What If You Read online

  Christina walked over and handed me a glass of wine and then took her seat next to Richard.

  “This person I resemble. Was her name Laura King?”

  He swallowed hard before sipping his drink.

  “Yes, as a matter of fact.” His eye narrowed at me.

  Asher reached over and grabbed my hand.

  “She was my mother.”

  “Was?”

  “She passed away twenty-three years ago.”

  “I’m very sorry for your loss. I had no idea.”

  He got up from his seat and when he went to pour himself another drink, I noticed his hands were shaking.

  “Richard, are you okay?” Christina asked.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come here,” I spoke as I got up from the couch.

  “What is going on?” Christina asked as she looked at Asher.

  “Everly, sit down,” he said. “Everly has something she needs to discuss with you, Richard.”

  “You’re here because you think I’m your father. Am I right?”

  “What?!” Christina exclaimed.

  Asher got up from the couch and held his hand out to Christina.

  “Let’s go into the kitchen and give these two some privacy. I’ll explain everything to you.”

  She slowly placed her hand in his and they walked out of the living room.

  “You and my mother were in a relationship twenty-eight years ago. The night she was going to tell you she was pregnant, the two of you got into a fight and she told you she never wanted to see you again.”

  “If she passed away twenty-three years ago, you would have only been five years old. How could you possibly know that?” He stared at me.

  “I saw it the night we shook hands at the fundraiser.”

  “You ‘saw’ it? I don’t understand.”

  “I was born with an ability. A gift. I can see things that have or are going to happen.”

  “Like a psychic?”

  God, I hated that word.

  “Yes.” I looked down.

  “Tell me something. Do you have a lot of dreams? Ones that wake you up in the middle of the night leaving you gasping for air?”

  “Yes. I do.” I cocked my head at him.

  “Your mother always had those. But she would never tell me about them. She’d just say they were bad dreams and she wanted to forget them.”

  “She couldn’t handle it, so she used pills and alcohol to try and suppress them.”

  “That night you’re referring to. The night we broke up. She called me that morning and said she had something to tell me and that she’d be waiting at my apartment when I got home from work. That same day, I got a call from a company here in New York offering me the job of a lifetime. When I got home that night, I told her about it. She became so angry and gave me an ultimatum. It was either her or the job. I told her we had only been dating six months and I couldn’t turn it down. So, she told me she never wanted to see me again and stormed out of my apartment. That was the last time I saw her, and I left for New York a week later. If you are in fact my daughter, I am so sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “I know you didn’t. And I’m sorry that I sprung this on you.”

  He walked over to the couch and sat down next to me.

  “She never told you who your father was?”

  “No. But then again, I was only five when she died. As I got older, I asked my grandmother, but she said she had no idea and that my mother said she didn’t know who my father was.”

  “I never met your grandmother. It’s not that I didn’t want to, it was Laura who kept me from meeting her.”

  “I think it was because she was afraid of what my grandmother would see. For people like us, with this gift, it’s hard to have relationships because people can’t understand. I’m sure that’s why she never told you. Believe me, it’s hard.”

  A small smile crossed his lips. “You and Asher seem to be doing just fine. That man adores you. He talks about you all the time.”

  “We had a rocky start.” I smiled. “But now he’s accepted it.”

  “Listen, Everly. If you are truly my daughter, I will fully accept it and you. But I need to make sure. Maybe through a DNA test.”

  “I totally understand, and I would be happy to do that.”

  He reached over and placed his hand on mine as Asher and Christina walked into the room.

  “Asher explained everything to me. Are you alright, Richard?”

  “I’m fine, darling.” He got up and kissed her cheek.

  “Is she—”

  “We’re going to do a DNA test, but I’m pretty sure she is.” He smiled at me.

  Asher

  I was sitting in my office when Everly and Richard walked in. They had gone together for the DNA test and then went and grabbed some lunch.

  “How did it go?” I asked as I got up and gave Everly a kiss.

  “It went good. We should have the results back in about three days,” she spoke. “I need to go. I have a meeting with a client in about thirty minutes. I love you.” She kissed my lips.

  “I love you too, baby.”

  “I’ll see you, Richard. Thanks for lunch.”

  “You’re welcome, Everly.” He smiled.

  “She’s a great woman, Asher,” Richard spoke as he sat down across from my desk.

  “She certainly is.” I gave him a smile as I took a seat behind my desk.

  “How do you deal with it. You know—”

  “It was hard at first, but now I’m used to it. Sort of.” I smirked.

  “I remember when I was with Laura. I didn’t even have a clue what was going on, but those dreams she had frightened her to her core.”

  “Everly is stronger than her mother ever was, and she learned to deal with it and accept it. Thanks to her grandmother. Hell, she even puts up with my father.”

  “Your father?” He cocked his head.

  “He likes to visit her. He can’t seem to move on for some reason.”

  “But you don’t see him, right?”

  “No. Only she can.” I sighed. “I know you know she is your daughter, Richard. And I think you knew it the night of the fundraiser. I saw the way you looked at her. It was almost as if you were seeing a ghost.”

  “I just had this weird overwhelming feeling when I met her. I can’t explain it, Asher. I’d never felt anything like it. So, when you asked if the two of you could come over, I knew something wasn’t right.”

  “I just hope this doesn’t complicate things for you and your family.”

  “Christina and I already spoke to the girls. We sat down with them and told them everything. I didn’t tell them what Everly can do. I didn’t want to add that to the mix.”

  “How did the girls take it?”

  “They took it well and they want to meet her. So, after we get the test results back that prove I’m her father, we’re going to have you two over for a family barbeque.”

  “Looking forward to it.” I smiled.

  “You’re a good man, Asher. And I’m not just saying that because you’re my boss. I see the way you love Everly, and it makes me happy that she’s being taken care of by someone like you.”

  “Thanks, Richard.” I chuckled. “But trust me, Everly takes care of herself and the more you get to know her, the more you’ll understand what I mean.”

  He let out a laugh.

  42

  One Week Later

  Everly

  I was sitting on the edge of the bed thinking when Asher walked into the room.

  “My father isn’t here, is he?”

  “No. Why?”

  “I don’t know. It’s just the way you’re staring into space. I thought maybe you were talking to him.”

  “I was just thinking,” I softly spoke.

  “About?” He hooked his arm around me as he sat down.

  “My life and how it’s changed so drastically in the last few months. I mean, I go from having no family besides Daniel, to having a
father, stepmother and two sisters. All of a sudden, I have this new family, and it’s a lot to take in. I’m nervous to meet Richard’s girls.”

  “You mean your sisters?” I smiled at her.

  “What if they don’t like me?”

  “They’ll love you. Richard told me that they’re excited to meet you.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “Aw, baby.” He pulled me into him and kissed the side of my head. “Stop being ridiculous. Now we have to go, or we’ll be late. And you don’t want to be late the first time meeting your sisters.”

  “You’re right. I’ll meet you downstairs. I’m just going to check my hair one last time.” I kissed his lips.

  When I walked into the bathroom, I saw Curtis sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

  “Curtis. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “I’m just here to wish you luck, darling. I’m happy things worked out for you.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it. And you know what? I would be so happy for you if you crossed over to where you’re supposed to be.” I smiled at him.

  “Yeah. I’ve been thinking about that, and I think I’m going to stick around for a while.”

  “Why?” I shot him a look.

  “Because I like seeing my son happy, you’re like the daughter I never had.” He smirked before he disappeared.

  “Everly? Are you coming?” Asher asked.

  “Sorry.” I turned the light off in the bathroom and grabbed my purse. “Apparently, your father plans on sticking around.”

  “What?” Why?” he asked as he followed me out of the bedroom.

  “Because he likes seeing his son so happy, and I’m like the daughter he never had.” I sighed.

  “You have got to be kidding me.”

  The moment we arrived at Richard’s and Christine’s apartment, nerves flooded my body. What if the girls didn’t like me?

  “Stop fidgeting,” Asher spoke as he knocked on the door.

  “I can’t help it.”

  “They’re going to love you,” he said.

  I had expected Richard or Christine to answer. But when the door opened, a beautiful young girl with long brown hair and big brown eyes stood there.

  “Hello, there.” Asher smiled at her.

  “Hi. You must be my sister, Everly,” she said as she stared at me. “I’m Emily.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Emily.” I smiled at her.

  When we stepped inside, we were greeted by Richard and Christina. Over on the couch was they’re youngest daughter, Laurel.

  “Laurel, come here, sweetheart,” Richard spoke as he held out his hand to her. “I’d like you to meet Everly, your sister.”

  She looked like Emily with the same brown eyes, except her hair was blonde.

  “It’s nice to meet you.” She gave a shy and unsure smile.

  “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

  “Come on, Asher. Let’s go get these burgers on the grill and leave the girls to talk.”

  I gave Asher a nod to let him know that I was okay, and I went and helped Christina in the kitchen. When the burgers were ready, we all gathered around the table to eat.

  “Laurel just found out she got a full-ride scholarship to NYU.” Richard smiled at her.

  “Wow. Congratulations, Laurel,” I said. “Your parents must be very proud.”

  “Thank you, and they are. I’m excited that I’m going to make something of my life, unlike some people.” She looked at Emily.

  “Shut up, Laurel.”

  “Emily, that’s enough!” Christina spoke in an authoritative tone.

  “God. I can’t wait to get the hell out of here!” Emily shouted as she threw her napkin down and ran to her room, slamming the door behind her.

  I swallowed hard as I looked at Asher. He was feeling just as uncomfortable as I was.

  “Kids,” he spoke.

  “I apologize,” Richard spoke. “She’s been giving us a lot of grief lately.”

  “Lately? Try her whole life,” Laurel said.

  “That’s enough, Laurel,” Christina scolded her. “I’ll go see—”

  “Let me go talk to her,” I said. “Sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone you don’t know.”

  Christina gave me a nod, so I went down the hall and lightly knocked on Emily’s door.

  “Go away,” she shouted.

  I slowly opened the door and stepped inside.

  “Hey.” I smiled at her. “Can I come in?”

  She just sat on her bed shaking her head with tears in her eyes.

  “You’re already in, aren’t you?” she spoke with an attitude and I couldn’t help but smile. She reminded me of myself at that age.

  “Why are you so upset?” I asked as I sat down on the edge of the bed.

  “What? You think because now that you’re my sister, you just get to butt into my business?”

  “No. But I know that sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone you barely know.”

  “I just can’t stand them. Everything is Laurel this, Laurel that. They always loved her more because she’s the smart one and I’m the dumb one.”

  “That is not true.”

  “How do you know? You’ve known us for like five minutes.”

  “You don’t go to college?”

  “No. I tried community college for a while and it just isn’t for me. I always hated school.”

  “Me too.” I smiled. “High school was really tough for me.”

  “What do you do?” she asked.

  “I’m a life coach.”

  “Did you go to college for that?”

  “No. I completed a training program online and became certified. Now I own my business and have plenty of clients.”

  “Wow. Good thing you didn’t know our father when you were doing that. He would have disapproved. Life is all about college, girls. You’ll never get anywhere in life without a good solid college education.”

  “You love photography, don’t you?”

  “Yeah. How did you know?”

  “Can I see some of your pictures?”

  “Sure.”

  She reached under her bed, pulled out a large photo album and handed it to me.

  “I taught myself everything I know about photography.”

  “Wow, Emily. These are amazing. You have a really good eye.”

  “Tell that to my parents. They tell me it’s just a hobby and not a career.”

  As I held her book in my hand, images flowed through my mind.

  “It is your career. This is what you’re meant to do. You need to follow your passion, Emily. Not what your parents want you to do. Don’t tell them I said that.” I smiled.

  “I won’t.” She laughed.

  “How badly do you want this as a career?”

  “Bad. It’s the only thing I’m interested in. Except guys, of course.” She grinned.

  “Stay away from them. You’re young and they’ll only complicate your life. You need to do you first, before you get involved with anyone else. Deal?”

  “Deal.” She smiled.

  “I can help you. I am a life coach, and I know I can get you on the right track.”

  “Are you serious? You’d help me?”

  “Of course. Isn’t that what sisters are for.” I placed my hand on hers. “I’ll talk to your parents.”

  “Thanks, Everly.” She gave me a hug.

  “You’re welcome. Now, pull your big girl panties up and go out there and apologize to them. I know it’s hard. But you can do it.”

  “Fine.” She huffed.

  We went back out to the dining room and sat down at the table. Asher placed his hand on my knee and gave me a smile as Emily apologized to her parents.

  After we were done with dinner, the girls decided to go out for ice cream while we stayed back and visited for a while longer.

  “I have no idea what you said to her, but she has never apologized to us before,” Richard said.

  “Listen, there’s somethi
ng I need to discuss with you. It’s about Emily and her photography.”

  “Uh.” Christina rolled her eyes. “She thinks that she can make a decent living off that. We told her she couldn’t, and she needs to decide what else she wants to do.”

  “Have you seen her photos?” I asked.

  “Of course. They’re very good, but it’s just a hobby,” Richard said.

  “Actually, it’s not. When I touched her photos, I saw her future. She’s going to become a very well-known photographer. Her photographs are going to be displayed in many art galleries, and she’s going to work for a prestigious fashion magazine taking photos. She just needs the support from you two and a little push in the right direction. I can push her in that direction, but only if she has your support.”

  “And you saw all that?” Richard asked.

  “I did. But things could change if she doesn’t have your support. You will lose her.”

  43

  One Year Later

  Asher

  I was frantic as I searched the entire penthouse. My heart was racing, and I began to profusely sweat. Where the hell was it? I searched everywhere and I couldn’t find it. Panic engulfed me and I felt like I was losing my mind. I heard the elevator ding which meant Everly was home. Shit. She wasn’t supposed to be home for another hour. I quickly went into my office and pretended like I had been working.

  “Hey, handsome.” She grinned as she walked in, sat on my lap and gave me a kiss.

  “Hello, gorgeous. Why are you home so early?”

  She looked at me as her eye steadily narrowed.

  “What have you been doing?”

  “Working. Why?”

  “Uh-huh. You’re sweating.”

  “It’s really hot in here. Is the air working?”

  “It’s actually quite cool in here, Asher.”

  She got off my lap and looked around my office, then she hit a one of the keys on my keyboard, so my computer turned on.

  “Oh my God, Everly. What do you think I was doing?”

  “I don’t know, but your father said to look in the corner of the floor in your closet. What is he talking about?”

  “He said that. Just this second?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thanks a hell of a lot, Dad!” I shouted.