Nothing Is Left, page 6
part #11 of Forever and Ever Series
There was no way we could carry on and not mention what we were both thinking about. “I’m really sorry, Ward. I—”
“Don’t apologize,” he said immediately. “You did nothing wrong.”
“Nothing wrong?” I asked incredulously. “I agreed to go out with you when I was still in love with Cayson.”
“Which I was fine with. I was aware of the fact at the time. It’s not like you lied to me, Skye.”
“But—”
“But nothing.” He gave me a firm look. “Don’t feel guilty. I pursued you when you told me not to. I pushed you when you didn’t want to be.”
“But I tried to sleep with you—”
“Because you were insanely depressed. I can’t count the number of mistakes I made when I wasn’t right in the head. I’m just grateful I had the strength to stop it before I took something that didn’t belong to me.”
He was being so sweet about the whole thing. “I’m still sorry…”
“Hey.” He leaned over my desk. “It was because of us being together that Cayson realized what he was missing, right?”
“I think. I’m not totally sure.”
“It was,” he said firmly. “He seemed pretty damn terrified when he saw us together. And if I brought you back together, then that definitely wasn’t a waste of time.”
“But that doesn’t help you…”
“You’re my friend,” he said. “I want you to be happy. That helps me.”
“You’re so sweet, Ward.”
“I know,” he said with a cocky smirk.
I chuckled. “I’m glad you’re humble about it.”
“So, can we continue as friends?” he asked. “I have no hard feelings toward you. I certainly hope you don’t have them toward me.”
“Never,” I said immediately.
“Excellent,” he said. “Now let’s get to work.”
I watched him from across my desk. “For what it’s worth, if Cayson and I—”
“I know, Skye,” he said immediately. “Like I said before, if timing was always perfect, then love would be easy.”
I smiled at him then opened my folder. “Where did we leave off?”
“Here.” He handed me a copy of his paper. “These are from the office in California.”
I sighed. “My god…there’s so much work.”
“Why do you think your dad dumped it on you and I?” he asked with a laugh.
“That bastard.”
He chuckled. “I hate him too.”
I hadn’t seen my father all morning and I was going to avoid him as much as possible.
“Should we ask him about these numbers?” He highlighted the bottom.
“Uh…you can ask him,” I said. “I’ll stay here.” I hoped that wasn’t too obvious.
He eyed me suspiciously. “Did you guys have a falling out or something?”
“Not exactly…”
He smiled and dropped the paper. “This sounds like a good story.”
Since it was about Cayson and I, I didn’t know if I should tell him. “It’s about Cayson…”
“Skye, you can talk about him. It’s fine, really.”
“Okay. Well, Dad came by to check on me, and when I opened the door, Cayson walked by practically naked. It was pretty clear what we were doing…you know what I mean. It was so awkward. When Dad left, he was totally uncomfortable.”
Ward laughed. “Poor bloke. That must be tense.”
“I was so mortified.” I got red in the face just thinking about it.
“Well, you are a grown woman. It shouldn’t be too shocking.”
“Still…”
“You want to hear an embarrassing story about me?”
“Duh,” I said with a laugh.
“One morning, Mom came by to drop off some biscuits—”
“Why biscuits?” I asked.
“Sorry, biscuits are sweets, like cookies.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Anyway, I just woke up and I didn’t know she was coming over. She came inside my apartment uninvited and saw…condoms everywhere. The previous night, I ripped open the box because my date was eager and they spilled everywhere. I didn’t bother to clean them up.”
I laughed. “Oh no, that is horrendous.”
“And then she started asking me when I was going to settle down and get married—blah blah. It wasn’t a good week.”
“And you made it through that?”
“After a while, we both forgot about it,” he said. “It’ll pass between you two.”
“I hope so.”
***
Around lunchtime, my stomach rumbled.
“I heard that,” Ward said.
“Geez, the entire building heard.”
He chuckled. “What should we eat? I could go for Chinese.”
“That sounds good,” I agreed.
“Then let’s go.”
I stood up and grabbed my purse.
There was a knock on my door.
I hoped it wasn’t my dad.
Ward opened it. “Hello, Cayson.”
Cayson wore black slacks and a dark blue collared shirt. A light blue tie hung around his neck. “Hi.” That was all he said to him. The dislike was in his eyes and he did his best not to look at Ward.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I’m on my lunch break,” he answered. “I thought I’d take my girlfriend out for a bite.”
I didn’t like the way he said girlfriend. I felt like he was claiming me to Ward, who already knew I was with Cayson. “Well, I wish you had called.”
“Did you already eat?”
“No, I’m having lunch with Ward.”
“No, it’s okay,” Ward said. “There’s a lot of work to be done anyway.”
“Nonsense,” I said. “I made plans with you first.”
Cayson didn’t look happy. “Why can’t I come along?”
“You can,” I said. “I just assumed you wouldn’t want to.”
“Well, I do,” Cayson said firmly.
I turned to Ward. “Could you give us a moment?”
“Certainly.” Ward looked thrilled to be excused from the tense conversation. He walked out and shut the door.
I looked at Cayson. “Don’t be jealous of him.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “He’s only kissed you and tried to take you away from me.”
Good thing I hadn’t told him that Ward had seen me naked from the waist up. His head might explode. “I talked to Ward this morning and he’s happy for us. He’s not hurt and he’s nothing but professional.”
“I’m sure,” he said darkly.
“Cayson, he’s not going to go away. He works here. And he’s my friend. I’m not going to cut him out for you.”
“I don’t talk to Jasmine,” he argued.
“Do you want to talk to her?” I snapped.
He kept his mouth shut.
“And I didn’t sleep with Ward. It’s not the same thing.”
“You still went on a date with him.”
“For an hour,” I argued.
“It would make any guy uncomfortable.”
“But it shouldn’t make you uncomfortable. You either trust me or you don’t.”
If Cayson were going to go back on his word, it would be now. He could take a cheap shot and make a comment about the lie I told him that ripped us apart. But he didn’t. “I do trust you. That’s never been the issue.”
“Ward would never do something I was uncomfortable with. He’s not a threat to you.”
“Yeah, charming and handsome British men are not threatening.”
“You’re the most charming and handsome man I know. You have nothing to worry about. Now you can come to lunch with us, or you and I can go some other time.”
“I’d like to come along,” he said quietly.
“And you will not be rude to Ward. I mean it.”
“I’ve never been rude to him.”
“Then you will be polite and engage him in conversation.”
“I’ll try.”
That was the most I was getting out of him. “Okay.”
Cayson put his hands in his pockets and waited for me to grab my purse. He looked handsome in his dress clothes, and his shoulders looked broad and powerful.
“You look really hot today,” I blurted.
A smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. That seemed to put him in a better mood. “Thank you. You look sexy too.”
I came around the desk and gripped his tie. Then I pulled his lips to mine and gave him a kiss. “Now let’s go. I’m hungry.”
“Okay.”
***
When we arrived at the restaurant, Cayson pulled out the chair for me then sat beside me. Ward sat across from me.
Cayson didn’t look at Ward and just stared at his menu.
It was awkward.
“I’m getting the pot stickers,” Ward said. “They’re the best.”
Cayson glanced at him then turned to me. “What are you getting, baby?”
“Kung Pao chicken.”
“You’re in the mood for spice?”
“I’m just starving.”
Ward chuckled at my comment. “I feel bad for you, Cayson. Skye must be a fortune to fed.”
“I choose to think of it as an investment,” Cayson said coldly.
I kicked him under the table.
Cayson ignored my attack.
“What do you do, Cayson?” Ward asked politely.
“I’m glad Skye told you,” he said sarcastically.
I kicked him again. “What’s your problem?”
“Sorry,” he said quickly. “This will just…take me some time to get used to.”
“It’s okay,” Ward said. “I understand. I can tell how much you love Skye. It would be difficult for anyone.”
I gave Cayson a dark look.
Cayson answered the question. “I’m a lab scientist for the CDC.”
Ward whistled. “That sounds fancy.”
“It’s not,” Cayson said. “I identify dangerous strains of bacteria and microorganisms from the surrounding hospitals. It’s important to catch these things before they spread or someone figures out how to make them into a biological weapon.”
“Interesting,” Ward said.
“For instance, most people in the United States aren’t vaccinated for small pox because after 1960, we believed it was eradicated. Unfortunately, it’s airborne and can be spread easily. And since most young people are not vaccinated, if the pathogen were released, it would cause a drastic hit on our population. In other words, it’s my job to make sure it’s not spreading.”
“That’s very cool,” Ward said. “You save lives.”
Cayson shrugged. “I guess. My intention is to go to medical school next term.”
“Skye mentioned you went to Stanford,” Ward said. “Impressive.”
Cayson nodded but didn’t say thank you.
“Ward has a Ph.D. in business,” I said.
Cayson stared at him. “Pardon me, but you don’t look old enough.”
Ward chuckled. “Our education system in the UK is different. We’re fast-tracked to do what we choose by the time we enter high school.”
“That’s a young age to make such a decision,” Cayson said.
“You’re telling me.” Ward sipped his water.
The waiter arrived and took our order. Cayson ordered for me just like he used to.
“So,” Ward said. “Skye tells me Sean walked in on you guys.”
Cayson seemed to relax at that knowledge. Maybe he felt more comfortable knowing I told Ward I was sleeping with him. “Skye was a little embarrassed about it.”
“A little?” I asked. “I was totally mortified.”
“It’s really not a big deal,” Ward said. “Your father knows you’re an adult.”
“It’s still awkward,” I said.
Cayson patted my thigh. “It’ll be okay, baby. In a few days, it’ll be water under the bridge.”
Ward eyed someone across the restaurant. “Speaking of the devil…” He waved at someone. “Your father is here.”
“What?” I almost knocked over my glass. “Why? Don’t wave at him!”
“He already saw me,” Ward said. “And your mother is with him.”
“Oh, geez.” I sighed in anguish.
Cayson tried not to laugh.
“Why is he here of all places?” I asked.
“Probably because he wants to eat Chinese food,” Cayson said like a smartass.
I kicked him under the table. “Keep it up and you won’t be getting anything from me tonight.”
“We’ll see…”
Dad approached the table holding my mom’s hand. “Small world…” Judging his tense mood, he hadn’t forgotten the last time we saw each other. And he didn’t look at me. He stared at Ward.
“We just wanted to get a quick bite,” Ward said. “Then back to work.”
Mom smiled at me. “Hello, honey. Cute blouse.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I had a feeling she didn’t know, but if she did, she wouldn’t care. She’d always be a girlfriend as well as my mom.
Then she spotted Cayson next to me. “Having lunch together?”
Cayson put his arm around my shoulder. “We are.”
Okay, she definitely didn’t know.
“Oh, this is wonderful.” Mom brought her hands to her chest and hopped in place. Then she gave me a hug. “I’m so happy for both of you. I was worried for a moment.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
She hugged Cayson next. “Thank goodness. I want you to be our son—officially.”
“Thank you, Scarlet.” His cheeks were reddening. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”
Dad looked awkward. “Well, let’s head to our table, baby.”
“What?” she asked. “We’re sitting with them. There’s room.” She sat next to Ward, smiling broadly.
My dad would never say no to my mom. He sat beside her, directly across from Cayson.
Oh man, this was awkward.
“Hello, sir,” Cayson said. “How are you?”
“Well,” Dad responded. “You?”
Mom watched their interaction. “Why aren’t you as surprised as I am?”
Dad shrugged.
“Did you already know?” Mom pressed.
“I might have.” Dad picked up the menu. “You want to split something?”
Mom watched him suspiciously. “Did something happen?”
“No,” Dad said immediately. “Now what are you getting?”
Ward tried not to laugh.
Mom turned to me, knowing I wouldn’t lie to her. “Why is your father being weird?”
“Uh…” What was I supposed to say?
“Sean walked in on Skye and Cayson…you know.” Ward didn’t look at her when he said it. “They haven’t spoken since.”
It was dead silent.
I was annoyed Ward spilled the beans, but I was also relieved. It was going to come out eventually, and I was glad I didn’t have to say the actual words.
“Oh…” Mom tried not to laugh. “When you went to check on her?” She turned to my dad.
He nodded and cleared his throat.
Mom rubbed his back. “Honey, it’s—”
“Let’s just order,” Dad said. “And move on.”
Mom rolled her eyes since he couldn’t see her.
Cayson cleared his throat. “For what it’s worth, Skye and I are back together—for good this time.”
Dad stared at the menu like it was a TV.
The waiter took their order then confiscated the menus. Now Dad had nothing to hide behind.
Mom clearly thought the situation was hilarious because she tried not to laugh.
Ward played with his chopsticks. “The quarterly numbers are coming out good. But we’ve still got mounds of paperwork to do.”
“It’ll take you a while,” Dad said.
“I can’t imagine you and Mike doing this,” I said.
“We did when we first started working. Those were the only times I wasn’t home before dinner.”
“But that meant there was more for me,” Mom said.
“How’s that brick pizza oven?” I asked.
“I love it,” Mom said. “Now I make pizza three times a week.”
“Roland must love it,” I said.
“He loves the food but not us,” Mom said. “I can tell he’s eager to get his own place.”
“Understandable,” I said.
By the time the food came out, it was less awkward. Dad put his arm around Mom like he usually did, and he shared his food with her even though she never shared hers with him. She usually ate every bite.
“You want some of my rice?” Cayson asked.
“No, it’s okay. I’m pretty full as it is.”
“You need to work up your stamina,” he teased.
“I’ll get there.”
Ward pushed his pot stickers toward Cayson. “Try one. They’re good.”
Cayson eyed him for a moment before he took one. “Thanks.”
I was glad they were getting along better now.
When the check came, Dad insisted on paying for everything, like usual.
“We should head back to the office,” Ward said.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
We left the restaurant then reached the sidewalk.
“I should get going,” Cayson said. “But can I take you to dinner tonight?” He put his arm around my waist and held me close.
“I’m all yours.”
He kissed my cheek. “I’ll see you then.”
“Bye.”
He headed the opposite way and blended in with the crowd.
The four of us walked back to the office.
Ward walked alongside me. “That wasn’t so bad.”
“I’m sorry he was a bit of a jerk.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “I’d feel awkward too.”
My parents walked in front of us, hand in hand. They headed into the garage. I assumed my dad was walking her to the car. I was glad we were going our separate ways. Ward and I headed back to my office and got back to work.
A few hours later, my dad knocked on the door. “Ms. Preston, can I have a word?”
Ugh. “Sure.”
Ward grabbed his things then walked out.
My dad came inside then shut the door. He put his hands in his pockets and remained standing.
I played with a pen so I had something to do.
“I think we should talk about this so we can…move past it.” He cleared his throat.
