Page 63 of Face Off
He turns and walks toward the garage exit, his little fist clutched at his side. “Where are you going, Cam?”
“To see Gram and Pops. Away from you.”
Brooks rushes to Cam, speaking to him in hushed tones. He simply glances my way before stomping back toward me and onto the private elevator.
Brooks wraps his arm around my shoulder before placing a kiss to my temple. “I told him to wait in the lobby for your parents to pick him up. I can have George, the night security desk guy, wait with him.”
Reluctant, I nod in agreement and follow them to the lobby, standing off to the side as Brooks speaks to George. My phone pings with messages from my mother to let me know she’s on her way and if I’m okay. I’m the furthest thing from okay, but as always, I’ll play the part and pretend that my whole world isn’t changing in front of me. I’ll slowly but surely build back up my shield. Distancing myself from the outside world.
I should have never taken the job when my dad suggested it. I should have stayed far away from this world like I had originally intended. But like always, I gave in. And now I’m here, waiting in the lobby of a condo building, for my parents to pick up my child. My child who wants nothing to do with me because I chose to do what was best.
Protect his heart. Shield him from the reality that his father wanted nothing to do with him. Denied that he was even his from the beginning.
Brooks walks back to me with a solemn look on his face. “He’ll be okay. He just needs time to process this.”
“I know… I just figured that I would be able to tell him, not the other way around,” I say, folding my arms across my stomach protectively. “You don’t have to wait with me, you know. You’ve had a long game. Go relax and shower. I’ll be up as soon as I know he’s safe.”
“Are you sure?” He eyes me worriedly.
“Yes. Now go. I’ll be up soon.”
He places a quick kiss on my forehead before calling the elevator. He steps inside, and I release a breath as soon as the doors close. Taking a seat in one of the lobby chairs, I wait patiently for my mother to arrive.
“You’re Wade Richards’ girl, aren’t you?” George, the night security guard, says as he pops a squat next to me. He stares at Camden sitting on a love seat a few feet from us before he speaks again. “You probably don’t remember me, but when you were little, I worked private security for your father.”
“But how did you know I was… “
“Hayley? I know you use Marshall for your last name, but you’ll always be a Richards. You look just like your father,believe it or not.” He smirks as he settles into his chair. “You also have your mother’s eyes. You’re gorgeous just like she was at your age.”
My mother’s car pulls up to the front door, and she gets out of the backseat, making her way toward the building. George stands, extending his hand to help me out of my seat. “Hey, George, do you think we can keep my real last name on the down low for now? Brooks doesn’t know my father is the owner of his team.”
He nods in understanding. “Your secret is safe with me.”
He goes behind his desk, laced with security screens, and presses the buzzer to let my mother enter. She thanks George with a polite smile before walking over to Cam, placing a small kiss on top his head. She whispers something to Cam, and he nods his head before walking out to her awaiting car.
“Hayley, baby. What the hell happened?” she says, placing her hands on her narrow hips.
I’m on the verge of tears again as I collapse in her arms. “I don’t even know how it happened. But the media got through all the security precautions put in place and…” My throat croaks as I hold back sobs. “Camden knows. Knows Boyce is his father, and he’s pissed at me for not tell him about it all.”
“Shh.” She soothes me as the tears now release. “It’s going to be okay. Your father and I are going to handle this. Camden can stay with us as long as he needs.”
“Mom.”
“No, Hayley. We’ve made a lot of mistakes in the past, but not anymore. You do what you have to do, and we’ll do what we have to do to help.”
I nod and pull back slowly. She places a quick kiss to the top of my head before turning to George, who buzzes her back out to her awaiting car. Like I said before, Celeste Richards is a head bitch in charge and not to be messed with. I’m not sure what she meant by handling the situation, but I know she’s no longer standing in the background.
I say my thanks to George and make my way back up to Brooks’ condo. When I enter, Brooks is sitting shirtless on the couch, reading something on his phone. He looks at me when I shut the door, gesturing for me to come sit next to him on the couch. I make my way over to him, snuggling up underneath his arm.
I glance up at the gorgeous man holding me so tightly and protectively under his home and silently thank God for guiding me to him. Yet a part of me quietly seethes inside at the fact that I’m still holding back from him. Let’s just hope that my secret from Brooks doesn’t backfire like the recent.
Brooks
The sound of rustling jostles me awake as sunlight streams through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my bedroom. I reach over to find Hayley’s side of the bed cold. A string of low curses echoes throughout the room as I shift to sit with my back against the headboard. Pressing the heels of my hands to my eyes before they focus on a frantic Hayley jumping to put on a knee-high riding boot.
“Shit,” she says, her eyes meeting mine. “I was trying not to wake you. Go back to sleep.”
My eyes roam her body as she rights herself. The dark-wash skinny jeans hug her curves in all the right places as the white long-sleeved V-neck crop top shows off just the right amount of skin and accentuates her breasts. Her auburn hair is tied up high in a ponytail. She’s fucking gorgeous.
