“You matter,” he said. “Don’t ever let anyone make you feel anything other than that. You matter to the people that count.”
“Thanks, Dad. It looks like I’ll be sticking around for a while. I can’t very well put that job on my resume. They’ll see I quit without notice after a measly two weeks. I shouldn’t have run away, but I couldn’t stand the thought of busting my ass for a man who saw me as insignificant.”
He nodded. “I don’t blame you. However, the way you felt may not be the way he feels. His words could have been poorly chosen.”
I scoffed. “I don’t think so. He could have tried to explain. He didn’t. I think he’s going to be relieved to have me gone.”
“You know, a very long time ago, your mother and I had some serious problems at the beginning of our relationship. I knew I loved her, but I knew she deserved so much better than what I could give her. She always told me she didn’t care about any of that. My own insecurities made me question her statements. One night, we got into an argument. I stormed out, determined to never see her again. I went home feeling completely miserable. After thinking about it all night, I decided I wanted her in my life.”
I smiled, obviously knowing how the story turned out but interested to hear him tell what happened before they got together. “And she took you back, and you had me.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “It wasn’t quite that simple. She told her mom about our fight. When I went to see her, your grandmother refused to let me talk to her. She told me I wasn’t good enough for her daughter. She said I was a loser and would always be a loser. I told the woman I loved your mother and would walk through fire to make sure she was taken care of.”
“Wow! I didn’t know you and grandma hated each other!”
“I didn’t hate her. We had a rocky start, but I was persistent. I came back day after day, and finally, your mother agreed to talk to me. We worked things out. Shortly after we got back together, she got sick. I stuck by her side, nursing her back to health with your grandma’s help. It was a slow process, but she finally saw I wasn’t going anywhere and that we were truly in love.” He smiled, and his eyes stared into space as he relived those fond memories.
“She came around because you made her see the truth. You made her see that you loved Mom for who she was. That is very sweet and admirable. I’m glad Grandma finally came around.”
“So am I. Sometimes, we have to just do what we do and prove who we are inside through our actions. You can’t butt heads with someone who already has their mind made up about you. It isn’t going to get you anywhere. You do you, and let them fall into place. If they don’t, you don’t need them in your life. You are beautiful inside and out, and the people that really know you, they know you are pure and honest and caring. They know you don’t give a damn about money or anything else. If that woman can’t see that about you, it’s her loss. Don’t waste another minute of your life worrying about her.”
“She isn’t the problem,” I grumbled.
He smiled. “You left because you didn’t like what the mother said, right?”
“Partly.”
“I can’t tell you what to do, but I think it would be wise to give the man a chance to explain.”
I shook my head. “That’s just it, Dad! He didn’t! He let me walk away.”
“Ah, I see. You wanted him to chase you.”
I was immediately embarrassed. “Maybe.”
He grinned, his eyes lighting up. “We all want to be chased. Maybe he wants to be chased.”
“Dad, he’s a billionaire with hundreds of women chasing him. He doesn’t need me to chase him.”
“What if he doesn’t want them? What if he wants you? What if he needs to know if you want him for him and not for who he is?”
I groaned, putting my hands over my face. “Oh god. Did I just make a huge mistake?”
“Nothing worth having is easy,” he said, something he’d told me a million times.
“But this is different. I think I really screwed this up.”
He shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know about that. It isn’t like you can’t go back to Greece or pick up the phone and call the man.”
“He might not want to see me, and then I will have wasted all that money flying back there to have him laugh in my face and turn me away.”
“If you really want something, you have to be willing to be laughed at a little. You have to be willing to make sacrifices. That tells you how bad you want it. If you give up because it’s too hard, you don’t truly want it. If that’s the case, then my advice to you is to leave it alone.”
“I can’t! I don’t want to leave it alone.”
He chuckled. “I didn’t think you did, but do you see how you are reacting? Do you feel that?”
“Feel what?”
“That burning in your gut. That fire that can’t be extinguished until you get what your heart desires. That’s what has to motivate you. That’s what tells you when you are on the right path. If there is no fire, there’s no reason to try,” he said easily, as if it were that simple.
“I don’t know what to do,” I whispered, mulling over my options and playing out the possible outcomes.
I couldn’t handle being rejected by him a second time. I didn’t think my heart would survive him telling me he was serious when he’d said our time together had meant nothing. I wanted to believe he was only saying it to protect himself, but what if I was wrong?
The truth was, I didn’t know Adrian all that well. I knew him, but I had to wonder if it was part of who he was. I thought about the cost of my mistake in a monetary value. With no job and no immediate prospects, I could be putting a huge financial burden on myself for nothing.
I quickly dismissed the financial aspect and focused on the way he had looked at me at the ice cream shop that day. I replayed the words and thought about our last night together. It had all felt very real. I didn’t think anyone could fake that kind of passion.
I had to believe I meant a little something to him.
Now I just needed to know if I had ruined any chance I had with him.
Chapter 35
Adrian
The plane touched down in a small town I didn’t even know existed. My pilot had done some research and managed to get me as close to Bella’s home as he could. I had slept on the plane—or attempted to sleep. I kept replaying the last conversation I had with Bella.
I had analyzed it to the point where I could find every missed opportunity to tell her how I felt. I had been kicking myself for the past twenty-four hours. I was hoping she would hear me out and give me a chance to apologize.
The car I had hired from a nearby city was waiting for me at the tiny landing strip. The driver had a GPS unit to guide him to Bella’s house. I watched out the window, finding the area to be remarkably beautiful. I wondered where all the people lived. It was farms and houses here and there and lots of trees.
“This is it, sir,” the driver said, pulling to a stop in front of a small, white house that looked very old. The paint had faded and was chipped away in places. Despite the rundown appearance of the house, the yard was immaculate. I smiled as I walked up the broken red-brick path with flowers on both sides. I knew that was Bella’s work. She admired the flower gardens in Athens, proclaiming she wanted them for her yard.
I knocked on the front door, having no idea if Bella would even agree to see me. An older man, maybe early fifties, opened the door. He looked me up and down and grinned. It wasn’t exactly the response I had expected.
“Good afternoon,” I said, not entirely sure it was afternoon.
“You must be Adrian,” he said.
I raised an eyebrow, wondering how he could have guessed. No one besides Rand knew I was coming. I knew Rand wouldn’t have called ahead to warn her.
“I am. You’re Peter?”
He smiled, nodding his head before extending his hand. “Peter Kamp, Bella’s father.”
“And, as you guessed, I’
m Adrian Gabris.”
“Why don’t you come on in?” he asked, his voice stern. “I think you and I need to talk.”
“Yes, sir.”
I followed him inside the neat, small home. There was an old couch with a crocheted blanket over the back. Peter gestured for me to sit down. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Um, sure, please. Anything will be fine.”
He walked through an archway and returned a couple of minutes later with an off-brand can of cola. I popped it open, took a long drink, and let the sugar hit my system, which livened me up a little.
“So, you came all the way over here,” he started, taking a seat in an old, dirty, orange-colored recliner.
I nodded. “I did. I would have been here sooner, but I…” I cleared my throat, not entirely sure how much the man knew.
“But you?” he pressed.
“I didn’t know she had left,” I admitted, feeling a little foolish.
He smiled. “I don’t imagine you did.”
“Is she here?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Nope.”
I got the idea he wasn’t going to tell me anything more. He wanted to have a conversation. I owed him that much. I knew Bella and her father were close. She would have told him what happened with my mother, but I wasn’t sure how much she would have told him about what happened between us.
“I’m going to assume you know there is—or was—something going on between us,” I said, just getting right to the heart of the matter.
“I do.”
“Sir, if you could please tell me what I should do here, I’d appreciate it,” I said, not above begging.
He smiled. “I can’t tell you what to do. I do have some questions for you, though.”
I nodded. “I imagine you do. I’ll do my best to answer them.”
“What are your intentions with my daughter?” he asked, his eyes holding mine.
I blinked. The question was direct and took me off guard. “Uh,” I started, not really sure how to answer it.
He burst into laughter. “I’m only kidding. Kind of. I do want to know what it is you think you’re doing with her. My little girl is nobody’s fool. I don’t know the details about what went on over there, but I do know she was hurt. I don’t like to see my little girl hurt.”
“I understand that. I didn’t mean to hurt her. I’m not great with relationships. I’ve never really been in a serious, adult relationship before. I’ve dated, but none of the women I’ve been with have been like Bella. She’s different.”
“She’s special. My daughter is a very special woman, and for her to have even let herself get involved with you tells me she sees something in you. And it has nothing to do with your bank account,” he added, his voice stern.
I winced, knowing he was referring to what my mother had said. “I am really sorry for how my family treated her. I know she isn’t interested in me for my money. I sensed that from the very beginning. Did she tell you about our first meeting?”
Peter shrugged a shoulder. “She said she’d gotten lost, and you went to pick her up.”
I smiled, thinking back to the day. “Yes, but I didn’t tell her who I was. She thought I was just another one of the guys at the office. It gave me a chance to be anonymous and allowed me to get to know her without her holding back or trying to impress me. Our breakfast was short, but it was enough for me to know she was different.”
The man looked proud, and he was right to be proud. He’d raised a good daughter. “Bella isn’t world wise. She’s been through some hard times, and life has not been easy for her. She’s tough, but she hasn’t really been exposed to the kind of negativity she experienced over there.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I think you are. Here’s the thing. I want my daughter to be with a real man.”
I took offense to that. “I am a real man.”
“A real man knows how to protect his woman. A real man will do whatever he must to keep his woman safe. Maybe I’m a little old fashioned and some of my expectations have rubbed off on her. Regardless, Bella is a woman to be revered and treasured—not insulted and disrespected.”
I nodded, taking his lecture. I wasn’t going to try and make an excuse for my behavior. I’d gone over it and realized I had let her down. I didn’t like that feeling, like I was inadequate or less of a man.
“I understand, and it will be my one big regret,” I said. “I plan on making it right.”
He studied me for several long seconds. “I believe you.”
“Thank you.” I groaned and shook my head. “Now I just need to convince Bella.”
He chuckled again. “Bella is stubborn but not overly so. I think you could persuade her to give you another chance.”
“Great, got any tips for me?” I asked, knowing I was probably pushing it a bit.
“I do have one tip.”
“Really? What?”
“When you see her, be honest,” he said. “There is nothing Bella hates more than a liar. She doesn’t like bullshit or empty platitudes. She’s a cut and dry kind of girl.”
That part, I had already surmised from our time together. “I understand. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, nodding. “No matter how this all plays out, I want what’s best for Bella. I don’t know what that is, but I will support her in whatever she decides. You seem like a good guy, but if she tells you to get lost, I’m going to ask you to do that. I’m not saying you don’t press her a little bit if you think that’s what she needs, but if she means it, then you go. You don’t drag this thing out and make it any worse than it needs to be. Bella is her own woman. She can think for herself, but when she’s made up her mind about something, it’s pretty much a done deal.”
“I give you my word, I will not do anything that will hurt her. If she tells me she never wants to see me again, I’ll respect that. I’ll leave her alone.”
He grinned. “Great, then you better hurry.”
“Hurry?”
“Bella headed over to the airport this morning to try and get a flight back to Greece,” he said with a smile.
My mouth fell open. “She what? Right now?” I nearly shouted the words.
“Yep, right now. Hell, she might already be in the air.”
“No. She’d tell you. Did she tell you?” I pulled out my phone and searched for the number of the car service I had used to bring me out to the middle of nowhere. I was hoping the guy wasn’t too far.
“I suggest you get a move on, son,” he said, still laughing as I rushed out the front door.
I paced in front of the house, waiting for the driver. It only took him about ten minutes to make it back. Thankfully, he’d just been getting gas.
“Airport, now,” I shouted and jumped into the backseat.
The man clearly understood my rush. “It’s about an hour away.”
I slapped the back of the headrest. “Hurry.”
“Yes, sir.”
By the time the car pulled up to the drop-off area, I was damn near in a panic. I kept telling myself it was okay. If she was already on the plane and in the air, I’d hire a pilot to get me and my jet back to Greece. I knew we’d make better time than the commercial flight. I’d still have a chance to talk to her. I knew I had a chance—a really good chance if she was trying to get back to Greece.
I rushed inside the airport and checked the flights. There was one flight heading out. I looked at the line for the ticket desk, knowing the only way I was going to get past security was with a ticket. I got in line, anxious and barely able to suppress my frustration with how slow the line was moving. When it was my turn, I bought the first ticket the woman offered on the flight I was sure Bella was on and handed her my black AMEX card.
“Do you have any luggage, sir?”
“No. Can I have my ticket please?”
I grabbed the ticket and rushed to the security line, shifting from one foot to another. It’d been a long time since I had to do the
whole airport thing. I forgot how irritating it could be. Once I finally made it through, I raced through the terminal, looking for the gate I had seen on the reader board. Of course, it was the gate the farthest away.
I rushed up to the desk where they were announcing it was the final boarding call. I was out of breath when I handed the woman my boarding pass.
“You almost missed your flight,” she said with a smile.
“I almost missed a lot more than that,” I muttered.
“Do you have any bags?” she asked.
“No, can I go?” I asked impatiently.
Her frown told me I had offended her. I didn’t care. If Bella wasn’t on the plane, I needed time to get off and look for her in the airport. I was hoping like hell she was on the plane.
I wasn’t sure what I was going to say, but I had to try.
Chapter 36
Bella
After maxing out my credit card, nearly forgetting my suitcase in the taxi I took to the airport, and losing my sunglasses at some point along the way, I could finally relax. Relax wasn’t the right word. I was still nervous about actually seeing Adrian after I had run away. I wasn’t sure if I should apologize, or demand an apology, or both. I sighed, just happy to be on my way back. If things didn’t work out, I would come back home and start my new life. I would find a job and, eventually, a man.
I looked to my right, smiling at the older couple holding hands in the seats next to mine. “Are you on vacation?” I asked them.
The elderly man with thick white hair smiled and nodded. “We are. We’ll be going to Athens. It’s where we took our honeymoon fifty years ago.”
“Wow! That is amazing! Congratulations!”
“Are you going to Athens?” the woman asked.
I shook my head. “Crete. I was there last week. I had an internship, and then I kind of got involved with the boss. Things got a little weird, and I ended up running home.”
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