Page 28 of Made For Me

“About to get on the plane to head back to New York,” he says, and I can hear the car door shut. He was in town for a couple of days and was leaving today.

“Can you be at my place in ten minutes?” I ask him. If he says no, I honestly have no idea what the fuck I’m going to do. I’m going to have to call Michael or even Max. I just know I need to call in the big guns.

“I’ll be there in ten,” he assures me, disconnecting the phone. I put it in my back pocket, close my eyes, and look up at the sky. I take a couple of seconds to catch my breath before I open the driver’s door. I reel in the part of me that is my father and just wants to grab the papers and read them. I try to ignore everything that is going on in my head, she needs a friend, nothing more.

My stomach gets tight when I pull open the driver’s door and see her sitting there, looking down at the papers in front of her. “I need to call my work,” she whispers as I start the car. “I have to.” Her voice trails off as she flips the papers to the second page and then the third.

“I think you need to contact a lawyer,” I suggest, pulling from the parking lot. “Can I?” I ask her, and she holds out her hand to me with the papers in her hands. The minute I see the top of the paper, the blood in my veins boils. I read the name of Penelope and then her grandparents’ names and then I see Julia’s name and my hand wants to fist the papers in it. They are suing her for reckless endangerment. “Oh my God.” I don’t mean to say the words, they just slip from my mouth.

“Ten million dollars,” she says, almost in a whisper. “Emotional distress of a minor.” The two tears roll down her cheeks. “Ten million dollars. I will never, ever be able to pay that. Not even if I spend my whole life working for it.” She closes her eyes and she puts her hand on top of her head. “I can’t believe this.” She puts her head back on the headrest. “All I’ve ever wanted was to make a difference.” She wipes away a tear from her face. “After all the shit I’ve put up with over the years, all I’ve cared about is making a difference.”

My heart breaks for her as I throw the papers down and take her in my arms. “We are going to get through this,” I say and she just shakes her head.

“All I’ve ever wanted,” she repeats again as she wipes the tears off her cheek, “was for Monica to be better. Was for Penelope to have the life she deserves. That is all I’ve ever wanted for her. That is all I’ve ever tried to do for her.”

“You don’t have to tell me that.” I grab her hand in mine. “I know all you ever want to do is help people.”

She looks at me. “It’s why I do this job. It’s not for anything else, but if I can make a difference in one person’s life.” She turns and looks out the window. “If I just help one person, that is all that matters.” Her voice trails off. “And now they are saying all these lies about me.” She rests her head on her fist as she looks out the window. “My whole career is going to be picked apart.” I don’t say a word, instead I just make my way over to my house as fast as I can. “In the blink of an eye, everything is gone.” Her voice is but a whisper. “Everything is gone.”

CHAPTER17

Julia

I can’t even breathe properly as I look at Chase, who again is here for me when I’m at my worst.

I look at him. “It’s why I do this job.” I swallow down the lump in my throat. “It’s not for anything else, but if I can make a difference in one person’s life.” I turn and look out the window, watching the world go by me. “If I just help one person, that is all that matters.” My voice trails off. “And now they are saying all these lies about me.” I put my elbow on the door, making a fist with my hand and leaning my head on it. “My whole career is going to be picked apart.” I close my eyes and the only thing I can see is the amount of money they are suing me for. I will never be able to pay off a debt like that. “In the blink of an eye, everything is gone.” My voice is but a whisper. “Everything is gone.”

He pulls into the underground parking lot and I don’t even know what is going on. He holds my hand as he walks to the elevator, never once letting it go until he unlocks his door. “What are we doing here?” I ask him as he tosses his keys on the table.

“Waiting for the cavalry,” he says, and I have no idea what he means. Instead of asking him another question, I walk into the apartment. I walk straight to the kitchen and open the cabinet Michael used to keep the booze in. I grab the bottle of scotch and walk over to grab a crystal glass.

I open the bottle and pour myself a shot, ignoring that the tears are just pouring out of me. I don’t think I can stop them if I wanted to. “I shouldn’t drink this,” I mumble, “I have to go to the office.”

I look at him as he stands there in the middle of the living room, looking at me. “I have to call the union,” I finally say. I swear, it feels as if I’m on the highest roller coaster ever built, sitting at the top—then suddenly dropped—except I’m not wearing anything to protect me from flying out.

The sound of the front door opening and shutting makes my eyes fly to the hallway. I wonder if he called Michael and I know I have no choice but to say something at some point. I thought having Michael come would have been hard on me. Instead, it’s the last person on earth I ever want to let down. Max.

He follows Matthew, and the minute I see him I can’t help but put my face in my hands and cry. I stop the sobs from ripping through me, but I can’t help the way my shoulders shake.

“What happened?” Matthew asks and I can’t even look up. The thought of him being disappointed in me is just too much to bear. Thinking he is going to think less of me, all I can do is hide my face.

I can hear footsteps get closer to me and then I feel his arms take me in them. “It’s okay,” Max whispers to me. “Whatever it is, it’s okay.” I can’t help but wrap my arms around his waist as he holds me. “Oh my God,” Max says. “Did you hurt her?”

“Oh my God.” Chase’s voice goes louder. “Really, Uncle Max?”

“Is she?” I hear Matthew now talk. “Is she pregnant?” I look up now, seeing Matthew glare at Chase. “Chase fucking Grant,” he grinds out between clenched teeth with his hands on his hips. “What is wrong with you?”

“I’m not pregnant.” I finally find my words and Max lets me go, but keeps his arm around my shoulders.

“Thank God,” Matthew says and then looks over at Chase.

“Seriously, Dad, out of everything in this whole world, the only thing you could think of was she was having my baby?” He holds his hand up and then looks at Max. “And you think I put my hands on her?”

“What was I supposed to think, she’s in your house drinking and crying,” Max explains. I step forward now to stop whatever is happening before it gets too much.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” I say softly, “and when I come back out, I’ll tell you why I’m crying.”

“Do you want something to eat?” Max says softly. “I can order the fruit basket you like.”

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