Merrick

The next day, I walk into the office feeling a little more enthusiastic. Not just because I am in a good mood, but also because I know the first thing that I exactly need to do. I feel like I've never been as clear with my schedule as much as I am right now.

I keep my head high as I make my way inside. I've always loved running this company, and with every progressing day, my passion for it seems to grow more. It feels like a usual day as people greet me on my way to the elevator, but something does seem weird when I realize how tense the atmosphere feels.

Employees seem to glance my way, and I notice the change of expression on their faces. I ignore them, thinking that I am just making a big deal out of nothing, and then get on the elevator. When I step onto my floor, Nancy greets me.

"Sarah would be up with your schedule in a few minutes, Mr. Addington." She says, and I nod at her.

"If you don't mind, can you get me coffee, Nancy?"

"Right away, sir." She responds with a smile.

I look at her as she leaves, and I try to study her, figuring out if there's actually something wrong, but she seems just fine, so I shrug it off and walk inside my room. I open the blinds of my office and place my laptop on the table before I settle down. Before Sarah can brief me, I get an idea that my day is going to be packed with meetings and appointments. It should probably exhaust me, but it doesn't. I know I need to compensate for taking off yesterday, and that's completely okay with me.

I am about to check emails when there comes a knock on my door. Dean walks in moments later, and I lean against my chair and smile at him.

"I knew my day wouldn't start without seeing your face," I say to him, amusedly. He and Anthony usually come to my cabin in the morning, so we can all go through the reports and point out the reforms needed to increase the sales.

He looks at me with a serious expression, and I frown.

"Is everything alright, Dean?" I ask him, straightening up. I look past him and ask. "Where's Anthony? Why is he not with you?"

"You don't know, do you?" He says.

"I don't know what?"

I watch him hesitate for a minute as he walks up to me. "Aiden committed suicide yesterday." He says in a low voice, and I stand up instantly.

"What?" I ask in disbelief.

He sighs. "Anthony went to see him in his apartment yesterday...when he didn't open the door for quite some time, Anthony got worried. He called the police, and when they broke into his house." He pauses for a moment and then says. "He was found dead in his bedroom. It was due to sleeping pills overdose."

"Jesus, I...I don't understand." I say. "Why would he do that?"

"Things aren't out yet, but I think he felt very pressured about keeping up with his father. And with everything that happened lately. I guess...it affected him more than we all imagined." Dean says, and I just stare at him. I am too stunned to speak.

"I don't think Anthony would be able to come for a few days," Dean says, and I nod at him. The tension in the room thickens as neither of us says anything for a moment.

There's another knock on the door, and I watch Nancy walking in with my coffee.

"Your coffee, sir." She says, placing it on the desk.

"Thank you," I say to her with a nod. She glances at me and then at Dean for a second and then makes her way out of the room. I am sure she grasped how tense we both looked.

"I need to check on other things. I'll catch up with you later." Dean says before he too turns around and walks out of the room.

After Dean leaves, I stare at the door for a long time. Finally, when I get back to my senses, I slump down in my chair. This wasn't the news that I expected to hear when I entered the office a few minutes ago. All the time since Zelina left, I've been thinking about asking Anthony to call Aiden so we can have this discussion about exposing Jamie Miller but now finding out that Aiden killed himself is absolutely shocking...and something that I didn't even think about in my dreams.

As I sit there and process everything, I can't help but wonder if Aiden really committed suicide, or is it something else?

                   -------------

The next few days seem heavy for us with Anthony's absence and the whole thing that happened with Aiden, and before I realize next month arrives over my head. I try to focus on work, but it is hard to do it when all I can think about is Aiden. He was the only one who could speak against Jamie, and now he is dead. The thing is that the news about him committing suicide is bothering me like hell, and I have no idea what to do.

I get on a mission to keep myself engaged, but that doesn't stop me from thinking about Zelina. The entire last week, I've been calling Zelina, but she hadn't responded to my single call. It worries me a little. I keep assuming she is busy, but with every passing day, I can sense that it's not the case.

I clearly remember everything that she told me. I know it wasn't easy for her, yet she opened up to me, and I feel glad that for her, I was worth enough to be trusted. After revealing the deepest secret of her life, I knew she would need some time to get back to her normal self. I didn't want to be overbearing, so I decided to let her have her space. However, it was impossible to get her out of my mind while still being preoccupied with Aiden's thoughts.

On Thursday, exactly two weeks after Aiden's death as I am working on my laptop, I get a call from Catherine.

"I called to remind you because I know you would have forgotten.." she says as soon as I pick her call up.

"I would have forgotten what?" I frown. "Shit? What's the date?" I look at the calendar, feeling a little dreadful.

"5th of July." She says.

"It's Archer's birthday," I say, shaking my head. "I am so sorry, Catherine. It just got out of my mind...I don't know...I am leaving right now.."

Fuck. How could I forget Archer's birthday? I even remember having the conversation about the arrangements with Catherine last month. Then how did I let it slip?

Catherine laughs, obviously amused by my bafflement. "It's okay...He said he wouldn't cut the cake without you," she says as I begin to pack everything. "You don't have to stay longer. Just for a few minutes."

"I am on my way," I say. "I promise I'll be there soon."

I hurry out of the building, trying to keep my word of not being late. It's Archer's special day, and I don't wanna disappoint him by ruining his cake-cutting moment. I get in my car and speed down the roads just stopping by once to buy Archer's gifts. I have known for a while what exactly would make him happy, and I can't wait to see his reaction when he opens his present. It's the first birthday that he is celebrating with us, and there's nothing as joyful for me to watch as that innocent face brightens up with a huge smile. I also pack as many boxes of marshmallow chocolates as I can. I know Archer loves those.

When I park my car inside the building, I feel the tension of weeks dissipate from my body. I can hear the giggling and cheering as I walk toward the party hall, and it's hard not to feel happy. It even makes me think how simple life was when we were kids.

All the smiling faces turn towards me as soon as I enter the room. It's all warm and bright inside here. The decoration looks amazing, I know it's just like what Archer wanted. It's a superhero-themed party but dominantly focuses on Spiderman because he is Archer's favorite. The room is filled with mostly red and blue balloons. Golden laces are hanging from the wall, and there are written in big letters at the back, Happy birthday to our little hero Archer.

I can spot people dressed up as superheroes and children surrounding them, waiting for their chance to take pictures. On the other end, there are candy and ice cream booths where some parents are feeding their kids. Everything seems so vibrant and wonderful that for a moment it makes me forget that I am inside a hospital. There are kids running around, and that's when I see Archer. He is wearing a Spiderman costume and leading the train. When he sees me, he leaves everyone behind and comes running towards me just like every time. I pick him up, and he smiles at me as I swirl him around. I know he likes that.

"Man, you look so cool...and so big," I say as I place him back on his feet. Catherine walks toward us, and I look at her and give a polite smile.

"See momma, Merry knows I am a man," Archer says, looking proud. "You should stop calling me kid in front of everyone from now."

Catherine shakes her head, and I laugh. "Right, it looks like you've grown a decade older in just one year?" I say to him. "Happy birthday, buddy." I move to the side, revealing the attendants that walk in carrying several wrapped gift boxes. "And here are your birthday gifts."

Archer's eyes grow big. "All of them?" He asks innocently.

"Yes," I say as I grab the biggest one and hand it to him. "Happy birthday, champ!"

"Wow...thank you, Merry." He jumps excitedly. I grin as he places his gift on the floor and then wraps his arms around my leg, taking me by surprise. Warmth spreads through my heart as I kneel to hug his small body. I try to keep my arms firm around him. He seems so fragile that I fear I am going to hurt him.

I am about to pull back, but I stop when I notice Zelina standing in a corner. She is wearing dress pants with a white crop top and I can't help but stare at her toned stomach for a moment. Merrick, what are you doing? I look up and our eyes lock for a second before I force myself to look away.

"You didn't have to buy these. Your mere presence is enough to make him happy." Catherine says and I pull my attention back to her and Archer. When I straighten up and hold Archer's hand, I realize that her husband is standing next to her.

"Jeremy, good to see you here," I say to him as we shake hands. We have met a couple of times before and every time I see him in his uniform, I feel an utter respect for him. His job is highly commendable and I am sure one day Archer would be a proud son, realizing what his father does.

"Glad to be here too, Mr. Addington...It's hard to find family time during back-to-back deployments...but I couldn't miss Archer's birthday." He says. "Though I am a little offended by the welcoming you got." He says in a playful tone as he turns to look at Archer. "I mean, you weren't that happy to see me when I came." He scoffs, and I chuckle.

"I love you, daddy but there's no one that brings me as big gifts as Merry does. He's the best." Archer says as he clutches my hand tightly.

Jeremy shakes his head and looks at me. "You spoiled him already, huh? I don't know how I am going to keep up with it."

"Just leave that part to me." I smile.

"You know, Merry, Zee bought me a big gift too," Archer says, and before I realize he begins to drag me towards Zelina. I watch her tense a little when I stand in front of her, but she tries to keep a smile on her face.

"See, it's there?" Archer says, pointing towards a big package.

"Oh, that's amazing," I say, trying to avoid her gaze.

"Can I open the gifts now, mommy?" Archer says when Catherine comes following us.

"No, Archer." She shakes her head disapprovingly. "We have the whole party on. You can't leave everyone and go unbox your presents."

"Please...I want to see them." Archer pleads. "Please...mommy."

"Fine." She sighs as she looks at us. I am sure being a mother is the toughest job in the world. "But first let's make you cut the cake, shall we?" she says with a smile.

"Yeah...let's go," He screams, and we all laugh.

Catherine announces that it's time to cut the cake and everyone huddles around the middle of the room. A nurse wheels on a cart with a three-tiered caramel cake, and I see all the kids looking at it excitedly. I stand next to Jeremy and Catherine as we all sing the birthday song to Archer. He smiles as he looks at all of us, and it makes me happy to see him enjoying all this. He deserves all the happiness in the world.

Zelina stands on the other side, and I catch myself glancing at her even though I know I shouldn't. I can feel the tension between us even in a room filled with people, but I try to ignore it. When we finish the song, Jeremy picks Archer up so he can blow the candles. The clapping and cheering echo through the room as he cuts the cake and feeds a piece to his father. Then he turns to give a bite to his mother. I smile when he gets down and turns towards me.

I kneel down and before he can put the cake in my mouth; I grab it and smear the frosting over his cheeks. He protests, but I know he is giggling. Before we all know, Archer is covered in cake.

"I need to open my gifts, but I can't see anything." He complains in a whiny tone as he wipes the cream off his face after everyone is done teasing him. The kids around us are chuckling and I smile, knowing that they are having so much fun. I almost forgot about Zelina being here. So when she comes and stands next to me, I tense up a little. I look at her and she begins to open her mouth to say something, but I look away. I ignore her and walk closer to Archer and see Catherine wiping his eyes with a tissue.

"That's because you have cake all over your face," Catherine says as she picks him up. "Let's get you cleaned." She excuses herself, leaving me and Zelina behind. Great. I sigh and then take out my phone and go through it just to keep myself engaged.

After some time, I see Catherine comes back with Archer. He looks excited and I notice that he's changed into much more comfortable attire. Without wasting any time, he runs straight to the table where all the gifts are kept. I can still feel Zelina glancing my way, but I don't look at her. Does she really expect me to act normally after how she ignored me for straight two weeks?

Well, I feel strange behaving like this because it's not like we are in a relationship or something, but I can't help...I am pissed.

Archer first reaches for one of my gifts. He begins to open the box that I handed him earlier, and I wait to see his reaction as he unwraps it.

"It's a telescope!" He screams, and I can hear the excitement in his tone. "Thank you, Merry." He says, jumping up and down with it.

Yes, it's a telescope. To be more specific - a kid's telescope. I knew he would love it, and from the look on his face right now, I can say he does. It was easy for me to realize that Archer was drawn toward astronomy when he would be curious about the moon and stars and ask me things about the space world that I probably didn't have answers to. That was the time I realized what would be his perfect birthday gift.

For sure, I would have gotten an actual telescope for him because I know Archer is a smart kid, but I am also aware of the fact that he is too young to operate it properly. But I do have it in my mind that one day I'll get him the real one too.

"Can we use it?" He asks, looking at me. "Oh, we need to go to the terrace first." He says, and I laugh because he is totally oblivious to the fact that it has nothing to do with having a view of the real sky. It has picture slides right in there, which change as we twist the adjusting knob. After all, it's a kid's telescope, but to be honest... I've seen the pictures in there when I bought it. They are pretty much cool and seem almost real.

Basically, it can be used anytime and anywhere. Right here inside the room as well, but I look at Archer's happy face and don't wanna discourage him by saying it's just a toy, so we agree to go upstairs.

"Come, let's go Zee." He says as he reaches for Zelina's hand and I stop.

"I don't think..." Zelina hesitates as she looks at him.

Archer's face falls instantly. "Are you angry that I didn't open your gift?" He asks her, and Zelina shakes her head with a smile. "Promise, I'll do it after watching the stars." He says when she doesn't say anything.

Zelina looks up at me, and I just nod. "Okay." She says.

I agreed just because I don't wanna make Archer sad on his birthday.

"You are not going to come?" I say when I notice that Catherine and Jeremy are not following us.

"I think we'll be fine here. You should go." Catherine says, and she looks at Zelina and then grins at me. "We need to look after the kids."

I look at her and sigh, knowing what she is trying to do.

Archer runs out of the room, and we silently follow him down the hallway. He stands in front of the door that leads to the terrace and I pick him up and smile. I look at Zelina and offer her my other hand as we climb up the stairs. When we step outside, I put Archer down, and he runs to the other side from where the sky is visible.

"Be careful, Archer," I say, even though I know the terrace walls are pretty high.

I stand to the side and watch Archer do the set-up. The telescope has a tripod stand, an eyepiece, and an optical tube pretty much similar to the real one. When he is done positioning it, I walk toward him and tell him what exactly he needs to do. He looks into it and I help him twist the handle.

"This is so amazing!" I hear him say as he looks through the lens and I step back.

I lean against the wall behind me and watch Archer with a satisfied grin on my face. I try to stay unbothered when Zelina stands next to me, but it's hard not to be affected by her presence. We don't say anything as we stay there quietly and look at Archer playing with his new birthday gift.

"I see you have been trying to ignore me since you came here," Zelina says slowly after some time.

"Ohh, that's strange because the past two weeks it's been you who's not picking up my calls or responding to my texts," I say to her, and I almost want to cringe at how offended I sound.

She looks at me, and I can tell she understood where my anger is coming from. "I am sorry, Merrick..." She pauses, and I watch her gulp slowly. "I freaked out. It was scary to face you after how I embarrassed myself in front of you." She whispers, and I look at her in disbelief.

'I shake my head and turn to face her. "Zelina....you didn't embarrass yourself by telling me the truth. I know life has been bitter to you and you were forced to do things that you never wanted to... but that doesn't mean any of that was your fault."

I sigh as I look into her eyes. "You need to trust me."

"I do. That's the reason why I told you something that I never dared to tell anyone." She sighs. "I am just...saying it all made me feel worse ...I am ashamed of myself."

"Zelina, I told you whatever happened...you weren't responsible for it. Stop being guilty about it." She doesn't reply, and before I can say anything to her, I hear Archer's voice.

"Zee, Merry, come here and see the moon," Archer calls, and we walk to him. "It's so big." He says, then he frowns. "But it has so many dark spots."

I turn to look at Zelina, and we both laugh as we make our way toward him. I smile as Zelina pretends to have actually been fascinated with what's in there, making Archer proud of his discovery. I get behind her, and after we are both done, we step back and let Archer continue his adventure. I try to stay focused, but my mind keeps wavering back to Aiden. These past few days, I haven't been able to stop thinking about what might have compelled him to take such a hasty step.

"What's bothering you?" Zelina asks out of nowhere.

"Huh?" I frown.

"I can see it. You don't seem to be present here. There's something wrong...so tell me." She says and I stare at her, wondering how she figured out.

I sigh and just tell her the truth. "Aiden died. He killed himself."

"Oh my god, how?" she asks, looking a little shocked.

"Sleeping pills overdose. Cops found him dead in his apartment."

"But why?" Zelina asks in a low voice, trying not to disturb Archer.

I shake my head. "I don't know. They didn't find any note at his place, but...it's obvious that he was struggling with some things in his life."

She nods slowly. "You were going to talk to him..."

"Yeah...but it happened before I can do that."

I can feel Zelina studying me. "Merrick, what are you thinking about?" She whispers with a worried look on her face.

I look at her. "I just..." I sigh and turn to look ahead. "Something doesn't feel right."

We stay on the terrace for quite some time and we go back down when Archer says he is ready to open his other gifts. The little kid seems very delighted as he goes through his presents and his happiness doubles when he finds that Zelina got him a stylish sports bike to ride. It's such a heartwarming sight to watch Archer hug Zelina. Every time I look at them together, I can't stop myself from wondering how Zelina is so good with kids.

Archer is tired by the time the party ends, so Catherine puts him to bed. We thank Catherine and Jeremy and say goodbye to everyone when it's almost midnight.

As we make our way out of the building, I ask Zelina to let me walk her to the car.

Don't do it, Merrick. Just don't. I try to stop myself, but before that I find myself asking her. "My cousin has a restaurant opening this Sunday in San Francisco." She looks at me and I hesitate, feeling nervous. "I was wondering if you'd like to come with me?"

"What?" she asks, her eyes growing big.

It's hard not to get disappointed by her reaction, but I knew that there was a possibility that this could happen. "I said..." I begin, but I shake my head. "Nothing... I was just...Forget that I said it."

Zelina looks at me, and I frown when I notice her smiling. "You just asked me to deny it later?"

"No. That look of shock on your face made me realize that it was stupid to think that you'd go with me." I say.

"Merrick...I was just surprised." She shrugs. "I just couldn't believe that you'll ask me for something like that." She looks at me. "You want me to come to your cousin's new restaurant launch?"

"Yes," I say, and I still don't understand the reason for the look of disbelief on her face.

"Why is it surprising?" I ask her after a moment.

We stop when we reach her car and she turns to face me. She looks away for a moment and then speaks. "Because someone like you shouldn't want to go to a public meeting with a woman like me...especially when it involves your family."

I frown and place my hand under her chin and make her look at me. "What does that mean?"

"Merrick, you know I have a reputation around...and it's not something that I can be proud of...not like I care...but you do realize it, right? Being seen with me can ruin your image in front of your cousin and your other relatives if they are going to be present there." She says, and I see a hint of shame in her eyes. "What happened at the launch already created a buzz. I don't wanna be the reason for people to talk bad about you."

I shake my head and say. "I don't care about what people say or what they think. All I care about is that it feels good to have you around." I pause and think for a minute, wondering if I should say the next works. I then look into her eyes and speak. "If I am being honest, I love spending time with you, Zelina," I whisper, almost as if I was telling her a secret.

Her lips curl up a little as she says. "I love spending time with you, too."

"So you'd come?" I ask her curiously, and she nods, making my heart flutter a little.

"I'll come to pick you up on Saturday evening and then we'll fly in my private jet," I say as I open the car door for her.

"Okay." She smiles. God, she is so beautiful. My eyes drop down to her lips and she looks up at me. I watch her as she reaches up and presses her lips against mine.

"Goodnight." She says after we pull away and I stare at her, feeling a little enchanted as she gets in her car and drives away.