Charleigh Smith…
'Char'.
Please forgive me. Please know that running away from this was the only outcome where I would be truly free. My mom and Stuart were never going to let me go; they would never let me be just happy here.
And please forgive me for lying to you. I hope that you know that I hated every single second of it. I hated that I had to deceive you, but I know that if anyone in the world will understand the reasoning as to why I had to do it this way, it is you.
Before I met you - I never had a friend who willingly had my back the way you always did. Our friendship was the only thing that kept me going most days. I will always cherish that - no matter where I end up. I will always be your best friend and I just hope that my actions today don't make you feel differently about me.
I just couldn't let them get me back to Scotland.
I know that you know exactly what would happen to me if they did. Back to being a slave. Back to being used for my money. Probable rape whenever the need would take Stuart. That to me is a fate worse than death, especially after how things were with me and Jeremy.
I am not going to be gone forever and you will hear from me when I am settled. I promise you that.
Now, I know I have no right, but I need to ask a favour of you. Well, a few favours really.
I need you to look out for Jeremy. I have a sinking feeling that this is going to hit him harder than he is even aware of. I never wanted to hurt him but this was the only way for me to be truly free of my mother and her sleazy boyfriend. Make sure that Jeremy moves on with his life. Make sure that he starts dating and finds a woman worthy of him. Please?
And I want you to really give my dad and yourself a shot at what you are building. I told you that I was ok with you and my dad being together, but the truth is I am over the moon about it. I can see the chemistry between the two of you and I don't think that I have ever seen a couple more right for one another than you and my dad. I love the way he has been smiling like an idiot lately - after what my mom put him through, he deserves this. And I know that what he feels for you is genuine. I can see it when he looks at you. You are the woman of his dreams. Don't let that slip away.
Try and make sure that the fallout from my confession in my dad's letter, doesn't end the friendship between him and Jeremy. I know that is, a, hard, ask, and I hate that it has to fall on you, but if they don't get past this, then my sacrifice will be for nothing. Please don't let that happen.
Who knows maybe one day I will be able to come back. And when I do - maybe I will have a couple of little brothers and/or sisters. Yes, by the way, that was a hint. Lol. Just don't expect me to call you mom lol.
I hope that you can forgive me, honey. Please be happy. And don't be afraid to love my dad - he is worth it. Just as you are worthy of him.
Love you always honey.
Your friend, always.
Dakota.
Xxoxx'.'
My friend was gone.
I knew that she had something up her sleeve when we talked but she had promised me that she had it all figured out. And I had stupidly never questioned her on what she meant because the idea of her just leaving and not telling us where she was going never even entered my head. I knew why she wouldn't tell me too - I would have talked her out of it, and if that hadn't worked, I would have gone to Jason or Jeremy and told them of her plan.
I had already gone against my gut by not telling the guys about the texts from Stuart. "Did you know about this?" Jason asked me.
"Not about the plan, no. I would have told you had I even had an inkling of what she was arranging-" I began, "where is Remy?"
"At the airport, hoping that he will catch her," he explained, "you knew about him and Dakota?"
"I did -"
"And you didn't think that was a piece of information that I deserved to know?"
"She is my best friend, Jay-"
"And she is my daughter, you should have told me!" He charged angrily.
"And she is my best friend and asked me to keep it to myself! I will not be made to feel guilty by being a good friend to her!" I bit back just as angrily.
There is simply no way that my relationship with her dad would ever work if she felt like I wouldn't keep her secrets. If I had told him about Jeremy and her, she would never have trusted me again and that is not something that I am comfortable with because as much as I am falling for her dad, Dakota was in my life first.
Our friendship would only survive if I had her back when she needed me to. I knew that Jason would get that when he had time to calm down.
"I just don't know who to be more, mad at!" He growled as he was now pacing, running his hands through his hair. I don't know what my face looked like but somehow, I figured the anger I felt inside was reflected on my face because he stopped and stared at me, "what?"
"If you think that there is even a smidgen of comparison to be made between your ex's boyfriend and Remy, then you are fucking stupid!" I spat incredulously.
"What the Hell does that mean?"
"You can't be serious right now!" Now I was the one pacing, my phone in my hand and I pulled up Dakota's number and pressed call, hoping that somehow, she would answer.
"Don't bother, she didn't take her phone-" he began as we heard the vibration coming from Dakota's room, both of us moved towards the noise.
If she has left her phone - would the messages still be there on the device? If I could somehow show her dad, the disgusting messages that Stuart had been sending her then maybe he would get his head on straight. With my mind made up, I grabbed the phone and quickly typed in the passcode, which she had changed to Jeremy's date of birth and the click of the phone opening pierced the air, "how did you know her passcode?"
"There is very little that girl doesn't share with me, Jay!" I sighed as I searched the phone, finding the messages instantly because by the looks of it, those were the only thing left on the device, "here," I thrust the phone at him. A part of me felt guilty that he was about to read such vile comments made to his little girl, but he had to understand the difference between Stuart and Jeremy.
I know the shock of everything and the fear that he had lost his daughter once again was riding him hard, but he had to eventually understand. This was what 'Kota had asked of me - to take care of both of the most important men in her life, and this was part of that. I had to make him see that what his daughter and Jeremy shared was genuine and real. That isn't to say that I don't understand his anger. Because I do. If they had just been honest, as I was with 'Kota when I realised that I had feelings for her dad, then maybe this wouldn't be near as bad as it currently was. I mean I am not stupid - of course there would be an adjustment period because it is not an everyday occurrence where your daughter falls in love with your best friend and vice versa.
"Son of a fucking bitch!" Jason roared angrily, turning, and literally putting his fist through the wall by the door where he had come to a halt.
Rushing forward, I grabbed his wrist, avoiding the bleeding from his knuckles and I dragged him into the en-suite. Guiding him to the toilet where I sat him down while I busied myself filling the sink with warm water and grabbing the disinfectant from the cupboard underneath.
This was not the morning that any of us were expecting. I didn't know how to make this better, or if I even could. Jason just suddenly looks so broken - he was thinking about how much he had failed his little girl again. And that broke my heart because I know that Dakota never once believed that.
Damn it, 'Kota!
Meanwhile…
Jeremy Danielson…
Running through the airport, my head on a constant swivel as I hunted for her. Desperately seeking out that beautiful mane of blonde hair but there was no sign. None whatsoever. Not even a lingering remainder of her.
By the time I had covered every area of the place I had lost all hope that I would find her.
She was gone.
She had run from my life. A part of me understood that she felt this was her only option but another part of me was livid. Fucking fuming that she hadn't come to me. To us.
Why?
Why hadn't she trusted me enough? I don't think that I have ever felt so angry. I don't think that there is any part of me that isn't coiled with the rage that I felt. Rage that she had resorted back to her mindset of self-preservation. I know that she has spent the majority of her life being her own support - she had gotten good at taking care of business and relying on no one but herself. But when would she realise that she didn't have to do that anymore.
We were a couple and that meant that we supported one another. Our relationship was meant to be a partnership and I was so angry that she hadn't trusted that.
Fucking Anna. Of course, I knew that she said that she didn't believe what her mom had told her, but I know that somewhere inside of her there had to be a sliver of doubt. A little voice telling her that maybe Anna was telling the truth and if she had just spoken to me about it, I would have silenced that voice because there was no part of me that saw her mom when I looked at her. There is no part of me that had ever wanted Anna. Never. Honestly a part of me had never trusted the woman. I had buried that thought when she was with Jason because he had been so desperate to make things work for the sake of Dakota.
Slumping down in the nearest seat, my head dropped to my hands as I sighed. The anger ebbing away to nothing but hurt.
My heart hurt.
My brain was mush as I tried to make sense of what happened.
My body tensed and primed with need for her - need for her to be close. Need for the feel of her little body in my arms. Even my ears ached to hear her sweet voice. I ached to hear her say she loved me aloud, not just on a piece of paper.
I have clearly missed her and now I can feel the adrenaline bleed away from me. What am I going to do?
I can't go home without her. Because without her I have no home. I know it as sure as I know that I need air to breathe. I have to do something. I have to fight. I have to find her, and God help me, if it takes to my dying breath I will find her. I will find a way to bring her home. Where she belongs. But not before she hears my anger and has been over my knee for a good half hour. I will punish her for leaving me. The beast in me demands it – screams that we show her what happens when she tries to leave us.
With a renewed sense of purpose, I get up and make my way to the enquiries desk. I know there is no way they will give me information on a passenger, but I am hoping that they will give me a list of all flight destinations from this morning so far. Hopefully, I will be able to figure out where she headed if I have that list in my hands.
An hour later and I am finally making my way back to my car with the list of flights in my hands and a renewed sense of hope. I would find her. I had to find a private investigator and pay whatever it takes to hunt her down. I have only just found her and there is no way that I am letting her get away now. Not a fucking chance.
For now, I have to get my head on straight for facing Jason. I know that he is going to be livid. I know that his anger will be justified. We lied to him. We betrayed him in the worst possible way. I just hope that he will understand why.
I know it is stupid and naive of me to think that way, but my best friend has always been a fair man. I have watched the way he analyses things and weighs up the pros and cons. I have watched him be more level, headed than some situations deserved, and I know that given time he will come around but, in the meantime, it might not be a bad idea for me to move out of the house. Give us all a bit of space.
By the time I made it back to the house, I have, a plan in place, and my nerves about what was waiting for me on the other side of that door was more important than anything else at the moment. If we are going to bring Dakota home to us - we need to work through this shit as quickly as possible, which is why I will allow him to hit me, if that is what he needs because let's face it, I deserve it.
I have done the unthinkable.
With his daughter of all people.
Pushing the door open, I stepped into the house, trying to keep my attention on the scene but the asshole takes me by surprise with a fist to my jaw from the blind spot by the door. I stumble back slightly from the impact - pain spread from my jaw to my cheek as the ricochet pulsed straight to my head.
"You fucking snake!" He roared as he pushed me, "she is my daughter. My fucking daughter. And you fucking took advantage of her-"
"Now hold on a damn fucking minute-" I roared back at him as I turned and squared up to him, I wouldn't hit him but there is no way I am going to hold my tongue when he is sprouting shit like that, "there was no taking advantage of each other. We both wanted it. I am sorry that we didn't tell you and I am sorry that I fell in love with your daughter, of all people, but I will not let you stand there and try to cheapen what we have-"
"What, you have? You have nothing, she is gone, Remy. She has run away-"
"And I am going to get her back!" I charged angrily as if I didn't know that she was gone. He didn't need to rub it in.
"No. You will stay the fuck away from her-"
"The Hell I will. I love her. And I am sorry that you can't accept that, but she is mine and I will bring her home. I will find her if it takes the rest of my life. Now, I am sorry that you had to find out this way, and while I do want you in my life, that means nothing because I need her in my life. I won't lose her or give her up for anything or anyone." I expressed myself as passionately as I possibly could as I began to walk away from him, "don't worry I know that I am not welcome here anymore, I am going to stay at a hotel-"
"No!"
"Excuse me?" Turning back to look at him as he stared at me with something akin to respect but within a second it was gone, and he rose to his full height.
"You are going to take me to the hotel where Anna is staying and we are going to face her as a unit, we are going to show her that no matter what she throws at us, we are solid, we are a family," he informed me, "but do not think that once we have sorted that shit out that you will be welcomed back here. I want you gone after we deal with my bitch-ex!"
"Deal!"
"Go and get your things, I am going to have a quick shower!" He was already walking away from me, and I had to admit that had gone exactly how I had imagined it would.
We had to have a plan going in there. From what I knew about Anna - she would do everything in her power to twist things to her advantage which means that we cannot let her know that Dakota has disappeared. We can't let her know that we have no idea where her daughter is.
If I can do anything that will ensure that Dakota doesn't have to look over her shoulder, then I will do it. My woman needs me and I will be damned if I let her down now. Nothing is going to stop me from taking care of her, even if it is from afar. I would have plenty of time to hunt her down. And I planned on doing just that. But first we have to take care of the bigger threat.
Once I get rid of Anna and her sleazy boyfriend, I can focus on my girl. I can let the pain and heartache come through once we have dealt with the immediate threat.
Getting her home is the ultimate goal. I would bring her home.
Stuffing my things into my bags, I moved around grabbing up all the little bits and pieces that are littered around the space. I am going to cancel the room I booked for Dakota and me at the hotel and move to another. I couldn't stomach, to be in that room now. Without her.
I would also need to call Gavin and ask him to take over running my company while I gave my full, undivided attention to the pursuit of Dakota. There is nowhere she can go that I will not find her.
I will always find her.
I won't give up. Not until she is back here at my side where she belongs.