Chapter 19: Unfinished Business

Elena’s P.O.V:
I squeezed my eyes shut and leaned my head against the door as soon as I entered my room and shut the door behind me.
God! Just when I thought my life was full of drama…
But why was he here and not my parents?
I sighed and rubbed at my temples, only then realizing that the bouquet of lilies was still in my hand. “Shit!”
I went over to my nightstand and picked out an empty vase before going into the bathroom to fill it up and place the flowers in it. They were beautiful, no doubt, but what surprised me was that Landon had remembered that they were my favorite flowers.
Deciding that there was no point denying the inevitable, I quickly took a nice warm shower to wash off all the paint and then dried and dressed in a white full sleeve dress that reached my knees and decided to let my hair dry naturally. I didn’t bother putting on any makeup, because Landon has known me from a time when I didn’t need to wear them, and also because I liked to let my skin breathe so that it didn’t get rough and filled with acne during a show.
Dabbing on some soothing moisturizer and combing my hair a bit, I exited my room to find Landon at the stovetop, making some pancakes. He was busy flipping the pancakes in a non-stick pan while whistling to himself softly, the tune old yet familiar. As expected, he couldn’t stand still for even two seconds.
“What are you doing?” I asked as he was plating the last of the pancakes.
Startled, Landon turned t me with a grin. And no matter how mad I was at him, it was hard not to smile back at him. “Making you pancakes with eggs and bananas.” He said as he brought the plates to the dining table. “Super healthy and piping hot! Come and get them before they get cold.”
It was just like old times again, him being super cheeky while trying to impress me when my family wasn’t around and me being the blushy, innocent teen. It’s also hard to believe that he’s the same person who had also broken my heart.
And just like before, Landon was quick to notice the change in my expression. “You’re not getting any answers until you sit and have breakfast, Elain. It’s not healthy for the baby.”
My eyes widened. “You know?”
“Yes,” his tone was dead serious. “And it’s taking me a Hell of a lot of willpower not to hunt down the bastard and tear him limb by limb. Sit down, Elena.”
I instantly wanted to remind him that I wasn’t a kid that he could boss around but a grown up woman, but as soon as I saw the murder in his eyes, I knew it was a bad idea. Landon got mad easily but it dissipated just as quick. But it was very rare to get his this pissed off and when he did, things got bloody. So I went over to the table and sat down next to him and ate my pancakes quietly while he sat and watched.
“I didn’t cheat on you.”
I nearly coughed out everything I’d eaten. “What?”
“I didn’t cheat on you.” He repeated while dabbing a napkin on my lips. “Yes, I got drunk and made out with another woman. Yes, it went as far as the two of us getting naked and climbing into the same bed…but I never fucked her. I was too drunk and I passed out, and the girl took revenge for that by rubbing it in your face.”
“Why are you telling me all this now?” I asked him straight up. “And what makes you think I’ll believe you?”
Landon gave a sad smile. “I know it’s been three years, but I can still remember how we’d fought that day. You’d already bought tickets for LA and you didn’t even tell me. You were auditioning to become a model and you didn’t even tell me. You left me alone that day without even telling me or letting me explain.” He took a strand of my hair and twirled it in between his fingers. “I guess you’d hurt my pride more that I let anyone believe.”
“Why aren’t my parents here?” I asked the question that had been bugging me ever since he arrived.
“Because I convinced them not to.” He said simply. “Because I told them I’ll be the one bringing you home.”
I gulped; a sinking feeling setting in the pit of my stomach. “When?”
“First flight tomorrow morning.”
“Why tomorrow?” I asked. “I thought you’d be a caveman and throw me over your shoulder and drag me home right away.”
His grey eyes lit up with an emotion I was all too familiar with. “Oh, I want to do that alright, and a Hell lot more. But I’m trying to be a gentleman for the baby.”
I shifted in my seat until I faced him and instantly, I felt his eyes drift to my stomach, but the dress I was wearing hid the tiny baby bump I currently had. I waited, holding my breath to see how he’d react. I didn’t know why but his opinions mattered. It always did and it always will. First love was hard to forget and Landon had been a lot more than that. A lot more than I ever wanted to admit, even to myself.
Finally, after a few long minutes of staring, Landon shifted his hand to lie on my belly, over the dress, and I felt myself suck in a breath. His touch was gentle, caring, and I knew he’d never harm the baby.
“I want to rip that bastard to shreds.” Landon said, his voice rough yet gentle at the same time. “But this child is a part of you and I’d rather die than let you get hurt.”
I felt a lump form in my throat. “Landon, I-“
“Knight won’t give up without a fight.” Landon said, surprising me yet again. “It’s his child, his heir, after all. But I won’t either. I’ve let you slip away once, Elain. But I’m not going through Hell once more. Start packing. I’ll arrange for the rest of your stuff to be delivered to your home within this week.”
With that, he got up from the seat, taking the plates with him to the sink.
Landon was right, Knight won’t give up…and neither would Landon. Both men seemed to have that in common. On one hand, my connection with Knight was new; I also knew that he was genuinely trying to make things better between us. On the other hand, Landon and I’ve had a relationship for over eight years and that kind of connection didn’t just go away, no matter how much I try to ignore it.
As usual, God just had the perfect plan to make my life a complete and utter mess.