Never Going to Give Up
Chapter 48
Garrett’s POV
I can’t believe this was happening to me. It makes sense now why Mom was so upset with me after I stopped waiting for Addison. Mom would clam up and leave the room when I talked
badly about Addison. My parents knew I had a son, and they never told me. That betrayal cut deep. Why were they hiding it from me? If I had only known, I would have made it easily. I
would have done anything to find Addison, and they knew that. They knew I suspected that she could be pregnant, yet they said nothing. We are going to have a long talk tonight. A long talk because this is crazy.
When that lady stepped forward, it was shocking. She looked just like Addison’s mother. The
only difference I saw was that her eye color was different. Addison was not on her own like I
had feared she was. All these people were there to protect her. I had been worried about her
for years for no reason. Well, I was concerned about her right up until I saw her with this jerk
standing near to her. Why didn’t I know that she had family who were willing to take care of
her? From the looks they were all giving me, they were serious about defending her.
“You never gave me your number, remember, Garrett? You slept with me and then left me. You
were with her when I finally did. How could I trust you? You could have been in on it with her.
When I needed you to be there for me, you weren’t. I know what you did when you ‘fell off the
wagon,’ Garrett. Your mother could barely admit it when she called my aunt. Everyone was disappointed in you, Garrett, but it was hardest on me. I had hope of our becoming a family. I
allowed you back into my heart, and you crushed it under your boot. You were so close. You hurt me much more than you were allegedly hurting the day you decided that I wasn’t worth
the wait,” Addison told me.
She would never forgive me if she knew what I did that day. How did they know? How could any of them know? My gut told me that my Mom knew because she had suddenly stopped
making her weekly calls to check on me. Who the hell f*****g told her what I was doing? If I ever found out who did, I was going to kick their ass. They cost me everything. I could tell by the look on her face that Addison was angry. No, she was more than angry. She was disgusted by my behavior. I have to fix this. I refuse to lose her again.
“I never meant to hurt you. Don’t you know that? I love you, Addison. I have loved you since we
were teenagers, and I still do. I want nothing more than for us to be a family. I am sorry I hurt you. I was panicked about the video Tammy made. All the guys at school were coming out of the woodwork, wanting to be with you. I probably would have been thinking clearer if I had
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Never Going to Give Up
stopped and calmed down. But my first thought was to protect you. Ask Principal Carson. He can tell you that I was helping him and asking everyone to delete the video. Your potentially being pregnant was my main concern for you. The condoms were old, and the second one broke. Ask my parents. They can tell you,” I pleaded with her.
I know that look. She is determined not to listen to me. She has already decided, but I will not let her slip through my fingers again. “Addison, please,” I said as I stepped forward to try to touch her. It has been so long. I compare everyone to her. I only wanted Addison. Yet, as I watched her step back from me with my son in her arms, I was worried that I was too late. If I had only known the cost, I wouldn’t have made the choices I made. I felt sick.
“Garrett, I have moved on. I suggest you do, too. It sure seems like you have, from what I have
seen online. Corbin is your son. I will let you have time with him, but I want your parents to be
present. You cannot care for a small child just yet, especially with an injury,” Addison told me.
“You could help teach me how to care for him, Addison. I can’t use my right arm right now. But
I would love to hold him. I like his name. What is his full name?” I asked.
I watched as Addison spoke quietly to Corbin to see if he wanted to come to me. I could see
him looking from me to my father, and I was very thankful that he already clearly loved my
father. I sighed in relief as my son nodded and was willing to come to me. Holding him was
amazing. My son, I am a father. I am holding my son in my arms. I was overcome with
emotion and cried for the second time in a week. I wished I could wrap both arms around him,
but he settled on my shoulder, and I lay my head against his back. I was willing to defend him
from anyone wanting to harm him. I finally understood how my parents felt.
“Corbin Eddison Pearson,” the blond guy beside Addison told me.
I finally noticed him. I knew he had come out earlier when I had raised my voice. I could see how possessive he was, and it hit me. He was dating Addison. My eyes flew to her hand; although she had an engagement ring, she didn’t have a wedding band. I still have time to right my wrongs, I will not give up, even if she does decide to marry this bozo, Addison is
mine.
“And you are?” I asked dismissively. It didn’t matter who he was. That is the operative word, which was code for soon to be gone from our lives.
“Addison’s fiancé, Phillip Briggs. I am glad you are here, Garrett. I wanted to speak with you privately sometime this week about a personal matter,” he said, glancing over at Corbin.
Fear rose inside me as I knew exactly what he wanted to talk to me about. I can guarantee him that it wasn’t going to happen. Corbin is MY son. I’ll be damned if I am going to let this jerk play house with my family. Addison is mine, and so is Corbin. This guy may be cocky now,
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Never Going to Give Up
but he is in for a rude awakening. I will never allow him to take them away from me. A little competition didn’t faze me at all. I want to spend time with my son and learn everything about him. I missed out on his whole life: his first steps, first words, everything. I wasn’t going to miss out on anything else. This jerk could hang it up.
“We can talk later, Phil. I need to spend some time with my son first, if you don’t mind. As you heard, some confusion occurred a few years ago. Things were not as they appeared then, and I will need time to straighten it out. But I don’t think that we have anything to talk about,” I replied coldly to him. I glanced down at Corbin before looking back at him. Two can play this
game.
We both know what was at stake here. I knew he wasn’t either, just like I wouldn’t be backing down from this fight. He was invested in her, and I could understand. Addison is wonderful.
Kind, beautiful, and intelligent. She is the whole package, and I could understand his interest. But she is mine. It is going to be hard, but I am going to get her back in my arms.
“It’s Phillip, we can talk later. But we need to discuss Corbin’s future,” the jerk had the nerve to
reply.
“Addison, we need to speak seriously with you. Garrett was almost killed, and Tammy was behind it. I didn’t know you were coming here today, or I would have told you we were bringing
Garrett back with us. But you need to get some protection for both you and Corbin. I don’t
think we need to stay out here on the lawn for anyone to notice just how to hurt you, my
mother made a valid point.
“I have been keeping an out on them. I’ve had a private investigator following along with what
Tammy has done, since she had her public defender attacked. I have been working with
Addison’s bodyguard for the last six months. Now that she is here, I have added to her
security. I love her, and I won’t let anything happen to her. The police are looking for Tammy,
but I also have men looking for her. The threat level has increased since she went after
Garrett. I have to admit I didn’t see that coming. From everything Addison had told me, I never
would have guessed that Tammy would turn on him like that,” Phillip replied with a smirk.
He doesn’t know anything, and I will not stand here and let him make me look worse. “Then
you don’t know very much at all. I testified against her. I told the jury all about her questionable character. She might have wanted to be with me again, but that isn’t going to
happen. I never loved her. Everything happened because of a misunderstanding. A big one, but
still a misunderstanding. She texted me again because I never changed my number. I was still
holding out hope that Addison would call me. That was how Tammy kept being able to speak
to me. I don’t want her. She is a liar and a thief. I have never cared for her like I do for Addison,
and I never will” I replied.
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Never Going to Give Up
“You don’t have to embellish, son. We were there and saw the damage you did to Addison. You
and your friends. How can you say you never cared for Tammy when you allowed her to bully Addison for years? You can’t just change the past. From now on, you need to try to do better. Be a better man. You don’t have to convince us. We don’t factor into your relationship. But
Phillip was there for Addison. He waited patiently for Addison to move on from everything she
was put through. I am sorry you got hurt by your ex, but I think you might be too late to change the course they are on now. My granddaughter is engaged to be married, and between the two
of you, he has never hurt her. I have to tell you that I lean towards Phillip because of that,” an
older man in the group stated.
“I know I hurt her, and I can’t change that. But I swear I will never hurt her again. If Addison allows me, I will tell her what happened back then. It was never my intention to hurt her. I hope you can believe that. Hopefully, she will give me the opportunity to explain,” I asked hesitantly. I was scared. I was scared that she would immediately reject speaking to me, and she did.
“I don’t think that there is anything that we need to discuss, Garrett. The only thing between us now is our son. I don’t mind talking to you about him, but I don’t think that we have anything more to say to each other,” Addison told me. Breaking my heart with her cold words.
