Bound To Fall

You Did This On Purpose

Sterling

I spent the rest of the day in my office. Isabelle was busy being trained by Stacey and my father had left early. I was left alone with my thoughts which I wasn't so sure was a good thing. Seeing her only made me feel hurt but mainly guilty.

My cell phone began to ring. I pulled it out of my pocket to see Elise's name. I let out a groan to myself. I'm not sure if I can take any of her shit right now. If I keep her waiting though when I do finally answer she'll blow up on me, like always.

"Hello." I spoke into the phone once I had it up to my ear.

"Are we still on for dinner?" Elise asked in a pleasant tone.

"No." I responded. "I have to go to my parents tonight."

"Oh." I can hear the disappointment in her voice. "I can come with you. It's always nice to be around your parents and sister."

"No." I could feel in my gut her calmness wasn't going to last long. "This is a private matter I need to discuss with my father Elise. You can't come this time."

"Seriously?" She scoffed. "Fine Sterling, I'll find someone worth my time who wants to have dinner with me since you want to be an asshole tonight." She then hung up.

I didn't care though. Elise was the last thing on my mind today. I wasn't prepared for my father to have hired my first love as my assistant. The one girl who held my heart for so many years and after seeing her again, she still does. The want I feel for her has remained unchanged, but things were just way too fucking complicated right now.

I walked out of my office as it was time to go home. Isabelle had already gotten her things together and stood up from her desk as I exited. "Be safe." I spoke which caused her to jump.

She turned to face me. "I will Mr. Tipton, have a good night." She turned back around and I watched as she headed for the elevator.

I hate the way she was having us address each other. I clenched my fist as I thought back to her reprimanding me earlier today because her nickname slipped from my lips. We were no longer close to one another. She made it clear how she felt today, I tried to help give her an out by my goddamn father just doesn't take no for an answer.

My chest feels heavy as I watch Killian get into the elevator with Isabelle. She gave him a smile, an actual genuine one. It was as beautiful as it had always been. I couldn't help the jealousy that ran through me, it was me who used to make her smile like that. Now it was as if we had been strangers.

I marched over to the elevator and took the next one. Once it stopped I then headed over to my Lamborghini and got inside. My knuckles were white as I drove from gripping the steering wheel so tightly. I wasn't lying to Elise, it was time to go pay my father a visit in private. He clearly was up to something and I wanted some fucking answers.

I drove for a while longer before the mansion came into view. I parked the car and headed for the front door. I rang the doorbell and was greeted by Rose moments later.

"Sterling, so good to see you." She smiled.

She was older now and didn't do as much for my father. He had her help but mainly kept her here so she didn't have to worry about a place to live. The man really has a good heart, but sometimes he can be hardheaded. We both can be.

"Who is it?" I heard his voice ask loudly from inside of the house.

"Your son." Rose hollered back.

"Let him in." My father responded. I could tell in his tone he wasn't surprised one bit. He probably even expected this.

She moved aside and I marched my way into the living room where he was seated on the couch. His eyes met mine. "I figured you'd stop by. Your mother and Scarlett will be home soon, you can have dinner with us."

I clench my fists as I know I'm about to release all the anger inside of me from the situation he has put me in. "You, you are a real piece of work." I spoke through gritted teeth.

"How so?" He asked as he got up from his spot on the couch.

"You brought her back for what?!" He had an idea of how everything went down with Isabelle. He knew exactly what this would do to me. "You had no right to do that! Now tell me, what's the real reason you brought her here?!"
"Because you needed an assistant and her resume looked great." He responded. I could tell there was more but he wasn't going to own up to it.

"Is this because you don't like Elise?" I asked with the anger still clear in my tone. He acted nice in front of her but I knew his expressions well, he didn't like her at all. It was more like he tolerated her because we were dating. "There are better ways to handle it!"

"I brought Isabelle in because I needed someone who could handle you and your temperament. She was extremely good at it when you were younger." His eyes looked at me intensely as he answered. "You are my son after all, you know how we both can be. If you think she threatens security to your relationship, that's your fault, not mine."

"You did this on purpose!" I yelled out as the rage consumed me. I felt a slight resentment as he was part of the reason Isabelle left and cut me off, she never gave me the chance to explain either. "You know what happened!"

"You're right, I do." My father was calm but his voice remained stern. "Stop blaming me for shit, own up to your own mistakes."

"What's going on?" My mother had her arms folded across her chest above her pregnant belly. She was thirty-nine now and managed to surprise us all when she got pregnant with my little brother. She was about halfway through this pregnancy and everything was going smoothly.

"Father hired Isabelle to be my assistant." I informed her in a calmer tone. She didn't deserve my raised voice and I knew if I had that tone with her she would put me in my place.

Her eyes went wide with surprise. She either was a damn good actress or he didn't even let her in on this plan. "Damon, why would you do that?"

"Because." He responded. "Love, we'll talk about it later. Right now I'm dealing with him having a meltdown over it."

"I'm not having a meltdown." I tried to conceal my feelings again. "And I do own my mistakes. You're the one who sent me away and caused all this mess!"

"I sent you to a program for a few weeks so you knew what you were getting into." He acknowledged sending me away that summer. "It was your job to let her know. You didn't, that's on you."

I shook my head and glared at him. "Fuck you." I then turned and headed for the front door. He clearly wasn't going to give me the full answer, I'd have to look for it myself.