Hollywood Ex Factor, page 15
Her mother sighed. “It’s devastating to have the person you love walk away from you. But your father never came back. He left for good.”
“Zeke keeps coming back to me in some form or another. But all I can think about is the pain of another breakup. I mean, how can I be sure that he’s actually changed?”
“You can’t,” her mom replied. “Sometimes you just have to believe what someone tells you. You have to trust them.”
Eva nodded in agreement. It was obvious that both moms wanted Margot to give Zeke a chance. But she didn’t know if that was possible.
Margot turned to his sister. “What do you think?”
“Me?” Bailey glanced up from the fragile teacup in her hand. “I just want you to be happy, no matter what you decide. I want Zeke to be happy, too. In a perfect world, you’d be together. But perfect worlds don’t just happen. There’s a lot of work involved, and in your case, it would mean letting go of the past.” She reached for a scone and tore a piece of it off, dropping crumbs onto her plate. “I’ve never been in love or had a relationship like yours. But I’ve spent a portion of my life watching you and my brother trip and stumble.”
“Only Zeke isn’t stumbling anymore,” Margot said. “He claims to have found his footing.” The man she loved was offering her his heart in a way that he’d never offered it before, trying to give her everything she’d ever wanted. Yet she remained on shaky ground, still horribly afraid of getting hurt.
Thirteen
A week later, Margot woke up one morning in a state of distress, still fighting the future. But this much she knew: her fear of getting hurt was tied to abandonment issues, starting with her dad leaving and escalating with her divorce and losing Zeke. She’d wanted so badly for their marriage to work, for him to support her career the way she’d supported his, to live up to their wedding vows, to make compromises.
Margot pushed away her covers and climbed out of bed. She slept in pajamas when she was alone, not naked like when she was with Zeke.
She walked over to her dresser, where the Samoan stones were tucked away in a drawer. Zeke had left them with Bailey to give to her, along with a T-shirt for Liam. Bailey had dropped everything off yesterday, but Margot hadn’t given Liam his gift yet. Mostly, she was still trying to deal with the way her gift made her feel.
Those pretty little stones reminded her of the rose quartz at the mountain house, and in that regard, they made her nervous. But everything pertaining to Zeke was causing her anxiety.
Desperate to clear her troubled mind, she went into the bathroom. She washed her face, brushed her teeth and banded her unruly hair into a ponytail. Still clad in her pjs, she wandered into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee. She’d set the timer last night to have a pot ready this morning. It was Saturday, and she was going to spend the day with her son, but she hadn’t decided what they were going to do yet.
She leaned against the counter and sipped her coffee. She’d already told Liam that her show had gotten canceled, and he’d taken the news surprisingly well. But she’d assured him they’d be okay until she found other work. Her finances weren’t a problem. Luckily, she didn’t have to take the first thing that came along.
At this point, Margot yearned to play different parts, not get typecast as the same wisecracking character she’d been playing since she was a child. It was a risk and might not happen easily, but she was willing to take her chances.
She frowned at her cup. She was willing to take a chance in her career, but not in her relationship with the man she loved?
“Hey, Mom.”
She glanced up and saw Liam. He looked cutely disheveled, his pajamas rumpled, his cowlick-stricken hair matted and messy.
“Hi there.” She smiled at him. “You’re up early.”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Me, neither.” She’d barely slept all week. “How about some breakfast?”
“Okay, but can I make it?”
“Sure.” She appreciated his sudden interest in cooking. “What do you want to fix?” No doubt she would have to help him.
“Just fruit and cereal.”
That he could do on his own. “Hot or cold cereal?”
“I like the cold stuff better.”
“Me, too. I’ll have a bowl of whatever you’re having.”
He chose his favorite brand of puffed rice and went to work on the fruit, a mixture of strawberries, blueberries and bananas. He rinsed and peeled and diced. Margot was enjoying watching him.
He looked up and asked, “How come Zeke hasn’t been around lately?”
She scrambled for an answer. “He was in Samoa, and he just returned last week. He got us some gifts from there. I’ll give you yours after breakfast.”
“Cool. Was he visiting his grandpa?”
“Yes.” And now he wanted to create a family with Margot. Her heart ached from the thought of it. An ache that could be soothed, she reminded herself. All she had to do was reach out and accept Zeke’s offer.
But was she ready to do that?
Liam dumped the fruit in a bowl and said, “Zeke told me that Bailey’s dad adopted him after his first dad died. It’s weird that his mom is so famous. Him and Bailey seem so normal, not like they used to live in a mansion or anything.”
“Actually, their childhoods weren’t very normal. Photographers followed their family around all the time.”
“Do you think that’ll ever happen to us?”
“I don’t know. But if it does, Zeke will beef up our security.” He’d offered to do a lot more than that. But she couldn’t tell Liam the whole story.
He plucked a blueberry from the bowl and ate it. “Has your agent gotten you an audition yet?”
“No, but those things take time. I’m not expecting it to happen overnight.”
“Maybe you could be in a superhero movie. That would be amazing. I could tell everyone that my mom fights crime. Unless you play a villain. But that would be okay, too.” He cocked his head. “Are you going to miss being Fiona?”
She smiled at his use of her sitcom character name. “There will always be a fondness in my heart for her. But I want to prove that I can be someone other than Fiona.” Just as Zeke wanted to prove that he could be a different version of himself. Only he wasn’t acting or playing a character.
He was proposing the real deal.
Margot’s heart clenched. She needed to believe him, to trust him, to shed her fears and take him back into her fold. If she was willing to take risks in her career, then shouldn’t she be able to take a chance on the man she loved?
The man she’d always loved, she thought. It didn’t get any deeper than that. She needed Zeke Mitchell, as much as he needed her. Living the rest of her life without him seemed impossible. Screw her abandonment issues. She wanted Zeke.
“Are you okay, Mom?”
She gazed expectantly at her child. He had a potential father waiting for him. Just as she had the husband of her dreams, waiting for her.
“I’m fine,” she replied, a sense of warmth spiraling through her. No fear. Only love and trust and strength. “How would you like for us to hang out with Zeke today?”
He grinned. “That would be great.”
“I’ll text him to see if he’s available.” Knowing Zeke, he was checking his phone at regular intervals, hoping to hear from her. “We should all go somewhere and do something fun.”
Excited, Liam wiggled where he stood. “How about the museum with the dinosaur bones?”
“You mean the Natural History Museum?”
“Yeah, that’s the place. I was sick the day my class went there on a field trip. That was last year, before you adopted me. But I always wanted to see it.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.” Her son could learn and explore, and she could be near Zeke and tell him how she felt.
* * *
Zeke stood at the entrance of the museum, waiting for Margot and Liam to arrive. Margot had texted him earlier and invited him to spend the afternoon with them. She’d also said that she had something important to tell him.
It had to be good news. She wouldn’t have included him on an outing with Liam if it was something bad. But without knowing the details, Zeke was still anxious.
Was she accepting his offer to start dating, to go slowly, to see how things unfolded? Or was she ready for more?
For all he knew, this was a test of some sort, a meeting in a public place to see how he handled it.
No, he thought. She wouldn’t test him in front of her son. Zeke just needed to relax and trust her judgment.
As soon as he saw her and Liam headed his way, his heart picked up speed. Liam waved and ran toward him. Margot walked at a regular pace, but the tender expression on her face said it all. Yeah, Zeke thought. This was good news, for sure.
Happy news. Loving news.
And at that moment, he knew exactly what she was trying to convey by inviting him to join her and Liam today.
She wanted them to be a family.
Suddenly everything seemed right in the world. Or in Zeke’s world, anyway. The woman he loved wanted him in every way that mattered.
“Hi, Zeke!” Breathless, Liam stopped in front of him. He was wearing the T-shirt Zeke had gotten him in Samoa.
“Hey, buddy. It’s good to see you. I’m glad the shirt fits.”
“Thanks. I really like it. Did you know that they have dinosaurs here? And a huge collection of ocean biology stuff, too?”
Zeke smiled, imagining Liam as his son. His and Margot’s. “It’s nice that you’re excited about being here.”
“They have tons of stuff for kids to do. I wonder if we came here at night, if it would be like those Night at the Museum movies, where everything comes to life. Wouldn’t that be weird?” Before Zeke could respond, Liam turned around to urge Margot on. “Hurry up, Mom! I want to go inside.”
Zeke wanted her to hurry, too, just so he could be near her. She made her way over to him, and their gazes met and held. She reached for his hand, and he thought he might die. It was just a light touch, but it meant the world to him.
“Thank you for inviting me to join you,” he said softly.
“Always,” she replied.
Yes, he thought. Always. Her meaning was clear. Liam had no idea what was going on, though. He was still chomping at the bit for his museum adventure.
“Come on, you guys,” he said.
“He’s right,” Zeke said to Margot. “We need to go in.”
She nodded, and their first unofficial day as a couple began. But about thirty minutes later, while Liam played in one of the kid areas, Margot made it official.
“Have you already figured out what I wanted to talk to you about?” she asked Zeke.
“Yes,” he replied. “But I need to hear you say it.”
“Then listen when I say that I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That you’re worth the risk. That I trust you. That I believe in you.” She moved closer to him. “I think you’re going to make a wonderful husband and father.”
He let out the breath he’d been holding. “I’ll be a better husband than I was before, I promise you that. And I’m honored that you’re going to let me be Liam’s dad.”
“I want to have more kids someday, too. But I’m going to focus on my career first.”
“I’m good with that. I’ll support you, Margot. I’ll be the partner you need. I also think it would be better if I didn’t travel as much as I used to. I can have someone else work with the out-of-town clients. There’s plenty of jobs in LA for me, plenty of local clients to keep me in this area.”
She smiled. “With your family.”
“Yeah, with my family.” God, he loved the sound of that. He glanced over at her son playing with the other children. “When are you going to tell Liam?”
“I think I should do it today. We can go back to my house later, and we can talk to him together.”
“That sounds perfect to me.”
“You can spend the night tonight, too, if you want. I’d love for you to sleep over. To start getting Liam used to having you around as much as possible.”
“I’ll be there. Tonight, and every night, until we figure out our living arrangements.”
“I think we should buy a place together. We can find a location that’s convenient for both of us. I know that Liam would love to be at the beach. But wherever we live, I want to keep him in the same school. It’s a private school, so it won’t be a problem.”
“We’ll make it work. But just so you’re aware, there’s a lady in the corner, snapping pictures of us.” Zeke gave a slight tilt of his head. “She obviously recognizes you. But she’s pretending to take pics of the exhibit behind us.”
“I don’t mind, do you?”
“Not at all. This is what I signed up for when I asked you to marry me again.” Zeke was prepared for having a celebrity wife, for accepting everything that came with it.
“She probably thinks you’re my bodyguard. But with the way I’m looking at you, she might be wondering if there’s something else going on between us. If she’s a die-hard fan, she might even know that you’re Eva Mitchell’s son and that you’re my ex.”
“I’m not your ex anymore.” He was her soon-to-be husband again. “I’d kiss you right now, but if Liam turns around and sees us, that wouldn’t be fair to him. We need to talk to him first.”
“I can’t wait to tell him.”
“Me, too.” He wanted nothing more than to start their new life together, committing himself to her in every way.
* * *
Margot reclined next to Zeke in bed, too excited to sleep. Their talk with Liam had gone wonderfully. He was thrilled that Zeke was going to be part of their family. He’d actually jumped around the living room, shooting Zeke high fives.
“Liam’s reaction sure made me feel good,” Zeke said.
“Me, too. His energy is infectious.” She turned onto her side to face her fiancé, the man she was going to marry all over again. “What kind of wedding do you think we should have this time?”
He leaned on his elbow, looking at her in the same awed way that she was looking at him. “If it was just you and me, I’d say to keep it simple, but I think that we should do something bigger and more festive for Liam. It would be nice for him to have everyone together.”
“I agree.” Wholeheartedly, she thought. Liam was a foster kid who’d never been part of a big, happy gathering that he could call his own. “Maybe we could do a beach ceremony. I can call an event planner and see what sort of oceanfront venues are available. I think a dusk wedding would be pretty. The sun setting over the water, flowers, seashells, a driftwood arch for us to stand under to say our vows.” Her mind was filled with ideas. “But most importantly, I think Liam should walk me down the aisle.” At their last wedding, they’d forgone that tradition. Back then Margot didn’t want anyone giving her away or taking her father’s role in the ceremony. But now she had a young son who belonged at her side. “I’d love to have that experience with him. As happy as I was at our first wedding, a part of me was still hurt and empty over my dad. But I’m learning to separate myself from that now.”
“We’ve both grown and changed. It just took us a while to get there.” He softly added, “Your dad might be gone, but I’m never going to leave you again.”
“It’s strange, but in some ways, we never really split up. How many divorced couples keep sleeping together?”
“We told ourselves it was just sex. But it was more than that. We needed to stay close, so we used our affairs as a way to stay connected.”
“We’re definitely connected now.”
“We most definitely are.” He leaned forward to kiss her, slow and sweet.
They were already naked, so there were no clothes to shed, no barriers to get in the way. He ran his hands along her body, making her feel loved. But it wasn’t just a feeling. It was a vow. She knew that he meant to keep his promise about never leaving her again. In her heart of hearts, she trusted him. Whatever obstacles they faced, she and Zeke would tackle them together.
He kissed her again, and she moaned her pleasure, eager for more. Not just sex, but the life they were going to live. When he entered her, she held him as close as she possibly could.
She breathed him in, luxuriating in how familiar he felt. He whispered in her ear, and she sighed. He’d just told her that he loved her in the Samoan language. He knew how to express it in Choctaw, too. Zeke wasn’t fluent in either dialect, but he knew enough to get by. More than enough, she thought, when it came to whispering words of love.
She wrapped her legs around him, content in the weight of his body pressing down on hers. They’d left a night-light burning, and it flickered with a dusky glow, creating shadows on his handsome face. Yet as shadowy as he looked, there was nothing hidden, nothing to fear. He’d opened himself up to her, just as she’d done with him. They’d made an emotional pact to treat each other right.
He gazed down at her as if she was the most perfect woman on earth. And in some ways, she was. Perfect for him. Perfect for herself. She clasped hands with him, arching her body, moving in time to his rhythm, lost in the beauty of becoming one.
Epilogue
Life was good, Zeke thought. By now, he and Margot were searching for a house together. He was also back to work and staying with her while she went out on auditions. On their days off they hung out at his condo, where he continued Liam’s bodyboarding lessons.
Today they were at his mom’s, though, partying with family and friends to celebrate their engagement. Eva had insisted on hosting the gathering and making it a glamorous outdoor event, with catered food and floral arrangements floating in the pool.
