Climb on My Stepfather (Ashley and Alex)

Chapter 64

16: Tristan.

Something is wrong.

The first couple days of my business trip, Lia is her usual, incredible self when I call her at night or between meetings. Her voice is soft and inviting in my ear, she tells me she misses me, asks if I'm taking stress breaks. Late at night, she sends me mirror selfies from our hotel suite wearing nothing but a scrap of yellow material that vaguely resembles panties-and purrs to me over the speakerphone while I jack myself raw in the bathroom.

But at some point, her tone loses its usual brightness. She sounds almost sad? Although she won't tell me why so I can fix it. No amount of gifts sent to her doorstep seems to help. Finally, she stops answering my calls altogether.

I can't concentrate on a single thing. I can't think about anything but her, replaying our last ten conversations, trying to figure out if I missed something. How the hell have I fucked this up so fast?

I miss her. Beyond belief. I'm sick without her.

I was an idiot to think I could spend this much time away from Lia and not go berserk.

For someone so worried about giving me a heart attack, she's certainly got the damn thing firing on all cylinders in my chest. Good thing Eric almost never looks up from his phone or he would notice that I'm sweating bullets, even in the air conditioning of the charter club. As we wait to board my jet, my insides are in shreds. I've pulled some strings and sent a local cop to make sure Lia is safe and she's fine. Swimming in her lavish pool, meeting friends for lunch, going to the gym and the beach. Usual summer activities. Nothing that would prevent her from answering my calls, though.

If I don't hold her soon, I'm going to lose my head.

Unfortunately, a storm keeps us grounded half of Sunday night. By the time we're able to fly safely, it's Monday morning and my assistant calls to remind me of the round of golf I have schedule with John, Lia's father, in just a few hours. There's no way I can make it. I'm tied in knots and my legs feel like lead—not the ideal condition for a friendly golf game.

After we land, I call John to cancel from the tarmac.

My plan is to take Eric home and track down Lia.

I need to understand what's wrong and repair it. I need her to climb into my lap and whisper into my neck and make me feel whole. She's the only one who does.

I'm in love with her.

Jesus.

coming to my house since middle school, who has transformed into a young adult. I'm in love with her unique perspective, the

answers in my ear as I'm handing my luggage to our driver and climbing into the back of the limousine. "Hello,

into my trunk as we speak," he says. "Our tee time at the club is

Eric slept on the flight, but I couldn't manage to close my eyes for

"Listen, about our game-"

going to be there later on. They can hang out at the pool while we hit some

snaps shut on the news

is going to be at

to know what I've done and how I can make it up to her. If the conversation has to happen at the country club, so be it. I don't care who knows about us anymore. In fact, I'm going to tell her father face to face. There will be some outrage and gossiping and a tough reaction from Eric, but Lia is more than worth it. I'm going to have her in my life forever. The sooner

girl. Real, heart-rending love that I've never experienced before and I'm not willing to let her

agreement, we land and go straight

brought to the club and have arranged it all in the locker room. Eric quickly throws on a pair of trunks and heads to the pool, throwing me a wave. Instead of going in the direction of the course,

the shoulder. "Hey,

oddly nervous, his cart idling behind him. Given no choice, I nod. "Yeah," I grunt, taking a seat in the passenger side.

explain my relationship with Lia. Getting into her pretty little

to begin hole three that I figure out why John is nervous. Why he wanted to play golf with me—on a Monday--in the first place. And it's for a reason I

own money, make it look like we're above water but the troth is...I'm sinking. I'm fucked." To my utter shock, tears spring to the man's eyes.

I'll be able to come

broke?"

she insists on proceeding as if she'll move out in the fall, attend the university." He rakes

No.

She's not in denial.

desperate old

got enough money together for tuition, she

happened, isn't it?

She needed cash. Fast.