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.

I'm in love with her unique perspective, the way she cares, her giggle, her touch, her spontaneity and optimism.

as I'm handing my luggage to our driver

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

rubbing my gritty eyes with my thumb and index finger. Eric slept on the flight, but I couldn't manage

"Listen, about our game-"

along, if you can. Lia is going to be there later on. They can hang out at the pool while we hit

mouth snaps shut on the news that I

going to be at the country

of me. To demand 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

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

land and go straight to the

informing me they've coordinated with my housekeeper to have my golf clubs and attire 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

on the shoulder. "Hey, buddy.

his cart idling behind him. Given no

me a chance to explain my relationship with Lia. Getting into her pretty little head

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 never

I managed to pad the fund's earnings with my 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. "We're going to

I'll be able to come up

knows you're broke?" I

school might not happen. For some reason, she insists on proceeding as if she'll move out in the fall, attend the university." He rakes a hand through his hair. "Maybe she's

No.

She's not in denial.

found a desperate old man to pay her

she got enough money together

what happened, isn't it? None of her affection was

She needed cash. Fast.