Billionairess's Dilemma: Reclaiming His Heart

12: Why Bother

Kevin

“Mia, we need to leave! We’ll be late!” I call up the stairs.

"Kevin, is this ok to wear?" I struggle to not roll my eyes at her as I turn back to watch her descend the steps.

"You look perfect for this Mia. It's not a fashion show." I take in her jeans and designer top. Honestly she's still overdressed, but we don't have time for her to change. I am wearing jeans and a light green tee.

"I brought a jacket. You said it might be cold in there." She pushes her deep red hair behind her ear as we walk out to my Jeep. I help her step up into the passenger seat. "Really Kevin, you need a grown up car now. The Jeep is fun to drive around in but it's not that practical."

"I love my Jeep." I do. Dad offered to buy me something else when I left for college but honestly, it's my favorite. One day I'll get something more practical like Mia says.

We drive and I half listen to her as she talks about shopping at Mom's boutique today. "She's going to be so much fun to work with on my dress Kev. I love all her ideas."

"She's one of the best. She makes all of Aunt Relly's gowns and her wedding dress.” I think about when Mom and Dad started dating. She would pick me up from school some days and take me to her shop. We’d snack and I would draw with her fancy pencils or build with a set of Lego’s she kept in the shop. Aunt Relly took the other days when she needed to. I never had a traditional family but I had a pretty great one.

“Kev are you listening?” Mia is tugging on my shirt sleeve.

“No. Running through an old memory. What did you say?” I park in the garage before helping her out. As we cross into the lobby, I see a few familiar faces still working here. I haven’t been in this building in three years. I cross to the main reception desk. “Mrs. Deena, you’re still here.”

She hasn’t changed one bit. “Kevin Harris, you finally came back.” She stands to hug me and I return it. “And of course I’m here. Where else would I go young man? Someone has to keep Mel and Kort in line around here.” She gives me a big grin.

“How’s Ian?” I ask softly. Her son and I were group regulars when I was in high school. He’s two years younger than me.

“Doing ok. He is back in school and even met someone.” Her phone begins to ring and I wave goodbye not wanting to be late. Mia stands looking around the lobby. “Your uncles started this whole thing for you. That is incredible, Kev.”

“More like because of me. Uncle Ellis was appalled to learn all the costs of the medicine alone for transplant patients. He’s a doer not a sitter and came up with this.” I don’t add he spent over five million dollars making sure I stayed on the transplant list after Stanley falsified records to knock me off. Along with buying a dinner with Aunt Relly for half a million to help her meet my kidney specialist.

I place my hand on Mia’s back gently nudging her toward the support meeting room. Before we get there, I see a group leaving. I’m waiting for them to finish filing out when I spot Polly. She walks out with another girl talking quietly. Her curly brown hair pulled up in a ponytail and she’s dressed casually in jeans and a pink shirt. She squeezes the girls arm before walking over toward one of the tables in the lobby. What is she doing here?

As I watch, she sits and begins sorting through a stack of papers. Assembling one into a packet and adding it to a folder. Those are the charity welcome packets for families.

A hand clamps down on my shoulder and I turn to see the guy who has been my sounding board for years. “Wondered when you’d decide to show that ugly mug around here again.” He pulls me in for a quick hug.

“Hey Mel.”

“Missed you around here Red Light.” He grins.

“They don’t call me that anymore, Mel.”

“From what I’ve seen you could still hold that nickname.” He and I have virtual sessions. I couldn’t begin to trust any therapy group or therapist when I left for Stanford.

I catch Mia shuffling nervously. “Mel this is Mia Blackwood.”

Mia steps closer holding out her hand. “Heard a lot about you Mia from this guy. Happy to meet you.” He catches me glancing toward Polly again but says nothing. “We start in five minutes. See you two inside.” He goes back through the door.

Mia tugs on my arm and I tear my eyes away from Polly to attend the patient support session.

After an hour listening and allowing Mia to observe, we leave with Mel. I find myself searching the tables where Polly was sitting. She’s gone and I wonder again why she was here. Then I hear her talking to someone. We turn to leave and I find her near the front desk. Her eyes meet mine and I watch her cheeks turn pink. She's embarrassed.

Mel is beside me. “That’s our newest volunteer. Polly is helping out here two afternoons a week.”

She doesn’t approach us and I simply nod to Mel before ushering Mia out the front door.

Mia is quiet until we get closer to the house. “He said Polly is volunteering there?”

“Yes.” I continue to drive without glancing at her.

“If you want to talk about her, I will listen.”

“I don’t.” I shut her down firmly as we walk into the house. Ashley and Nathan are home from school and I hold my arms out to receive my sister's excited hug. I listen to them tell me all about their day as I watch Mom move from her desk to the island. "Relly and Ellis are on their way for dinner with the baby sharks. They're picking up Chinese, is that alright?"

"You know I'll eat that Mom."

Mia gives her assent, then leaves to answer her phone.

Mom gives me a long, searching look. "A lot has changed in a few years, Kevin. I need to ask what you've given up and let go of. You might not even like chocolate anymore. You don't really share much unless I pry it out of you. Like you decided to punish your dad and I too."

I wince internally at that. She continues on though, her voice not changing from its usual calm tone. "How did today go with Mel and Mia?"

"She did fine." I answer simply before rushing out because I can't help myself. "Polly was there. Mel said she is volunteering two afternoons a week."

Mom tilts her head as she answers slowly. "Yes. We took her there a few days ago, and she wanted to help. Did you talk to her?"

"Why bother? I suppose she hasn't taken Archer back yet. No ring on her finger." It slips out before I can stop it.

"No, she blocked him completely, Susannah said. He's gone by the house multiple times, but Charles and Mason have sent him away forcibly. I think she might need a restraining order." I feel my jaw clench at that. I can't stand that guy and would love a shot at breaking his jaw. He waltzed into the school and I knew he was trouble. I could sense it then.

"Sad he can't take a hint." I answer noncommittally and pour a glass of juice. "Hopefully she's not naive and watches her back when she leaves the house alone. I'm guessing Uncle Ellis found out who that other girl is." Does it matter now though? I guess if she thinks of taking him back. I'd like to hope she wouldn't, but him wedging us apart may not be enough for her to stay away. I grossly overestimated my importance to her before.

"He did. Why they are coming to dinner besides they love to see us." She smiles a little. Her and Aunt Relly have always gotten on like best friends. "After dinner, we'll discuss that. And I'm going to intervene a little here because we should have done it a lot a while ago. Polly is sorry, honey. She needed a better outlet. Laurel is beating herself up because she knows she should have insisted Polly go to group therapy. She and Henry feel like they let it go too easily. Though I will say Susannah was very unwilling to budge. When, emphasis on when, you are ready to talk to Polly, keep all of that in mind."

I lean against the fridge as I listen to her. "I know it wasn't easy for her to be my friend. And I know that I didn't help in a lot of ways by being the overprotective guy I was." I stare at her curiously as I pause. "Mom, you stopped mentioning her when we'd talk or you'd visit the last few years. Did you treat her any differently?"

"No. This was between the two of you. She didn't spend as much time with us anyway. Too busy with Archer and his hot, cold attitude." She sounds a little sad. I wonder how much it affected her friendship with Susannah. I never thought of the ripples that would follow with Polly and I falling out. Before I can ask, I hear the back door open and see Holden come racing in, followed by Carter, Hunter and Abbie. Abbie runs right for me, slamming into me for a hug. I playfully groan and shake my head at her. She grins and moves away. Uncle Ellis steps in holding enough takeout bags to hopefully feed this army. Aunt Relly walks over and hugs me tight. "I'm going to hug you like that every time I see you. That way if you run off and won't come home again, I'll have plenty of them in my recent memory to last me." Another tug at my heart prompting me to hug her again.

After dinner, Aunt Relly pulls out ice cream tubs she brought. "Kevin, what flavor?" She asks me and I refuse.

She raises one eyebrow. "I know you aren't too full for ice cream. What flavor?"

"I don't eat it anymore." I confess softly and watch her almost drop the scoop. She walks over and checks me for a fever. I will tell her only, as ice cream dates were always our special thing. "It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Has for three years."

Her arm snakes around the front of my chest and she leans her face into my hair. "I'm so very sorry, buddy. I should have..."

I stop her. "You did nothing wrong." She squeezes me again before slowly pulling away to make the other bowls. I don't miss the sheen of tears in her eyes and Uncle Ellis is immediately on top of her asking questions, ready to destroy whoever upset her.

Abbie, Nathan and Hunter take all the other kids upstairs to watch a movie so we can talk after dessert.

Uncle Ellis and Dad sit at the end of the table making sure we are on our own.

Uncle Ellis passes some photos my way. "We found Archer's girlfriend. Bear in mind, she has completely changed her appearance, dying her hair, colored contacts and surgery. This is Delilah Pembroke. She went to school with you and Polly."