FINDING ME - FIXING YOU SEQUEL

01

When Jackie's troubled expression didn't fade I took it as an answer. "What do you mean he's being accused? Accused of what?" I threw my hands out in front of me, furrowing my eyebrows that are in desperate need of a plucking. "Where are these accusations even coming from?"

Jackie looked around at our surroundings as if we weren't the only two sitting in the room. "This isn't the place to discuss any of that." She spoke much quieter than she did before.

A million questions were running through my mind. "How am I supposed to help if I don't know what's going on? What did you come here to tell me this for?"

"What I need from you is very simple." She took a moment to reach into her pristine, white Coach purse and pulled out an envelope. I silently watched as she pulled a piece of paper out and unfolded it, nearly drooling over the set of acrylics on her finger tips.

Is it wrong that I miss being pampered? My fingers were aching for a pedicure.

"Sign your name right here on this line," my eyes followed her fingers as she tapped the very bottom of the piece of paper. I scanned the page, noticing a ton of words that I didn't understand.

With confusion written all over my face I asked, "what is this?"

"Signing this gives you temporary ownership of the hotels until your father's name is cleared." When my jaw hit the table Jackie reached over and closed it up for me. She spoke softly, "his name will be cleared. This accusations are false, Noah. They could not be further from the truth!" Her hand slowly returned to her lap as she regained her content composure. "You won't have to do anything regarding the business. You'll be involved as little as possible."

"There is no way this is happening." I shook my head in disbelief. "This can't be happening! You must be fucking with me!" My mind could not comprehend what she was telling me.

Jackie shot forward pointing her pointer finger only inches away from my nose. "You will not talk to me like that." Jackie's voice and face was stern as a wolf. Her eyes never losing contact with mine. I sucked in a deep breath, the feeling of being scolded as a child quickly coming back to me.

"I'm sorry," I quickly apologized. "That was disrespectful." She gave me look that said she strongly agreed that is was too. Silence took over for a moment or two then I let out a deep overwhelming sigh. "I don't think I can do this. It's too much pressure." My legs began to shake with nerves just thinking about it. "Pressure isn't good for my sobriety." I tried to reason with Jackie. "Why can't you sign the paper? I think the hotels would be better off under your-"

"I can't sign the paper," she said. "The way things were set up legally, before you could even walk, was that if something like this was to ever happen Hotel Hayes would temporarily be owned by you. Edward hoped that you would have a husband standing beside you if the time came." Her shoulders shrugged. "Unfortunately you don't."

A montage of memories played in my mind of the times my father talked about the man I would marry some day. He used to tell me that his greatest wish was that I find a man greater than him. He always said that I needed to find the son he never had so he could show him the ropes of the business.

But I never truly wanted to own the hotels or be involved with that business in any way. Edward has always been aware of that.

Jackie carried on, "however that is fine."

"Wait-" I realized something suddenly. "If my father isn't aware you're here, does he also not know you're asking me to sign the paper?"

"Edward refused to put his pride aside. He knows that it is the only way to save his business but-"

"He thinks I'll only make things worse." I assumed, sulking. "I probably would though." It didn't surprise me in the slightest that Edward refused to come to me for help. I am his troubled, recovering addict daughter after all.

"No!" Jackie insisted. "We are not putting you in a position to fail! Edward does believe in you. He's just too prideful to admit it. But this," Jackie pushed the paper closer to me. "This is the only way to save the hotels."

"No," my head shook as I avoided Jackie's pleading eyes. "There has to be another way."

"There is not," she said. "You are the only way." My eyes fell on the sheet of paper as she carried on. "If you can't do it for Edward then do it for you. Don't you wish to have your belongings back? Your cars? Your credit cards? Your life before everything happened?"

I nodded, "yes but none of those things matter while I'm in here." Regardless of how tempting having all those things again sounded, I don't believe I'm quite ready to leave the safety net that The Sanctuary has become to me. "I can't leave this place yet." I admitted to her, "not if I want to get better."

If Edward can't sacrifice his pride to come here, why should I sacrifice my sobriety for him?

"If you decide to help," Jackie promised, "I can assure you that you will have all the help you need from the comfort of the estate."

I pondered on the thought of it all for a moment. Realization beginning to set in.

Edward could possibly be losing Hotel Hayes. I know how much the hotels mean to my father. Hotel Hayes does sit close to my heart as well. I spent more time living in Miami's hotel than I have in an actual house. I grew up running through the halls, riding up and down on the elevators, ordering room service all times of the day and night. Though it got lonely at times because Edward was always away working, it was my home.

I never imagined a day when Hotel Hayes's doors would close forever, even when my father shut me out. Looking back, he probably threw me out because I was embarrassing him with my actions. So I decided to let it go.

I have decided to let everything in the past go.

The good and the bad is all behind me now.

My eyes wondered across the words on the paper as I reached for the pen. Jackie's eyes watched every move that I made like a hawk would do it's next meal. My eyes fell shut. I took a moment to hope to the heavens that I wouldn't regret making the decision. "As long as I can continue getting the help that I need," I locked eyes with Jackie. "I will save Hotel Hayes."

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