Business Contract ✔️

Chapter 18: Shadows

I sat in the clouds, staring at the inside of the jet. And wondering how I will react when I get there. Would I cry, how much would I cry?

I felt the seat move slightly as Adam sat beside me, moving the armrest.

"Almost there." He said, I could imagine a warm, comforting smile plastered on his too handsome face as he said it.

"Thank you, Adam," I whispered, the thought of Jase struck my mind and I felt my heart and body shatter all at once. My breathing shallowed and my eyes filled with tears.

After an hour or two of sitting in the jet, I got up and steadily walked out. I stumbled forward, Adam's hand immediately grabbed my wrist and pulled me back before I fell the two feet to my doom.

"Thanks" I muttered, feeling worse than ever for ruining our honeymoon, even though technically it's paused for now.

"You're welcome." He whispered beside my ear as shivers ran down my spine.

We walked to a nearby limousine awaiting with the press around it for the Adam Carnegie and his wife to get inside.

Pictures were snapped and I just knew my sad eyes and boring mood would be the headline of tomorrow's news.

We drove steadily along the coast of California, driving toward its center to arrive at Stanford and quietly drove past it to get to my house.

As soon as the place shot into view I felt tears brim my eyes. I wanted to go back to Florida to remember all the memories I shared with Jase, but we had sold that home.

I stepped out. More reporters surrounded us. How annoying could these people get?

Adam's hand wrapped itself around my waist protectively and pulled me closer. He held me tightly in place as though I would fall and break apart if he didn't.

It was cold here, oddly cold since California was rarely cold. I stared baffled at the giant wide doors of my house and wanted to drop dead. There was a giant poster with a picture of me at graduation. This was no time for that.

"Eleanor you're home!" Mom rushed out the door and hugged me, and part of Adam as well since he was holding onto me. Reporters took more photos. Talk about annoying.

"How is everyone?" I asked, feeling a strange feeling overwhelm me. I felt like I cared, something I hadn't felt in a long time and I don't think I've ever asked that question, except to my family members, and meant it.

"We are okay. Come in, Mr. Carnegie. " Mom welcomed him in, a soft glint in her eye and not a penny to her name. Well not anymore.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hayes. But please, call me Adam. How are you doing?" Adam politely asked with a strange glint in his eye as he looked like his heart was full of so much pain.

"Would you two like a drink?" There it was. Mom wasn't treating me like anything more than a guest. I grimaced at this thought and smiled politely.

"No thank you. We just came from a restaurant, we've eaten and had quite a bit of drink already." Adam easily lied as I stared him, we sat on our couches and Adam's hand slid onto my knee.

"Okay." Mom smiled politely and sat opposite us, "the funeral is tomorrow." She breathed, her voice cracking all the while.

"M. . .mom?" I asked, trying to mentally raise her head to look at me.

"My baby boy is gone." She whimpered silently and grabbed a tissue out of the box on the table. My heart clenched in agony as I felt a tear trail down my cheek. I had never seen my mom cry. Maybe once when my baby sister died years ago, but we hadn't been that attached to her as we were with Jase. I loved Jase, he was my best friend when there was nobody else I could talk to.

"Mom?" I said again, "Stop crying, you're making me cry." I whispered, trying to lighten the mood as I felt a heavy weight on my shoulder.

"How are you and your husband?" She asked, changing the subject, biting her quivering lip.

"We're okay." A small smile curled onto the side of my lip.

"If there is anything you need Mrs. Hays please let me know." Adam smiled as she made eye contact with him for the first time and seemed to gasp. I wondered what was going on in her mind but I knew exactly what she was thinking. Damn, he's even more gorgeous in person. Because I'd thought the same thing when I saw him along with how repulsed I was to marry him but in the end, life never ended up being fair and he won't have sex with me.

"Adam Carnegie." She said as though she was finally opening her eyes to a whole new world. "How old are you?" She asked him.

"I'm 23." He simply said as a small smile flipped the edges of his lips upward.

"Oh yes, perfect for Eleanor. I'm glad you straightened her out." Mom said.

"What?" I asked mom, confused by what she meant.

"Yes dear, you used to whore around with that Anderson kid and never did he seem like the kind of guy to settle down. Now you seem more reserved, less slutty and you even dress more appropriately too." Mom said.

Oh for goodness sake! I did not sleep around all the time. I slept around enough of the time.

"Well, I'm glad." Adam simply replied as I pinched his back. He looked at me, a smirk on his face as he grabbed my hand behind his back and held it.

"I did not!" I announced loudly, not wanting to be humiliated, well our whole three days of honeymoon were humiliating beginning with the strange ritual thing, then starting my period, and so much other things. I smiled at the small thought trailing through my mind.

"Well, anyway Jase was there to keep her in place too." Mom's eyes brimmed with tears as she took a long pause, "and now she has you." She stood up immediately and left the room as I saw her shaking.

Jase's funeral was tomorrow. And I did not want to attend because I am so sick of crying all the time.

I sat on the couch and leaned into Adam who held a sad smile on his face.

I have Adam now. A husband. Not a replacement for Jase.

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Okay sorry, sorry, sorry I'm a day late and I wasted all of yesterday editing my other stories so please forgive me!

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