Love Can Turn To Hate
Chapter 32
Phillip’s POV
I told Addison I would see her at the event but changed my mind. I wanted to pick her up. I wanted everyone to know that we were not just on a date but together. I didn’t want anyone to approach her. She was mine, and I wouldn’t let anyone waltz up and take her from me. The more I found out about her, the more I liked her. I wasn’t going to step back, even if Corbin’s father happened to realize what he had lost in Addison and tried to get her back. I am sure he already knew that, so where was he?
I was committed to ensuring she knew I was serious about her and Corbin. That she knew what my intentions were from the start. I wasn’t trying to hide anything from her. I had already told her, but I knew that she thought I was joking. I hope that when she sees the meaningful changes that I have made, she starts to realize that I want her and her son in my life. I had done something that I never thought I would do.
I traded in my car. I loved my car. I loved the speed and strength it had. I liked how I looked in it. It got attention everywhere I went. What it didn’t have was an actual backseat that we could
quickly get a toddler in and out of. I am 6‘ 2” tall. Getting my gym bag out of the backseat makes me hit my head. I had dreamed of this car when I was young. I had wanted it so badly. When I bought it in 2022, I finally realized that dream. Dina loved the car, too. But after meeting Addison and Corbin, my changed.
dreams
have no
I had even bought the highest–rated car seat for Corbin, now sitting in my new SUV’s back seat. I needed to get one anyway. I usually drove my Porsche 911 Carrera around, but it was unsuitable for a family and one I intended to grow. I wanted to show that I was ready to make
some serious changes where Addison was concerned.
After I met Corbin on Sunday, I took the next day off. I never really missed work, so I had plenty of vacation days. Last night, I researched full–sized SUVs online, and I knew what I wanted to
get. The following morning, I went to the dealership to place the order. They didn’t have one there, but they did have one in Memphis, Tennessee. So, I had my new Escalade ESV Platinum 4WD shipped from there on a car hauler and brought here.
It arrived on Tuesday afternoon. I had retractable running boards on it, as Addison might need assistance getting Corbin into his car seat. I traded my Porsche in and paid the difference
between them. I spent the week getting it ready. I ordered a window tint. It is pretty hot down here, and it helps with the glare. Plus, it just looks so much better.
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My mother and sister had noticed the sudden vehicle change immediately when I came for dinner Thursday night, but didn’t bring it up at first. Not until I unboxed the car seat to throw the box away at their house. I did it there because they have two trash cans. My sister saw it as I put the cardboard into the recycling can. Then the questions started. I told them we would discuss it at dinner. My father wasn’t there yet. I told them both, “I will not go over it twice.” My mother, Devyn, was surprised at what I said as I doted on her. What can I say? I love my mother. But she didn’t press about kids anymore, and I was glad. Dinner was interesting that
night.
My father didn’t seem to mind, especially once he discovered who she was. My mother was
upset because she wanted me to have my ‘own‘ family. She smiled and dropped the subject
once I told her I planned to make Corbin mine. My sister was excited once she learned that
Addison was the designer for Ana and Alex. My sister, Erin, adores Addison’s dresses and was
excited to meet her in real life tonight. No one minded Addison had a child after that. It went
much smoother than I thought it would. My whole family was excited about meeting her in
person.
I also told Alexandra and Nash that I would be coming to pick Corbin and Addison up for the
gala. They were both surprised to learn that I had my own SUV now, as I had only had my
Porsche for about two and a half years. They knew it was my dream car and had been
surprised at me having traded it in. This time around, I went for the best safety features on
both the SUV and the car seat. Alexandra and Nash exchanged looks as I told them what I had
done on a video call. They promptly agreed with me driving them to and from the event.
Today was the day, and I spoke to Nash downstairs as we waited for them to come down. The
makeup artist and hairdresser came down the stairs first, and we briefly glanced at them. They left quickly, and we resumed talking. Corbin was in Nash’s arms and had been dressed by his nanny while everyone else was getting ready. He looked so cute in that tiny tux. I was
proud that he had held his arms up to me when I arrived to pick him and his mother up.
“Tank you,” Corbin had told me, before he kissed my cheek. My heart melted as I knew he was
thanking me for his new swing set.
“You are very welcome, Corbin. I will come to play with you in the tree house if you want me to, “I told him. Seeing his eyes light up in excitement, he quickly nodded his head. I realized that he had me wrapped tightly around his finger. Nash tried to fight back a smile. Bryson and Evan already loved him. It hit me that I already loved this little guy, and this was only the second time I had met him. He was the first to notice his mother and Alexandra descending
the stairs.
“Pwetty,” Corbin said, and we both turned again to look.
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My breath caught when I saw Addison. She was gorgeous. I didn’t even realize I had headed
immediately towards the bottom of the stairs. Addison had her hair up, and she looked like a
Goddess in that dress. The bold wine–red color looked striking on her. Her lush curves were tastefully played up but showed enough skin at her sweetheart neckline and the slit on her dress to be sexy. Nash put Corbin down, and they were step–for–step with me. Corbin was
almost at a run to get to his mother.
“You look stunning, darling,” Nash said as he reached out his hand to help Alexandra down the last few steps. I wanted to say the same thing, but it wasn’t right for me to do that to Addison just yet, no matter how much her family liked me. I would try to go slow with her because I told her I would. But she was making it hard for me to do so.
“Thank you, handsome,” Alexandra told Nash with a smile.
“You look beautiful, Addison,” I told her. Addison bent over to pick Corbin up as he danced
around her feet.
“Pwincess,” Corbin told her as she lifted him up. Addison’s smile covered her face.
“Thank you both for the compliments,” Addison told us.
“What are you doing here, Phillip?” Addison suddenly asked.
“I wanted to drive you and Corbin to the event,” I replied, motioning her to the door.
“We were planning on meeting you there, I thought. I was just going to go with my aunt and uncle tonight. Plus, Corbin can’t ride in the backseat of your car,” She answered.
“He can now,” I said as I opened the front door, and motioned her out.
“Phillip, did you just go out and buy this? We could have taken my SUV. It already had his seat in it. You didn’t have to do this.” Addison asked me in a shocked voice.
“I did it because I wanted to. One day, I will have several children to transport. They will all need a place to sit, so the Porsche was impractical. Oh, and I bought Corbin a car seat, too, so he already has his seat,” I said with a smile.
I waited for her to speak, but she seemed too stunned to do so. “I like it, Phillip. It is a beautiful
color,” Alexandra told me.
“I like it too. Care if I take a look inside?” Nash asked.
“Go right ahead. I am just going to buckle Corbin into his seat,” I answered. I walked to the driver’s side and opened the door. Corbin was hot on my heels and allowed me to pick him up to secure him. Alexandra had walked behind him and watched me secure him in the car. I didn’t mind her doing that. This was the first time I had done anything like this. One of the
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Love Can Turn To Hate
men I worked with saw me struggling to install it in the parking lot yesterday and helped me. He was a father of three, so I am sure he knew how to do it.
He even explained that it would periodically need to be tightened. He also advised that I adjust the five–point harness once Corbin was seated in the seat. I was doing that now, and Alexandra was nodding at how well I was doing. “This is a very nice truck, and it seems very safe,” Alexandra told me.
It got a nine out of ten on the safest full–sized SUVs,” I told her as I continued to set the straps properly.
“It was very smart not to go with the white seats. They would show everything,” She told me as she watched me finish up. I had just finished buckling Corbin up, and when I turned to look at her, she had a massive smile.
“Phillip, you have matured so quickly. What’s going on?” she asked me, and that big smile returned.
“I just want Addison and Corbin to be safe. That is all. I told her that I would go slow to wait for her. But I am falling for your niece,” I stated.
“Honey, I already knew that. I can see it every time you look at her. Just be patient. She still has Garrett in her heart. I wanted to warn you of that, Phillip. He does want her back. He has almost made it to the three–year mark. He did a real number on her. I am glad you care for her. That you are there for her in case he fails her again,” she told me.
She waited for me to step back and then went to try to move the car seat, but it was attached very well. She ran a finger under the straps securing Corbin to check and make sure they were not too tight and not too loose. When she was done, she looked up at me and said, “You did a great job, Phillip. I want you to know that we are all rooting for you. Addison needs someone to love her and protect her. The heart wants what it wants, but if it gets broken badly enough, the love it once held can turn to hate.”
