Uncut (Unexpected Book 4)

by Burgoa, Claudia

  Wow. Suddenly I feel like instead of bickering over the custody of a dog or a pet fish, the fallout of our relationship includes arguing over who gets the Silver Moon. How very us. “That’s the only thing I have left, Matthew.” My voice trembles. He can’t be doing this to me. My mind searches for something, a way to find strength, to stop him. Because in truth, I’d give him whatever he wants. I’ll even give up my life for him—or give up the woman I love. But this, giving him that piece of us is like giving them up for good. “The fucking Silver Moon.”

  He laughs on the other side of the line, not his easy-to-love laugh either. An angry chuckle that delivers a few punches to my gut. “Fuck, Coop,” he growls. “You’re the same selfish prick. To think that Thea—”

  “How is Thea?” I couldn’t help it. At the mere mention of her name, I have to ask about her. To know how she’s doing. If she’s happy. If they’re happy. He doesn’t answer. “Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, by the way. When are you tying the knot?”

  “Gotta go, Cooperson,” he mutters.

  The phone goes silent, but I don’t move my arm for several seconds waiting for . . . I don’t know what, but I wait.

  “Thea is the name of your hippie friend, right?” Mom’s voice unfreezes my entire body. I hadn’t realized she was in my room.

  I nod, and start packing my shit. “She’s a counselor, has a Ph.D., and she’s the sweetest girl you’ll ever meet.”

  Mom entwines her fingers and places the tips on top of her chin. “How do I explain that I only want the best for you?”

  “She’s the best for me.” I level my gaze with hers. “I had the best relationship. I lost it because it was for the best.” I defend my former relationship to her for the first time. “Not many people are lucky enough to find the person who they belong to. We—Thea, Matt, and I—belong to each other. I love Thea and Matt.” The time hasn’t erased my love for either one. I doubt that I’ll ever feel that way again.

  Mother gasps, covering her mouth. “Tristan.”

  “I’m deeply in love with Thea, but I also love a man, Mother. That doesn’t make me a bad person. It makes me Tristan Benoit Cooperson. That’s who I am. No labels,” I clarify.

  I go back to packing. The thick air of this house is choking me.

  “That’s not normal, Tristan.”

  “I don’t know if it’s normal or not, but it would be great if for once you tried to understand. Circumstances, your nasty daughter, and life took them away from me, but if one day I find someone it’ll be great if you supported me no matter what. Be a mother for once.” I close my luggage placing it on the floor. “Not the judgmental woman you’ve become. It’s sad that my ex-boyfriend’s family accepted me, and made me feel a part of them.”

  I look around the room making sure nothing stays behind, then give one last glance to my mother. “Father changed. I hope you do the same someday.”

  “Goodbye, Tristan,” she says without any other comment or a gesture of love.

  I’m tempted to give her a hug but talk myself out of it. There’s no point to pine for what’s never meant to be. “Goodbye, Mother.”

  After going through airport security, I head to the Frequent Flyer Lounge to wait for my plane and to call Pria.

  “Tristan?” she answers.

  I close my eyes, concentrating on my goals, disregarding what Matt wants from me. To sell him my part of the Silver Moon. Fuck, I’m a grown man and the rage of not being able to fix this fast is filling my entire body with sadness and misery.

  “Hey, I am at the airport,” I inform her, taking a seat. “All is set and en route. The moving trucks left early today. Wanted to see if you have a minute to talk next steps?”

  Noises of doors closing fill the long pause. “You’re giving an exclusive interview to the Seattle Daily. The day after, we hold a press conference in your new offices where you deliver the speech I helped you write. The concept was great, but I added a few punches to make sure we let everyone know what Cooperson Corporation is all about.”

  We’re about bringing more jobs to the city, equality, support, and family. The company could’ve stayed in Hartford, but I chose to move it to where I belong. Taking the right direction to find my way home to them. While in Hartford, I’ve been visiting a therapist twice a week and it’s been great. I never would’ve given therapy another chance had it not been for Thea. He’s helped guide me to a place where I accept myself. Coming to terms with who I am, what I like, who I love, and realizing I’m responsible for my future. For now I’m committed to proving I’m a different man, that I’ve finished my first journey, and am opening myself up to my next one. If I’m lucky, that journey will be with them.

  Pria and I decide on the dates when we’ll be releasing the information to the press. “I’ll need you in my office on Monday. We need to set up your personal account. You’re hiring me as your PR person, right?”

  “Of course I am,” I say, and the receptionist waves at me, signaling that my plane is about to board. “Look, my plane is leaving. As soon as I check in at my hotel, I’ll give you a call. In a couple of days I’m starting the next part of my plan.”

  “It’s gonna come down to how much you are willing to give, to sacrifice. To really hand your heart over, and go the distance. We’re betting on you.”

  Her words evoke a mountain of fear inside me, but I’m done being afraid. I’ve done the risk/reward assessment, and for once, I’m choosing the risk. “Thank you, Pria,” I mumble, still overwhelmed by her words. We. Jacob and Pria have been that supportive family I never had over these last few weeks.

  “Sure. And, Tristan?”

  “Yes?”

  “Don’t fuck it up,” she warns me.

  I end the call solidifying what is probably one of the best decisions of my life and my career. There’s a spring in my step as I head to the lounge’s en-suite before I board the plane that’ll bring me closer to them. I take a long hard look at myself in the mirror. For once in my life, I am proud of the reflection staring back at me. For the first time in months I feel lighter, hopeful, free. Like I’ve made the right choice. My choice. I reach into my pocket and give a reassuring squeeze to the crystal and our napkin. The one that reminds me that I’m not alone. I can’t wait until today’s decision is a part of them.

  Pria: You awake?

  Thea: Yes, want to meet at our bench?

  Pria: Yes, please.

  I kiss Matt’s back, cover him with the blankets, and make sure the blinds are perfectly closed to avoid the light. He stayed up all night cleaning Pria’s trending hashtags, after she fainted while Jacob serenaded her on stage. It never fails that a few of Chris’s old articles appeared, a couple of mine too, and then Jacob was thrown into the mix. My poor man worried all night that things would get uglier, but they didn’t. By the time he came to bed, the net was cleared of any negativity.

  Heading outside, I smell the fresh air. The chilly morning is perfect for a cloudy sunrise. Pria sits by the pond, watching the lake from that spot. We both like this lake. Our men proposed here. Each during a different period and in a different spot, but both chose to do it close to where we’re planning on having our happily ever after.

  I peek at the beautiful ring on my hand. It has a huge oval diamond and two butterfly designs drizzled with diamonds and amethysts on either side of the center stone. Mattie didn’t wait long after posting that picture on Twitter. He proposed the same night we moved into the new house, after we had what I called a mind-blowing-fusion-experience lovemaking session. We’ve moved on, and found a place where we are happy. The empty space that Coop left is there, in Matt’s heart and in my heart. That’s okay. He’ll always be a part of us.

  “You worried me last night. What happened?” I take a seat next to her, she hands me a cup of tea and drinks hers.

  “I’m pregnant,” she whispers so low I almost miss the last word. My lips twitch. I’m trying not to smile because she’s so serious, but I do. “Twins.” S
he hands me a black and white picture of two little blobs. “I feel like someone is going to pop out of a tree with a camera and say, ‘the joke is on you.’”

  I put an arm around her and side-hug her tight. “You have a miracle growing inside you, Pria—two.”

  “I know, we saw them.” She shows me the picture again. “They’re so tiny. We’re having two babies, Thea. Two.” Her lips twist from one side to the other. “Anything new with you?” I shake my head, while staring at her tiny babies. “Your mom?”

  I bite my lip. Random. “I haven’t heard much from her.” She twists her mouth a couple of times. “Why do you ask?”

  "I just think it’s nice you’re open up to the possibility of having her in your life again. It shows that you’re open to second chances,” she replies, sipping her tea. “Finding your place in life can sometimes mean forgiving those you love for their mistakes, and letting yourself be happy.” She gives me a kiss on the cheek, and what I think is supposed to be a meaningful look but I feel like I am missing something.

  I nod anyway, because I do find beauty in her words, even if I am not quite sure what she means by them exactly. “Yeah, sure.”

  She smiles lightly before jumping off the bench. “Well, I gotta go back home,” she says, her dark eyes studying me for a few moments. “Don’t forget I’m right around the corner if you need me.”

  “I’m glad you’re back,” I offer, watching her walk to her house.

  I stay on the bench for a while, fidgeting with the chain attached to my neck. My fingers find the pendant; the triquetra I received last Christmas. My heart slows its beating. The yearning along with the sadness trying to make its way through my blood stream. But I don’t let it. We’re doing fine. Matt and I are happy. I touch my chest lightly covering the empty place that will forever remain. I ponder what Pria meant with those words, but order myself to stop over-analyzing or wondering about the what ifs . . .

  Jacob steps into the Silver Moon and looks around at the bones of the building. The structure was finished a few months back. The outside looks perfect, but we have to finish the inside. “Hey, Cooperson, how are you?” I nod, but before I can respond, he asks, “How long do you think this will take?”

  “About two months,” I answer. He crooks an eyebrow and crosses his arms. “The contractor has several crews working around the clock.”

  Jacob whistles. “That’s going to cost you a lot. Next time try not to fuck shit up.” He laughs, and I just watch him. His strange humor doesn’t bother me anymore; in fact, some days I laugh at whatever he says. His body turns slightly and he finally hands me the envelope he’s carrying. “Look, I have to run, but here’s what you asked for. Please, be careful about what you say, because if he finds out that I gave you this before you three are back together, if you three get back together, I’ll break your neck,” he warns me, but with a smile that says he’s talking shit. “No, seriously. He’d be pissed at me, and I’d hate to be on Matt’s shit list.”

  I nod checking the audio-sound set-up for the Silver Moon. Everything from where to install them to the wholesalers that carry each piece of equipment we need is here. The sound engineer and a backup in case he’s not available.

  “I like what I see—possibilities.” He scans the area one more time. “Invite Pops to check it out. He’d love to give you a few pointers, I’m sure. It would make the old man happy, trust me.”

  “I’ll call him soon,” I say, sliding the papers back inside the envelope. “Thank you for giving me this.”

  “That’s what family is for, Cooperson. Good luck,” he says with a chuckle, and a pat to my shoulder, “you’re going to need it.”

  Pria: Sorry, I’m not going to be able to make it today.

  I read her text twice, checking the time. Pria is too organized to have a last-minute emergency and cancel one minute before she’s about to meet me. Shit, are the babies okay?

  Thea: No worries. Are you and the babies okay?

  Pria: We’re healthy and happy. Remember I’m pregnant, that means you should love me no matter what. Oh, and that what I do, I do it because I love you. Enjoy lunch.

  What the hell? Not sure what happened to her during the tour, but ever since Pria came back, she’s reminded me of the troll that lives under the bridge. Every time we have conversations lately, there’s a cryptic riddle delivered with some words of wisdom. Except for today. Today’s riddle sounds like some sort of apology.

  “Lunch is on its way,” Laura the receptionist calls me through the intercom.

  “Thank you?” Before I ponder where that lunch came from, there’s a knock on my door. “Come on in,” I call out, rising from my seat and searching for my wallet to pay for . . .

  As the door opens and I look up into the face of who just stepped into my office, I feel dizzy. My unstable legs barely sustain me as his green eyes find mine. Stunned to see him, I momentarily forget how to breathe or speak.

  “Tristan.” His name leaves my mouth the moment I take my first breath.

  Out of impulse, or just because I can’t stop my treacherous legs, I rush to where he stands, and he meets me halfway.

  “Butterfly,” he whispers, holding me tight against him. I have this quick vision of a cheesy romantic comedy and how close we are to being one right now. Like when the protagonists find one another and run in slow motion toward each other’s arms. Everything is so familiar. His muscles, his breathing, the beating of his heart. That classy aroma of his fills my nose and my mind is flooded with memories and happy moments we shared. Oh, how I missed him. My heart begins to waken and a surge of electricity snaps me out of yesterday’s romantic haze and sets me back where I belong. The present. A time where Tristan isn’t part of my life or my future.

  Peeling my body away from his, I gather my wits and set some shields around my heart. But those eyes, they fight my resolve. The sadness they flash are like a hammer demolishing the walls I’m raising.

  “Why—what are you doing here?” I ask, waiting for some kind of logical answer. Then I spit the cruelest words I’ve ever said in my life. “You don’t belong here anymore.”

  I see his secret smile and, if I’m not mistaken, a steely resolve that I never saw before in those green depths. “But I do,” he responds, shoving one hand inside the pocket of his slacks. “You and I know that I belong.” He touches his chest. “No matter what my mind might’ve thought, my heart knew the truth. Please, Butterfly, before you push me out the door, give me a chance to explain myself. Explain my actions, my decisions, and . . .” He looks around the room as if the answers are going to be scrawled on my office walls. “I didn’t know how to handle things correctly.”

  My stomach is in knots as I stare at the man who swore to love me forever, yet when the ground shook the foundation, he ran without giving us a second glance. That remaining shattered piece of my heart still cannot comprehend any of the words he is trying to say.

  “We were a unit,” I remind him. “Not an I, but a we. We were supposed to handle everything as a team. But you and your stupid hard limit were more important than us.”

  He nods, his lips turning up, showing a tender smile.

  “Yes, my hard limit will always come first, Thea,” he confirms. “You’re my hard limit, baby. The press was slaughtering your name because of your past, and because of what my sister released.” He touches his temple. “The way I saw it, we had to terminate our triad. Take away the one thing that would fuel the media bonfire. So I made a choice between the three of us, and I chose the two of you. I didn’t want you to face more public ridicule. And I knew that if anyone could take care of your heart, it would be him. And the same goes for him. You’re perfect for each other. It was a painful but easy choice.”

  “It wasn’t your decision to make,” I close my eyes for a brief moment as his words hammer the insides of my heart. Sacrificing for the cause sounds poetic, but . . .”Thank you for the explanation, Tristan. I appreciate the closure.”

  He walks to
my desk, setting the bag of take-out on top. Then pulls a black velvet box from inside his suit jacket and hands it to me.

  “I took over Cooperson Corporation.” My eyes widen. My hand holds the box tight, as if it’s the one object that keeps me standing. Pria told me he’d been helping his father, but taking over . . . that I wasn’t aware of. My heart shrinks, assuming that he did it, that he ended up succumbing to his parents’ demands. Marrying Victoria for her company and becoming that man he hated.

  Tristan doesn’t stop his explanation. He moved the company from Hartford to Kirkland, Washington. The company’s bringing new job opportunities, embracing diversity, and supporting non-profit organizations that will help people like him. Young people who don’t have their family support and need a hand, a home, or whatever it is they need to help them accept themselves, instead of suffering because of who they are.

  “Congratulations. I’m happy for you, Tristan.” I try to inject as much generic warmth as I can into the words but I know I do a crap job at it.

  He angles his head slightly to the left, his eyes stare at the box, then lift to find mine. “Forgive me, please. It was never my intention to hurt you, or Matt. Ever.” He takes another step, an arm coming around my waist. “Thea, you’re my light, my life, my everything. But those are only words. I’m ready to let my actions speak for me.”

  As his gaze dives toward the box again, I open it finding a crystal butterfly the color of my eyes inside. He bends down and kisses my cheek lightly.

  I feel like the room is spinning. This is exactly what I wanted. If Tristan had said these words to me months ago, I would’ve been the happiest woman in the world. But now . . .”What you're offering,” I start in a low tone. It’s all I can manage to keep the tears at bay. “It's exactly what I wanted.” My eyes remain glued to the butterfly that has a couple of tiny butterflies on its wings too. Like tiny babies. “What we wanted. But then you left. It became too hard for you, and you left us. You crushed us. We're just getting to where we can finally breathe again. I don't know that we could survive it if you did that to us again."