tasted the delicious chicken and sausage jambalaya.

“I doubt that,” Jack mumbled shaking his head at the man who was adding his own touches to the famous Parker recipe.

“Dad give him a chance, I’ve seen the proof he has on his father. I think we might finally have him and then we can go after Tyler.”

“Speaking of Tyler, we better get going, I told Frances we would be there to pick up Ella by one,” Gregory told Charlotte as he noticed the time on the clock hanging on the far wall. “It was nice to meet you, sir.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Jack responded as Charlotte grabbed Gregory’s hand.

“Bye, daddy,” Charlotte said. “I’ll be back in a bit with your granddaughter.”

Gregory and Charlotte left the kitchen hand in hand leaving Jack standing there shaking his head in disbelief. His daughter had done it again – she had fallen for a Donnelly. All Jack wanted these days was to have his kids live normal quiet lives and yet everyday his kids did something to rock that boat.

“Mom, what am I going to do with them,” Jack whispered looking up to the heavens praying his mother would give him the strength to protect all of his children.

Ali leaned back in her chair tilting her head back trying to find someway to wake up. She was tired and it wasn’t like her. She looked around in the class of her thirty-two peers and began to wonder if they had the same problems she did. She didn’t want to be in class, she didn’t want to be home, all she wanted these days was a quiet place to be alone with Luke. Lately she couldn’t get two minutes alone with him without someone or something coming in their way. It had been like this between them since the night of the break-in, now Ali was beginning to wonder if Luke had changed his mind about him.

“That’s crazy,” she told herself before she realized she had said that out loud.

All of the students and the professor turned around to look at her; she smiled slightly embarrassed by her mishap. She needed to find time alone with Luke fast before she went crazy. She looked down at her notebook realizing she had not written a single thing down in today’s class. She started writing and it wasn’t notes from the class, no it was ways to get Luke alone and what she would like to do to him. Her face blushed at the ideas running through her head. She had become one of those girls, those girls that craved their boyfriends and the things they would do together in every position on any surface.

Twelve minutes later class was over Ali gathered her books as one of her classmates came over to her. Lexie Clark had eyes as blue as Lake Michigan on a clear summer day and had golden-brown wavy hair that went down to the middle of her back. She had also had a thing with Luke during their freshmen year of college and Ali knew that.

“I hear you’re with Luke these days,” Lexie said grabbing one of Ali’s books and handing it to her.

“Yeah, we’re living together,” Ali replied not missing a beat.

“You mean you’re living with Paige and Luke. Ali, I know that those two live in their grandparents’ old house and that you’re Paige’s best friend. Anyone that grew up in Saunders Bay knows the history of the Parker family.”

“What do you want Lexie?”

“I want Luke to be happy. We may not have worked out together and that is both of our faults yet he deserves to be happy. I’ve seen him around lately and other than his family drama he seems happy and I have to think that is because of you,” Lexie explained as the two of them began walking out of the classroom.

“Thanks, I think.”

“Like I was saying his family always has something going on, you should know that by now. I mean Luke and I weren’t together very long romantically, but we have been friends for years. If you want to get Luke alone may I suggest going out of town. My boyfriend, Jamie, took me to this bed and breakfast near Traverse City last month for the weekend. It’s right on the coast overlooking the Randall Lighthouse. I suggest taking Luke up there for the weekend. It’s not very expensive even being on the coast and if you want I can call Jamie. He worked there a couple of years ago so the owners give him a discount.”

“Why would you do that for me,” Ali asked stopping near the soda machine.

“Because Luke needs a vacation and from the way you acted in class so do you,” Lexie stated grabbing a piece of paper from her notebook and scribbling a number down handing it to Ali. “If you change your mind let me know.”

Lexie walked away leaving Ali standing there with her thoughts. Ali wasn’t sure if Luke would want to go away with her and Traverse City was about a three hour drive. She didn’t know what to do but throwing Lexie’s number away wasn’t an option. She put the number in her jeans pocket grabbed a diet soda from the machine and then marched on to her next class.

Luke couldn’t believe he was doing this. He was standing in front of the door ready to face his biggest fear. His father wasn’t right though he had to do the right thing. The only way to move on was to face the mistakes of his past. He knocked on the cherry oak door with the stained greenish-blue glass that led into the Spencer home.

“What are you doing here,” Rory asked standing in the doorway of the small light blue colonial style home she shared with her husband.

“We need to talk,” he said noticing the blue and yellow knitted blanket that hung over the Spencer couch. Luke remembered a couple of times after they would have sex on the couch and Luke would hurry up and dress afterwards, Rory would lay there on the couch wrapped up in that exact blanket.

“I really don’t have anything to say to you. You made your choice and I made mine,” Rory said putting her hand across the doorframe hiding the items on the end table in the foyer of the house.

“Can you let me in, please, it will only take five minutes.”

“Funny, that is what I used to tell you when I dragged you here in the middle of the afternoon. Wait, it’s one o’clock the time our class would start. Remember the time after class when I pulled you in my office and we had sex on my desk or the time after that against wall. Boy, those were fun times, and the dean loved hearing those stories. How is the football team these days?”

“I’m not here to reminisce, I’m here about the baby,” Luke admitted.

Rory opened the door letting him into her home. When he came in he noticed the pamphlet on the end table about the hormones in pregnant woman. He also noticed the plastic bag from one of the boutiques in town specializing in children.

“I see you have already started shopping for the baby.”

“What do you want, Luke? I’m supposed to be resting, the doctor said I have to avoid stress and relax. I can’t do that with you around,” Rory mentioned walking into the tidy living room.

“What is going on here,” Rick demanded walking into the room from the other entrance that led out to the garage.

“Good, both of you are here. I didn’t want to do this twice and I really didn’t want to go down to the police station to talk to you,” Luke said putting his hands behind his back standing tall.

“What is it, Luke,” Rory wondered sitting down on the sofa.

“The three of us know we have all made mistakes the last few months. I don’t want to cause trouble but I don’t want to run away either.”

“What are you talking about Parker,” Rick questioned. “What mistakes? Sleeping with my wife or sleeping with your professor, oh wait, those are two in the same. And while we are at it, I haven’t made any mistakes.”

Rory looked over at Luke and then at her husband. She knew she slipped-up letting Luke inside her house. She didn’t want this, not now, when she had a baby growing inside her depending on her to take care of herself.

“Both of you stop,” Rory shouted standing up to quickly and suddenly feeling the after effects as the world begin to spin.

“What’s wrong,” Rick asked running to his wife’s aid.

“What is it,” Luke said watching Rick help his wife.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. I just got up to quick,” Rory answered putting her hand on Rick’s forearm. “I would be even better if the two of you stopped fighting. Luke, why did you come here? I thought we settled everything.”

“No, we didn’t settle anything. I want a paternity test on that baby done as soon as possible and if it is my baby I won’t disappear,” Luke explained.

“What are you saying, Parker,” Rick asked.

“I’m saying if this is my kid I want joint custody,” Luke stated standing his ground.

“You can’t support this child,” Rick said. “You work part-time at a restaurant. How in the world would you support him or her? No, no way, this child would be raised by Rory and I like it is supposed to be.”

“Rory, you know I won’t give this up without a fight,” Luke pointed out looking down at the woman who he once cared deeply for then he turned around and left the house.

“He’s right,” Rory whispered after hearing the door slam indicating that Luke had indeed left the Spencer residence.

“How could you say that?”

“Because he has a right to know his child, if this is in fact his child. He deserves to know his child after everything he’s been through.”

“Rory, I forgave you for sleeping with that bum. What I won’t forgive is you letting him into this child’s life. For years you and I have wanted on having children, now you’re pregnant and you want to hand off our child to him. No, I won’t let that happen,” Rick demanded standing over his wife like he had for years. He would do anything to keep this child away from Luke Parker even if it meant keeping the truth from Luke and his wife.

Charlotte stopped the car looking up at the huge white mansion flabbergasted at what she was about to do. She felt someone grab her hand and squeeze it slightly trying to give her his courage of facing his father and brother.

“I know this isn’t easy,” Gregory stated kissing the back of her hand, “but we can do this.”

“It’s hard to believe you grew up in that house. You seem so normal compared to them,” Charlotte replied trying to picture Gregory with the rest of the Donnelly’s at the dinner parties and board meetings all of them frequented.

“I am normal compared to them. I hope you know that, I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you or your family,” he said putting his hand down. “I left this life for a reason as fast as I could. The one place I knew I could live a normal life is with my mother’s family in Italy. My Aunt Sophia took me in and let me live with her and her family for years until I earned enough money to get my own place. See my aunt was never fond of my father and knew that at the end my mother would get hurt. My aunt was against the marriage from the get-go and once they did get married my aunt moved as far away as she could. They severed ties for years until the last six months of my mother’s life. So when my mother died, I knew where to go.”

“Tyler and Caroline never talked about their mother or you for that matter. I mean I knew they had an older brother and that you lived overseas but that’s it.”

“Yeah growing up with my father does that to someone.”

“We better go inside,” Charlotte interrupted wiping a tear away. It was hard to believe that he was part of the same family.

As the two of them entered the mansion a scream rang out through the mansion. Charlotte and Gregory ran towards the back of the house where the scream came from. When they came upon the courtyard Charlotte’s heart broke watching the man she hated most walk out of the pool soaking wet yet fully clothed carrying her baby girl’s lifeless body out of the pool.

“What happened,” Charlotte cried as Benjamin laid his granddaughter on the ground and began CPR.

“Miss Charlotte, I came out here to water the roses like I do every day at this time. I found Miss Ella floating in the pool and screamed,” Frances explained sitting down on the lounge chair. “Mr. Donnelly ran out and jumped in the water immediately.”

“Why wasn’t Tyler looking after her,” Charlotte cried as Gregory fell to the floor to help his father resistant Ella. Gregory gave Ella mouth to mouth while Benjamin pumped on the little girl’s chest. The father and son team worked together to bring the little girl back to life and within seconds the girl began to sit up and spit out the water. Her grandfather held her in his arms helping her spit out the rest of the water.

“Grandpa’s got you,” Benjamin assured her as he cradled her.

“What’s going on here,” Tyler said coming upon the commotion with Erica on his heels. “Ella?”

Charlotte, Benjamin and Gregory looked between Tyler and Erica and knew what the two of them were doing. Benjamin couldn’t believe his own son betrayed him like this with his wife.

“Where were you,” Charlotte shouted going up to Tyler hitting him on his chest. “Our daughter could have died because you were busy getting busy with step-mother. You are a sorry excuse for a father.”

“Hold it, I asked Frances to look after Ella. It’s not my fault the help can’t do their job,” Tyler yelled giving the old lady a look that could kill.

“It’s not Frances’ job to look after your daughter,” Gregory told his younger brother.

“Not in front of the girl,” Benjamin demanded standing up with Ella in his arms. He carried her into the mansion laying her down against the leather sofa in the family room with Frances and Charlotte following him. “Frances go get some towels, please. Charlotte call Ella’s doctor to see if we need to take her in.”

“Yes, sir,” Frances and Charlotte answered simultaneously without hesitating.

Gregory stood toe to toe with his little brother out in the courtyard. He was disgusted with the young lad who could have been so much.

“I don’t believe you could be so irresponsible,” Gregory said looking down at his brother.

“You’re the one screwing my leftovers,” Tyler replied.

“Yeah, and you’re doing better sleeping with your own step-mother,” Gregory commented. “I’m going inside to see how my niece is doing.”

“I am not sleeping with Erica,” Tyler said looking over at the tall red-head with legs of steel.

“Next time, Erica, when you are in a rush, try to put your shirt on right side in,” Gregory pointed out walking into the house leaving Tyler and Erica standing there.

Tyler couldn’t believe how much trouble he was in; not only with his father but also with Charlotte. Now he had no chance of gaining custody of Ella and he could lose much more.

“I knew this wasn’t a good idea, you and me,” Tyler told Erica as he walked into the house.

“You weren’t saying that five minutes ago,” Erica replied.

“Do you realize what we have done? We could lose everything, I could lose my daughter for good, and you and your daughter could be out in the streets within a matter of hours.”

“Your father wouldn’t do that to me,” Erica said as she followed Tyler inside.

“You don’t know my father at all,” Tyler stated standing in the doorway of the family room watching Charlotte wrap the towel around Ella.

“Neither of you do,” Benjamin said coming up to his son and wife holding a wet towel in his hand. “I’m going up to change out of my wet clothes, when I come back down I better not see either one of you. If you want to get it on with each other, go to a motel or something.”

With that Benjamin Donnelly left his family like he always had – heartbroken and angry at one another. Benjamin wasn’t a man to cross and everyone in that room knew it.

Ali sat at the desk in the school library trying to concentrate on her paper that was due in her psychology class next week. Yet as she looked at the blank screen in front of her she could only think of what Lexie had suggested. She typed in the bed and breakfast that Lexie mentioned into the search engine and she wasn’t as impressed with the place as she thought she would be. Then she put her paper aside and started doing a little research on the perfect place for Luke and her to spend the weekend. She wanted to find someplace magical and inviting that could be good for the both of them. She wanted a place where they could have their privacy yet if they needed some air they could get it. Ali had enough money in the bank to take a more extravagant vacation even out of state, but a weekend would have to do especially with finals coming in a few weeks. She came upon the perfect place to stay and it was near the Sleeping Bear Dunes, a place she had visited as a child with her parents. It would only cost her a couple hundred dollars and after spending the past six years waitressing she had a little stash put away in the bank for emergencies. Now spending time alone wasn’t an emergency but she had never taken a vacation since she started college three and half years ago. She never taken Spring Break with her friends or went shopping unless absolutely necessary, she didn’t even own a car. Ali needed this time alone with Luke and the Fiddler’s Pond at the Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor would be perfect for them.

She pulled out her credit card she had received at the beginning of the semester. This would be her second purchase with the card the first being her books for the semester. She could afford two hundred thirty six dollars on a weekend with Luke and maybe even a few things extra to liven up their weekend.

After confirming her reservation, she worked on her paper feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She was going to do it. She was going to finally seal the deal with Luke and make it a weekend neither of them would forget.

Working on her paper for an hour then left the library for home. She needed to get home and change for her shift at Juniper’s tonight. Once there she would request the weekend off in three weeks which would give her enough time to get the little things completed.

Forty-five minutes later she unlocked the door to the house she was sharing with Luke and Paige. She hadn’t talked to Paige all day and as she strolled through the dining room towards the hallway, she noticed Paige’s door wide open. Ali steps into her best friend’s bedroom seeing the bed unmade with the blankets thrown on the floor.

“What’s going on, Paige,” Ali said out loud before noticing the empty pill bottle on the nightstand. She picked up the bottle and read the medication label realizing that her best friend was taking sleeping pills and that the bottle had just been filled two weeks ago. She put the bottle back on the nightstand then left the room running to the living room to call Luke.

Paige walked through the hallway of the third floor of the Hodgner Hall feeling somewhat better. She had slept the day away and woke up with a new attitude. She had realized there was only one person who hadn’t lied to her in the past few weeks. Now she was going to reward him for being there for her even when she tried to push him away.

She knocked on the door with the picture of last year’s football team taped to door. She found him instantly in the thirty plus members standing in the last row fourth down from the right side and six away from her brother. The past couple of years in college, he was part of her life more and more even when she was with Tony. He would come to the house on weekends and she would see him at Junipers. Now she was ready to confront Josh Green and his feelings for her and show him exactly what he meant to her.

Knocking on the door she stood there in a jean mini-skirt and a hot pink halter top not realizing that the temperature outside was a mere fifty-five degrees. No, right now, she didn’t feel anything, just a desire to do something to Josh that would make her feel better.

“He’s downstairs,” Jeremy announced coming up behind Paige. “Wow.”

Jeremy looked Paige up and down and realized that she had come for more than just Josh’s notes in Calculus. Paige Parker was knocking on Josh’s door for a booty call dressed like a girl that was ready to bounce on the one time All-Star quarterback.

“He ran down to the laundry room in the basement. The door should be unlocked, I’m sure he won’t mind if you go right in,” Jeremy told her. He didn’t care that this young woman standing before him was one of his closest friend’s twin sister, none of it mattered because he knew that you only get one chance and he wouldn’t let that chance blow away. This was Josh’s chance and he wouldn’t ruin it by calling Luke.

“Thanks, Jeremy,” Paige replied as she let herself into Josh’s dorm room.

Josh was the resident advisor on his floor which meant his door was usually unlocked. She walked inside of his small dorm room with the twin bed sitting next to the wall and the posters of his heroes spread across the walls of his room. Paige couldn’t help but laugh at Josh’s heroes with a poster of Steve Young one of the most influential quarterbacks of the 1990’s and a movie poster for Live Free or Die Hard featuring Bruce Willis as John McClane.

Paige looked around some more until she came upon something she could be more comfortable in.

“What are you doing here,” Josh asked as he walked into his room five minutes later. “Is that my jersey?”

“Yes, it is. How does it look,” Paige asked as she moved her leg up showing that the only thing she was wearing was Josh’s football jersey.

Josh stood there flabbergasted at Paige’s demeanor. She patted a spot on the bed for him to join her. She was ready to feel Josh inside of her, to make the pain go away. All Paige wanted was for the pain to go away and if having sex with Josh would make the sadness go away she would do it. She was willing to sleep with whoever she could to make everything okay.

“What are you doing here, Paige,” Josh said shutting the door behind him and locking it hoping no one would interrupt this moment. He had woken up many of nights from dreaming about this woman sitting on his bed in less than what she was wearing now. He wanted her, he adored her, he knew though he couldn’t have her.

“What do you think,” she purred licking her lips.

She stood up and stood before him as close as she could. She ran her hand up to his wounded shoulder then down his arm and finally took his hand in her hers. Paige put the joined hands to her heart.

“My heart is beating a mile a minute just for you,” Paige admitted.

“Paige, you shouldn’t be here,” he murmured pulling away from her.

“Why not, Josh? You’re a desirable man and I’m available.”

“I don’t want you because you’re available, Paige. It was never about you being available. You have no idea how I feel about you,” he explained turning away from her.

“I could fall in love with you if you gave me a chance.”

“I did and you turned me down, remember? Then you hooked up with that guy Brandon. Where is he by the way?”

“In the hospital,” she answered. “So that’s it, we’re over just like that?”

“So because he isn’t available you come running to me thinking I would jump into bed with you.”

“Yes, I mean no. Josh, you make me feel safe and admired. I need that right now,” she confessed putting her hand on her shoulder. “Please make me forget everything and be with me.”

“Not like this, I can’t. You don’t know how much I want you, how I will always want you, and be here for you, but I can’t make love to you. I’m not that type of guy, Paige.”

“I figured all of you guys were the same,” she stated taking her hand off of him and walking to the window. She looked outside to the grounds of the university wondering why this one man was different from the rest of them.

“I’m sorry,” he said turning to her. He really was sorry for letting her go, but he was raised better than to just bed a woman especially if she didn’t feel the same way. He wasn’t a saint but he knew right from wrong and Paige wasn’t herself these days. “I’m going out in the hall so you can change back into your clothes.”

Paige shook her head in agreement still staring out the window. She heard the door shut and she turned around wiping away the tears she had shed for the man who had turned her down, for the pain of never holding her baby, and for everything that had gone wrong in her life.

Josh stood in front of his door with his arms crossed against his chest. He shook his head in disbelief at what had transpired in his room. He loved Paige with all his heart he had for years and the one chance he got to show her how much he turned her away. He knew why he turned her away although that didn’t stop the hurt he felt for turning her away and for the pain knowing he wouldn’t be the only man she could run to.

His door opened and he stepped aside letting her out of his room. They stood next to each other neither of them saying a word nor looking at one another. As she began to walk away from him, he grabbed her hand instantly pulling her to him and kissing her passionately. Josh felt her go limp in his arms and he moaned with pleasure. His body was telling him to take her back into his room and make love to her until both of them were breathless. Instead of going back into the room, he pulled away from her and when she looked up to him in confusion he shook his head no then walked back into his room leaving her standing there alone. Josh leaned against his door trying to gain his composure and calm his body down. He loved the woman with all his heart, but she wasn’t his to love. She had made her choice the previous day when she walked away from him and now the both of them would have to live with it no matter how much it hurt.

Caroline couldn’t get the voice out of her head as she stood on the pedestal as the seamstress pinned the white satin and beaded wedding dress. Caroline knew her father was ruthless and was willing to do anything to get his way, but killing her brother was beyond that. Was Gregory right? Was their father a murderer?

“Caroline,” Arianna shouted trying to get her friend’s attention.

She shrieked as the seamstress pricked her with one of the needles to get her attention.

“Miss Caroline,” Genevieve, the mid-forties seamstress with her grayish brown hair pulled up in a bun, announced. “What do you think?”

“It’s great,” Caroline muttered without hesitation or enthusiasm.

“What is going on with you, Caroline,” Arianna asked coming up to stand in front of her best friend. “You are in your dream dress about to marry the man of your dreams in a couple of weeks and you act like you would rather be anywhere else.”

“It’s Gregory, I’m worried about him,” Caroline admitted closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

“Is it that girl he was with the other night? She doesn’t seem like his type.”

“No, it has nothing to do with Charlotte. You would like her if you got to know her, Arianna. She reminds me a lot of my mother; I think that what draws Gregory to her. My mother was a very giving and warm person who didn’t have a vicious bone in her body.”

“You never talk about her. Why is that,” Arianna asked as Genevieve stood up and walked out of the room.

“I was twelve years old when she died and our father just went on with his life and expected us to do it also. Gregory tried to defy our father on that aspect until he left a couple of months after mother’s death. Gregory never forgave him for our mother’s death and now I know why.”

“Why?”

“Arianna, my father is ruthless and he will do anything to get his way. For years Gregory would beg me to move to Italy with him especially after the two of you got involved. He wanted me as far away from our father as possible. Now I wish I would have taken up his offer.”

“If you had you never would have met Dalton and fell in love and be fitted for this gorgeous gown,” Arianna explained.

“Sometimes love doesn’t conquer all,” Caroline admitted turning around to look at herself in the mirror. Arianna was right the gown was gorgeous, it was her dream gown and she had designed it perfectly. While she moved to the left a bit to see the slit on the dress she caught a glimpse of someone watching her in the doorway. Caroline turned around pulling her dress up a big so she wouldn’t trip on it. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard that you were getting married and thought what poor schmuck would me so stupid to marry a wannabe designer like you,” the dark-haired vixen stated with her hand on her hips.

“Violet Sheraton, what are you doing in Saunders Bay,” Arianna questioned knowing Caroline’s biggest fashion rival anywhere since all of them were in Paris at a fashion show at the same time.

“I came to see what Caroline was designing for her wedding. All I can say is its pathetic, sweetheart, I could do a better job in my sleep,” Violet stated trying to grab at Caroline’s dress. “This is so 1970’s, you never had much fashion sense.”

“Get out, Violet,” Caroline shouted pulling away from Violet as part of the white fabric ripped as beads of pearls fell to the ground. “Oh now look what you did, this is going to take me days to fix.”

“Don’t bother, it wasn’t worth it anyway,” Violet snickered as she left the room.

“We can fix it,” Arianna proclaimed as she began picking up the pieces off the floor leaning over as much as she could without sitting on the floor.

“Maybe it’s not worth it, maybe none of this is,” Caroline cried falling to the ground as her dressed ripped a bit more. The tears she cried weren’t just for the ruined dress but for the family she never had and the man who was god in her eyes for years instead he was the devil. Caroline couldn’t think of planning a wedding with what she knew; not until she talked to her brother.

Ariel pulled into the Saunders Bay Community Bank hoping this little transaction would help her and the man who needed it more than she did. She did a little investigating of her own and found out where he had his bank account which was in a negative balance. Now she was going to help him out and try to make up for the mistakes in their past. She walked into the bank and instantly recognized one of the tellers as her best friend from high school. Hope Johnson looked straight at her former best friend and shook her head in disgust. Hope watched as Tommy broke down day after day after Ariel left him. She watched as Tommy began to drink more and more to ease the pain. She even drove him to Chicago two years ago to see Ariel and confront her about disappearing on him right after high school.

“Yes, I would like to deposit some money in my friend’s account for him,” Ariel stated to the elderly woman working the booth next to Hope.

“The name on the account,” the teller asked.

“Thomas Carmichael,” Ariel replied loud enough for Hope to hear as she helped another customer.

“How much would you like to deposit in his account?”

“Two thousand dollars,” Ariel said as she pulled out her wallet and handed the teller twenty hundred dollar bills.

“She can’t,” Hope interrupted as the customer instantly left her booth. “His account is frozen because of a negative balance.”

“Miss Johnson, yes, she can,” the elderly woman told the young blond. “Now get back to work.”

“But -,” Hope stammered as soon looked to Ariel then the woman who had a lot more seniority at the bank than Hope did. “Fine!”

“Don’t pay any attention to her,” the elderly woman explained as she counted the bills to confirm the amount.

“I haven’t in a long time,” Ariel said looking over at Hope for a moment.

“Now, ma’am, I can’t give you a receipt of your transaction since you are not on the account. It will be mailed to Mr. Carmichael. With there be anything else, today?”

“No, thank you,” Ariel commented before leaving the bank.

Ten minutes later Ariel stood in front of the desk at the Wexler Hotel. She was going to do what needed to be done to help her family and one of those things was to get rid of her mother.

“May I help you,” the young woman behind the front desk of the prestige hotel asked.

“Yes, I would like to stop payment on a room I’m paying for at this hotel,” Ariel stated as she handed over her credit card. “I will pay for the room one more night since it’s past check-out time, but tomorrow will be their last day here.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the woman said putting the information in the computer.

“Thank you,” Ariel stated then she walked over the elevators. She had made the decision to help Tommy, but he wasn’t the only one she was helping. Her half-sister needed some place to stay and she knew what a bad influence their mother was on her. April needed guidance and stability and the one thing she needed more than that was a family.

“Did you come to yell at me some more,” April asked when she opened the door to her hotel room.

“No, I’ve come to help you,” Ariel replied walking into the room. “Get everything that belongs to you packed up, you are moving in with me.”

“What? What about mother?”

“Mother can fend for herself. If you want to stay here for one more night with her you can, but after tonight I’m not paying for the room. I want you to move in with me; I’m going to be renting a room in an apartment complex on Jefferson Street with two bedrooms for awhile. The little place above the restaurant isn’t really for me and Charlotte has a new guy in her life and I don’t want to get in the way. This apartment isn’t anything big, but between the two of us we can make it something, I’m sure.”

“You want us to be roommates,” April questioned with a shocked look on her face. “Are you nice to everyone that tried to ruin your relationship with a hot guy or are you delirious?”

“A little of both I think,” Ariel laughed, “No, seriously, you need this and I need this. I thought this through and if it doesn’t work that’s fine, you can keep the apartment for yourself and I can move out. All I ask is you get a job or go back to school. The job can be part-time, heck I even have the perfect place for you to work, and I’m going to be doing freelance for the paper.”

“Isn’t that a step down for you?”

“I do freelance work all the time, so not really, and if I happen to get a job out of town once every couple months that’s okay too. I don’t plan on leaving Saunders Bay again, there is too much here for me these days to leave,” Ariel explained sitting down on the bed. “Now will you come with me?”

“Okay,” April agreed grabbing one of her suitcases next to the dresser.

“Good, now let’s get you out of here.”

An hour later the two of them exited the hotel and headed to their new apartment. It wasn’t going to be easy and it wasn’t going to be fun, but it would be an experience neither of them would forget. Ariel would make April see what a good person she could be and that there were ways of making a living without scheming men. The fact that they were moving in to the same apartment complex where Tommy lived was a bonus for her. She would make both of them see that they could be something more than they were even if it killed her.

Penelope couldn’t help herself as she stood in the elevator up to the top floor of Reed Enterprises. She knew how inappropriate it was to be here and how unprofessional it was for Charles, but he had to know what was going on. He had to know about his granddaughter and how she was suffering.

“I would like to see Mr. Reed, please,” Penelope announced to the secretary who had just hung up the phone.

“Do you have an appointment,” the secretary asked looking the woman with the long blond hair and blue eyes.

“No, but he would want to see me.”

“That is what everyone says when they don’t have an appointment.”

“Believe me Charles wants to see me. I know that he has a birth mark right above his left hip and I also know that he wants to know how his daughter is doing,” Penelope murmured putting her hands on the desk and leaning over it.

“He doesn’t have a daughter.”

“Oh, yes he does and he knows all about her, but he doesn’t know about his granddaughter,” Penelope replied heading for the door to Charles Reed’s office.

She busted through the door to find a surprise awaiting her and the secretary on her heels.

“I didn’t want to be interrupted,” Charles told his secretary.

“I know, sir, she didn’t take no for an answer and busted through here. She is saying something about a granddaughter,” the secretary explained.

“Leave us,” Charles told her leaving Penelope and his guest alone with him.

When the secretary closed the doors Charles got up from behind his desk coming around to his two guests in the room. He had to introduce them and tell Penelope what was going on. He knew what a slime his business partners could be, but he wasn’t like that.

“Penelope, meet Gregory Donnelly, Gregory meet Charlotte’s mother,” Charles announced. “Gregory is here explaining to me why the restaurant your ex-husband has worked so hard on for all these years is going under and wants my help to fix it.”

“What do you mean going under,” Penelope asked sitting next to Gregory. “Jack didn’t say anything to me about it.”

“From what I heard, you are not a favorite topic in that place,” Gregory pointed out. “My father is trying to ruin Charlotte and her father, and I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“Do you love her that much? Going up against Benjamin Donnelly isn’t something I would advise,” Charles said.

“I already have proof that he committed murder, and I wouldn’t put it past him to burn Juniper’s to the ground if he had the chance,” Gregory stated standing up. “I just need your help on some advertising for the place and maybe help getting the man into prison where he belongs.”

“It would be beneficial for you, Charles,” Penelope interrupted. “If Benjamin went to prison you could buy the buildings he owns now and even take them over.”

“Which means more money for you, right, Penelope,” Charles replied knowing what is one time lover was thinking. “I have already given you enough money.”

“It’s not for me,” she said. “It’s for our granddaughter.”

“Granddaughter,” Gregory asked. “Oh, right, I forgot for a moment there.”

“You know the two of us,” Penelope asked the young man.

“Charlotte told me the other night. I also know about April and the other men. Charlotte and I have no secrets,” Gregory stated turning to the two of them.

“Everyone has secrets,” Charles commented leaning against the desk crossing his arms.

“It’s the way of life,” Penelope explained putting her own spin on it. “Without secrets your life would be an open book, there would be no mystery. How does a relationship survive that?”

“I have learned that nothing survives from secrets and lies,” Gregory said. “People end up dead from them just like my mother and just like I wish my father would.”

“Your mother was a fine woman, a woman with great integrity and good morals. She didn’t deserve to die like she did and your father never got over her death,” Charles said.

“He married that red-headed bimbo who is now sleeping with my brother by the way. See my father killed my mother to get screwed over by his second wife. Now all I have to do is make him go to prison.”

“It won’t be easy,” Charles said. “But I’m sure we can come to some agreement.”

“I worry that if he doesn’t go down for this he might try to hurt Charlotte,” Gregory told Penelope. “He may care deeply for his granddaughter, Ella, and he even saved her life earlier today, but he would do anything to get rid of Charlotte and Jack.”

“I didn’t know it was so bad,” she muttered looking down.

“He would rip the entire Parker family out of Saunders Bay if he could,” Gregory stated.

“I won’t let that happen,” Penelope said standing up from her chair. “Look after my girl for me. And Charles, I want you to look after April.”

With that said Penelope walked to the door of the office and opened the doors. Standing before her was the man of the hour, the devil himself – Benjamin Donnelly. He looked at Penelope then watched the two men inside shake hands. He knew it wasn’t long before his son made a deal with someone else in town. Gregory had the Donnelly way in him even if he wouldn’t admit it. Now all of them would pay for trying to destroy him and his dreams of power and money. Charles Reed just crossed the wrong man and Gregory would be dealt with in his own way. Benjamin would get his way even if he had to die for it.