Finding You (18 page)

God, what he said was so true.  She thought for so long that she had defeated them both by  making her way to Harvard and having succeeded in her studies but she realized she had always carried them with her, she had just tucked them away pretending that they weren’t there.

Feeling Ian’s warm skin against her and the strength of his arms sent her fast asleep.

Feeling Ian move around her woke her up.  She was in his bed.  “Did you carry me in here last night?”

He kissed her.  “I wasn’t going to let you wake up in the playground.  You shouldn’t be anywhere but right here beside me in my bed.  I thought we had that settled before we left for vacation.”

He was right, they had, but she still felt uncertain.  Had she ruined things by falling apart?  “So you still want me,” she asked nervously?

“Well, all the crying really made me rethink it but I find it hard to pass you up when I think about how much I really love sweet little ass.”

God she truly appreciated his humor.  She had done enough of the serious stuff last night.  Now, she just needed to let it go.  “I always knew you only wanted me for my body.”

He laughed pulling her close.  “Well, if you must know, I’ve never had a piece of ass bring me to my knees as easily as you do.”

She pinched him.  “Well, I’m just trying to hold up my end of the contract.  This is an extremely expensive piece of ass you paid for.  I wouldn’t want to make you regret your purchase.”

He rolled onto top of her and buried his face in her hair.  “Speaking of expensive ass,” he said running his hand down and cupping the expensive ass they were speaking of. 

Instinctively she flinched.  The bruise had faded but it was still sore. 

“It’s mine baby.  Certainly you haven’t forgotten already.  Besides I do seem to remember that the terms of our agreement do not expire until you graduate.”

She giggled as he lifted up and spread her legs.  “Damn, that little agreement.”

He pushed his finger inside her just enough to make her squirm.

“So what happens when I graduate,” she asked staring into his beautiful brown eyes.  Ian was complete perfection in every way.

“When you graduate, the contract ends Nova.  This was established from the beginning.”

She felt her heart race.  A longing pulled deep inside her.  Was he still playing with her? She heard the lump go down her throat when she swallowed.  “Yes, I guess that was decided.”

“Come on Nova, look at me like I am a Greek God again, if you do I might just decide to keep you a little longer.” 

He burst into laughter and she started hitting him.  “You are such an ass Ian.  You scared me to death you jerk.”

He pulled himself up her body and pressed her hands under his.  “As far as I am concerned the contract is null and void.  You are mine.  I don’t need a contract anymore to keep you with me.  I trust you.”

“The great ruler of the empire trusts me,” I asked playfully kissing his neck.

“I told you last night I wasn’t going anywhere.  Did you mean it when you told me the same thing?”

“God, I wouldn’t lie to you Ian.  I am here for as long as you want me.”

“Good, because today we are going to pack up your apartment.  Will you move in with me Nova?”

My heart rushed.  “Are you really sure you can live with my defiance?”

“Baby, I know exactly where to take you when you need straightened out and to be honest with you the idea of spanking you every time you defy me will keep me happy for a very long time.”

“One condition,” I demanded.

“Are we talking conditions or limits Nova?”

“I want to pay you back for my tuition.  I owe you and it is important to me to pay you back.”

He stiffened against her.  “Do you really think I care anything about the money?  Hell no, you aren’t paying me back.”

She grabbed him by his shoulders.  “Look I know it’s not about the money to you but it is to me.  You made me face some pretty ugly demons last night and one of them for me is feeling like I owe someone something.  That was what Stanford did to me, he made me feel like I owed him.”

“Nova!”

“Stop Ian and let me finish.  I don’t mean that you make me feel like I owe you, what I mean is that I need to do this to be able to let go of some things.  It’s important to me.”

“I don’t want the money Nova.  It’s never been about the money.”

“I know that Ian and I have never felt like it was but this is a big step for me.  I need you to be understanding and let me do this.”

He let out a deep breath.  “Alright, I agree.”

“Really?”

“I gave you what you wanted Nova.  Why do you seem so surprised?”

“Because you made that way too easy.”  She pulled his face to hers.  “What are you up to Ian?”

“Just giving you what you want sweetheart.”

It took three weeks to clean out my apartment.  I sold all the furniture which added another deposit to my nest egg.  Moving in with Ian was easy.  Other than the rest of my clothes and a few personal items I already had everything at his house.  The only dispute we had was all the books I had collected.  I wiggled my way into having some shelves in his library but the idea of my books always bothered Ian.  For him, those books were a reminder of how I coped with my neglect.  I didn’t see them that way.  To me they were personal.

I did however weed through a bunch of them.  I downsized and kept three boxes.  The rest I sold to a used book store.  In fact I was a bookstore, if I had been smart I had a business that I could have easily started. 

I was a month out from graduation and for the first time in my life truly happy.  I had decided on a payment plan when I started my job.  Ian never said anything.  He just simply nodded in agreement when I presented my offer to pay him back.  I couldn’t help but feel he was up to something but for the moment I was happy in knowing that I would get to pay him back.  I needed to do it.  Stanford had kept his hold on me making me feel that I owed him for all the money he spent on me.  I wanted to be with Ian with a clear conscious.  It was as important to me as graduating was. 

On Saturday while Ian was at his office working on some business deal that had kept him busy since we got back from vacation the doorbell rang.  When I opened the door a UPS man had a certified letter.  “I’m sorry but all of Ian’s deliveries are sent to his work address.”

“Miss, this letter is for Nova Drake.  Are you Miss Drake?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Sign here please.”

Nova signed for the letter and closed the door.  The return address was a Law Firm in Mississippi. 
Mississippi,
she thought.

She sat down at the foot of the stair case and opened the letter.

Ms. Drake,

This letter is to inform you that you have been named in the will of the late Magdalene Prentis.  I would appreciate you contacting me personally as soon as possible to discuss the matters.

Regards,

Thomas Newton, Esq.

Oh my God! 
Nova couldn’t believe it.  The letter was about Maggie.  How after all these years was this possible?  Nova had thought of her countless times over the years always assuming she had died long ago.  Maggie was old when Nova was little.

She picked up the phone.

“Hey baby, you alright?”

“Ian, are you still at work?”

“Yes, is everything okay?” 

She knew from his tone he was worried but she was too perplexed to explain this.  She wouldn’t explain without doing it in person.  “I’m on my way Ian,” and she hung up.

When Nova walked in she realized she had interrupted a meeting. 

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said looking at John and Phillip who were Ian’s right and left hand.

“Don’t be,” John assured her, “besides since you are here maybe you can persuade this one to let us enjoy our Saturday and go home.”

She shot her eyes to Ian.

“Nice John, make me out to be a monster.”

“Just teasing you Nova, we were just finishing up.  You two have a nice weekend.  See you Monday Ian.”

Phillip the quieter of the two simply smiled and followed John out.

“Why does he never talk to me,” Nova asked watching Phillip close the door.

“Baby, I think you leave him speechless.”

Ian stood and pulled her into his arms.  “So to what do I owe this surprise?”

“Are you sure I didn’t interrupt. I suddenly feel bad for not asking you if I was intruding.  I shouldn’t have barged in on you.”

“Nova, you have my undivided attention.  Now tell me what’s wrong.”

She took a deep breath and handed him the letter.

He read the letter and looked up at her.  “Who is Magdalene Prentis?”

“Oh Ian, she lived next door to us in Mississippi.  She was like a mother to me.”

“Why have you never spoken of her?  You said you didn’t have anyone left but that…” he stopped, he refused to so much as say Stanford’s name anymore.

“I had no idea she was still alive. I can’t believe they were able to track me down.”

“And why is that Nova?”

Shit,
she had never mentioned any of this to him.  She had never had a reason too, not until now.  “Got any liquor in here?”

“Nova, what the fuck is going on?”

“Look, maybe we should go home to talk about this.”

He pulled her to the sofa and made her sit down.  He opened the liquor cabinet and poured himself a Scotch.  “Nova I don’t have anything to mix with the vodka.”

“I’ll take it straight up.”

She watched his tension rise as she spoke.  This was the look Ian gave her when he knew he wasn’t going to be happy about something.  She hated the look.  She never liked to see Ian unhappy about anything.  She took the glass from him and tossed it back. 

“Nova, start talking.”

“Promise me you won’t get mad.”

He paced in front of his desk.  “I can’t promise that and you know it but if this is something I should have known already I am taking my hand to your ass as soon as you confess.”

“I swear I didn’t keep this from you.  I honestly never thought it would come up but it is going to make you mad.”

“Then don’t ask me to promise you something you damn well know I can’t.”

She took another drink and sat the glass down.  The last time she had been this nervous around him she had spilled her wine all over his shirt.  That seemed like such a long time ago.

“Before we moved to Georgia, my mom and I lived in a trailer park somewhere in Mississippi.  I told you already what my mother did to pay our bills.  She was a horrible mother and she neglected me long before Stanford came into the picture.”

Ian had finally sat down.

“Maggie was our next door neighbor.  She sort of took me in when I was little.  My mom didn’t always feed me or make sure I was clean.  She fucked men at night, slept most of the day and the rest of the time she either worked or just wasn’t there.  Maggie had been watching me and my mom.  She probably should have turned my mom in but she didn’t. Instead she took me in as often as my mom would let her or until my mom remembered I wasn’t there.”

She looked at Ian for reassurance to continue.  His eyes were dead locked on hers.

“My mom never enrolled me in school.”

“You said you were eight years old when you moved to Georgia.  You are telling me you had never been to school until you moved?”

“No, but I wasn’t stupid Ian.  Maggie taught me everything.  I was smarter than every kid in my class when Stanford enrolled me in private school.”

“God damn Nova, if I could get my hands on your sorry ass mother I would kill her too.”

“Please Ian, just let me finish.”

~  ~

He finished the glass and poured another.  He couldn’t stand the idea of how neglected she was.  Nothing brought fire to his veins quicker than thinking of how bad her life had been.

“Anyway, when Stanford showed up to get us no one let me tell Maggie good-bye.  I had no idea what happened to her and had no idea I would be in her will.  I mean she lived in the same ratty, trailer park we did.  She couldn’t have had much.”

“Why are you surprised she found you?”

“Because when we moved, Stanford had our names changed before he married my mom.  He paid off the school to create false documents to make it look like I had been enrolled in school when I turned five.  He didn’t want anyone to be able to track anything about me and my mom?”

“Why Nova?  Why would he go to that much trouble?”

“He was a squeaky clean small town boy whom everyone adored.  He would have never wanted anyone to know where we came from.  The year after he and my mom married, he ran for Judge and won.  He was pretty much able to hide anything he wanted.”

Fuck, he needed another drink but if he did he wouldn’t be able to drive home. “Please let me go to Georgia and beat his ass Nova.”

“No Ian.  Stay the hell away from him.  If you go after him he will come after me again.  Just leave it alone, please.”

Ian ran his hands through his hair finally killing the last of the Scotch in his glass.  “So what do you want to do about the letter?”

“I called the lawyer on my way over here.  I have to go to Mississippi.”

“You aren’t going by yourself Nova.”

“I don’t want to go by myself Ian, I wanted to know if you would go with me?”

The look on her face weakened him.  She was a scared rabbit.  “Yes I will go.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“We need to leave tomorrow night. I have an appointment with him Monday morning.”

“Fine, let me make a few calls.  I have some things I will need to rearrange for Tuesday.”

“No, we will come back Monday night.  I have class Tuesday and the lawyer told me it shouldn’t take very long.  I just have to be present for the reading of her will.”

Ian had tried to be supportive of her but she was apprehensive which made his gut clench even harder. He needed to call John and have him contact the attorney in Mississippi.  He didn’t want any surprises.  He wouldn’t tell her that but he wasn’t going into this blind. 

He stayed at the office after she left.  He hadn’t lied technically, he told her he had something he needed to finish and he did. It just wasn’t work related like she assumed.

Picking up the letter she had left behind he called John to have him contact the lawyer and act as Nova’s legal counsel.  After that he called the one person he had tried so very hard not to call.

“It’s Ian.  I want everything you have on her step father.  I’m going out of town but I want you to hand deliver it to me on Tuesday.”

“Ms. Drake, I presume?”  A tall, gray haired man with a big round belly offered her his hand. “I’m Thomas Newton.  Thank you for getting back with me so soon.”

“Mr. Newton, let me introduce you to Ian.”

Ian offered up his hand.  “Ian Strong.”

“Please to meet you as well.  If you don’t mind we will take this to my office.”

Ian and Nova followed behind him.

“Ms. Drake….”

Nova interrupted him.  “I would appreciate it if you called me Nova if you don’t mind.”

He smiled oddly at her as though he knew that she was asking for more reasons than to put them on a first name basis.  “Nova.  As you and I spoke on the phone Ms. Prentis named you in her will.  The purpose of you coming down here is so that I can formally read to you the wishes and intent of her will.”

“Is there anyone else coming,” she asked expecting someone else to walk in.

“No, you are the only person named in her will.  She had several stipulations with some of her possessions but those are things I will handle.”

“Okay.”  Nova was nervous.  She could fill her palms starting to sweat.

“Ms. Prentis has been a friend of mine for many years.  How long has it been since you have seen her?”

She swallowed.  “I haven’t seen her since I was eight years old.  I had no idea what happened to her.”

He laughed a little pulling a pen from his desk drawer.

Ian spoke up.  “Mr. Newton is there something you find comical enough to share with us?”

“I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.  It’s just that when I have spoken to Maggie about you, I have always had the sense that you two kept in contact.  Maggie was full of surprises and I’m sure if she can see us sitting here she is laughing her ass off that she pulled a good one over on me.”

“What?” Nova asked.

“Maggie spoke of you all the time Nova.  I had no idea you were a child the last time you had contact with her.  She has fooled me for many years.  I think when I give you what she wanted you to have all of this will make sense.”

“Give me?”

“I know well enough of your raising Nova.  Your step father is a judge.  You are due to graduate from Harvard very soon.”

She tried not to appear nervous.  “Yes, that’s right.”

“Then you know I understand you aren’t here expecting to get a lot from her?”

Tears welled up in Nova’s eyes.   Partly because of relief that the conversation wasn’t going where she feared it was and the rest because she couldn’t believe that Maggie had continued to love her all these years.  Maggie was the best thing that had ever happened to her when she was a child.  “Maggie gave me everything she could when I needed it the most.  I would never expect anything of her.”

Ian pulled her hand to his.

“Would you like to proceed then,” he asked pulling a file out of his bottom desk drawer.

“Can you tell me what happened to her first,” Nova asked.