Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

I glance at the dark Rolex on my right wrist; she's thirty minutes late.

'If she's even coming' my conscious snips.

She's coming. Even if it's to tell me she doesn't care, she's decent enough to tell me to my face.

It's June, the peony and rose bushes are in full bloom making this part of the park perfect for confessing your love for someone a second time.

I have no idea what came over me last night as I basically threw up all my feelings onto four thin sheets of white notebook paper.

The words I scribbled down flash through my mind and I groan. She's gonna read a few lines and already think I'm a fucking pansy.

The tie I'm wear suddenly feels as if it's tightening around my neck so I rip it off, unbuttoning the top few buttons of the the dress shirt.

I also can't say what came over me when I saw that scraggily kitten sitting alone in the tiny cage.

Fish food for Melanie. That was all I was there for. Then, walking past the adoption section, my green eyes met the matching ones of the stinking cat. It cocked its head to the side and I had the sudden image of it curled in the hearth of the stone fireplace in my penthouse. There was more to it, but it's an image I refuse to consider until I see her.

Oh, fuck. I stand from darkly stained bench. What if she isn't even home? That poor kitten. No. I sit back down. Isaiah said she was, Meghan is with her.

She suddenly appears, walking just a few feet from me. As always, she's beautiful. She really loves those knee length sundresses that always make her look dainty and feminine. The white one she's wearing now reminds me of the first time I saw her, all rational thought left me, just like know as I see her allowing some boy to lean down an kiss her.

It's short and innocent but, my god, it sends me crashing back to earth.

***

To assume is to make an ass out of you and me.

Amelia always begs to hear my side of that day and then tells me that. It was something her father ingrained into her mind. I think it's one of the biggest reasons we never fight, she's always ready to listen. She says if that day isn't a good example of where assuming things leads to, then Isaiah and Meghan should be.

Now I always try to find all the facts before making decision, but when it comes to a girl tugging on the heartstrings of my son, she will not be in the receiving end of my sympathy.

My said son is currently pacing my office at a dizzying rate. "You're gonna wear out the carpet in that one spot." I mutter, glancing from him to the file currently sitting at my desk.

I told him what was in it before setting it down for him to look through when he was ready; he's not.

"No," He shakes his head, continuing to pace. "What you're saying isn't possible." He slams his fist onto the desk. "It's not."

After Amelia pulled Audrey away, I didn't see her again until late that night when she came to bed well past midnight.

I guess I should be thankful for Meghan texting me to let me know my wife was safe.

Without saying anything, she had crawled into the bed, my bare back not bothering her as she wrapped her arms around my waist.

She must feel me tense and realize I'm still awake because she starts speaking. "To assume it to make an ass out of you and me."

"What?" I quickly roll over, not realizing how close she is and accidentally roll into her. I immediately apologize, moving away but still look down at her. "What's did you just say?"

"It's something my father always says," She whispers, maintaining eye contact. "Basically, assuming things-"

"I know what it means." I cut her off, brushing her hair back from her forehead. "You used to say it all the time, about everything."

"Oh." She mutters just before rolling over, allowing me to spoon her. "Well, listen to it, I think there's more to Audrey's story.

"What makes you say that?"

"She dodges my questions, not confirming or denying."

"That sounds like somebody with a guilty conscience."

"Or somebody that doesn't know what's happening and if unable to defend themselves."

I'm brought back to the present when Xander grabs the file. I watch the subtle changes in his face as he reads through it before throwing it back down, continuing to pace.

"I don't see how that proves what you're saying." He grits through a clenched jaw.

"I never said they proved anything, Xander." I grab the file pulling out the bank statements. "But they do raise questions."

"Like what?" He halts, glaring at me. "It doesn't matter that her father paid her, she did it anyway."

"Why did her father pay her in a unknown account that he has under an alias?" I question, watching as he moves to sit down. "If she knew she was working for her father then why didn't he just pay from has main account?"

"Because he didn't want it traced back to him." His tone trembles, letting me know he's trying to convince himself as much as he is me.

"Anybody willing to spend even an ounce of time would be able to trace that back to him. Audrey though..." I let myself trail off, watching him. His nervous tick of clenching his fist shows his agitation.

"She wouldn't know." He finishes for me, has clenched and body stiff. "She could just not know who she's working for." He argues, standby up and continuing to pace.

"Which is why I said this doesn't prove anything, only raises questions."

"It doesn't matter," He stops with a sigh. "It won't change anything." Before I can tell him everything that would change he interjects. "I don't know what would be worse, finally having it confirmed that she did it or finding out she didn't."

There's not point in arguing with him now, he needs time to work out Audrey's part in this mess but that's not what I'm most concerned about.

"Alexander." I'll never know if it's my tone or the use of his full name that causes him to deflate before me. "Someone has payed thousands of dollars in an attempt to ruin our family. This is more than petty high school drama."

He shakes his head, getting rid of whatever he was thinking. "You're right. I-" He pauses, his frown morphs into a wince. "I'll have to ask Captain Bailey for the job back."

"Yes, and-" My mind catches up to the words he spoke and I'm unable to hide my shock. "Back?"

He just waves me off just before suddenly smirking. "I have an idea." The words come out in a rush as rush, and I'm he immediately runs out of the office.

Amelia comes in a few moments later while I'm still sitting in a confused state. "He left in a rush, everything okay?"

"I honestly don't know." I find myself chuckling. "But he said he had an idea ."

"And what will we do?"

"I've discussed matters with Captain Bailey, all the tabloids will be recanting their previous statements, and that terrible gossip show will be issuing a formal apology for 'twisting-words' and spreading slander."

A certain so-called reporter is also being fired but I don't know if Amelia will approve of that so I keep it to myself.

"What about Audrey? If she's telling the truth?"

I smile at my wife's concern for a girl, not the least bit worried what people think about the rumors that have ignited a fire in the media.

I take a moment to consider my answer. We've shunned this girl, purposely tried to make her feel guilty. We've hoped we were breaking her heart, making her feel alone and desolate. If she's telling the truth...

"Then we have something to be sorry for as well."