Sex and the Billionaire Crime Boss - Season 2

Ch. 27: Decisions

"You've changed your mind about ending your personal relationship with Max Bennett," Andrew says. His voice doesn't sound angry. Just weary.

"No," I answer. "And even if I had, Max has already made his mind up that the personal side of our relationship is over."

My grandfather makes a kind of a hrmmph sound. "I wonder how long that will last."

"It's the right decision. There's just no future for me with a man who does things I can neither accept nor ignore." I look away for a moment. I've already cried enough tears over Max Bennett and I don't intend to cry any more.

"I can't be with him anymore." I turn back to look squarely at my grandfather, and hope that what my expression is projecting is calm, rational resolve.

"He could have been a good man," Andrew says.

"He is a good man."

"A criminal with a code of honor?" he says, and I bristle at the hint of derision in his tone.

I jut my chin out. "Yes," I say, "exactly."

There's a long pause as my grandfather studies me, then he sighs.

"That may be true. But Hadley-"

"I know. I can't accept the things he does. I believe in following the rules, working within the system, even when it doesn't always seem to make sense. That if you do the right thing, it will all work out in the end."

"You're so much like her," he says, and his voice gets a little husky. "Sometimes when I look at you, I almost feel like I'm losing my mind."

"You feel like you're losing your mind," I tell him, "because you are getting no sleep and you've taken on more than you can handle. You work all day in a high-stress demanding job, and then you come home and instead of relaxing, you're taking over as caregiver for a person with dementia,"

"She's not just a person with dementia. She's the woman I've loved for almost fifty years."

"I know that. But you need help."

He gets that same stubborn set to his jaw that I often have myself. "I do have help. Olivia is here every weekday, and often on the weekend as well."

"Until she goes home in the evening, and then it's just you." I pause, look at the face that's lined with worry. "You need help."

"I hope you aren't going to suggest I put her into one of those memory care facilities, because that's not going to happen. And you don't have any right to come here and criticize how I'm handling things."

"Really? I think I do have that right, since the main reason you reached out to me after all these years is because I look like Laura, and you thought seeing me - seeing Laura - would bring her some peace."

"So what exactly are you suggesting, Hadley?"

"It's not a suggestion and it's not negotiable." He's not the only one who can set his jaw with determination.

"I'm moving in."

He stares at me like now I'm the one who's losing their mind.

"What? You don't mean that."

"I certainly do. I'm going to move into this house and help you take care of her." My voice softens. "Grandfather, I know I haven't known her very long, but I love her, too. It's impossible not to. Every time she looks at me I can see her love for Laura shining in her eyes. And if she doesn't have much time left, I want to spend that time helping to care for her."

I look at this proud man who is so determined to protect and care for his wife, and I know that day will come when she won't even recognize him anymore. The person with dementia isn't the only victim of this horrible disease. I try to find my anger and resentment for whatever he did to cause the decades-old rift in my family - the thing no one will tell me - and I just can't feel it.