Chapter 184Patrick Banks ~•~I couldn’t believe that Patrick was in Paris. When the investigators at the station called to tell me, I was stunned and scared at the same time. What the hell was he doing in Paris? I thought something had happened to him. Then, I thought the bad people took him to Paris for a second. But then, he called me. And when he told me that he went to Paris just to clear his head, I was livid. I honestly didn’t even know how to react. I just found it odd that he would pull such a move. Liam and Noah had been crying because he was nowhere to be found. I kept on giving them excuses at first, but it didn’t take long before they caught the hint that Patrick was missing. We were all worried about him. Nobody heard from him for almost three days. And all he could say was that he needed to clear his head? My anger was simmering just beneath the surface. Jordan and I had spent so much time and resources just to find someone who was chilling in Paris. Even i
Chapter 183Patrick Banks ~•~After I left the wedding, I went straight to the airport. Without hesitation. With no second thoughts, I bought a flight ticket to Paris. I just wanted to leave for a few days and clear my head. And most importantly, I didn’t want to tell anyone about it. I knew it was a selfish move, but I had to do what was best for me. I turned off my phone as soon as I got on the plane. I intentionally didn’t use the private terminal because I didn’t want anybody from the family to figure out where I was headed. All I wanted was silence, distance, and the anonymity of being just another man boarding a plane. As I sat in my seat, I leaned my head back and shut my eyes. As the plane took off, I felt a little bit guilty about what I was doing. I thought about the kids. They would wake up and wonder where I was and why I had disappeared. I didn’t tell anybody where I was going. Not even Valerie. I just wanted peace. I shoved the guilty thoughts aside. I had to
Chapter 182Valerie Will~•~I couldn’t believe that Patrick didn’t show up. Was he out of his mind?Couldn’t he just let it slide for a day? After the phone call ended, I was upset. But I tried my best to force a smile because I didn’t want to ruin the energy of the party. The kids were beside me and they kept on asking when Patrick would show up. I could see the disappointment on their faces. Nevertheless, they still enjoyed themselves. They even went on stage to dance with the bride and groom. After a few hours, the wedding was about to wrap up. People were even starting to leave but I didn’t see any sign of Patrick. I was tempted to call him again, but I chose not to. If he didn’t listen to me the first time, I wasn’t sure he would suddenly change his mind now. “Valerie.” Jordan’s voice dragged me out of my thoughts. I turned around and looked at him, and he had a semi-happy smile on his face. “Patrick came but he left as soon as he talked to me.” My eyes widened in sho
Chapter 181Patrick Banks ~•~I paced back and forth around the room. At some point, I paused and looked at the tuxedo on the bed. Valerie had dropped it in my room the previous night. It was the day of Jordan’s wedding.I thought I had made peace with the fact that I wasn’t attending. But I just couldn’t help but feel restless. Valerie and the boys had already left the house. And when I took them out the other day, they couldn’t stop telling me about how it was so rude to miss your best friend’s wedding. Liam also made it clear to me that it would be a big mistake if I didn’t attend the wedding. A part of me knew that it was Valerie who put them up to it. Why couldn’t I just do something else and forget about the wedding? I dragged a hand down my face in frustration. I stepped closer to the bed and picked up the tuxedo. It was a perfectly tailored piece, the kind that made a statement without me even trying. Jordan knew me too well. Yes, I knew he was the one who sent it to
Chapter 180Valerie Will~•~“I’ve tried my best to convince him but I don’t think he’s going to change his mind.” Blair let out a sigh. “Wow. Is it that bad?” She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “Jordan has been really moody and I don’t like his attitude towards the wedding.” My voice turned sympathetic. “I’m going to get a new suit for him. Maybe he’ll be able to change his mind tomorrow.” I wasn’t comfortable with the fact that Blair and Jordan were concerned about Patrick’s attendance instead of focusing their attention on other aspects of the wedding. Why was Patrick being so difficult? Couldn’t he keep his grudge aside just for one day and attend his best friend’s wedding? I knew that he was upset at the moment, but he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if he eventually skipped the wedding. I had spent so much time trying to get him to change his mind but he seemed hell bent on his decision. Blair exhaled sharply. “I hope so. I hope so.” “I’m sorry about everyt
Chapter 179Patrick Banks ~•~“So you’re seriously going to skip your best friend’s wedding, huh?” Valrie fixed her narrowed gaze on me which carried a hint of disbelief. “I don’t really want to talk about it,” I said as I took a bite from my food. I was already feeling guilty about everything and didn’t need anybody else to pile more on me. Valerie leaned forward, letting out a deep sigh. “I just hope that you know what you’re doing.” Her voice was low. “I’ll order a new tuxedo for you and I hope you’ll have a change of heart before tomorrow.” She didn’t even finish her food. She just stood up and walked out of the dining room. After she left, I let out a low groan. The type that came from deep inside your chest when you hated yourself but didn’t know how to fix it. I raked a hand through my hair and let out a sigh. Then I shoved the plate aside and leaned back in the chair. Ever since Jordan paid me a visit at the office, I have had this lingering guilt in my chest. I had tr