A Humble Heart
Page 23
“Dana-whoa, sorry!” Amy said.
With one last kiss Edward stepped back from Dana, smiling sheepishly.
Dana felt herself blush ten different shades of red before settling on beat red. “It’s okay, Amy. What’s up?” She tried to sound casual, it didn’t work. Amy grinned as she started going over the problem at hand.
“There are about fifty people on the set waiting to see you, Dana. Let’s see, your ex-husband is here with his lawyer.” Edward put his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
“It will be okay, baby,” he said against her hair.
“I have to call my lawyer…oh no, he’s in Boston.” Her hands began to shake.
“Whoa relax, you’re covered. Mom’s here.” Amy grinned hugely.
Dana looked confused.
“Mom’s a lawyer. Her nickname is Barracuda. You’re in good hands,” Amy explained.
“Mom’s here?” Edward asked. Amy nodded. “Good.” He stepped out of the trailer, leaving Amy and Dana to talk.
“Okay, there are about twenty guys here demanding that they are your boyfriend and want to see you.” Amy seemed to enjoy the horror on Dana’s face. “Don’t worry security already sent them away. Let’s see, Rick is here, also several reps from magazines are here and Eric from Rascal Productions is here to talk to you.”
“Great. So I have a full day of stress and humiliation to look forward to,” Dana said, dropping into a chair. “Bring on the fun and games. Where should we start?”
As if on cue the door flung open, hard. Dana and Amy looked over to see Jeff and his lawyer walk into the trailer. Jeff stopped and looked around. “Nice, Dana. I see you’re really moving up in the world.” He lowered his eyes to Dana's kiss swollen lips and glared at her. “Last chance to reconsider.”
“Is this a joke, Jeff?” Dana asked. She leaned back in her chair and looked Jeff over. How the hell had she ever settled for such a creep? She thought she'd freed herself of him a year ago. That apparently hadn't lasted very long.
“Mr. Mathews is very concerned with the safety of his children. He has a court order allowing him to see his children. By refusing to allow him to see his children you are in violation of a court order and we will be pressing charges,” his lawyer said.
Dana jumped to her feet. “What? No one refused to let him see the kids!” she yelled.
“Mrs. Mathews, if you don’t calm down I’ll be forced to have this moved in front of a judge.”
“First off, it’s Ms. Mathews. Secondly, you have no case and he knows it.” She pointed to Jeff who was smiling smugly.
“Counselor, I know you’re not harassing my client,” a beautiful older woman said, stepping into the trailer. Edward stepped inside behind her. She held her hand out to Jeff’s lawyer. “Eleanor Pierce,” she said.
Jeff looked uncomfortable. No doubt he thought she would be without aide.
“I’m sure we can clear this matter up very quickly,” Eleanor said confidently.
“Thank god,” Dana mumbled. Edward moved to her side and took her hand.
“Dana, do you have the papers he presented you with on Friday?” Eleanor asked.
“Yes.” She released Edward’s hand and made her way to her laptop bag. Edward watched as Jeff checked her out. The bastard actually licked his lips. His hands clenched into fists. Amy put a hand on his arm and squeezed gently.
Dana handed Eleanor the thick envelope. His mother quickly looked it over. Her mouth tugged up into a triumphant smile. “Counselor, did your client inform you that as of last Monday he has forfeited all rights to Elizabeth and Cole Mathews?”
Jeff’s lawyer threw him a furious look. “No, he did not.” He reached out and took the document. After several minutes he handed it back to Dana. “I’m very sorry for wasting your time.” He looked at Jeff. “Expect a bill and don’t contact us again.” He stormed out of the trailer, leaving Dana and Jeff staring each other down.
“Can we have a moment? I think we need to have a talk, something we should have done a long time ago,” Dana said, keeping her eyes on Jeff.
“I’ll be outside, Dana. I hope you don’t mind, but Amy has arranged for me to sit in during your meetings,” Eleanor said.
“Thank you for everything,” Dana said, unable to stop her voice from breaking with emotion.
“Don’t worry about it,” Eleanor said, smiling warmly as she walked out of the trailer. “I’m not leaving,” Edward announced.
She sighed. “Edward, I need to talk to him.”
Edward walked over to the couch and sat down. “I’ll sit right here and I won't say a word, but I’m not leaving. I don’t trust him.”
Jeff shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me, he can stay.”
“Fine," Dana said, too emotionally strung out to argue. "Jeff, why did you do this?” she asked, bringing her hands up in the air and dropping them.
“I miss you, Dana. I miss us, the kids, I miss making love to you, kissing you and falling asleep with you in my arms,” Jeff said softly.
“Oh my God, Jeff! Are you kidding me?” Dana said, unable to believe the nonsense he was shoving at her. She folding her arms over her chest, hoping the action would stop them from shaking.
“You can’t tell me you don’t miss me. I remember what my touch used to do to you,” he said, grinning the way he used to when they first started dating. He reached out to take one of her arms. She pulled back out of reach.
“Jeff, the key word is used to. Like nine years ago. Things have changed, I’ve changed and you’ve changed. We haven’t so much as kissed in four years so where is this all coming from?”
He dropped his hand. “Sweetheart, I screwed up. I’m so sorry. I cannot believe what I did. It was my fault. I didn’t appreciate what I had until it was too late.”
“Jeff, where did this come from? You’ve been with Bea for the majority of our relationship and you just married her. What are you doing? Are you even thinking?”
His face contorted into anger. “You cut me off. What the hell was I supposed to do?”
“I don’t know maybe try, you should have tried, damn it!” She covered her face with her hands and tried to calm down. “Jeff, what we had wasn’t a marriage. We were two people legally stuck together. We weren’t in love, we weren’t even friends. It was wrong to get married, but I’ll never regret it because I got two great kids out of the deal.”
“You wouldn’t have them without me. You owe it to me to try now,” Jeff stated.
“No,” she simply said.
Jeff gestured back to Edward. “Is it because of him? I can guarantee you if my screwing around upset you, this will damn near kill you. The guy is world famous, thousands of women want him, models, actresses, women a hell of a lot better looking than you! He’ll cheat on you, too!” he yelled.
Edward waited until Jeff stopped yelling before he spoke. “I would never cheat on her and she is without a doubt the most beautiful woman I have ever met inside and out. So maybe you should keep me out of this and talk to her.”
“Jeff, your cheating on me didn’t hurt. I’m sorry, but I didn't feel betrayed, I feel beyond annoyed that you weren’t man enough to duck out of our marriage before you did it. I didn’t feel that way about you. I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry? That's just great! I wasted eight years of my life on you, you bitch!” Jeff said.
Edward shot to his feet. “You raise your voice or call her that again and I’ll step in.”
Jeff ignored him, but Dana noted that he took several discreet steps away from Edward. “Dana, please I’m begging for our kids’ sake to give us another chance.”
“No.”
“If he wasn’t in the picture would you give me a chance?”
“No, Jeff. I am saying no because it wouldn’t work. I don’t love you. I don’t like you. We are two completely different people. You moved on a long time ago. You’re only pulling this nonsense now because you don’t want anyone else to have what you can’t have, plain and simple.”
With one last kiss Edward stepped back from Dana, smiling sheepishly.
Dana felt herself blush ten different shades of red before settling on beat red. “It’s okay, Amy. What’s up?” She tried to sound casual, it didn’t work. Amy grinned as she started going over the problem at hand.
“There are about fifty people on the set waiting to see you, Dana. Let’s see, your ex-husband is here with his lawyer.” Edward put his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
“It will be okay, baby,” he said against her hair.
“I have to call my lawyer…oh no, he’s in Boston.” Her hands began to shake.
“Whoa relax, you’re covered. Mom’s here.” Amy grinned hugely.
Dana looked confused.
“Mom’s a lawyer. Her nickname is Barracuda. You’re in good hands,” Amy explained.
“Mom’s here?” Edward asked. Amy nodded. “Good.” He stepped out of the trailer, leaving Amy and Dana to talk.
“Okay, there are about twenty guys here demanding that they are your boyfriend and want to see you.” Amy seemed to enjoy the horror on Dana’s face. “Don’t worry security already sent them away. Let’s see, Rick is here, also several reps from magazines are here and Eric from Rascal Productions is here to talk to you.”
“Great. So I have a full day of stress and humiliation to look forward to,” Dana said, dropping into a chair. “Bring on the fun and games. Where should we start?”
As if on cue the door flung open, hard. Dana and Amy looked over to see Jeff and his lawyer walk into the trailer. Jeff stopped and looked around. “Nice, Dana. I see you’re really moving up in the world.” He lowered his eyes to Dana's kiss swollen lips and glared at her. “Last chance to reconsider.”
“Is this a joke, Jeff?” Dana asked. She leaned back in her chair and looked Jeff over. How the hell had she ever settled for such a creep? She thought she'd freed herself of him a year ago. That apparently hadn't lasted very long.
“Mr. Mathews is very concerned with the safety of his children. He has a court order allowing him to see his children. By refusing to allow him to see his children you are in violation of a court order and we will be pressing charges,” his lawyer said.
Dana jumped to her feet. “What? No one refused to let him see the kids!” she yelled.
“Mrs. Mathews, if you don’t calm down I’ll be forced to have this moved in front of a judge.”
“First off, it’s Ms. Mathews. Secondly, you have no case and he knows it.” She pointed to Jeff who was smiling smugly.
“Counselor, I know you’re not harassing my client,” a beautiful older woman said, stepping into the trailer. Edward stepped inside behind her. She held her hand out to Jeff’s lawyer. “Eleanor Pierce,” she said.
Jeff looked uncomfortable. No doubt he thought she would be without aide.
“I’m sure we can clear this matter up very quickly,” Eleanor said confidently.
“Thank god,” Dana mumbled. Edward moved to her side and took her hand.
“Dana, do you have the papers he presented you with on Friday?” Eleanor asked.
“Yes.” She released Edward’s hand and made her way to her laptop bag. Edward watched as Jeff checked her out. The bastard actually licked his lips. His hands clenched into fists. Amy put a hand on his arm and squeezed gently.
Dana handed Eleanor the thick envelope. His mother quickly looked it over. Her mouth tugged up into a triumphant smile. “Counselor, did your client inform you that as of last Monday he has forfeited all rights to Elizabeth and Cole Mathews?”
Jeff’s lawyer threw him a furious look. “No, he did not.” He reached out and took the document. After several minutes he handed it back to Dana. “I’m very sorry for wasting your time.” He looked at Jeff. “Expect a bill and don’t contact us again.” He stormed out of the trailer, leaving Dana and Jeff staring each other down.
“Can we have a moment? I think we need to have a talk, something we should have done a long time ago,” Dana said, keeping her eyes on Jeff.
“I’ll be outside, Dana. I hope you don’t mind, but Amy has arranged for me to sit in during your meetings,” Eleanor said.
“Thank you for everything,” Dana said, unable to stop her voice from breaking with emotion.
“Don’t worry about it,” Eleanor said, smiling warmly as she walked out of the trailer. “I’m not leaving,” Edward announced.
She sighed. “Edward, I need to talk to him.”
Edward walked over to the couch and sat down. “I’ll sit right here and I won't say a word, but I’m not leaving. I don’t trust him.”
Jeff shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me, he can stay.”
“Fine," Dana said, too emotionally strung out to argue. "Jeff, why did you do this?” she asked, bringing her hands up in the air and dropping them.
“I miss you, Dana. I miss us, the kids, I miss making love to you, kissing you and falling asleep with you in my arms,” Jeff said softly.
“Oh my God, Jeff! Are you kidding me?” Dana said, unable to believe the nonsense he was shoving at her. She folding her arms over her chest, hoping the action would stop them from shaking.
“You can’t tell me you don’t miss me. I remember what my touch used to do to you,” he said, grinning the way he used to when they first started dating. He reached out to take one of her arms. She pulled back out of reach.
“Jeff, the key word is used to. Like nine years ago. Things have changed, I’ve changed and you’ve changed. We haven’t so much as kissed in four years so where is this all coming from?”
He dropped his hand. “Sweetheart, I screwed up. I’m so sorry. I cannot believe what I did. It was my fault. I didn’t appreciate what I had until it was too late.”
“Jeff, where did this come from? You’ve been with Bea for the majority of our relationship and you just married her. What are you doing? Are you even thinking?”
His face contorted into anger. “You cut me off. What the hell was I supposed to do?”
“I don’t know maybe try, you should have tried, damn it!” She covered her face with her hands and tried to calm down. “Jeff, what we had wasn’t a marriage. We were two people legally stuck together. We weren’t in love, we weren’t even friends. It was wrong to get married, but I’ll never regret it because I got two great kids out of the deal.”
“You wouldn’t have them without me. You owe it to me to try now,” Jeff stated.
“No,” she simply said.
Jeff gestured back to Edward. “Is it because of him? I can guarantee you if my screwing around upset you, this will damn near kill you. The guy is world famous, thousands of women want him, models, actresses, women a hell of a lot better looking than you! He’ll cheat on you, too!” he yelled.
Edward waited until Jeff stopped yelling before he spoke. “I would never cheat on her and she is without a doubt the most beautiful woman I have ever met inside and out. So maybe you should keep me out of this and talk to her.”
“Jeff, your cheating on me didn’t hurt. I’m sorry, but I didn't feel betrayed, I feel beyond annoyed that you weren’t man enough to duck out of our marriage before you did it. I didn’t feel that way about you. I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry? That's just great! I wasted eight years of my life on you, you bitch!” Jeff said.
Edward shot to his feet. “You raise your voice or call her that again and I’ll step in.”
Jeff ignored him, but Dana noted that he took several discreet steps away from Edward. “Dana, please I’m begging for our kids’ sake to give us another chance.”
“No.”
“If he wasn’t in the picture would you give me a chance?”
“No, Jeff. I am saying no because it wouldn’t work. I don’t love you. I don’t like you. We are two completely different people. You moved on a long time ago. You’re only pulling this nonsense now because you don’t want anyone else to have what you can’t have, plain and simple.”
