“It’s been too long,” she cooed.
I nodded. “It has been a long time.”
“How have you been, sweetie?”
“I’m good, Marie. Really good. How about you?” I looked around, hoping there was a way out. I did not want to have the conversation with her and pretend everything was good. I had come home so I could stop pretending.
“I’ve been just great!” she exclaimed. “You have to come over and see the house. We’ll have some of my famous iced tea. I’d love to catch up with you.”
My smile slipped. The last place I wanted to go was her house. “I need to get back to my mom,” I said. “Maybe another time. I’m headed back to the city soon.”
“Oh, it will only be an hour. We need to catch up on our girl talk. You can spare a little time for an old lady, can’t you?”
I knew Marie. She came off as sweet and persistently happy, but I also knew she had raised two strong boys on her own. She wasn’t a pushover. “I probably have about thirty minutes.”
“Great. I can’t wait to show you my new house.”
“Your new house?” I asked with surprise.
She smiled. “You haven’t been home in a long time. Things have changed. Let me grab some sugar and you can follow me out. I don’t live in that old trailer anymore.”
I nodded, holding my smile in place. I had to be nice. The woman was my baby’s grandmother after all. It wasn’t like my child had a plethora of grandparents. He or she needed all the family available. I didn’t know what that relationship was going to look like, but I didn’t want to make enemies right out of the gate. I would tread lightly. If there was any chance I could keep things friendly with Marie, I wanted to. I wanted her to know her grandchild.
Marie returned a couple of minutes later, her big, bright smile firmly in place. I followed her yellow Volkswagen with my own car. She headed out of town before turning off the main highway. That was unexpected. She pulled to a stop in front of a beautiful two-story home. It was easily the biggest and fanciest home in all of Everglades City.
I didn’t have to wonder about how she had afforded the place. It would have been courtesy of Evan. It made my heart happy to know he was taking care of his mother. I couldn’t explain why that made me happy, but it did.
“This is a beautiful home,” I said as we walked inside.
She waved a hand. “It’s much too big, but Evan insisted. He tried to get me to move to Miami with him and David, but I’m not meant to live in a noisy city. I can’t hardly stand to visit.”
“It sounds like Evan,” I said with a smile. “He has always had a very special place for you in his heart. You’re his mama.”
She chuckled. “That I am. He will always be my baby boy, no matter how rich or famous he gets.”
It was a very sweet, special bond. My mom had always told me to go for a man that treated his mother well. She claimed it was the sign of good character. I wasn’t sure I was going to buy into that. Evan was basically a good guy, unless you got on his bad side.
“I’m happy you’ve stayed close,” I said, not sure what else to say.
“Let’s go out to the sunroom,” she said. “It’s beautiful out there, especially with the slight breeze coming through. Just go right through there. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right there.”
I opened the French doors and walked into the sunroom filled with lots of healthy green plants and an assortment of fresh herbs. The room was awash in sunlight and was immediately calming. I took a seat in one of the padded wicker chairs and sighed. It was just how I remembered her kitchen back when we were young. She always had tomatoes growing in the windows and outside on the porch. The woman had a green thumb and it was obviously only getting better with time.
Marie breezed into the room from another set of doors on the left. “Here we go,” she said with a soft lilt in her voice. She was carrying two glasses of dark tea. She sat down in the chair next to mine.
“Thank you,” I said before sipping the tea. It was perfectly sweetened and tasted just like I remembered.
“I hear you and Evan are a thing again,” she said without any kind of easing into the conversation.
I almost choked on the tea. “Well, we were. Briefly. Very briefly. We’re not seeing each other anymore.”
She pouted. “Oh, that’s too bad. What happened?”
I blew out a breath. “It just didn’t work.”
“You guys were always so good together. I was thrilled when Evan said you two had found each other again.”
I wasn’t sure when he had told her about us, but it had to have been recently. I was surprised he had told anyone. I didn’t figure I was at the top of the list of favorite people in the Daniels’ household.
“We tried to see if there was a chance for us, but there was some fundamental disagreements about things that we couldn’t overcome.”
She softly giggled. “All disagreements can be overcome with a little conversation and compromise.”
“Our disagreement wasn’t necessarily something that could be overcome. We live in different worlds. He’s a great guy but we are just too different.”
Marie smiled and stared out the screened window. I knew she was about to impart some words of wisdom. I knew there was no chance for us, but I would love to hear what she had to say. Before she could say anything, the door that led in from the kitchen swung open.
The intrusion startled me. I looked to see who it was and froze when I saw Evan standing there. He stared at me. I didn’t know where to run. I felt trapped.
Marie jumped to her feet and rushed to Evan. “Sweetie! I didn’t know you were coming for a visit!” She threw her arms around him. He hugged her back, his eyes locked on mine and full of anger.
“I should go,” I said, putting down the glass and getting to my feet.
“No,” Evan growled.
Marie stepped back from her son, her hands pressed against his shoulders. “What brings you all the way out here?”
“Actually, I came to talk to her,” he answered.
“How did you know I was here?” I asked, unable to get up from the chair. I could only stare at him. I had missed him so much. Seeing him and being in his presence was difficult.
“I tracked you down,” he answered. He pulled his eyes away from mine and looked at his mother. “I was just coming by to drop off my bag. I didn’t know you’d be with my mother. What are you doing here?” His tone was accusing.
“We were just talking,” Marie answered.
“Good,” he said. “I’m glad you’re in a talking mood because I’d like to have a conversation with you.”
“I’ll get you some tea,” Marie said and disappeared inside.
I didn’t want to be alone with him. “I’ll go,” I said again without making a move.
Evan took a seat across from me. “No. Stay.”
I glared at him. “I’m not your dog.”
Marie returned and handed her son the tea before taking her seat again. “Do you need to talk in private?” she asked, apparently just noticing the tension in the room.
“Nah, stay, Mom. You should probably hear this because it will ultimately affect you, I imagine.”
I looked at Evan. It was just like the situation with Amber. He liked to have a witness when he tore into someone. I knew that was what he planned to do. I could feel the anger radiating off him.
“What?” I asked. I was not up for whatever it was he was about to unleash on me.
“When did you sell your story to the tabloid?” he asked, his voice deadly calm.
I blinked. “What? What story? What are you talking about?”
He reached into the pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a folded piece of colored print. He slowly unfolded it and handed it to me. I took it from him and read the headline. I could feel the blood rushing to my feet and leaving me feeling shell shocked. I stared at the picture of myself standing in my living room. I was doing a mental rewind, trying to think of
when the picture could have been taken.
“Oh shit,” I breathed, everything suddenly very clear.
I looked up to meet his eyes. He was furious. My fear about him turning his wrath on me like he had done to Amber was coming true. I had been right to end things. There was just one problem. He had it all wrong. I was being accused of something I didn’t do. Amber had been guilty—I wasn’t.
Chapter 35
Evan
My heart sank at her reaction. I had told myself it wasn’t true. I had been convinced it wasn’t real. I convinced myself there had to be an explanation. Despite what had happened between us, I refused to believe she would be vindictive and go after me like that in the papers.
And yet, she was sitting two feet away from me with the guiltiest look on her face. It caused me actual physical pain to see her guilt. I didn’t want to believe a woman I loved so deeply could hurt me so badly. It just didn’t seem right.
“Oh shit is right,” I said to her, barely able to control my anger.
“No, you don’t understand,” she said with a hitch in her voice. “I didn’t do this. I didn’t talk to anyone.”
I leaned back in the chair. “You talked to someone. Why would anyone make up these stories?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I would never talk to the media. I don’t want any part of that life.”
I wanted to believe her. She had used the excuse she didn’t want the media in her life when she broke up with me. I could have bought that. I wasn’t exactly thrilled to have them in my life either. But someone had talked to the press. “That’s what you said, but I don’t believe you.”
“Evan, someone was digging through my trash the other night.”
I shook my head. I couldn’t trust anyone, most especially the women in my life. “It seems pretty convenient, don’t you think? Did you read the article? Do you see what it says?”
Her eyes dropped, flipping the paper over. She was shaking her head. “No,” she breathed. “No.”
“Do I need to ask you the same thing I asked Amber?”
“What?” she whispered with a dazed expression.
“I don’t know if I should bother asking. I don’t think I can trust you.”
“I’ve never lied to you,” she hissed. “Never.”
I smirked. “Yes, you have. You led me on. One day, we are getting along great, and the next, you’re telling me you’re miserable and can’t get away from me fast enough. That’s deceiving.”
My mother gasped. “Evan, take it down a notch. You’re being very accusatory.”
“I am accusing,” I snapped. “I’m asking you why you sold that garbage. If you are actually pregnant, why would you dump me? What does that help? I would have to take care of the baby if you turned up pregnant, right?”
“Stop,” she whispered. “Just stop.”
I leaned forward. “Oh shit,” I breathed, trying to get my head around what was really going on. “Are you worried the baby isn’t mine? Assuming there is a baby at all. I’ve been down this very same road very recently. You’ll understand if I don’t automatically believe you.”
“Whatever,” she snapped, jumping to her feet. “This is exactly why I left your ass. I knew you would do this.”
“Do what? Did you expect me to just buy whatever story you spun?” I got to my feet and faced off with her. I could see she was furious. Good. I wanted her to be pissed. I was pissed.
I waited. Waited for her to tell me the truth. I wanted her to lose her cool. I wanted her to feel miserable and betrayed. Just like I did. I wanted her to know what it was like to have the rug swept out from under her.
Instead, she turned to my mother. “Thank you for the tea, Marie. You have a beautiful home and I’ll try to stop by the next time I’m in town.”
My mother smiled at her and stood up as well. She reached for Cherie’s hand. “Sweetie, wait.”
“Yeah, sweetie, wait, answer my questions,” I sneered.
“Shut up. I’m not going to stand here and let you insult me.”
“You’ll answer my questions!” I shouted.
My mother jumped in front of me, her finger wagging in my face. “You stop it right now,” she ordered.
Cherie was out of the room before I could say another word. I heard the front door slam shut. I wanted to chase after her, but my mother was in my face. “Mom,” I warned.
“Oh no you don’t,” she snapped. “Sit. Now.”
I sighed and flopped down in the chair. “What? She lied.”
“Do you know that for sure?”
“No, but—”
She shook her head, holding up her hand. “No buts. I did not raise you to speak to a woman like that. Or anyone. You know better.”
“Mom, I’m sick of being lied to by women. They all lie. I can’t trust them.”
She sat down in the chair and looked me directly in the eye. I was probably twice her size, but I was a little terrified of her. “Cherie doesn’t lie.”
I scoffed. “They all lie, given enough reason, and I have about a billion reasons why they would want to lie.”
“Why would she lie?” she asked softly. “What does she have to gain?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Money. Maybe she wants revenge on me for something.”
“Did she tell you she was pregnant?”
“No.”
She nodded. “So she broke up with you, never told you she was pregnant, and you say she’s lying. Where’s the lie?”
“She lied by making me believe we had something going. She lied by using me to get a payout.”
“What payout?”
“The money she got for selling her story. The thing is, there’s never just one story. They’ll keep coming until there’s a new twist. I’m her cash cow.”
She made a snorting sound that said she didn’t believe it. “Oh, Evan, what if she is pregnant?”
I looked at the wall behind her. “I don’t know.”
“You need to go to her and apologize,” she ordered.
I scoffed, curling my lip with disgust at the idea. “No. I’m not apologizing for anything. I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“You just came in here guns blazing and tore that woman to shreds. You need to apologize. If she’s pregnant with your child, you absolutely owe her an apology.”
“That’s the thing, Mom. If. That’s a pretty big if. She sold her story to the tabloids. She got close to me just to try and get dirt. If she is pregnant and it is my baby, she did it on purpose to try and milk me for money.”
She burst into laughter. That was not the reaction I was expecting. I certainly didn’t find it to be a laughing matter. “Oh, Evan. You have a very jaded view on life.”
“It’s a little hard not to,” I pouted. “Amber just pulled the same bullshit. She’s been feeding the tabloids information for months.”
“That was her. That wasn’t Cherie.”
“You don’t know that,” I insisted. “I have to protect myself. I blindly trusted her and look what happened. She screwed me over.”
“She told you someone was digging through her trash,” she said. “I believe her. I had those yahoos stalking me. I wouldn’t be surprised if they went through my garbage. You attract a lot of attention, son. That attention isn’t limited to you alone. Anyone close to you also becomes part of the story. I don’t blame her not wanting to have her life blasted in the tabloids.”
“Then why would she go to the press?”
“You don’t know that she did.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re being naïve. You don’t know what it’s like to live in my life. David is the only one I can truly trust. Trust no one. Everyone will fuck you over.”
The word slipped out, but the moment it did, I knew I was in trouble. She narrowed her eyes. “Young man, you might be taller, bigger, and richer than I am, but you are not so big that I cannot take you over my knee and paddle your butt. You better watch your mouth. You don’t get to disrespect me, an
d if that woman is truly carrying your child, you don’t get to disrespect her. I don’t know what is happening between the two of you, but you need to treat her with respect if she’s carrying my grandbaby.”
I didn’t answer her. I walked out, picking up my bag and heading upstairs to one of the guestrooms. My mother didn’t understand what real life was like. She lived in her own little world, growing her flowers and plants and pretending the ugliness of the world didn’t exist. I had to live in the real world. Despite my wealth, I couldn’t keep it at bay.
It attracted a different kind of ugliness. The kind where people got close to you in order to get their hands on your money or used you to make new connections. I tried to be a good person. I tried to give people the benefit of the doubt, but it always blew up in my face. Cherie and Amber were just one of many to try and use me.
I tossed my bag on the floor before stripping off my jacket and tie. I flopped onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. I felt more alone than I did when I was on my island. I felt like I had no one to lean on. No one I could trust.
David was pissed that I had made the mistake of getting involved with Cherie. Amber was pissed and trying to fuck me eight ways to Sunday. Cherie was a bit of a blind spot for me. I didn’t trust her.
Then there was my mother, who was not on my side in things either. She was pissed at me for not trusting Cherie. In that moment, I felt very alone. I didn’t feel like I could trust anyone. I didn’t have anyone I could unburden all my thoughts and fears to.
I rubbed a hand over my eyes before dropping my arm over my face. I didn’t know where to turn. I didn’t know where to go. There was a small part of me that wished like hell I had never made a dime. No one would be interested in screwing with me if there was nothing to be gained. I would just be the poor dude from the swamp with no future and nothing to offer.
Heart Breaker Page 21
