He glanced away, and in that small gesture she knew that it was over.
Her face didn’t change. ‘You should change, and then we need to tell George you’re leaving.’
Silently, she willed him to look at her, but after a moment he turned and began walking upstairs.
CHAPTER TEN
TAKING A DEEP BREATH, Teddie closed the door to her wardrobe and gazed at her reflection in the mirror.
It was the first time she had been able to look at herself since getting back from Greece. Up until now she’d been too hollowed out with misery and despair to face the red-eyed proof of her failure, but tonight she had no choice.
Tonight was the opening night of the Castine, and she was going to be up on stage in front of the fifty personally invited guests of Edward Claiborne. Getting to this moment had been brutal, and the pain had been like nothing she’d ever experienced. But tonight was her night—hers and Elliot’s—and she wasn’t going to let herself or him down.
Turning slowly, she glanced over her shoulder. The jumpsuit was black...fitted. The top was guipure lace, long-sleeved, buttoning up the front to a high collar. The trousers were plain except for the long fringe that was really only visible when she moved.
Spinning round on her towering heels, she stared at herself critically, pressing her hand flat against her stomach in an effort to calm the jumping jacks twitching inside her.
She looked serious but that was okay. Perhaps a little intimidating. But that was okay too. An audience should have a healthy respect for magic, not see it as some kind of sideshow at a kids’ party.
And it was a beautiful jumpsuit. Too expensive, of course, but she would be earning real money now, and for the past few days she had been uncharacteristically reckless in her spending. She’d given Elliot a new evening suit, as a thank-you for looking after the business, and she’d been lavishing George with presents too.
Her throat tightened. Not to say thank-you to him, but sorry. Sorry for giving his stupid, selfish father a second chance.
As soon as she’d seen Aristo in the lounge at the Kildare she should have walked straight past him and into a lawyer’s office. Instead she’d not only let him back into her bed, but into her heart, had even agreed to marry him.
Her mouth trembled. She could forgive herself for falling into his arms. Given the sexual pull between them, it had been inevitable. But she had no excuse for falling in love with him again.
Breathing out unsteadily, she closed the wardrobe door.
She’d always been so concerned about not turning into her mother, but maybe she was actually more like her father, for she had let herself be seduced by daydreams instead of seeing the reality. And, just like Wyatt, she’d stupidly believed she could beat the house.
Gazing at her reflection, she let her hand drop.
One small mercy was that, thanks to some last vestige of self-preservation or common sense, she hadn’t told George that she and Aristo were getting married. But she’d still had to explain to their overtired and confused son why they weren’t going to Daddy’s apartment.
She blinked back tears as she remembered their journey back from Greece.
When Aristo had left the island George had been moderately upset. But he’d assumed that they would be staying there until his father returned. It had only been when Teddie had told him that they were going back to New York without Aristo that he’d got hysterical.
She hadn’t wanted to lie, and the truth was that she didn’t know when—if—George would see his father again, but she had told him how much Aristo loved him, how much she loved him, and just saying the words had made her feel more confident. Whatever happened, she would be there for her son.
Her stomach clenched and she felt suddenly sick. She wished that she hadn’t actually thought of Aristo by name. Ever since she’d got back home she’d been trying not to do so, even in her head. It just seemed to make her feel so much worse, and right now she didn’t want to feel anything.
George had been inconsolable, refusing to leave Melina and then crying himself to sleep on the plane. Then and only then had she allowed her own tears to fall.
Thankfully, Elliot had been waiting outside her apartment. Opening the door of the taxi, he’d pulled her into a bear hug with one arm, scooped George into the other. He’d taken charge of everything—paying the driver, carrying in the suitcases and then ordering pizza.
He hadn’t cross-examined her, but then he hadn’t had to ask anything. He knew her well enough to see the pain behind her careful smile as she’d cut the pizza into triangles.
George had calmed down, but she was still worried about him. He hadn’t slept in his own bed since they’d got back, and he seemed quieter than usual. Thankfully he loved his babysitter, Judith—a retired pre-school teacher and grandmother of twelve—so at least she wouldn’t have to worry about leaving him tonight.
She heard the doorbell ring and instantly froze, her heart hammering against her ribs. But of course it was only Elliot’s voice drifting through the apartment.
‘Teddie?’
She took a breath. ‘I’ll be right there,’ she called, knowing that she was wasting her time. He would see right through the over-bright note in her voice.
She felt suddenly guilty and stupid for wishing that it was Aristo waiting patiently in the living room for her to emerge instead of her friend—her good, loyal friend.
Guilty because Elliot deserved better, and stupid because right now she had no reason to believe that she would ever see Aristo again, given that he hadn’t so much as texted her once.
Her mouth trembled and, feeling the threat of tears, she picked up her bag and walked quickly across her bedroom. She’d promised herself that tonight she was not going to cry any more tears for Aristotle Leonidas until the show was over.
And that was what was going to happen, for—unlike her ex—she actually kept her promises.
* * *
‘You okay, babe?’
Edward Claiborne had sent a limo to collect them and, glancing across its luxurious interior, Teddie saw that Elliot’s face was soft with worry.
She nodded. ‘I will be.’ She gave him a small crooked smile. ‘And this evening will help, you know—being up there. I’ll forget everything but the cards.’
Maybe she might even forget her shattered heart.
‘I know.’ He grinned. ‘And I know I’m your buddy, and that makes me not really a guy, but I gotta say you look smoking hot tonight, Teds!’
She managed a real smile then. ‘You look good too, Els.’
The limo was slowing, and she could see the doorman stepping forward to greet the car. Her pulse started to accelerate. They had arrived.
Elliot held her gaze. ‘You ready?’ he said quietly, holding out his hand.
Nodding, she reached out to take it as the door swung open.
The Castine was the perfect setting for a magic show. There was no sign outside the door, and it was situated in a side street far away from the hustle of the city. On the first floor there was a bar and dining room, and on the second a jewel-coloured lounge that, despite its size, offered both intimacy and drama.
She could hear the buzz of people talking and the clink of glasses beneath the beating of her heart, and as she stepped under the spotlight she knew that all eyes were on her.
They just weren’t his eyes.
And, despite knowing it was pointless, she still couldn’t stop herself from quickly scanning the front row, unable to quell one last tiny hope that he would be there.
Of course he wasn’t.
But they were an easy crowd to please—and not just because of the waiters discreetly circulating the room with bottles of prestige cuvée champagne. Clearly, like their host, they appreciated magic, and as their applause filled her head she was finally able to admit what she had been fighting so hard to d
eny. She missed Aristo. Missed him so much that words were simply not adequate to describe the sense of loss, the loneliness, the aching bruise of his absence.
She already knew that she would never again share that dizzying chemistry with a man. But, together with their son, it was something nobody could ever take away from her—it would always be there inside her. And now, looking out into the blur of faces, she felt a tingling heat run down her spine, for she could almost feel him there in the audience, a shadow memory of that first time they’d met.
Two hours later it was over.
‘Teddie, that was marvellous.’ Edward Claiborne was the first to offer his congratulations. ‘I honestly think she’s a genius, don’t you, Elliot?’ He massaged his forehead. ‘I’ve watched a lot of very talented magicians in my time, but with you I find it impossible to separate technique from performance. When you’re doing a trick, I know something’s happening but I just don’t see it.’
‘Well, he’s happy,’ Elliot said softly as they watched him shaking hands with an Oscar-winning actress. ‘And he has some great connections.’ He grinned. ‘Hollywood, here we come!’
She punched him lightly on the arm. ‘Hollywood is in California. You hate California, remember? That’s why you moved to New York. Besides, it’s hardly convenient for George’s nursery.’
She made her way slowly back to the dressing room. In some ways the evening had been a triumph, but it had been a bittersweet triumph, for she knew now that no amount of applause and admiration would ever make her feel as complete as lying in Aristo’s arms.
But there was no point in thinking about that now. This is supposed to be your night, remember, she told herself. And, taking a deep, cleansing breath, she walked into her dressing room.
And stopped.
Aristo was sitting on a chair, his head bowed, what looked like a phone clamped between his hands. As she took a faltering step backwards, her fingers gripping the door frame for support, he looked up, his dark eyes fixing on her face.
‘Aristo.’
He was wearing a dark suit, and it was a shock seeing him dressed so formally, but of course this was real life now, and that meant work. Her stomach clenched as he stood up, but she forced herself to hold his gaze.
‘Hello, Teddie.’
She stared at him in disbelief, trying to ignore the pain ripping through her chest. ‘What are you doing here?’
Her arms had lifted to cross automatically in front of her body, and she willed her legs to stay upright.
‘I came back for the show,’ he said quietly. ‘I told you I wouldn’t miss it for anything.’
Her heart thumped inside her chest. ‘Except you did. It just finished. But it doesn’t matter.’
Her voice sounded wrong, too high and breathless, and she knew it didn’t match her careless words, but she was past caring what he thought of her.
‘You had something more important to do. You had to fix a crisis in Dubai.’
He shook his head. ‘There was no crisis in Dubai.’ His mouth twisted. ‘Only, I’m such an idiot I had to go all the way there to work that out.’
‘I thought you had to be there to talk to your staff and the media.’
Staring down into her eyes, he let out a long breath. ‘I was wrong. I realised the only person I needed to talk to, the only person I wanted to talk to, was you. That’s why I flew back to New York.’
He ran his hand across the face, and with a jolt she realised that although he was dressed in a suit, he looked nothing like the suave businessman who had left her on the island. His shirt was creased, and his unshaven face looked paler than usual, and he was actually holding his passport, not his phone.
He must have come straight from the airport and he must be exhausted. The two thoughts collided inside her head.
But, remembering how he’d let go of her hands when she’d told him she loved him, she pushed the thought away.
‘Well, I’m sorry you had a wasted trip,’ she said stiffly. ‘Two wasted trips.’
‘Teddie, please—’
‘No, Aristo. I don’t want to do this.’ She shook her head. Her whole body was shaking now. ‘If you want to see George, then talk to my lawyer.’
‘I don’t want to talk to your lawyer. I want to talk to you.’
He took a step forward, and even if she hadn’t heard the strain in his voice she would have seen it around his eyes.
‘I made you a promise. I said I’d be here, and I was. I know I wasn’t in the front row. I got here too late for that. But I was at the back the whole time.’
She stared at him, blinking, remembering that moment when she’d felt his presence, how she’d thought it was just a phantom memory of the first time they’d met.
‘I should never have left you. I knew I was making a mistake, but...’ He paused, then frowned. ‘But when you told me you loved me I panicked.’
His choice of words felt like a slap to the face. Could he make it any plainer that her feelings were not reciprocated? Her heart was a lead weight in her chest and she felt suddenly brutally tired.
‘I don’t need to hear this, Aristo,’ she said flatly. ‘I just want to go home.’
He shook his head. ‘Not until you understand.’
Reaching out, he took hold of her arms, but she shook him off.
‘I do understand. You don’t love me and you only wanted to marry me because of George. I get it, okay? And now I want to go home.’
‘Your home is with me, Teddie. And not just because of George.’
She started to shake her head, but he took her face between his hands and this time she didn’t pull away.
‘Look at me,’ he said softly.
At first she resisted, but finally she lifted her chin.
‘Maybe it was true at first, but not any more. George is our son, but he’s not the reason I want to marry you. I want you to be my wife because I love you.’
‘If you love someone you don’t panic when she tells you she feels the same,’ she said stubbornly.
He shook his head, his dark eyes narrowing. ‘Not true. I love you, Teddie. And I did panic. As soon as you said those words I couldn’t think straight. I just knew that I couldn’t let anything mess up my business, the sale of the shares.’
‘But I told you I don’t care about any of that.’
He nodded. ‘I know you don’t—but I did. Look, I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve been chasing perfection all my life—first at school, then with work. And each time I reached my goal I’d set myself a new one.’
He frowned, as though baffled by what he was saying.
‘When you told me you loved me I couldn’t just say the words back to you. I wanted to show you how much I love you, and I thought that meant fixing things in Dubai, that if I couldn’t do that then I didn’t deserve to win you back. I was so desperate to make that happen, and so scared that it wouldn’t. But as soon I got there I realised that I wasn’t fixing anything, only breaking us, and that’s why I came back to New York—’
His voice cracked, and he breathed out unsteadily.
‘Because I can’t lose you again, Teddie. The business, my career—none of that matters if we’re not together. That’s all I want...to be with you.’ He stopped, his dark eyes on hers. ‘If you’ll have me. Do you think that’s possible?’
Her heart was fluttering against her ribs, but her love for him felt solid and unbreakable. ‘I do,’ she said softly. Holding her breath, she searched his face, saw hope and love shining in his eyes.
He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her, burying his face against her hair. ‘I thought I’d broken us.’
She felt his grip tighten.
‘I was so scared that I’d ruined it, that I’d lost you.’
‘You can’t lose me. You’re my husband, my heart.’ Lifting her face, she smiled
weakly. ‘But if you’d told me you were coming I’d have saved you a seat.’
He loosened his grip. ‘I think I left my phone on the plane.’
She looked up at him. ‘What about Dubai?’
‘I don’t know.’ He frowned, then slowly began to smile. ‘And what’s more I don’t care. I really don’t.’
‘I need to sit down,’ she said shakily.
He led her into the dressing room and pulled her onto his lap, his arms curving around her body so tightly that she could feel his heart beating in time to hers.
‘You’re an incredible magician, Teddie.’
Leaning back into his chest, she felt her face grow warm. ‘Thank you. It went really well. But Elliot and I are definitely going to have to find some other acts to keep it fresh. Maybe a hypnotist—people always love watching that.’
‘Maybe I could have a go. I’ve been practising a trick.’
His eyes were warm and steady on her face.
‘You have?’
‘You can never have too much magic in your life.’
His gaze drifted slowly over her face and she felt her pulse start to accelerate.
‘Well, you can certainly audition.’
‘Right now?’
‘Okay.’ She laughed. ‘Do you have a stage name?’
He shook his head. ‘I don’t think I’m going to need one. It’s going to be a one-off performance.’
She smiled. ‘So what trick are you going to do?’
‘It’s one I made up myself.’
His face was soft and unguarded and she stared at him, transfixed by the glitter in his dark gaze.
‘It’s called the reverse disappearing ring.’
‘Do you want me to tell you when to start?’
His eyes locked onto hers and she felt her blood lighten as he shook his head.
‘No need. I’m done.’
She frowned, and then as he lifted her hand she felt her heart open up as she gazed down at the beautiful emerald ring on her finger.
‘It was a bit last-minute in Vegas,’ he said hoarsely. ‘But I wanted to do it right this time.’
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