by Odette Stone
His casual tone frustrated me.
“Why do I have to walk? My mom would kill me.”
“Well, my parents are here now, too.”
“So?”
“If my folks are here, I can’t leave you unmarried at this alter.”
“But if you stay, that means we’re getting married.”
“Doesn’t matter. I can’t do it.”
The last chords of the harp sounded.
“That’s a terrible reason to get married.”
“If you don’t want this to happen, you’re free to leave,” he offered.
“Do you want to marry me?”
“I’m not opposed to the idea.”
My gaze snapped up to him, too shocked to speak.
His shrug was unapologetic. “We get along.”
And there it was. The most unromantic thing anyone has ever said to me. If I wasn’t so pissed, I’d be crushed.
“We get along?” I hissed. “That’s what you have to say?”
“What do you want me to say?”
Again with the out of body experience. Without remembering moving, I found myself walking to the side of the church. Loud whispers of hundreds of people ricocheted off the stone walls.
Porter caught up with me. He pulled me behind a huge planter of flowers, away from prying eyes.
“You’re leaving?” His grey eyes flashed with intensity.
I blinked up at him, finally allowing myself to ask the question I really wanted to ask. “What are we doing?”
“Would it be so bad?”
No, it’d be fucking great. But only if he actually wanted to marry me.
“Are you asking me to marry you?!”
His eyes never left my face. “I’m shit at this kind of stuff. This isn’t how I wanted to do it.”
“Do what?”
“Ask you if you’d be interested in not canceling our wedding.”
My mouth dropped, as shock rippled through my body. “You want to marry me?”
“I don’t not want to marry you.”
“Why are you suddenly using double negatives?”
He ran both his hands through his hair. “I can’t imagine not doing this.”
Disbelief, shock, and joy washed through me, but mostly joy. “That’s still a double negative.”
His lips twitched in amusement, “When did you become the grammar police?”
“Semantics matter.”
“Fine. Beth Stirling. I feel things for you that I’ve never felt before.”
“Why didn’t you say something earlier?” I half-whispered, half-wailed.
“I wanted to.”
“But?”
“I wasn’t sure what you’d say.”
Disbelief. “You thought I’d say no?”
“I don’t know.”
Our eyes locked. “Is this real?”
“I’m the one who told Roo to invite my parents,” he added.
“What!?”
“But I didn’t think they’d show. There’s a whole lot of stuff there that I need to tell you.”
“Why didn’t you talk to me?”
“Because you’re the only thing in this world that scares me.”
“I’m in love with you,” I whisper-shouted, “So stupidly in love with you, I can’t even take it.”
He crushed me into his arms, and his kiss was so passionate, so intense, I swooned. He lifted his head. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes, I want to marry you.”
“You look hot as fuck in that wedding dress.”
“You should see the negligee Roo forced me to buy.”
He groaned and kissed me again. “Sorry for the shit proposal.”
Porter wanted to marry me!
My arms clung to his neck. “It kind of suits how we came together.”
Determination crossed his face. “Let’s get this show on the road. I want to make you mine.”
“Stay bossy,” I instructed.
“Oh, I plan on it.”
When we reappeared, the entire congregation clapped.
Porter led me to the front. We exchanged goofy smiles, and the minister asked with a dry tone. “Are you two ready?”
Porter didn’t look away from my face. He looked so damn happy. “We’re ready.”
Chapter 53
In front of eight hundred people, we stood at the front of that massive church, to come together as man and wife. Porter listened to the minister’s message with serious intent. I didn’t hear a word the man said. I was too busy trying to wrap my mind around the fact that Porter wanted to marry me.
Not out of obligation.
Not because he felt trapped.
The man said it himself.
He felt things for me he never felt before.
Porter was becoming my husband. And I was becoming his wife.
I still had a lot of questions. But they were good questions, and I wanted to savor his answers. Like what moment had he realized that he loved me? When exactly did he know he wanted to marry me? But all that could wait. His family. His history, all of that, would eventually be shared.
What I did know was that I loved him. With all my heart.
I let out a happy sigh, when the minister said, “Time for your vows.”
A considerable bang sounded at the back of the church.
“This wedding can’t happen!” Yates stalked up the aisle.
What the living hell?
Porter turned with a growl, his entire body stiffening. Too stunned to do much else, I watched Yates’ approach.
“What might your reason be?” the minister’s voice called out.
Yates cleared his throat. “I know this isn’t a real marriage. This whole thing is a fraudulent plot to promote Mr. Stirling’s political campaign.”
The entire church gasped. My eyes swept over the blurry faces of the congregation. My body tipped against Porter’s hard frame. I put my hand on his arm. He hadn’t moved a muscle. I glanced at him. His jaw was so tight, his neck corded.
Yates continued, “I have evidence that proves Beth’s father paid Porter to be part of her life, to marry her for his campaign. This wedding is a sham.”
It kind of felt like I was under water. Without oxygen. Struggling to breathe. My eyes flew to my father. His expression was a mask of guilt. Roo sat collapsed on the pew with Mom bent over him.
I glanced up. Grey eyes held mine. I couldn’t read his expression.
“Tell me this isn’t true, Porter,” I whispered.
Why was there so much regret in his eyes?
“I can’t.”
I swallowed, and my ribs expanded and contracted as each shallow breath rushed through my body. “This was your secret? My father paid you?”
“At first. But then things changed.”
I took a few steps away from him in complete disbelief. This was not happening to me. Not to me. My mind tried to process what was going on. “My father paid you? To love me?”
“Beth…” Pain painted his features. “It’s complicated.”
I couldn’t even process this. “So this is a big joke? I’ve been set up by another one of my father’s elaborate plans?”
“No. I really love you.”
I wasn’t a violent person, but suddenly I was hitting Porter with my bouquet. Pink and white flowers exploded between us. He didn’t even move. He took every single blow.
I realized I was crying. Hard. Everything ran. Tears. Snot. Make-up. I couldn’t catch my breath. As far as ugly cries went, this one was epic. My bouquet was now nothing but stems and a ribbon. I tossed it aside. Emily put her arms around me.
I glared at him and managed to say, “I trusted you.”
He swallowed. “I’m sorry.”
I shook my head, and then I was running down the aisle.
Chapter 54
I stood in the bride’s room at the back, my chest heaving.
Emily stood beside me. “Oh my goodness.”
I paced the length of the ro
om. “My dad paid Porter.”
Bewilderment traced her voice. “How did he even know Porter?”
I tried to think of our beginning. “When I was arrested, what did Jackson do?”
“I called my lawyer. Jackson called Porter.”
The door opened, and Dad stepped in. “Beth, please. Let me explain.”
Rage nearly blinded me. “When are you going to stop meddling in my life?”
“I thought I did what was best for you.”
“Best for me.” I stopped in my tracks. “You thought that paying someone to love me was the best thing for me? Everything about you is about control. This is my life. My happiness!”
“It’s not like that.”
“When did you met him?”
“Beth, listen to me.”
“WHEN DID YOU MEET PORTER?!”
“The night you brought him to Bayswater for dinner.”
I covered my face with my hands. “You took him for an after-dinner drink.”
“Yes. I used that chance to talk to him.”
That night on the balcony of Bayswater. I tried to remember what Porter had said to me. He’d asked me what I wanted, and I told him I wanted space from Yates. And to pretend that we were dating.
“How much did you pay him?”
“Is that important?”
“How much am I worth? Tell me how much your daughter’s happiness is worth.”
“Five hundred thousand.”
That sucker punched me. “You paid him half a million dollars to what? To date me? To marry me? Sleep with me?”
“He gave me the money back.”
“I don’t care,” I cried.
“Please let me explain.”
“How can I believe anything that comes out of your mouth?”
The door burst open, and Yates stood with a pleased expression on his stupid face. “Beth.”
“Get out,” I gritted at him.
“I love you. I want to marry you. We can still do this. Today.”
“That’s enough,” Dad yelled at him. “Get out of here!”
Yates waltzed up to Dad and pointed his finger in his face. “I’ve done everything you’ve asked. I’m basically your slave. You have no idea what I did for you. You don’t appreciate me.”
“You were in on this too?” I asked in disbelief.
“No,” they both said at the same time.
“I would never hurt you, never betray you the way these two men did,” Yates boasted.
My dad punched Yates in the chin. As far as punches went, it wasn’t very effective, but Yates still crumpled to his knees.
My dad seethed. “Yates, my daughter doesn’t want to have anything to do with you. Neither do I. You need to leave.”
The door flew open, and Porter wrestled with two of his brothers. They fought him, but he was a crazy person, trying to get into the room.
“I’m going to kill him,” he grunted. “Give me five seconds.”
Yates crab crawled backwards across the floor. “Don’t let him near me.”
Miles, or maybe it was Calvin, shouted over his shoulder. “Can we get some help here?”
Emily pressed against the wall beside me. Our eyes met. Jackson stepped into the mess and put his arm around Porter's neck. It was a cross between a hug and a choke hold. He spoke to Porter, but no one could hear what he said.
“Fine,” Porter ground out, “Get off me.”
Jackson turned and spoke to his brothers, “Let him go.”
With extremely reluctance, they let go of Porter, who straightened. For the first time in my life, I saw fear on his face. Grey stormy eyes found mine. “Beth, I need you to listen to me.”
“I think I’ve heard enough of your lies,” I shot back.
“You really should hear him out. This is all my fault,” Dad added.
“Be quiet. Just stop. I can’t take any of this anymore.”
“What is going on here?” Detective Christensen appeared in the doorway, surveying the scene.
“Nothing,” four of us said at once.
Two officers crowded the room.
“Michael Renner woke up,” she said. “And he told me what happened last night. Yates Bennet, you’re under arrest for the attempted murder of Michael Renner. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning.”
In shock, we stood and watched as the officers hauled Yates to his feet and handcuffed him behind his back.
“This is a mistake,” Yates yelled. “I didn’t do anything.”
Dad stepped forward. “Yates! Shut up. Don’t say a word until your lawyer is present.”
“This isn’t my fault,” he begged, looking at me. “Beth. You have to save me. Please. Tell them we were together last night. Tell them the truth.”
I remained silent and watched as Yates was half-carried, half-dragged out of the room. “Everyone get out,” I said, my voice low.
The men assessed me. Jackson. Porter. My father. The brothers.
Emily spoke this time, her voice ringing clear and fierce. “You heard her. All of you need to clear out of this room right now.”
Chapter 55
At the doorway of the penthouse, I grabbed Emily’s arm. “Is he gone?”
“He did what you asked, and he left.”
Knowing Porter wasn’t here, made my heart ache. At the church, Emily had gone into a mode I’d never seen before. She placed Jackson and my security team at the doorway of the bridal suite and banned anyone else from coming in.
She sat beside me on the floor and held me while I wept. When I could no longer cry, she helped me get out of my dress. I wanted to talk. I wanted to tell her that my heart was breaking. I wanted to get angry and throw things and curse his name. I wanted to beg her, ask her how I could possibly live the rest of my life without him in it.
But the words remained stuck inside of me. For the life of me, I couldn’t speak. So, I sat on the chair like a statue and watched as she pulled every pin out of my hair and brushed my hair out. I lifted my face to hers as she used a warm facecloth to wash my face. I sipped the glass of scotch she'd placed in my hand, unable to help as she packed up the room.
At my request, she’d sought out Porter and told him I needed space. She told him to leave the penthouse. Apparently, he had obeyed. Now, we stood in the penthouse, alone.
“Do you want something to eat?”.
“Not really.” This place felt so empty, so quiet without Porter. “Where are Jackson and Theo?”
“I sent them to a hotel.”
“Emily.” Her kindness would be my undoing.
“I’m going to order Thai food. You don’t have to eat, but I’m starving.”
I ate the Thai food. We sat at the big island in the kitchen and ate in silence. Yet another reason I loved Emily. Anyone else would talk or try to make me feel better or ask too many damn questions. Not Emily. She quietly sat with me.
“You’d be good at a wake.”
“Awake?”
“No, a wake. Two words. Like when the family sits around the coffin and holds a vigil for the person who has died?”
“Oh, a wake. Why?”
“Because you’re so comfortable being quiet.”
“This is your time.”
“Did you know it would end like this?”
She dangled noodles into her mouth from her chopsticks. “Well, up until this morning, I thought the plan was to call your fake wedding off in a very amicable fashion. You’d either be locked up here doing dirty things with Porter or you’d be alone and sad. Either way, I figured you’d need some space.”
This.
This was why Emily was my best friend.
“How was my mom?”
She shrugged. “I thought she’d be more upset, but she focused her attention on Roo which I think took her mind off everything.”
“Is he okay?�
�
“An ambulance was called and he was treated for fatigue and dehydration. They gave him an IV while he sobbed like a baby, and those two things seemed to restore his spirits.”
“My mom loves Roo. I think if she could, she’d adopt him.”
“What about you?”
“He suits our family.” I couldn’t bring myself to talk about Porter. The words were there, choking in my chest, but I couldn’t say his name out loud.
“I love Virginia, but man do I miss New York food.”
New York. This city would never feel the same. Neither would my apartment. How would I go back to my old life? What had I done before Porter had been in my life? Had I laughed? I had spent so much time alone.
I didn’t know how I’d bear it.
I pushed my plate away. “I need to sleep.”
If I didn’t shut down my brain, my thoughts or this massive crack that was opening in my heart, I wasn’t sure I’d survive. Sleep was my only option.
“You’re mom gave me her valium.”
“Give me.” I held out my hand.
She shook out one blue pill into the palm of my hand. “I’ll be here all night.”
I crushed her in a hug. “Thank you.”
And then I crawled into the bed that still smelled like him, and I sobbed myself to sleep.
Chapter 56
Six weeks later, I showed up at Emily and Jackson’s place without warning. They welcomed me without judgement, without questions, and made me feel at home.
Emily and I sat on her deck, watching the lazy fireflies buzz around the yard. Theo was down for the night, and with Chloe panting at my feet, I silently sipped from my wine glass while Emily patiently waited for me to talk.
“You look thinner,” she broke the silence.
“I’ve lost my appetite.”
“What happened with Yates? How did he get tangled up with Renner?”
“I guess he owed some big gambling debts to the wrong people. People tied in with Micheal Renner.”
“I read in the newspaper that Micheal Renner is being charged with corruption.”
“Apparently, he’s been under investigation for over a year for having strong ties with the mafia. He scratched their backs, and they scratched his. And they were all anxious to make sure that my father didn’t win the election.”
