Finding Me (Love's Not Easy Series Book 1) (20 page)

“Hi Ashton, I am Aimee Pittman.”

“Oh, so you are Clint Pittman’s eldest daughter.”  His fake voice was as annoying as Mrs. Pennington.

“Yes, that is my father.”  She hated this stupid Gala already.

“My mom works on several committees with your mother.”

“Really?”  She was anxious to hear what Deandre has being say about her.

“Yes, but I have to say, Deandre looks way too young to have a daughter our age.”

“That would be because she is too young.  She is my stepmother.”

Ashton looked surprised.  “Your parents are divorced?  Wow.”

“No, Ashton, my mother is deceased.”  Aimee had enough of him she turned to walk away.

“I’m sorry, Aimee, my father did not tell me that.”

Aimee stopped and turned toward him.  “Your father?”

“Yes, my father is Edward Meeks.  Your father’s campaign manager.”

Mr. Meeks was the one person on the campaign team who she did not meet during her intern work.  “Excuse me?”

Morgan took Aimee by the arm.  “Let’s go for a walk.”

“No, this conversation is just getting interesting to me.”

Aimee started to drill Ashton; she had lots of questions she wanted answers to.  That is when Tanner Scites came over and greeted her.

“Aimee Pittman, I hear that you are going to be joining us at the University of Richmond in a few weeks.”

“What?  No, I am continuing my studies abroad.  Who told you that?”

“I just overheard your dad telling Mr. Daniels that you will be studying business at the University of Richmond when fall classes resume.”

“He has mistaken.  And, why all of sudden, are people calling Deandre my mother?”

Tanner frowned.  “I over heard some of the ladies saying that Deandre adopted you after your mom…”

“She did no such thing.  What is going on here?”

Ashton came over.  “Tara told me about your mom’s accident, so I called my dad.  He informed me that he was aware of your mother’s accident, and that he was going to use the story for sympathy votes….”

“NO!”  Aimee yelled and started walking off.  “I will not allow that.  He will not tarnish the memory of my mother that way.”

“I have to go.”  Aimee was hurt and mad; she had tears pouring out of her eyes and down her face.  She did not care what she looked like, or who saw her.  All she was thinking about was running, as fast as she could, for the front entrance.  She could get her father’s car and leave this horrible event.  The valet met her, and she instructed him to bring around the limo for the Clint Pittman family.

Morgan finally caught up with her while she waited for the limo.  “Aimee, I am sorry, I was going to get you alone and tell you what was happening.”

She turned to face him.  “Whose idea was this?”

“Deandre came up with it; and, she told my dad.  He, along with Mr. Meeks, pressured your dad until he agreed.”

“Why would they do this?”

“I don’t know Aimee; my mom and I told dad we thought it was wrong.  I think all they see is the poll numbers.”

“Thanks, Morgan.  Will you tell my dad I will send the car back for him and his wife?”  Aimee took her seat in the waiting limo.

Chapter Two

Shocked.  That was the only word Aimee could think of to describe herself at this very moment.  She was unsure which thought was more absurd; that Deandre was telling everyone she adopted Aimee, or that she was telling people that she is Aimee’s mother.  She could not understand how her dad had allowed this charade to happen, or let Deandre put her mom’s memory in shame this way.

He wasn’t exactly innocent in all of this; he was telling people she was attending the University of Richmond in the fall.  She had never discussed that as an option.  How he even managed to have her enrolled, baffled her.  Some way, she was going to get answers to all her questions.

Prayer is always the answer, that is what Gran always told her when she was younger and scared.  Aimee lowered her head down to pray: 
God, please help me.  I am so confused right now.  How and why is this happening to me?  Help me find my way through this pain.  God, I feel I don’t belong here.  That this is not where I need to be, please guide me.  Amen

Her prayer came to an abrupt halt when her cell rang.  The ID showed it was Tara, and, for a split second, Aimee thought of not answering her call; but, she realized this was not Tara’s fault.  “Hey.”

“Aimee, are you ok?”

“Not really.”

“I wanted to tell you, but your dad made it very clear, no one was to say one word to you until he…..”

“Tara, it is ok, I am not mad at you.  He should have told me what was going on, and he should have never agreed to this.”

“He is looking everywhere for you.  Word spread fast that Tanner let the cat out of the bag.”

“I can’t look at him right now.”

“I know what you mean, I am hiding from your dad.  So, I don’t have to answer his questions about what happened, and I don’t want to look at him either.  Where are you?”

“On the way back to the house.”

“How?”

“Dad’s limo.”

“You took your father’s limo?  Aimee, if he decides to leave and finds out, he is going to be furious.”

“Guess what, Tara?  I am furious right now.”

“This is not going to go well at all.”

“Definitely not.  Can you do a favor for me, and tell dad I took the limo home, and I will send it back to the country club?”

“I will tell him for you, but are you sure you’re ok?”

“The shock is wearing off, and I am into my furious stage.  I cannot be in a car alone with the two of them right now.”

“I love you, Aimee.  I am here for you, ok?”

“Thanks, Tara.  I love you too, and I will call you tomorrow.”

Aimee checked the time on her cell.  It was eleven pm, so it was four am in Neahovia.  Too early to call her friends.  Aiden would be up shortly, and she could call him when she gets home and settled in her room.  She was in need of a friend.

When the driver dropped her off, Aimee was planning to go straight to her room.  Miss Akers {the kid’s nanny} was in the kitchen and noticed Aimee walking by and called for her.

“Yes, Miss Akers?”  She wanted to get to her room fast.

“You are home early.  Where are your parents?”

Aimee bit her tongue.  “Dad and Deandre are still at the Gala.  I needed to leave early, but I sent the limo back for them.”

“Are you ok, dear?”

“I’ll be fine.  Good night, Miss Akers.”  Aimee didn’t know her well enough to confide in her, so she ran up the stairs.

She went to her room, changed her clothes, and sat in her floor.  She laid her head on the side of her bed, as she pulled her knees to her chest.  It was nearly midnight, she decided to chance it, and see if Aiden was awake.

“Aimee, are you ok?”  He answered on the first ring.

Aimee started sobbing, as she told Aiden about the Gala and the things the others had told her Deandre was up to.  He listened to her and did not interrupt as she vented her pain to him.

“Aimee, what they are doing is not right.  Do you remember when you told me that people need to trust me because I am a Prince?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Ok, I think the same principle applies in this situation.  You have every right to tell them how wrong it is to use your mother’s memory as a sympathy vote.”

“I agree, Aiden, and the thing is, Deandre has never been there for me.  Do you remember me telling you about Mrs. Opal, my Gran’s friend that lives on the plantation?”

“Yeah.  I remember her, why?”

“She is the one who has been there for me for everything.  I learned about the facts of life from her. When I had a problem, I went to her and she would help me through it.  Deandre could never wait for me to go back to the plantation or boarding school.”

“And now she wants to take credit for raising you.”

“I have too many morals for her to have had a hand in my raising.  She doesn’t even raise her own children their nanny, Miss Akers, does it all.”

“Aimee, we both know how dirty politics can get.  Has your father not considered that when his opponent learns what you just said about Deandre, he will bring it up?  Then they will expose him as a liar; which, would tarnish him in both his senate race and his business affairs.”

“Good point for me to use.  I am so mad I haven’t even thought about that. I haven’t told you everything yet.  He also enrolled me into the University of Richmond and is telling everyone I am attending there in the fall.”

“What?”  Aiden was astonished.

Just as Aimee began to talk about the Richmond lie to Aiden her bedroom door swung open and her dad and Deandre barged in.  She didn’t even have time to tell Aiden to hang on or she would call back before Deandre started yelling at her.

“Young lady, do you know how much damage you caused this family tonight?”

Aimee held tight to her phone and stood up.  “Excuse me?”

“The way you ran out of the club has everyone talking.  You should have come to us...”

“And what, Deandre, ask you in front of all of your society friends why you are spreading lies around about my dead mother, or how you lied about adopting me?  This is the most disgraceful thing you have ever done to me.”  Aimee was yelling back.

“Aimee, lower your voice.  I will not stand for you speaking to your stepmother in that tone.”

“My what?  Have you two went nuts?  She is not even thirty years old, and you want me to call her my stepmom?”

“Aimee, that is enough.  When we got married, Deandre stepped into the role of mother with you.”

“What role, evil stepmom?  If she had her way, I would have been treated like an outcast.  She never did one motherly thing for me.  I was twelve when Gran died, and until then, she raised me.  Mrs. Opal and the boarding schools did the rest.”

Deandre was walking toward Aimee.  “I will not stand in my home and allow you to talk to me that way.  It was not easy becoming an instant mother to a teenager, and you need to be grateful for all we have done for you.  The clothes, the cars, and all those boarding schools are not free, and to be studying in…”

Aimee turned to her father who was standing with his arms folded not moving an inch to stop Deandre.  “Deandre, you never worked a day of your life for that money.  I guess it is hard to be a mother to a teen when you are barely out of the teenage years yourself.  As for the boarding schools, those had been taking care of by mother, before she died.  So, don’t hand me that load of crap, about how much money you spend on me.”  Aimee turned to her father.  “If you don’t want me here, I can leave; but, I have a feeling that may interfere with your Richmond plans.”

Clint moved over to Deandre.  “Go to our room, I will be there in a few minutes to talk to you.  Aimee, will stay in this house for as long as she wants.  She is my daughter, Deandre, you have no right to say a thing like that to her.  We are not going to let people think you adopted, or mothered her in any way, because no mother would say the things you just said to her.”

Deandre turned and glared at him.  “I will talk to you in our room.”

Aimee sat on her bed and looked out the window.  “I know she has never liked me, dad.  I remember telling you before you married her that she was jealous of me.  You said I was the jealous one, and you know what I did?  I prayed about being jealous of her for months.”

“Aimee, honey, I know things got out of control.  I never gave her permission to go this far.”

“Morgan said this was her idea.  How did she talk you into tarnishing the memory of my mom?”

“I am behind in the poles.”

“I am glad to know where I stand in your life.”

“Look Aimee, you are the one who chose to go away to school.  Yeah, your mom had the boarding school stuff in place before she died.  It was your choice to go, though.  Just like you have chosen to go off to Neahovia for college, so it is not fair to say Deandre doesn’t want you here.”

“Dad, did you honestly think I would want to live here with her, and be treated the way I was when we went vacation, or when I was home for summer breaks?”

“Aimee, I have no clue what you are talking about.”

“I know, because you were always too busy working, or socializing, to notice me or anything else going on at home.”

“Aimee, we did things together.”

“I am not arguing about this.  I am over that part of my childhood anyway.”

“Fine.  We can talk about Richmond, when I get home from work tomorrow.”  He turned to walk away.

“I am not going to Richmond.  I am returning to Neahovia, my tuition is paid for.  I have signed my rent agreement, and paid my part of the security deposit for a flat.  I am an adult now; and I am capable making my own decisions.”

,

“So, you think that you have it all figured out?  Well, Aimee, you see, I control your finances.  So, you sleep on that tonight.”

Aimee waited for him to leave the room before she checked to see if Aiden was still on the line.  He had stayed on the phone and heard the entire conversation.  She was glad that she did not have to tell him everything.  She did not want to relive the conversation.

Aimee curled in her bed.  “Aiden, I wish you were here with me.  I need a friend right now.”

“Hey, I am here.  It is not the same as being there to hug and hold you, but I am here.  I have no plans today, so, I can stay on the phone all day with you, if that is what you need.”

“Thanks, what I need to do, is calm down and think rationally.  I don’t want to stay here for the rest of the break, so I need to think about what I want to do.”

“I have a few questions.  Have you ever seen your mom or Gran’s Will?”

“No.  Why?”

“I don’t want to upset you, but you need to look at them, to see at what age you take control of your finances.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t believe you have never thought of this.  You inherited the plantation, correct?”

“Yeah, we transferred it to my name on my eighteenth birthday.”

”

“Is it still a working plantation?”

“Yeah.”

“Aimee, when you inherited the plantation, I am sure you inherited the family business.  You need to see at what age that money is yours.”

“I haven’t thought about that.  I have always taken my dad’s word on those things.”