Page 95 of Full Circle

I wrenched my torso upward, holding the 25 pound dumbbell with both hands above my head to complete the inclined sit up. My abs burned in a way that reminded me of the punishment I deserved. Yesterday was such a shit show, I doubted I would ever work my way back into Celeste’s good graces.

“Oddly enough, Phillip, when I pay someone to work for me, I don’t let them tell me what to do,” I ground out. Only one Airpod was in my ear in case that ballsy little girl from yesterday showed up, but I had thrown myself into an arduous workout routine the moment I set foot in the gym. Phillip claimed he only needed to discuss the final funeral arrangements with me, which would take place later this afternoon, however he started grilling me the moment I tried to end the call.

He sighed into the phone, a weary sound that I imagined my guardian angel repeated a lot. “Wesley, I’m only trying to manage your affairs. Your father is furious and with this setback for your start date with Madden Enterprises, you could accept the offer to go to Milan this weekend for the Armani shoot.”

Flames erupted in my muscles as I tried for one more rep. I had long since lost count. “I’m not leaving River’s Run without her, Phillip,” I snapped. “Which reminds me, I need you to answer something for me, and I need you to be honest. Is my father buying The Comfy Cushion?”

Phillip’s hesitation said everything.

What a motherfucker!

“Get me all of the information you can on that deal immediately!” Admitting defeat with my ab routine, I laid back against the bench, willing the pain to eat me alive. “And I want a copy of the restraining order Celeste had on me in my inbox within the next twenty minutes.”

“Sir?” Phillip inquired, sounding confused.

“The restraining order. From when I was sixteen,” I prompted him.

My assistant sounded puzzled. “I’m not sure what you mean, but I’ll get all the court documents from your case sent over to you straightaway.” A click let me know the call ended, and my workout mix resumed. Dan and Shay tried to tell me how not to think about a lost love, but if they couldn’t stop, how could I?

Going through the motions of my familiar routine, I let my mind wander as my body acted on muscle memory. Something about Celeste’s whole demeanor yesterday was totally off. I still felt like I was missing a core piece of information.

Yet she didn’t seem ready to give up on me. The chemistry was still there. Even as a stranger at the charity gala, I was drawn to her like a moon orbiting its planet. It didn’t matter how long I had to stay here in River’s Run if it meant I could make things right with her. Home was wherever she laid her head at night. And while her words might have been pushing me away, her actions told me how badly she wanted me to stay.

The door opened and the fiery blonde girl stalked in. She had a bookbag slung over one shoulder and street clothes on, but her hair was pulled back in a tight dancer’s bun.

“Sorry, I’m late,” she said. Her head was held high with her chin out, yet I could faintly detect how close to tears she was. “I don’t have enough time to practice this morning. Can I please come back after school?”

“What are you practicing so much for?” I asked.

Her answer surprised me. “Because if I become the prima ballerina in a major dance company, I can take my mom away from here.”

I wiped a towel across my face to get rid of the sweat. “You don’t like River’s Run?”

Iris shrugged. “It’s fine, I guess. But Mama never smiles anymore and she has to work so much that she can’t ever see me dance. I want to see her in the front row someday, smiling at me like she’s proud of me.”

Her sadness was so deep and profound, my heart crinkled a little bit. These were an adult’s problems trapped in a little girl’s body.

“Not sure if I can come back later this afternoon, but I’ll do my best,” I offered. “I’m about to head over to The Comfy Cushion. Wanna come with me?”

She gave me a small, shy smile that was so reminiscent of Celeste, I almost did a double take. “Yeah, I’m heading there, too.”

Iris waited by the door for me to gather my stuff before we headed out together. The sun was just starting to creep over the tree line across the street. A lone truck drove down the street, the driver honking and waving as it passed. That was the thing about small towns; friendliness was a way of life.

I noticed Celeste through the window of The Comfy Cushion, pouring hot coffee into the mugs of the two old men who ran the mechanic shop. God, her beauty still knocked the wind out of me. Even the changes like the blonde hair and wide hips were such a turn on. She was literally perfect.

Iris led the way inside, walking right up to the counter. What happened next made my stomach bottom out and time stand still. I watched, horrorstruck, as Celeste squealed at the sight of her and ran out from behind the counter to catch an excited Iris in her arms. Celeste looked moved to tears, stroking Iris’ head and rocking her as though she couldn’t pull her close enough. For some strange reason, the sight pulled at my heart strings.

“Oh, baby girl, I missed you so much! Does Desiree know you’re here?!”

“Hold the fucking phone!” I exclaimed.

Celeste jumped like she touched a fork to an outlet. “What are you doing here?”

Iris smiled at me. “Oh, Mama, this is the man from the gym I told you about.”

But Celeste wasn’t eyeing her daughter. Her green eyes were wide and fearful while those glorious lips formed a perfectly round O as she took in my horrified face. I couldn’t even handle blinking at the moment.

“Wes, I can explain…” she started, trailing off with uncertainty at the end.

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