Chapter 51
1745words
I could still see Paris's face in my head as I made my way home. I could go on and about wanting a divorce, but he filled my head and heart most days, which made me worry and wonder how I would ever move past him. It was as though some days I moved one step, only to move five steps backward every time I saw him.
I sighed as I sat in my bed, and brought out my tab. Now that we were working together on something that was very important to me, I was going to have to stay true to my request and keep things between us on business grounds. Even if it all but killed me from within.
I checked the news headlines and my heart tore to see the news of more and more youths dropping out of school. Some were because they had no one to fund them, the others? Well, because they had no one to guide them. No one to tell them to stay on the right path.
That was the point of the whole youth empowerment program Paris had partnered with me on. Someone had to tell the ones who had funding that they needed their education and for the ones who had no funding, I was willing to help the best way I could.
Hence why I took Paris's help. Perhaps, the whole thing wasn't as important to him as it was to me. But his help was still very welcome. I was still reading the headlines from the news when Bella's message came in,
"How did it go?"
I suppose she was talking about the meeting with Paris and I shot her a message back...
"Well, I suppose. Presented your ideas, and ate a little. Now I'm back home. Able to resolve your little issue that came up?"
It took ten minutes before she replied back,
"Sure, I resolved it. Thank you. Hope you both liked my ideas. Another meeting soon."
I looked at her message with skepticism. I couldn’t help but feel like she avoided today's meeting on purpose, but for the lie of me, I couldn’t think of a good reason why she did that. But when she sent an emoji that was smiling upside down, I confirmed my suspicions and texted her back,
"another meeting would be appropriate. But I won’t be attending if you won’t be there. You're my assistant, which means you ought to be available when I'm not. Not the other way around." I sent the text and hoped it didn’t sound too harsh. I just needed to make sure she didn't leave me in such positions with Paris once again,
"yes ma'am." she sent back with the emoji that was making a salute and I just smiled and shook my head. Bella didn’t feel bad.
I grabbed my tab and walked to the living room where I met my father,
"just the man I wanted to see," I announced, taking my place beside him,
"me? You wanted to see me?" he asked, and I giggled,
"Of course, why is that a shock to you?"
"Well, you've been little miss too busy for daddy lately, so I'm surprised you want to be with daddy at the moment?"
"I have been a little miss busy lately. But never too late for my daddy/." I wrapped my arms around his middle and let him hold me. He kissed my temple before he let go,
"Alright, now tell me what you need, because you were holding on to that for dear life."
I sighed before I began, "As you know, I'll be ascending the throne soon, your Idea, not mine,"
He smiled and nodded, waiting for me to continue,
"And I realized lately that there are a lot of youths who are out of school, Daddy. Some are out because they have no one to train them, no one to pay their tuition, and all of that. Others are out because they have no one to guide them. Between the ones who have no tuition and the ones who just don't care, there is a seriously high rate of hooliganism and vandalism in our society. From the money I won and the partnerships I've made, I'm trying to make sure I can curb vandalism and hooliganism by making sure these kids are put in schools. Reshape their future."
"I see your big picture, and it's a wonderful and thoughtful picture, pet." he said and tugged at my hair, "but how do I come into this? More funding?"
I shook my head, "funding isn't the problem, but I do need you to help me arrange a meeting with the elders. I need all the help they can give me, in terms of spreading the word, and enforcing laws that protect the lives and activities of the youth. But it also ensures that the youths who aren't ready to go to school, and still want to be a problem to the society and put to stop."
My father nodded slowly, before looking at me intently, "When did you grow up on me this way?"
I laughed and shook my head, "it should have happened sooner. I just was too blind and in love to let it happen."
He ran his hand down my cheek, "this would be the time I ask for permission to pour that man in the face for not properly loving my daughter. But I see now that he never killed your light. Oh, he might have dimmed it, for a period of time, but killed it? He never could do such a thing. Now look how bright and beautiful that light is shining, and I'm so proud of you."
I wrapped my arms around him again and this time, I squeezed harder,
"I'll arrange your meeting with the elders. I'm going to be there by the way."
"I was counting on it. Paris is going to be there too."
He was silent for a moment, before he finally responded, "I was counting on that too."
PARIS's POV
"How was it with Ember?" Jackson asked the moment I walked through the front doors.
I sighed and collapsed in one of the chairs before shaking my head.
"how did I never see just how stubborn that woman could be?"
"Is it safe to say that it didn't go so well?"
"oh, our business meeting went. Bella, her assistant, has all of these bright ideas to make sure our streets are free of youths who simply want to cause mayhem." I said and walked to the bar, poured myself a drink, and on another thought, poured some for Jackson as well. Then on a third thought, I simply carried the entire bottle to my chair.
I handed him the glass, the bottle, and the cup before me. I didn't know my plan, I just knew I had an ache that needed to go away,
"Is that really necessary?" Jackson asked, raising his chin toward the bottle,
"I'm about to find out."
"so, about the meeting?"
I gulped down the first glass before speaking, and as I poured myself another bottle, I told him the tale,
"I was happy, no cap when Bella told me she would not make it. Ideally, I saw that as her way to get Ember and me alone, so it was a good thing if you asked me. I got all of the food she likes, and I could tell it really surprised her, even though she only took the soup."
I sighed and downed my second glass, and as a warmth spread through my belly, I craved a third, and satiated my craving,
"So if she was touched you remembered her taste, what could have possibly gone wrong?"
"what? I'll tell you what. It's the fact that she can peacefully talk about work and business, and her beloved youths. But when it comes to talking about her and I. When it comes to talking about us, nothing!" I roared. "She wants absolutely nothing to do with me!"
I saw Jackson look at me with pity, and it made me so freaking mad. Mad because I didn’t want pity, I wanted Ember's love.
Ember's love and not my Beta's damned pity.
I downed another glass, and Jackson shook his head and got up, tried to reach for my bottle that was almost empty, and sloppily slapped his hand away,
"You and Ember have a lot in common."
"Come on mate. You have had enough. You know better than to lose yourself in a bottle. "
"I'll lose myself in a bottle if it feels right. And this feels great!" I said and pressed my hand to my head." anything feels better than the pain of losing Ember, to be honest."
"I know that. I know," he said taking my bottle away,
"hey bring that back!" I roared, but he didn’t turn around, when he did cup back, he cap with a cup,
"What the hell is that?"
"ginger tea. It'll calm you down."
"I don’t want to be calm," I said, but took the cup regardless, drank its content, and made a face at Jackson,
"This thing is repulsive."
"no, it isn't. it's good for you." he sighed and took his seat, before looking at me,
"Did she come with her divorce papers?"
"Surprisingly, she didn't. she never even brought it up."
"then that must be a good thing. Perhaps she's letting go of that deranged thought."
"or perhaps she is waiting for the right time, waiting for when I've let my guard down, before springing it up on me once again. Whether she is or not, I'm not giving her a damned divorce."
"you shouldn’t even consider it. But let this be the last time you get so desperate that you turn to a bottle like this. It clouds your judgment."
"don't tell me how to live my life," I said with a sneer, but I knew he was right.
He sighed and ran a hand over his head, "this whole thing is important to her. So much so that she would partner with you for it."
"what are you saying?"
"What I'm saying is, until this entire thing ends, you have every chance to be with her, every chance to win her over. Every chance to make her love you again."
"But.. What if I don't?"
"you're Alpha bloody Paris… Failure isn't an option."
