Entangled To The CEO

Kristen’s [POV]

I woke up to the sound of gentle rain outside my window. I left Jake’s place earlier than usual yesterday. I’d spent an hour cleaning up after I’d gotten home, and then I’d headed out for a late dinner with Melody.

The whole time, however, I had thought about Jake. Melody had probably noticed, but she was a lot more forgiving with me because she was convinced I was madly in love with Jake.

Not that she was far off the mark with that one.

I was in love with Jake, and it was getting harder and harder to justify the secret I was keeping from him. He deserved the truth, and I desperately needed his trust. But how on earth was I supposed to secure it now? That was what was making me hesitate.

I didn’t know how to tell him the truth without destroying his trust and faith in me. I kept hoping some magical solution would present itself, but so far, I was just going around in circles in my head.

I rolled out of bed, brushed my teeth, had a quick shower, and then walked

to my kitchen. I had plans to meet Melody again today, but I was seriously thinking of canceling. I missed Jake and Noah, and as I looked out towards the gentle pitter-patter of the rain, I knew that Noah would enjoy baking cookies on a day like this. I noticed that there was a message on my answering machine that I hadn’t checked, so I walked over and pressed the playback button.

“Hi, Kristen,” Jake’s voice was clear and crisp, but he was talking a little fast like he was distracted by something. “I’m just calling to…to… Noah, don’t pull that, kid… The whole thing’s going to… Noah, seriously?”

I stifled a laugh as I listened to Jake trying to juggle the phone call with his son.

“Sorry… Noah’s trying to get to… Anyway, I just called to ask about your plans for today. There’s someone I’d like you to meet. She’s… For God’s sake, kid… Kristen, I’m sorry, I’ve got to go. Try and drop in today if you have the time.”

I walked to my fridge and opened the door. There were only a few fruits and a loaf of bread on the verge of going stale. I spent so much time at Jake’s that keeping a fully stocked pantry and fridge just seemed wasteful. I realized that I wanted to see Jake and Noah today, and I wasn’t prepared to wait until the evening. Quickly, I called up Melody, praying that she would understand.

“Hi,” I said brightly, the moment she picked up.

“Hi, what’s up?”

“Um… I was just calling to ask whether you were still in the mood to go shopping?”

“I’m always in the mood to go shopping,” Melody said immediately. “And today’s the last day to find the right outfit because my date is tomorrow.”

“Ah, right… Seems to me that I’d just slow you down though,” I said, trying to be as diplomatic as possible.

“Kristen?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re trying to get out of shopping with me today, aren’t you?”

“Whatever gave you that idea?”

“Your high-pitched tone for one,” she replied bluntly.

I smiled guiltily. “Sorry… It’s just that… I think Jake’s aunt is in town, and he wants me to meet her. She’s the closest thing to a mother he’s had since his mom died and so this is kind of a big deal for me.”

“Fuck… He wants you to meet his mother?”

“Well… She’s technically his aunt”

“Yeah, I get it; she’s practically his mother.”

“Right.”

“Did he tell you she was in town?”

“No, he didn’t say a word,” I admitted. “She probably just dropped by unexpectedly to surprise Jake and Noah.”

“Well then, you have to go meet her,” Melody said.

“Aw bless you,” I said gratefully. “Thanks for understanding.”

“You owe me a shopping date.”

“Definitely,” I said. “And I will deliver.”

“You better.”

“Wait,” I said quickly before Melody could hang up.

“What?”

“I… I’ve never met a boyfriend’s family before,” I said. “How do I act?”

Melody laughed. “You act the way you always do,” she said. “Be yourself, and she’s going to love you.”

“Okay,” I said, gulping back my nerves. “Thanks.”

After I hung up, I headed toward my wardrobe and looked around for something to wear. I finally decided on jeans and a simple blouse. I kept my hair loose around my shoulders and added just the faintest touch of blush, mascara, and lip gloss before heading over to Jake’s apartment.

I stopped by one of the city’s best bakeries on my way and picked up a tray of breakfast treats I knew Noah would love. When I got to the apartment, I took a deep breath and knocked twice. A few seconds later, the door swung open and Jake was standing there smiling at me.

“Hey, you’re here.”

“And I bring gifts,” I said, passing over the box of pastries.

“Hey, Noah and I love this place.”

“I’m glad,” I said, and then I looked around for his aunt. “So where’s Aunt Margo?”

“Aunt Margo?” Jake asked, in obvious confusion.

“Yes,” I nodded. “In your message this morning, you said there was someone you wanted me to meet.”

“Oh,” he said, understanding. “There is someone I want you to meet. But it’s not my aunt.”

“Oh,” I said, wrinkling my brows together. “Then who is it?”

Before Jake could answer, Noah came running through from his bedroom. “Krissy!” he yelled, sounding delighted. “You’re here!”

“Hi, buddy,” I said, bending down so that I could hug him. “Slept well?”

“Uh-huh,” he nodded. “Guess what?”

“What?”

“Grandma’s here.”

I frowned. “Grandma?” I repeated, recalling that Jake had told me his mother had passed away some years back.

“Yes,” Jake nodded. “My mother-in-law is here. Daphne’s mother.”

I felt my body grow cold as I realized what he was saying. Isabelle was here, and she knew exactly who I was. How could this have happened before I could tell Jake? How could I let this have happened?

“Grandma!” Noah called.

A few seconds later, I heard footsteps, and then Isabelle emerged. It had been years since I’d last seen her. She was still the same graceful woman I had met back then. Her hair was only just starting to gray at the edges, and her eyes were still as blue as ever. Her eyes landed on me, and she stopped short as her expression turned from oblivion to shock.

“Kristen?” she said, staring at me as though she had seen a ghost.

The smile on Jake’s face grew subdued as he looked between us. “Wait…do you two know each other?”

I tried to reply, but my throat had gone dry, and I couldn’t form the words. Realization slowly began to dawn on Isabelle’s face, and I saw her gain her composure back.

“This is all very strange,” she said.

“What is strange?” Jake asked, and I could sense he was getting a little on edge.

“When I heard the name Kristen, I did think it was a strange coincidence,” Isabelle said, looking towards me. “And there was the call, too… But I didn’t think about you at all, Kristen.”

“Grandma can we make cookies with Krissy?” he asked, pulling on her hand at the same time that he reached out for me.

Isabelle looked at him distractedly, but Jake stepped in. “Buddy, can you go to your room and organize your toys for a few minutes, please?”

Noah’s face fell immediately. “But… I wanna stay with Grandma and Krissy… I wanna make cookies.”

“Sort out your toys first,” Jake said, as he glanced at my guilt-stricken face. “And then we can start, okay?”

“Okay,” Noah said, sounding impatient.

He headed off to his room, and I stood there, silent and terrified, knowing that the house I had built was about to come tumbling down around me. The moment Noah was gone, Jake turned to me, and the smile had disappeared from his face.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“Why are you so pale?”

I gulped, but I couldn’t find it in me to say anything, so Jake turned to Isabelle, who was now looking supremely uncomfortable.

“Isabelle?”

She looked towards me for a second. “I… I met Kristen years ago,” she said shakily.

And I knew immediately that having realized that Jake didn’t know who I was, she didn’t want to sell me out. I knew this was the moment I needed to stop being a coward. I needed to come clean, no matter how hard it was for me.

“I knew Daphne,” I blurted out.

Jake turned to me slowly. “Excuse me?”

“I… I knew Daphne.”

“How?” Jake asked, as his eyes went wide with disbelief.

“Because we’re related… I’m her half-sister,” I said.

Jake just stared at me for a few moments. “I… I’m sorry… I don’t think I heard you correctly.”

“It’s true,” Isabelle said gently. “She is Daphne’s half-sister.”

Jake looked between the two of us, and I could see his mind processing this information. Then he turned to face me, and I could barely look him in the eye for shame.

“So when you told me about your no good father who had another family”

“Daphne was his first child… Isabelle was his wife,” I stammered. “And my mother was his…”

“Plaything?” Jake demanded angrily.

“I… yes,” I said, hanging my head.

“Now, Jake,” Isabelle said, coming forward. “This isn’t so bad.”

“I trusted you,” he said, ignoring Isabelle and staring daggers at me. “I… I fell for you. You had months to tell me this, and you didn’t.”

“I meant to tell you,” I said pleadingly.

“Then why didn’t you?”

“Because I was scared of how you would react,” I said, tripping over my words. “At first you were so different to what I’d imagined, and I didn’t feel comfortable telling you who I was, and then after I was comfortable enough to tell you… I just… I was scared of how you would take it.”

“So you just decided never to tell me?” he asked incredulously.

“No, of course, I was going to tell you”

“When?” he demanded. “Before or after you’d trapped me?”

I deserved his venom, but it still stung nevertheless. I felt tears in my eyes instantly, and I forced myself to push them back. I didn’t want to cry in front of him. It was weak and pathetic, and it was asking for sympathy when really, truly I felt I deserved none.

“Jake,” I said, taking a step towards him. “I care about you so”

“Don’t,” he interrupted, turning away from me. “Just go.”

“I said go!” he said, in a voice that was harsh and cold and very similar to the man he had been before he had gotten involved with me.

“Jake,” Isabelle said, stepping in. “Maybe you should just hear her out.”

My heart swelled with gratitude for Isabelle, and I marveled at how incredibly gracious a woman she was, especially after all she had suffered at my mother’s hands. That she could stand there,

knowing I had effectively stepped into the space her daughter had filled and not hated me was mind-boggling to me. I had never met a woman with that much grace and composure.

“I don’t think she meant to hurt anyone,” Isabelle said.

Jake just turned to her and glared until she backed down. Then he turned back to me. “Get out.”

I rushed towards the door just as I heard a little voice call out my name. “Krissy?” Noah called. “Where are you going?”

His little cherub face was slightly distressed, and I guessed that he had heard part of the exchange between his father and me.

I forced on a brave face and smiled at him. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” I said, proud of the fact that my voice didn’t shake. “I have to go.”

“But…cookies?”

“Another time, okay?” I said, knowing that there would probably never be another time. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

“Hug First,” Noah said, stretching out to me.

I hugged him tightly, kissed him on the cheek, and then headed straight toward the door without looking back. I was almost at the elevator when I heard Isabelle’s voice calling out my name. Feeling the tears slip from my eyes I turned.

“I’m sorry, Isabelle,” I said. “I never meant to cause any trouble and I certainly didn’t mean to take Daphne’s place.”

“I never thought you did,” she replied.

“Can I ask you one question though, please?” I asked, rubbing the tears from my eyes.

“Yes.”

“You mentioned a call inside; what did you mean by that?”

“I got this call from another woman a few days ago,” Isabelle said. “She told me that I needed to visit my son-in-law and my grandson. There was a woman in their lives that I needed to meet. I suppose that’s what brought me here.”

I stared at her for a moment.

“Do you know who it might have been?” she asked.

“I know exactly who it was,” I said, trying to contain my hurt and anger. “It was my mother.”