After the Internship: A Novella (The Intern #4) (8 page)

Chapter Eleven

Cecilia

There’s more to the story

I
CAN’T BREATHE. I’m losing more oxygen by the second, and I can’t get my lungs to open up.

I gasp, clawing my neck.
Breathe, dammit.

I sit up in my bed, clenching my chest and throat. I inhale deeply, finally feeling relief from the oxygen that I wasn
’t receiving. It’s only a dream.

Just a dream
, I remind myself.

I claw the sheets, rubbing them over my forehead and face to wipe off the sweat. That was one of the worst dreams I
’ve ever had.

I lay back, relieved. My heart is still racing as I think what I
had just dreamt.

I lied to Bentley about reading the interview. I lied to him about looking at the pictures. I lied about all of it. And now I was paying for it.

My mind spins as I recall the dream—rather, nightmare. One moment it’s Bentley and I—him making love to me. The next—Hannah and Bentley.

Hannah and Bentley.

The thought of them together makes me jump out of bed and head straight for the bathroom. I throw up last night’s dinner of shrimp and pasta. Katelynn and I had gotten together to discuss wedding details for her and Brandon’s Winter Wonderland wedding at the end of the year.

Thinking of her and Brandon instead of my dream soothes me for a few moments. I rinse my mouth and wash my face before heading back into bed. My stomach feels queasy and I
’m completely nauseous just thinking of the images in my mind.

Hannah on top of Bentley.

Bentley bending Hannah over.

Bentley
driving deep inside her.

Hannah
moaning and screaming his name as he continues pumping forcefully from behind.

His
nails digging into her hips as he bucks into her, harder and deeper.

Oh
, god.

I run back to the bathroom for a second round. The dream felt so real—looked so real. It was as if I
were watching them from above as if I had a front row viewing.

Nothing like this has ever happened before. I
’ve never imagined Bentley with other women. We both had past lovers, and I knew that going in he was clearly not a virgin, but this was different. Now I had read her words
and
had a visual.

I make a pot of coffee, no use in trying to get back to sleep anytime soon. Every time I close my eyes, the images of them pop back into my mind.

I decide to tackle my email, something I’ve been avoiding for days.

Half way through my cup of coffee, I come across an email that
’s addressed to me, but I don’t recognize the email.

Dear Cecilia West:

You don
’t know me, but I know you.

I met you when you were only five years old. I
’ve known your dad for many years. I know it’s been years since his death, but if you’re interested, I’d love to see you again. If so, email me back. We can meet somewhere public if you wish. I know this is a random message, but you can trust me.

Sincerely,

Ava

Ava?
A woman is emailing me about my father? I always suspected he worked for a mob-type of guy. No one outside of my family and Bentley know that we know the truth…we never made it public. So who was she? Was she his mistress? His gambling partner? Nothing ever came up with an Ava.

I scroll down and notice she sent me another one just a couple days ago.

Dear Cecilia West:

I don
’t blame you for being hesitant to email me back. I know your fiancé is in the spotlight right now, and I promise it has nothing to do with that. But…I’d like to see you again before it’s too late. Please message me back.

Sincerely,

Ava West Freeman

Oh my god.

Ava
West
.

My heart races as I read the last email she sent me. I read it over twice just to make sure I read it correctly.

I do a quick Google search for an Ava West, but nothing comes up. Not even a Facebook page.
What the hell?

I slam my laptop shut before deciding I must still be dreaming and go back to bed.

*   *   *

I wake up to the sound of shuffling coming from the hallway. It
’s just after five in the morning, and I’m convinced someone’s broken into my house.

I quickly reach over and click the lamp on. I open my eyes just in time to see Bentley walking in with his luggage.

“Bentley?” I gasp, holding a hand to my chest. I wasn’t expecting him back until this afternoon.

“
Morning, sweetheart,” he says in a soft tone, his face lighting up. “Sorry, I woke you up. I wanted to surprise you.”

A hundred thoughts start rushing in—the dream, the images,
and the email from Ava. Jesus…it’s too much.

I feel the blood draining from my face. Seeing him after those vivid dreams is making it hard not to burst into tears and overreact.

“That’s okay. I’m glad you arrived safely,” I say weakly, not entirely awake yet. “I haven’t slept well.”

“
I didn’t either. I hate sleeping without you.” He bends down next to the bed so our eyes are level. He cups my face as he softly kisses my lips. I inhale his scent, reminding myself that he’s
mine.

“
I hate it, too. I think I need a companion,” I offer lightly. “Perhaps a dog. One that won’t mind my cuddling with it while you aren’t home.” I smile hopefully.

“
A dog, huh? Well, I might not be gone as much anymore.”

“
What do you mean? Angie had you booked for practically the rest of the year.”

He rubs his knuckles up and down my cheek, looking deep into my eyes. I have no idea what he
’s talking about, but I can tell he’s definitely up to something.

“
We’ll talk about it later, okay? Let’s get some sleep.”

By the time I wake up again, it
’s well past noon. Bentley looks to be unconscious, so I don’t wake him. I know he’s always beat when he gets home from long flights.

After making coffee and breakfast, I decide to open my laptop and read Ava
’s emails again. I contemplate telling her to leave me the hell alone, and that I’m content with the closure I have, but the nagging part of me is eager to hear what she has to say.

With shaky and sweaty palms, I begin to write her back. I ask her when is the soonest she can meet me. I tell her I
’ll be bringing my fiancé with me because I don’t trust her. At least she’ll know that much.

Once I click send, my body shivers with nerves and anticipation. I can
’t believe my father’s death has resurfaced again. His death has always hovered over me—the questions and never-ending obsession to know what happened. Once I knew—once I read his letter—I finally felt at peace.

Now this could change everything—
again
.

I tell Bentley about the email as soon as he
’s capable of retaining information. He’s still groggy from traveling, but he’s just as surprised as I was.

“
It just seems odd, right? Like all these years later and now, she’s contacting me. Do you think it has anything to do with the recent…rumors?”

“
Ceci…a lot of people will suddenly appear in your life when fame or some kind of celebrity status hits you. The fact that you’re engaged to me—that brings no surprise that you’d get an email from a family member or something—if it’s even legit that is. Just…don’t get your hopes up. She could definitely be a fraud, but it doesn’t hurt to know for sure.

I bite my lip as I take in his words. He
’s absolutely right. It’s like when someone wins the lottery or suddenly has an overnight success—long lost cousins and siblings surface looking for a hand out.

“
Well, my hopes aren’t up, but I just need you to go with me. Please,” I plead with my eyes. He’s sitting across the table from me going over emails in his phone.

“
Of course, sweetheart. If she’s not legit, I’ll be able to tell. I can call in a favor as well if I have to.” He takes a sip of his coffee that has been sitting untouched for the last twenty minutes. “The guys from the firm could do a more thorough search,” he clarifies.

“
Perfect.” I smile back weakly. I notice how busy he is and hate interrupting him when he’s catching up on work stuff. “Well, I’m going to go shower and get ready for the day. I’m sure there’s something I’m supposed to be doing. An appointment, fitting, or something.” I sigh.

I notice my phone flashing before I get undressed.

Cora
: 9-1-1. Call me.

Shit.

“What’s wrong?” I ask as soon as she picks up.

“
I’m…oh, god…” She’s breathing heavily. “I think…I’m…shit.”

“
Cora? Speak English. What happened?”

“
I missed my period,” she finally blurts out. I stifle a laugh as I put two-and-two together.

“
Cora…breathe. Is Simon home?”

“
No! The bastard left for his dad’s cabin this morning.” I know she’s overreacting, but for Cora, she’s panicking.

“
Okay, I’m getting in the shower now. I’m coming over with a test, chocolate, and tums.”

“
Tums?” she asks.

“
If you’re pregnant, you should be feeling heartburn any day now,” I reply with a smile although she can’t see me.

“
Don’t say the P word. I’m not. I can’t be.”

I laugh.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware it suddenly became a swear word.”

“
Shut up. I hate you right now. This isn’t funny. Oh, my god. My life is over,” she spits out dramatically.

Yup…she
’s pregnant.

I fill Bentley in as soon as I finish getting dressed. He looks disappointed that I
’m leaving just as he got back, but once I fill him in, he soon understands. He’s used to
Cora 9-1-1 dilemmas.

“
We’ll talk about what you wanted to discuss when I get back, okay?” I wrap my arms around his neck, showing him how desperate I am to have alone time with him.

“
All right. Don’t be too long. Tell Cora I want my fiancée back home soon. Preferably in one piece.”

“
I’ll be fine.” I kiss him softly. “Love you.”

By the time I
arrive at Cora’s, she’s hovering over the toilet. She doesn’t look too well, so I put a cold washcloth over her forehead.

“
You look like shit.”

“
And you look like the fucking Queen.”

“
That’s the Cora I know and love.”

“
This sucks ass, Celia. Seriously. I’m on the pill. This isn’t supposed to happen.”

“
You’re aware the pill is only ninety-seven percent effective, right?”

“
I thought that was just something they had to print on the box? You know…to avoid lawsuits and shit.”

I purse my lips.
“No…it’s on there to actually tell you there’s always a three percent chance you’ll get pregnant.”

“
Son-of-a-bitch.”

I walk to the kitchen, grab a bottle of water, and hand it to her.
“Drink this, mama. You need to stay hydrated.”

“
Don’t call me that. Seriously, Simon is going to freak.”

I narrow my brows at her.
“Why? You guys are married. You both have jobs. You have a home, two cars, and life together. Most people would die for the stability you guys have created. This is actually a perfect time to have a baby.” I try to calm her, but Cora is anything but calm.

“
Exactly. It was perfect. Now I’m going to get what…cramps. Fat. Ginormous boobs. Gas. Oh, god.” She sinks to the floor, covering her face up.

“
Your child will definitely have a career in drama.”

“
I hate you,” she mumbles.

“
All right, get up. Time to pee.”

She groans, finally getting off the floor. I hand her the test and smile.
“Do you know how to use this?”

“
I’ve taken a few tests in my day, thank you,” she snarls.

“
Well, then, stop being a pussy and take it already.”

She rolls her eyes as she starts unbuttoning her jeans.
“God, I can’t wait until you’re knocked up.”