The Day He Came Back

by Ward, Penelope

  I looked down at it. “No. It’s like a…Wendi.”

  “A what?”

  “A fake. I’ve got better uses for a thousand dollars.”

  Her cheeks tinged pink. “Ah.”

  Gavin laughed under his breath.

  Paige tried to be polite. “Oh, well…it’s...nice.”

  I looked down at the purse myself. “Actually, my mother was sick before she died, and when she knew she probably wouldn’t make it, we decided to take a trip to New York City. Neither of us had left the state of Florida before that, and she’d always wanted to go to Manhattan. We spent a week there. I got this purse on Canal Street. It’s old, but it reminds me of better times, so I still carry it in memory of her.”

  Gavin looked a little misty-eyed when I glanced over at him.

  “That’s beautiful.” Paige smiled. “And I’m sorry about your mother.”

  “Thank you.”

  Just then, Weldon came downstairs dressed in a…tux? Is he nuts? His long hair was tied in a ponytail.

  He clapped his hands together when he saw me. “There she is, looking stunning as ever. Ready to go, lovely?”

  “You’re wearing a tux? Here I was thinking I was overdressed.”

  He spun around proudly. “Found it in Dad’s closet.”

  “Why don’t you lay off the booze for a couple of hours, James Bond. Try to enjoy the show,” Gavin said.

  “Oh…but watching it buzzed will be so much more fun.” He chuckled. “Kidding. I’m unfortunately pretty sober right now.”

  I caught a glimpse into the dining room, where the table had been set for two—wine glasses, cloth napkins perfectly folded atop the plates. A needy feeling in my throat threatened to choke me. I would’ve given anything to have dinner with Gavin tonight, would’ve given anything to trade places with Paige. Would’ve given anything to trade lives.

  ***

  When we pulled up at the Kravis Center, something was off. Instead of School of Rock, the digital sign advertised an opera.

  “Are you sure you got the night right?”

  Weldon smiled. “Yeah…um…about that…School of Rock…yeah…”

  “What, Weldon?”

  “I made it up.”

  My eyes widened. “There is no musical?”

  He started to laugh.

  I wanted to smack him. “Why would you do that?” I yelled.

  He rubbed his eyes. “I was just trying to fuck with my brother. I never expected you to accept my offer to go out. Then when you did, I just rolled with it.”

  I rested my head against the seat. “You’re ridiculous.”

  “Eh, lighten up. Let’s go find a bar on Clematis, get some grub. We can still have a good time.”

  “The last place I should be taking you is a damn bar.”

  “Either I’ll be drinking alone tonight or in the company of someone who can keep an eye on me. Which is it going to be?”

  I stared at him incredulously.

  “Come on,” he prodded. “My treat. I’m not rude enough to invite you out and not pay for dinner. Bad enough I don’t have a vehicle.”

  I shook my head and started the car. Could my life get any more bizarre?

  I ended up driving us downtown. We parked and ventured into a bar and grill that was packed with people. The floor was sticky with spilled beer, and sports played on every one of the various TVs mounted on the walls. This certainly wasn’t how I’d imagined this evening. I was tired, stressed, and emotional, and now I planned to eat my feelings.

  We ordered, and after the waiter brought my gigantic burger with a side of curly fries, Weldon watched me eat, seeming amused.

  “Damn. You can really throw down,” he said.

  I took another huge bite of my burger and spoke with my mouth full. “What are we supposed to tell your brother when he asks how the musical was? I’m not lying.”

  “You don’t have to lie. I’ll tell him the truth and take the blame. He’s already disappointed in me for so many reasons. What’s one more?”

  Wiping ketchup off the side of my mouth, I said, “What’s going on with your life, Weldon?”

  His expression changed, and he exhaled. “I don’t know. I wish I could tell you.”

  I put down what was left of my burger. “How long have you been living like this…drinking and surfing, or whatever it is that you do?”

  He took a sip of his beer and closed his eyes momentarily. “When my mother died, I lost my way. I left my lawyer job in New York and never went back. Mother left me a lot of money, and I guess I took advantage of having the resources to do whatever I wanted. I’m still taking advantage.”

  “Well, normally I would say ‘as long as you’re happy,’ but it doesn’t seem like you are.”

  “I’m not,” he said without hesitation. “I’m lost.”

  I just looked at him, hoping he would elaborate.

  He finally did. “My brother...no matter what he ever decided to do in life, he was successful. He dropped out of law school—didn’t matter. You just knew he was going to find a way to do something even better. The next thing you know, he’s fucking building robots. He finds his passions, you know? Heck, they fucking find him. I never found a passion. I hated practicing law but did it anyway because I didn’t know what the hell else to do.”

  He dropped his head in his hands for a moment. “In Mother’s eyes, though, I could do no wrong. She was the one person who believed in me, even when I fucked up. When she died, it felt like a part of me died along with her. The one person who loved me unconditionally was gone.”

  I could relate to that feeling.

  “I’m sorry, Weldon.”

  “I know I can’t live like this forever. I just hope I can find my way back to real life at some point. I need help. I know that.”

  I nodded. “When my mother died, it felt like my world ended, too. And I’ve been struggling to find my way ever since. I feel very alone. And until I got this job helping your dad, I didn’t have much purpose. It’s helped me immensely.”

  “I can’t get over the fact that he thinks you’re your mother.”

  “The weird thing is, I really don’t mind. It feels like it’s keeping her alive in some way, even if only for him.”

  “That’s some deep shit.”

  I found myself sort of enjoying Weldon’s company. He was a lost soul for sure, but in many ways, so was I. And even though he had a drink next to him, over the past hour, he hadn’t been drinking very much.

  We fell into comfortable conversation as he told me some stories from California. I filled him in on some of my experiences with his dad over the past several months. Then the mood changed.

  “So, be honest, do you still have feelings for my brother?” he asked.

  I suddenly felt flushed. “Why do you ask?”

  “You seemed uncomfortable around him and Paige today. It was a feeling I got.”

  Playing with a leftover fry, I said, “It’s complicated.”

  “You really wrecked him back then. He’d never been in love before—until you.”

  My body clenched. Gavin was not only my first love, but my only love. I didn’t want to know what I had done to him. I knew I’d hurt him badly, but I’d been able to block out the details. Weldon had been there, though. I should have stopped him from telling me more, but I didn’t.

  “After you broke up with him, he wouldn’t talk to anyone for days. I had no idea what the fuck was going on. I finally made him take a drive with me, and he confessed you’d ended things. He was so fucked up over it. And then he was just…gone. He had to leave for Yale. But he left heartbroken.”

  My tears started to fall. God help me, this was not good.

  Weldon scrutinized me. “Why are you crying, Raven?”

  “Because I never meant to hurt him.”

  “Then why did you?”

  “I had to.”

  He crossed his arms. “Was it my mother?”

  I wiped my eyes. “What makes you sa
y that?”

  “Because I know the answer,” he said evenly. “But I want to hear it from you.”

  I felt my eyes widen. “What?”

  “She told me.”

  My heart stopped. “She told you…”

  He nodded. “One night when she was drunk off her ass, she told me the story of how she…” He added air quotes. “…got rid of you.”

  Covering my mouth, I whispered, “Oh my God.”

  He stared off. “I loved my mother, but man, what she pulled was dirty.”

  “You obviously never told your brother what you knew?”

  “No. At the time, I didn’t want to betray my mother. She knew she could tell me anything and it would stay between us. After she died, I didn’t want to hurt Gavin by telling him, because what was the point? I never thought he’d see you again. So much time had passed. I figured it wasn’t worth ruining the relationship he’d built with Mother before she died. Honestly, it never bothered me until I caught the way he was looking at you today.”

  I sat stunned, unable to sort through all of this. “I can’t believe you know. I thought no one knew. I don’t even know what to say.”

  “He’s only with Paige because he thinks he can’t have you.”

  Shaking my head in disbelief, I had a hard time accepting that. “So many years have gone by. It’s too late. Like you said, telling him would tarnish his memory of your mother. And whether I like it or not, he is with Paige now. They have a life together in London. He put a ring on her finger. It is what it is.”

  Despite my words, something was brewing in the pit of my stomach. He’s not married yet.

  Weldon leaned back in his seat and threw his cloth napkin down. “That’s it? You’re just going to give up?”

  “What choice do I have?”

  “Actually, you have two choices. One of them is to tell him the truth. The other is to keep it inside for the rest of your life until the day you die. Neither choice comes without consequences.”

  “You really think telling him the truth is worth potentially destroying his current relationship and his memory of your mother?”

  “I don’t have the answer. All I know is…my brother was willing to give everything up for you at one time. You must have meant a hell of a lot to him. I sure as fuck wouldn’t have sacrificed my inheritance for some girl. But I’m not Gavin. My brother has always worn his heart on his sleeve.”

  My feelings now felt like they were suffocating me. Still, I fought them.

  “Gavin’s life is in London,” I said. “And I won’t leave your father. I owe him too much. So even if your brother wasn’t with anyone, it wouldn’t work between us.”

  “Well, you have your answer, I guess.”

  “You won’t say anything to him, will you?”

  “No. Well, not sober, at least.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Great.”

  “I’ll do my best.” He leaned in. “For the record, I don’t think she makes him half as happy as he’d be if he knew you still cared about him. But again...not my place to say anything.” He smiled, and his eyes were kind.

  Tonight was the first time I’d ever seen inside Weldon’s soul. This messed-up version of him had some good qualities, too.

  “You’re not so bad, Weldon.”

  “I’m sorry I was such a dick when I was younger.” He sighed. “Well, I’m still a dick, but at least I realize it now. Does that count for something?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  * * *

  GAVIN

  It was dark. I kept looking out the window to see if they’d returned. The show would have been over by now, so if they weren’t back, that meant they went someplace after.

  Fucking Weldon.

  I still couldn’t believe he was out with Raven. The whole thing annoyed the hell out of me.

  “What are you looking for?”

  Turning around and moving away from the window, I forced a smile. “Nothing.”

  Paige had just returned from the shower. She towel-dried her blond hair, which looked so much darker when it was wet.

  “You seem anxious,” she said. “You’ve seemed that way ever since your brother left with Raven.”

  The look on her face told me what I already knew—she was suspicious.

  I swallowed. I’d been a fool for thinking my feelings weren’t transparent.

  “Is there something you’re not telling me?” she asked.

  Hiding the truth about Raven from Paige was stressing me out more than anything else. Paige and I had always had open communication. What was I trying to achieve in keeping this from her? She deserved to know. This was the woman I was going to marry. I needed to keep my inane desire to protect Raven’s feelings in check and do what’s right.

  “You’re not off base,” I said. “There’s something I haven’t been honest about.”

  “Does it have to do with Raven?”

  I paused. “Yes.”

  She blew out a breath. “The vibe from the moment I met her has been weird. Plus…the name. I mean, come on. Who is she really, Gavin?”

  “She’s my ex-girlfriend.”

  Paige’s face turned crimson. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable. Because there’s nothing to be uncomfortable about.”

  Her eyes roamed my face. “I don’t understand. What is she doing here working for your father?”

  “You may have to sit for this. It’s a long one.”

  I spent the better part of a half hour telling Paige the story of how I met Raven, what had happened between us, and how she came to work here after a decade.

  “It was stupid not to immediately explain who she was. I regret it, and I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

  Paige rubbed her temples. “I don’t even know what to say. This is a lot to take in.”

  “I know. Ask me anything.”

  She met my gaze. “Do you still have feelings for her?”

  How could I answer that in a way she’d understand?

  “My feelings for Raven will always be complicated. She was my first real heartbreak. I never expected to see her again, let alone to find her working so closely with my dad. It definitely rattled me. I hadn’t had a chance to really absorb it before you arrived. So that’s the weirdness you’re sensing. But please don’t read into it more than that.”

  “So you’re sure she’s really here for your father and not you?”

  “Absolutely. She feels like she owes him. At this point, he’s so attached to her, there’s no way I could interrupt that relationship. I hope you understand that.”

  She still looked unsure, and she didn’t say anything.

  “What happened was a long time ago, Paige.”

  She looked up at me. “Such a long time ago that you were still thinking about her years later when you named the prototype?”

  That question was only fair. I had to try to explain, even if I didn’t fully understand it myself. I sighed. “It was an impulsive decision. At the time, I still had some resentment toward her. In a strange way, naming it after her was my way of coming to terms and moving on. It was before you.”

  In my heart, I knew my feelings for Raven were more complicated than I’d made them sound. They ran deeper than I’d ever be willing to admit. Despite that, Raven lost my trust the day she walked out of my life. I could never be with someone who’d switched her tune so fast like that. I’d always worry it would happen again. So there was no future for Raven and me. I had to do whatever it took to assure Paige she didn’t have to worry. Because Paige was my future.

  She walked over to the vanity and began to brush her hair in short, frustrated strokes. “So I’m supposed to just spend the rest of my time here interacting with her like nothing’s changed? Like you weren’t in love with her at one time?”

  “We can handle it however you want. You don’t have to admit I told you, or we can tell her together that you know. I’m good with whatever you’re comfortable with.” />
  She finally put the brush down. “Okay. Thank you for being honest. I know you didn’t ask for this situation. The whole trip hasn’t been easy for you.”

  Paige was my comfort, my rock. I needed to respect her feelings and show her how much she was appreciated.

  Taking her hand, I kissed it. “I’m glad you decided to come.”

  She leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on my lips. “Me, too.” She stared down at our intertwined fingers. “And I do think I want you to tell her I know—with me there. I want her to know you’re not hiding things from me. No more weird vibes around here. No one needs that with everything going on with your dad.”

  Inhaling a deep breath, I nodded. “Okay. We can tell her tomorrow.”

  Raven typically brought my dad down to have lunch with us. We all ate together as a family. So at lunchtime tomorrow, this would be our topic of conversation. Can’t say I was looking forward to it.

  ***

  Paige nodded off early; she still hadn’t adjusted to the time change. And though I’d vowed to keep my nose out of Weldon and Raven’s “date,” it was still all I could concentrate on: what they were doing, what they were talking about. It was getting late, and he still wasn’t home.

  While Paige slept, I went down to the kitchen. I made some tea and sat at the table, listening for the front door.

  When Weldon finally returned, just after midnight, I stood up and leaned against the counter as I waited for him like a hawk.

  He opened the refrigerator and popped open a can of soda before he looked over at me.

  I crossed my arms. “How was the show?”

  I’d been expecting him to waltz in here with the same smug look he’d left with. But something was different, his expression more serious.

  “We didn’t go.”

  My blood started to boil. “What do you mean you didn’t go? Where the hell were you?”

  He took a long sip and wouldn’t look at me. “Okay…when we were all hanging out by the pool, I made up the musical. My entire reason for inviting her out somewhere was to bust your balls because you’re clearly still infatuated with her. I never expected her to accept. So when she did, I just went with it.”