“Where’s Daddy?”
I hesitated. “He’s… he’s at work. He had to go take care of some things.”
“I want Daddy,” Thomas said again.
“I know you do, baby. I do, too. But he can’t come over right now.”
Thomas was quiet for a moment. “When is Daddy coming home?”
I stroked my hand down his back, tears stinging my eyes. “I don’t know, baby.”
Thomas looked up at me. “Is Daddy mad at me?”
My heart broke. “No. Of course not.”
“Did I do something bad?”
“No, baby.” I kissed the top of his head. “Daddy isn’t mad at you. And you didn’t do anything bad. Daddy just has to take care of some grown-up things.”
He looked at me skeptically but laid his head back down and wrapped his little arms around me. “I want Daddy.”
I closed my eyes and tried to hold back the tears. I knew exactly how he felt. “I want him, too, baby.”
I stood in front of the mirror and adjusted my tie, my nerves jangling. I hated doing press conferences. I always felt uncomfortable with everyone watching me, judging me. I was a private person, and I liked to keep it that way.
But this wasn’t about me. I was doing this for Thomas. He didn’t deserve to be hounded by the media just because of who his father was. And if calling a press conference and facing the vultures would keep him safe, then it’s what I would do.
I didn’t know where he was, but I knew I couldn’t be home. Not with the way the paparazzi were stalking the place. Zachary had taken Thomas to the park to escape them, but that didn’t mean they’d be any safer there.
I was so angry at Alena. She had ruined everything. All she’d done was use her money and power to destroy the life that I’d created for Thomas and me.
I couldn’t stop the tears. I’d worked so hard to keep her out of my life. But now, I couldn’t do that anymore. She’d taken everything from me, just like she’d taken Zachary.
I wasn’t the same person I’d been four years ago. I was stronger now. I wouldn’t let anyone stand in my way, not even Alena.
I looked down at Thomas as I drove. He was happily chewing on a piece of candy, oblivious to the world around him. I couldn’t let him be hurt by any of this.
I had to protect him. I had to find a way to make this right. For him. For Zachary. For all of us.
When I arrived at the restaurant, I could see that Zachary had already ordered our food. He’d gotten all of our favorites.
“Caitlin.” He stood up when he saw me, a look of relief washing over his face. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little shaken up.”
He pulled out my chair for me, and I sat down. “I’m sorry about what happened,” he said, his voice filled with concern. “I never meant for any of this to happen. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“It’s not your fault.” I shook my head. “It’s Alena’s fault. She’s the one who leaked the story.”
“But I’m the reason why she did it,” he pointed out. “If I hadn’t been so angry with her, if I hadn’t threatened to cut her out of my life, she wouldn’t have done this.”
“I’m just glad that Thomas is okay,” I said softly. “He doesn’t need to be a part of this drama.”
“I know.” Zachary sighed. “I’m so sorry, Caitlin. I feel like I’ve ruined everything. I should have been stronger, more in control. I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the better of me.”
I reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently. “It’s going to be okay,” I said, my voice filled with conviction. “We’re going to get through this. Together.”
Zachary looked at me, his eyes filled with gratitude. “Thank you, Caitlin. You’re an amazing person. I don’t deserve you.”
“No, you don’t,” I teased. “But you’ve got me anyway.”
He laughed, and I could feel the tension start to drain away. “So, what do we do now?” he asked.
“Well, first, we eat this delicious food,” I said, picking up my fork. “And then, we figure out how to fight back against Alena. We can’t just sit back and let her win. We have to stand up for ourselves, for Thomas, and for what we believe in.”
“Agreed,” Zachary said. “So, how do we do that?”
“We start by telling the truth,” I said. “We tell our side of the story, and we don’t let anyone twist it. We stand strong and united, and we fight for what’s rightfully ours.”
“Okay, I like that plan.” Zachary smiled. “I’ll make sure to get my lawyer on it first thing tomorrow morning. But for now, let’s just enjoy our meal and each other’s company. We deserve it after everything we’ve been through.”
I nodded. “You’re right. Let’s just enjoy this moment. And then, tomorrow, we’ll start fighting back.”
As we ate, Zachary and I talked about everything that had happened. We talked about Alena and the press, and how we were going to handle it all.
But most importantly, we talked about us. We talked about our feelings and what we wanted for the future. We talked about Thomas and how we were going to protect him from all of this.
By the end of the meal, I felt better. I felt stronger. And I knew that no matter what happened next, Zachary and I would face it together.
As we left the restaurant, hand in hand, I knew that this was just the beginning. But I also knew that we would come out stronger on the other side.
The next few days were a whirlwind. Reporters swarmed my apartment, and I couldn’t go anywhere without being hounded. I felt like I was in a fishbowl, with the whole world watching my every move.