Three Wishes (Dreams Come True #3) (17 page)

Nodding, Ben agreed. “That’s something else I wanted to talk to you about. Now…just hear me out first, okay?”

“Sure,” I mumbled, my heart already set on a nap as soon as I could end this conversation. “Speak.”

He hesitated then laid out his intentions. “I talked to Gabriel and Isabella over lunch. They have offered the use of their home theater for Ollie’s movie screening so she can have the full experience.” Ben grinned. “And I’m pretty sure they want to see it too. So there’s that.” He laid his fist against his lips for a moment. “I bet we could do that on Saturday, then go to Toronto and have her birthday there on Sunday before checking into the hospital. What do you think?”

I shook my head, hoping to clear out the fog. “Movie, yes. Birthday in Toronto? No. She wants Becca there.” I folded my hands together, a sure sign I was adamant.

“Becca will be there. They can all be there.” He shrugged.

“How?” I challenged.

“Simple. We’ll take Gabriel’s plane. Problem solved.” Ben stood to put away the food.

A plane. Of course. “Just where would we hold the birthday party? Germs, remember?” My chin jutted out angrily, determined to find fault in his plan.

“Gymboree. We’ll make sure we’re the first party of the day on Sunday so it’s germ free.” He continued to pick up then paused. “What? No arguments.”

I yawned and kicked off my shoes before lying down on the bed. “Nope.” I shook my head as I pulled up the covers. I could tell he was worrying over me again, but I simply shut my eyes and went to sleep.

***

The day Ollie was discharged, Ben picked us up and drove us home. Despite our differing opinions about Damien, Ben kept the same visiting schedule and as I’d hoped, we seemed to have settled back into a routine. Despite one or two awkward visits from Damien when their paths crossed momentarily, we’d managed to keep it peaceful and avoid bringing up his name altogether.

I had hoped Ollie might warm up to her father as easily as she had Ben, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Even though she was sick, Damien was often snappish. His sense of humor came off as mean, and Ollie mostly ignored him. In those times, I was left to entertain him instead. We tiptoed around conversations like we were trying to avoid landmines.

“Would you like me to pick up dinner and a movie for tonight?” Ben asked as he loaded us into his vehicle. “Or Ollie and I could make cookies.” He glanced at her for a response.

“I really need to finish my movie, Ben.” Ollie held her camera tightly in her lap. “Can we just do that instead? I think I have the edits done. Now, I need to work on some sound stuff.”

“You on some kind of deadline?” Ben teased her.

She nodded. “I’m really tired.”

I looked out the window, certain I knew what she was getting at. I hated when she insinuated she was dying. “You’ll feel so much better after the treatment.”

Now it was Ollie’s turn to stare out at the passing landscape. “I’m not going to Toronto,” she grumbled.

“You have to, squirt. That’s where we’re having your birthday party.” Ben smiled proudly.

She tilted her head as she gazed at him. “Is this a trick? I wanted Becca there.”

He nodded. “I know. She’ll be there. We’re all flying in together.”

I loved how Ben casually dropped the word ‘flying’ into the sentence and waited to see if Ollie would pick up on it. Her eyes widened momentarily.

“We’re flying and Becca’s gonna be there?” She watched him for a response. When he nodded, she sighed. “Well, I suppose I could go to Toronto, but I’m not having the treatment.”

I looked to Ben and saw he was already waiting for my reaction. I shook my head, both unable and unwilling to fight with her before we’d made it home. “Ollie, your father will be over this afternoon, then Ben will come back tonight to work with you. Sound like a plan?”

Her eyes narrowed. “And what will you be doing?”

“I’m going to run to the pharmacy. I think I need some multivitamins or iron pills. Your mama is dragging, sweet girl.” I laid my head on the seat. I meant it.

Ben reached over and held my hand. “Listen, I know you’re worn out. I’m just going to help you get in, then leave. I’ll be back with dinner tonight. I’ll call first. Try to rest.”

Shaking my head, I mumbled, “Too much to do.”

“About that.” He chewed on his lip a moment. “You have nothing to do but enjoy being home.”

“What?” Confused, I frowned.

“I borrowed Mandy’s maid. She cleaned, did laundry, organized, all that. I think you’ll be pleased.” He glanced at me hesitantly. “And I may have painted your wall the other night.” Ben braced as though I were going to yell at him.

“I think I could kiss you right now.” I smiled shyly at him.

‘Well, don’t let the kid in the back stop you.” He parked at the curb in front of the apartment. “She loves that stuff.” Ben winked at me.

Laughing, I peeked into the backseat. “No filming,” I ordered, but Ollie just laughed as I leaned over and kissed the best man I’d ever known.

After my nap, I felt no better so when Damien arrived. I gave him a quick tour of our apartment. “Nice place.” He grinned as he moved closer to me where I stood with my back against the wall. He planted a hand on either side of head and started to lean in for a kiss. “I’ve wanted to do this since I first saw you last week. You haven’t changed.”

At first, I was fascinated by his words and actions. Damien was just as smooth as ever, but then I remembered I wasn’t that girl. I couldn’t let him kiss me, so I ducked and turned my head while he connected with my ear. Moving to stand in the center of the room, I crossed my arms over my chest. “You haven’t changed, but I have.”

“You may be a bit out of practice, but we can change that.” He walked toward me and I knew if I stood still he’d wrap his arms around me and start kissing my neck. It had always been his thing and my weakness.

Shaking my head, I pulled the collar of my shirt up to my chin while I stared at him. “I’ve changed. And I’m not as out of practice as you think.” I raised an eyebrow in challenge.

Damien stood still and cracked his knuckles while assessing me. “That was the past. I’m here now. I’m here for you.” He reached out to touch me, but I backed up just out of reach.

“And Ollie, too, right? I mean, you should be here for her and not me. I don’t need you, but your daughter does.” I pulled the shirt up under over my mouth and stared at him.

“Yeah, sure. Right.” He shrugged.

I wanted nothing more than to get away from him and clear my head. “Since you’re here, can you watch Ollie? I’m running to the pharmacy.”

At first he seemed put out by my departure. He even opened his mouth to object, but his phone chimed. So he sat on the couch and pulled it out to respond.

“Sure. The kid and I will be fine.” Damien threw an arm around Ollie who had been sitting there watching everything, camera in hand. “Right, kid?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yup. I’m going to my room.”

“Cool.” Then he turned his attention to his phone once more while I wondered if I really should leave. I had faith in Ollie even as my doubts in Damien grew.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” I announced, then I bolted for the door as fast as my boot would allow.

The pharmacy was around the corner, a block away. I decided to walk, even if I was slower than normal. After all, spring had finally arrived and I’d been cooped up in the hospital for so long I didn’t care. The fresh air helped me feel somewhat better, but I still hobbled directly to the pharmacist for a consult.

“I’m exhausted,” I moaned. “Is there a vitamin or mineral you can recommend?”

The man studied me for a moment. He’d known me for many years, thanks to Ollie. “You might want to start with a pregnancy test. Then if it’s negative, go for this energy boosting multivitamin.” Immediately, he went back to counting his pills for a prescription and I was left to pick my jaw up off the floor.

Pulling my phone from my purse, I looked for the date of my last cycle. This seemed like something I should know, but honestly, if you’re not having sex, it really doesn’t matter. And if you are, you should be using protection. Of course, if you haven’t has sex in forever, you may forget that there’s a dark side to the delightful feelings. That was my excuse for never mentioning birth control. I’m guessing Ben figured I was on the pill, like I could remember to take a daily pill with all I had on my mind. Obviously, it was all my fault, if I was even pregnant. Seriously, what were the chances? I’d had sex what…twice in the last six and a half years? Still, I picked out and purchased the first early pregnancy test that could be taken any time of day and said a little prayer before walking home.

Even though I’d been gone no longer than twenty minutes, the moment I walked through the door, Damien stood. “I need to go.” He barely looked at me, he was so busy typing on his phone. “I’ll see you soon.” Then he kissed me on the cheek before I could move away and he disappeared out the apartment door.

I touched my cheek. His kiss felt nothing like Ben’s kisses. Those left me feeling happy, warm, and loved. Damien’s kiss made me want to shower. I gave in to my full body shiver, then marched resolutely to the bathroom. Now was as good at time as any to ruin my day and possibly the rest of my day.

Setting my purse on the table, I took the pregnancy test into the bathroom with me and closed the door. I ripped open the package and followed the directions perfectly. I pushed the cover over the pee tip of the wand, laid it flat on the counter and was prepared to pace in my teeny tiny bathroom until I had the answers I needed. Then I heard my phone ringing. At first, I was torn about leaving it unattended, but Ollie was lost in her movie and I was only going to go grab the phone and bring it back. It’d be safe.

Chapter Seventeen

Ben

On Saturday afternoon, I took the stairs by two up to Charlie’s apartment and rapped on the door. My heart was light. Ollie was about to have her big screening and I couldn’t stop beaming with pride. Then Damien answered the door.

When Ollie saw me, she pushed past him and jumped into my arms holding the DVD of her movie in her hand. “Can you believe it?” She squealed and wriggled in excitement.

“I know, squirt. Today’s the big day.” Seeing her exuding such pure joy, even Damien’s presence couldn’t diminish my mood.

“Ben.” He nodded at me and stepped aside so I could enter the apartment. “So Charlie is getting ready. She should be out in a minute.” Then he turned and walked back to the couch while texting on his phone.

For a moment, I stared at him. Then Ollie and I exchanged looks. “That’s all he ever does,” she mumbled. “I don’t know why he’s here.”

Charlie emerged from the kitchen. “He’s here for you, of course. Why else would he be here?”

Ollie rolled her eyes. “I’m gonna go pee, then let’s go. I can’t wait to see Becca.”

“Good plan.” Charlie nodded in agreement then looked at me a moment before fleeing the room.

Damien didn’t seem to notice and I, rather impulsively, decided to chase after her, right into her bedroom. “Charlie,” I murmured as I crossed the threshold, “can we talk?”

She whipped around in surprise. “What are you doing in here? This is my room!”

I bit my lip. “I thought I just explained that part. I want to talk to you. I
need
you to talk to me.” I sighed. “What’s going on? We were fine when I dropped you off on Sunday and every time since then, you’ve been acting all strange and distant. Did I do something to upset you? Just
tell
me.” I closed the distance between us, and wrapped my arms around her. For a moment, she held on tightly and I thought my Crying Girl was about to return. Her breath came out in tiny puffs.

“This is Ollie’s day. We’ll talk later, after Toronto maybe.” She shrugged. “Plenty of time.” Then she sniffled and turned to study her reflection in her dresser mirror.

Cautiously, I held out my hand to accompany her out to the living room. She squeezed me tightly in a way I found reassuring, which could be why I messed up and spoke my mind when I should have been playing it cool. “So, what’s he doing here?” I jerked my thumb toward the loser on the couch.

“Well, he wanted to see Ollie’s movie and go to Toronto. He wants to be there for her birthday.” Charlie shrugged.

“Really? Yeah, he seems like a super involved father.” As I watched, Ollie sat on the opposite end of the couch looking annoyed with him.

“Ben, be nice. He’s trying.” There was a pleading note in her voice.

“Yeah. I can tell.” Somehow, I still worried this asshole was going to break Ollie’s heart.

“Hey, I’m really looking forward to the kid’s birthday,” Damien piped in suddenly.

“You are?” It irritated me that Damien hadn’t even looked up from his phone while he talked. “Tell me, Damien, why’s this one so special? You didn’t care about being there for the other five. Hell you weren’t there for the pregnancy or birth.” I stood in front of him, my arms crossed over my chest, glaring down at him.

“Ben, stop,” Charlie hissed.

“What? Afraid if I upset him, he’ll disappear again? How could you tell? It’s not like he’s here when he’s here.” I threw my hands up in the air.

“Is that what you want, Ben? You want drive him away when Ollie needs him?” Her hands were on her hips, her eyes flashing with fury.

“You’re kidding, right? The last thing Ollie needs is Damien,” I grumbled.

“No, maybe the last thing she needs is
you
. After all, you’re only around to make her wish come true. Now you have.” Charlie grabbed her purse and strode to the door. “Damien, Ollie, go wait downstairs.” As angry as she was, they both jumped off the couch and disappeared out the door. She shut it firmly behind them before turning to face me.

I couldn’t move. “What are you saying?” My heart stopped beating in my chest and I broke out in a cold sweat.

“I guess I’m saying that we’ll see her movie and then maybe you shouldn’t come around anymore.” Her chin jutted out angrily.

I frowned. “You can’t mean that. What about Toronto? The hospital.”

“What about it?” Charlie crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back defiantly.

Finally, I took a single step toward her. “I want to be there, for you, for her.” I held my hands out helplessly. “It’s a week. You shouldn’t be alone so far from home. You’ll need help. Let me take care of you, both of you.”

“What makes you think I’ll be alone?” Her eyebrow rose.

My face fell. “What? Damien? You think he’s going to be a huge help, any kind of comfort at all?” For a moment, I swore her confidence faltered, but she pulled it together.

“I don’t know, but I know that you…this…our constant fights over him...it’s not helping.” Charlie leaned heavily against the door.

“Are you okay?” I rushed to her side and ran a hand over her forehead. “You just don’t seem like yourself. You’re…different.” I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something was wrong, very very wrong.

She stiffened once more. “I’m fine. Let’s just go.”  Charlie opened the door for me and I stepped through and waited for her in the hall. She locked the door, then murmured, “We’re riding with Damien. We’ll follow you since we’ve never been to Gabriel and Isabella’s before.”

“Okay.” My shoulders drooped. Isabella was right. Somehow, I had managed to push Charlie away.

Half an hour later, I pulled up in front of the Charmant mansion and took a few deep breaths before exiting the vehicle. Damien parked behind me in the circular driveway. Though I couldn’t hear what was being said, I could tell Charlie felt uncomfortable. Normally, I’d have an arm around her, but instead she had wrapped her arms around her body and maintained a safe distance from Damien, even as he clearly tried to push for more.

The front door stood open with the entire family watching us from the entryway. Ollie rushed over to me the moment she was unhooked from her seat. I hefted her into the air and she leaned over and whispered, “Does Becca really live in this castle?” Her eyes were wide.

“She sure does. Wanna check it out?” I smiled as she nodded and wriggled for me to put her down. “Hey, maybe after the screening, she’ll show you her castle in the back yard.”

With a huge smile, Ollie scampered toward the door. Clearly, she was feeling much better. It made me happy. If I wasn’t going to be spending time with her and her mother anymore, I’d want to remember her like this.

“Come on in,” Isabella called as we mounted the steps. I leaned in to hug her, like always, and she murmured, “Someone couldn’t keep his mouth shut.”

I shrugged. “Guilty.” Then I planted a kiss on her cheek. “For the record, you were right. You’re always right.”

“Yes, she is,” Gabriel admitted grimly. “It’s almost annoying.” He winked at his wife.

“Why don’t you bring everyone into the media room?” Isabella suggested. “I’d do it, but I have to wait for Marisa and Sebastian.”

“What time did they leave?” I wondered as I frowned.

Gabriel chuckled. “It’s not about what time they left. It’s all about how many stops they have to make on the way here.”

“Twins.” Isabella giggled.

“Wonder how Sebastian’s handling it,” I mused.

“Surprisingly well. He simply adores her.” Gabriel wrapped an arm around Isabella and I felt even worse than I had before.

“Speaking of pit stops,” Charlie began while looking guilty, “could you show me to the powder room.”

Gabriel and Isabella stared at me pointedly. I nodded. “Follow me.” I lead her to the nearest bathroom. The only sound to break the silence between us was the echo of our footsteps in the hall. “Take your time. I’ll show you to the media room after you’re done.” Then I leaned against the wall and pulled out my phone to distract me in her absence.

When Charlie emerged, we made our way to the west wing where everyone else was assembled. Marisa and Sebastian had arrived and the kids were passing out popcorn. I sat in an empty leather recliner on one side of the room. Damien was on the other side of the room, deep in his phone. Charlie glanced at me, then him, and finally decided to sit nowhere near either of us in a lower row. Somehow, as lousy as I felt, seeing her shun both of us made me feel better.

Gabriel stood in front of the room. “Okay, it’s time for the premier of Miss Olivia’s movie. Please turn off all cell phones and put them away until the lights come back on.” He looked pointedly at Damien, the only one among us being that disrespectful. Still, Damien continued. For a moment, Gabriel held the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed.

I watched Charlie sinking low in her seat. Obviously, she didn’t want to get involved, but sighed. “Damien. Phone.”

For a moment he glanced up. “What? Almost done.”

By now Gabriel decided he’d had enough. He took a step closer to Ollie’s father wearing the most menacing look I’d ever seen. “Damien, is it?”

Damien glanced up from his phone screen. “Yeah.” Then he turned his attention back to his messaging.

“When you’re in my house, you abide by my rules, as a guest. Put the phone away so we can watch Olivia’s movie. If I see the phone again, I’m going to feed it to my trash compactor. Understand?” Gabriel was nearly nose-to-nose with Damien.

The guy sighed loudly. “Got it.” Then he tucked the phone in his jacket. “So let’s get this movie going.”

Charlie was covering the side of her face with one hand. I felt for her. This had to be difficult, but how could she not see what a douche this guy was?

***

Charlie

Why couldn’t the earth open and swallow me up? I’d welcome it at the moment. It wasn’t easy to support Damien when he behaved so badly. Over the past week, he’d visited multiple times, but he never truly showed an interest in Ollie. I made excuses for him, tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but my patience was wearing thin.

Finally the lights went down and the movie began to play. I sat up in my seat, excited to see what Ollie and Ben had created. They were thick as thieves especially this past week, but often when I peeked in, Ben was offering advice, but even he had no idea what was going on in the movie. This finished product was Ollie’s alone.

The title flashed across the screen and I inhaled sharply.
Wishes
by Ollie. Almost immediately, it was obvious she had been sneaking around filming more than we had been aware of. Soon there were images filmed from her hospital bed when we thought she’d been asleep. She had captured me talking with Ben. During the weeks she was in the hospital, we’d done this often in the evening. There was nothing particularly special about what was going on this time, but the look of love that passed between us, the obvious spark had me clutching at my chest.

Then the scene faded and the next one to appear had been filmed at Ben’s pool house while I was injured. We were on the couch, kissing. The banter between us, the loving touches, and the caring looks filled me with warmth and longing. I snuck a quick look Ben’s direction to see if he was as moved as I was. His eyes were glued to the screen. From the way he rubbed his chest, I guessed he felt the same way.

Then the screen darkened. Damien was in the picture. For once, I was seeing how we interacted like I never had before. Ollie managed to capture how I truly tensed at his touch while looking wildly uncomfortable. I recognized this night and held my breath. It happened a week ago when I ran to the pharmacy. I swallowed hard.

Though in much of the movie thus far the conversations had been covered over by music, this time, Ollie let us hear what was happening. She knew what she was doing. I had to pay attention.

At first, Damien was simply texting. We could hear the low clicking of his typing on the screen. Then a moment later, the phone actually rang. Ollie focused in on the phone. The caller’s name flashed across his phone: Side Bitch.

Immediately, Damien shifted uncomfortably in his seat. On screen he answered the phone. “What’s up, baby?”

Like the complete idiot he is, Damien obviously underestimated his daughter. He answered this call on speaker.

“It’s getting late. I thought you’d be here by now,” the seductive female voice pouted.

“I’ll be there in a minute, boo! I gotta stay with the brat until Miss Priss returns.” He sighed. “You know where I want to be.”

Without thinking, I stomped my foot and glared his direction. Damien jumped out of his seat and started clapping while forcing a laugh. “I think we’ve all seen enough. Great film, Ollie. Remind me to ground you for sneaking up on people with your camera. It’s just rude.” He moved to stand in front of the screen, as if that were going to help him.

“Actually, you’re rude. Sit down and shut up during Ollie’s screening,” Ben yelled. When I turned to look at him, he was visibly shaking. Seeing how this affected him hurt me more than what Damien had actually done.