WORTHY (7 page)

Chapter Nine

Silence pervaded the car. Shannon was simply waiting for Caitlin to talk, while all Caitlin wanted was to curl up in a ball in her bedroom and lock out the rest of the world, at least for a few hours.

Shannon couldn’t help glancing worriedly at Caitlin from time to time. Finally, “I’m okay, Susie. Just please… I want to go home now.” Caitlin reassured her friend in a soft, emotionless voice.

“Whatever you say, honey. You know I’m always here for you, right? Just let me know if you need anything.” Shannon said soothingly, her concern evident in her voice.

“Yeah, I know. Thank you for everything, Susie.” Caitlin responded with a sad smile.

After several minutes of silence.

“Hey, listen, Katie. I hate to bring this up but I was hanging out with Nick hours ago and he gave me this.” Shannon gave Caitlin the cheque from the dashboard.

Caitlin let out a sigh as she accepted the $5,000 cheque. She stared at it for several seconds before placing it inside her purse.

When they finally reached Caitlin’s house, she quietly reached out and gave Shannon a hug before she left.

Lying on her bed, Caitlin found herself staring at the ceiling. Despite her resolve, her mind kept on reliving the scenes with Sebastian. Although she was angry at his callousness, his face and the passion they shared burned in her mind.

She knew Sebastian had every right to be angry. After all, he had not asked for it and Caitlin was pretty sure hiring the services of a woman was not something he did, not something he needed.

But still…his words pierced through her heart. It hurt. She longed to explain everything to him but what for? It’s not as if his thought of her mattered. It was just…work.

Hopefully, their paths need not cross ever again. A tear slipped unchecked at the very thought of it.

Caitlin managed to sleep, albeit restlessly. Funny, she barely knew the guy other than that one night stand but she was acting like a girl who’d just had her heart broken.

Hours later, Caitlin went to the hospital to deliver the money to her mother. She had managed to raise more than $20, 000 in one night. Not bad, Katie, Caitlin thought sardonically. She planned to return the money Shannon loaned her. She doesn’t even have to touch the money she saved up for college.

“Katie, listen. I need to tell you something.” Amanda pulled her aside and gestured to the bench. Her face was blank, Caitlin could not seem to read what’s going through her mind.

“What is it, mom?” Caitlin asked, her voice laced with worry and weariness.

“Uhhm…I was able to finally find a compatible donor for Caleb and the transplant is scheduled for tomorrow.” Amanda said quietly, looking straight into her eyes.

“That’s great! It’s nothing short of a miracle, isn’t it? I mean, I know it’s difficult to find a match!” Caitlin was ecstatic, tears welling up her eyes. Caleb will be okay, her prayers had been answered.

“Not really…” Amanda replied hesitantly.

“What do you mean?” Caitlin asked, her forehead furrowing with worry. Frankly, she didn’t think she could handle any more emotional upheaval. The last twenty-four hours had been the most trying time of her life.

“Well, you see…finding a donor in time to save Caleb was actually close to impossible. Our chances were slim. I…I had no choice but to seek help from your father, Katie. I didn’t know who else to turn to.” Amanda said, her eyes seeking understanding.

Startled at the turn of events, Caitlin pulled back. Of all the things she had anticipated, she definitely had not expected this, especially from her mother.

She was not exactly angry with her father. She had very little recollections of him. It was easier to pretend and tell people he was dead to avoid awkward questions instead of telling friends about her mother’s past.

Caught off-guard, she did not know what to say. In silence, she just stared right back at her mother, her face showing a myriad of emotions.

“He was the one who made this transplant possible, Katie. He was able to pull some strings and helped me get in touch with the right people. And…he wants to meet you.” Amanda said earnestly.

Whoa. Everything’s going too fast. With all the events that happened this week, Caitlin wanted to scream in frustration. She felt she had no control over her life. She couldn’t keep up with the curve balls life was throwing her way.

Caitlin was silent, trying to absorb the information and at the same time getting used to the idea that her father was alive and wanted to reconnect with her after all these years. She had been six years old when her mother left him.

“Katie? I know it’s not easy for you… If you want, I can just tell him you need more time.” Amanda said, looking concerned. She had just talked to Gordon over the phone. It was not difficult to find him but trying to get his people to connect her to him was an entirely different matter.

Had it not been a life and death situation, she would have never considered seeking his help. She had been through enough and she had always been able to pull through in the past.

But it must be true for all mothers, when their children are involved, they were willing to try anything and swallow their pride.

“When?” Caitlin asked.

“He is scheduled to attend an engagement in New York next week. He plans to make a stopover here on his way back.” Amanda said.

Caitlin could not think clearly. She was too tired and emotionally overwrought at the moment to make decisions.

“Give me a few days to think about it Mom, okay?” Caitlin asked. She knew her mother would understand. Growing up had been rough on her. Somehow, Max, despite his flaws had provided a male figure in her life. But it was never enough.

“Of course, dear. It’s up to you, okay? No one is forcing you.” Amanda said, patting her hand reassuringly.

Chapter Ten

The transplant was successful and a week later, Caleb was released from the hospital with a brand new lease on life. Caitlin also agreed to meet her father.

Gordon Palmer was scheduled to stop by at their house on Sunday. In the days leading up to the visit, Caitlin could sense her mother’s nervousness. It had been fourteen years since they had seen each other and their parting left very little to be desired.

Even if she had remarried, Caitlin suspected Gordon was her mother’s one great love. She harboured no hopes of her parents getting back together after all these years. In fact, she preferred things to stay the same—less drama, fewer complications. They all had gone through so much already, she was looking forward to better times ahead with her family.

The doorbell rang at around four in the afternoon. Caitlin was in her room pacing agitatedly. She hated to admit it but she was nervous.

She looked out the window to see four black SUVs, with heavily tinted windows parked across the street. There were four burly men, whom Caitlin assumed were her father’s bodyguards. “This is just surreal,” Katie muttered.

She could hear voices in the living room when she walked down the stairs. Her mother was offering coffee. Standing at the base of the stairs, Caitlin inhaled deeply and entered the small living room.

Gordon was in the middle of asking Caleb who he was when he caught sight of his daughter silently watching him. Gordon Palmer was a tall man. Despite the years, he was still handsome.

Standing up, Gordon held her gaze steadily. While Caitlin had seen him several times in the newspapers, it was the first time for Gordon to see his firstborn all grown up. Same blue eyes sized each other up.

Without a sound, he held his arms outstretched, silently drawing Caitlin to him. Caitlin had tried to picture possible scenarios of her meeting with her father, but she had not anticipated this.

Her mind blank, she silently walked into his embrace. God, it felt so good. The lost years seemed to have evaporated into thin air as she closed the distance between them. Caitlin was that little girl again who had always looked forward to her father’s visit.

After a few seconds, Gordon was the first one to break the embrace. “Let me look at you,” he said as he gently set her back, scrutinizing her face. “You have grown lovelier, muppet.” Gordon declared, his voice husky with emotion.

Muppet. She remembered It was her father’s pet name for her. Caitlin simply smiled in response. Sniffing softly after witnessing the father and daughter exchange, Amanda bustled in with some coffee and pie.

Gordon looked so out of place in their tiny living room. He was too big for the chair he was sitting in. In between bites, Gordon asked Caitlin about herself, her school and how she had been. Caitlin had very little to say. Caleb’s condition did not allow her to think about her plans much less her future. She was far too busy helping her mother to pay the bills.

Trying to sound upbeat, she tried to leave out the bad parts. She told him about her course and her plans to enroll next semester as well as her work in Caprice.

After a while, a polite knock intruded on their conversation. A man stepped inside and addressed Gordon, “Sir, sorry to interrupt but we need to be on our way.” Gordon simply nodded in acknowledgement.

“I’m afraid I have to cut this short. Amanda, thank you for the pie. You still bake the meanest desserts, I have to say.” Gordon said as he stood up to leave.

“Thank you for everything, Gordon. I will never be able to thank you enough.” Amanda said, glancing at Caleb who quietly sat at the corner seemingly in awe of Gordon.

“You’re most welcome, Amanda. If you need anything, please, don’t hesitate to get in touch. You already have my direct line.” Gordon smiled warmly. Turning to Caleb, “You recuperate well, boy. I look forward to seeing you show me how well you bat.”

He then reached for his inner pocket to take out a phone. Placing his arm around her, “Katie, I want you to have this. My number is already saved in there. I…I want us to stay in touch, if it’s okay with you.” Gordon said, looking expectantly at Caitlin. Despite his stature and wealth, he is still a man trying to make his way back into his daughter’s life.

“I will, D-daddy.” Caitlin said as she received the phone.

“Okay then. I need to be on my way. Amanda, thank you again and Katie, I’ll be expecting regular calls from you, okay?” Gordon softly kissed Caitlin’s forehead before he left.

So what was that, Caitlin mused. It felt awkward to call someone daddy. It would definitely take some getting used to.

Barely a month later, their lives were back to normal except for Caleb who needed more time to recuperate. But with his friends visiting him regularly, it was clear Caleb would soon pick up where he’d left off.

Caitlin maintained constant contact with her father. Gordon seems to be making a great effort to catch up with the lost time. Caitlin suspected her father made special trips to New Jersey just to invite her to dinner and simply claimed he has business in town.

Slowly, the two are picking up the pieces and trying to learn more about each other. She learned from him that his wife had died of colon cancer several years before and they only had one daughter from that marriage, who was three years younger than her.

Gordon showed her pictures of Samantha and promised to someday introduce them to each other. It was difficult for her to take it all in and adjust to having a father in her life but Caitlin looked forward to every visit.

However, their meetings remained covert and her father took the necessary precautions to protect her from the prying eyes of the public. As an influential man, Gordon explained, there were people who were just waiting for that perfect weapon to destroy him and he did not want her to be dragged into it.

Despite her misgivings, she tried to be understanding of the situation. Had her father come back into her life five years ago, she doubted if she would have been as understanding of the arrangements they made. Caitlyn just meets him for dinner or lunch at whatever hotel he is staying in. A bodyguard usually fetches her and escorts her to her father’s room.

Without having the need to ask, Caitlin knew she could not openly tell anyone about her father. Gordon had asked her to give him a year to make things right and break the news gently to her sister. There was just too much at stake at the moment. Caitlin had no choice but to try to understand the situation.

Despite his insistence she quit her job and allow him to provide for her, Caitlin’s independent spirit asserted itself. She wanted to keep her job. She reasoned with him that she was learning so much and getting firsthand experience on running a restaurant—something that she dreamed of having someday.

Gordon was secretly proud of his daughter’s independent nature and found it disarming to learn that she had also somehow inherited his stubborn streak.

* * * *

Caitlin managed to trudge on day by day, trying to put the memory of that one night with Sebastian behind her. She and Shannon never spoke about what had happened and she was grateful for her friend’s respect for her privacy.

Sometimes, Caitlin could feel Shannon staring at her curiously. As much as she wanted to reassure her friend, Caitlin opted to simply ignore it. She needed to focus on the present and not dwell on what had happened that night.

But despite her resolve, it seemed difficult to fully extricate Sebastian from her memory. Not when their family was regularly plastered on the newspaper’s society and business pages.

Apparently, the Averys were prominent members of society. With the death of his twin brother, Sebastian was now hailed as the heir-apparent to the Avery conglomerate. It seemed his parents were merely waiting for him to complete his studies at Princeton University so he can slowly take over his father’s business.

Since then, Caitlin had been on a constant lookout for news about Sebastian, despite her better judgment. Looking back, she now understood the cynicism and hint of suspicion behind Sebastian’s insulting words. With his wealth and stature, it was inevitable for girls to flock around him with their underhanded schemes to possibly extort money and even brazenly attempt to snag him for a husband.

For Sebastian, the past month had been a blur. The memory of Katie still burned in his mind, branding him. During the first few days, he simply shrugged off his fascination as owing to the fact that she was a virgin when he took her. But the persistent memory of her that seems to haunt him even in his sleep only proved that it was something more than just a passing fancy.

For some reason, after that fateful night, Sebastian had decided to rejoin the living. He attended his classes but refused to go back to his carefree days of partying. After Shawne’s death, it just didn’t feel right.

After five and a half weeks of acting cool and nonchalant about the whole thing, Sebastian finally relented and brought up the topic to Nicholas one Saturday night when they were lounging in his living room, enjoying a quiet night and a few drinks.

“Hey, Nick. I’ve been meaning to ask you about that girl Katie…” Sebastian asked, trying to sound casual.

“Katie who?” Nicholas asked in between bites of his favorite Angus burger, his attention still on the movie they were watching.

“Katie, the girl on my birthday.” Sebastian replied, his eyes also glued on the wide screen.

“Oh. Her. Caitlin, you mean.” Now Sebastian finally got Nick’s attention. “What about her?” Nicholas asked, looking at Sebastian intently.

So Caitlin is her real name,
Sebastian thought to himself. It suited her perfectly. Feigning nonchalance, “Ah nothing... I’m just curious where you got her. She seemed inexperienced.” Sebastian replied, as he got up to get a couple of beers from the kitchen.

“Is she now? I did think she was a tad shy when I met her.” Nicholas mused, still not making it easy for Sebastian.

“Well?” Sebastian prodded, trying not to sound impatient. He offered Nicholas another can of beer.

“I’m sorry man, I actually don’t know much about her. She was just recommended by a girl I usually hang out with at the bar. I only met her once to discuss the deal and that was it.” Nicholas said, his eyes showing his amusement.

“Oh, okay.” Sebastian shrugged, trying to deflect any questions Nicholas might have. He focused his attention back to the movie. But after a few minutes, Sebastian’s curiosity got the better of him.

“Do you have the contact number of the girl you hang out with?” Sebastian asked.

Nicholas could no longer hide his amusement, “She’s got you tied in knots, doesn’t she? I knew you’d like her. Tell you what, how about for dinner we swing by the restaurant Shannon works at, then you can ask her yourself.”

Sebastian simply shrugged. “Why not? We’re not doing anything tonight, anyway. Where is this restaurant?” Sebastian asked, still trying to look and sound disinterested but Nicholas could read him like a book. Through the years he had known Sebastian, this was probably the first time he’d showed interest in a woman, despite the fact he was trying to sound casual about the whole thing. Sebastian and Shawne, like Nick, are too used to having females throw themselves at them.

After months of running on autopilot, Sebastian felt alive and excited. He still had no idea what to ask Caitlin’s friend and what his plans would be if he finally does see her again. Sebastian did not allow himself to dwell on it.