For the first time in months Miles almost felt hopeful when Eden mentioned confessing the truth to Miguel. He pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to Eden to see if she meant what she said.
“Go ahead, call him.”
Eden took the phone, cleared her throat and dialed Miguel’s number.
“Hey Miles, what’s up?”
“Miggy, it’s me, Eden.”
“Is everything alright?”
“I’m here with Miles.”
“Eden, I figured as much since you’re calling from his phone. Now are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Can I come to see you? I need to tell you something.”
“Of course, you can come to see me but Eden, you’re scaring me. Are you sure you’re alright?”
“I will explain when I get there.”
“I’m working from home today, so come over to the house.”
“Ok. I’m on my way.”
Eden hung up the phone and handed it back to Miles.
Miles wasn’t sure what to believe. He didn’t know if the phone call was for show or if she was really going to follow through this time and tell Miguel everything.
“Do you believe me now?”
“I don’t know.”
“Miles, I just called my brother and told him I was coming over to…”
“That’s just it Eden, so many times you said you were going to tell him and you didn’t.”
“I know that if I don’t…then I will lose you forever and I can’t bear the thought of living without you.”
“You’re really going to tell him this time aren’t you?”
Eden closed her eyes and nodded. When she opened them Miles was standing right in front of her. He pulled her into a hug and squeezed her tight. “I love you, Baby. I never stopped.”
Eden looked up and Miles kissed her.
“I guess maybe I had to lose you to realize that nothing else mattered in my life if you weren’t a part of it. I want to marry you and have your babies. I’m so sorry for hurting you.” Eden broke down in Miles’ arms.
Miles walked them over to the couch and sat. “Eden, if hurting me was what made you realize all of this then I forgive you.”
Eden wiped her eyes and stood up. “Will you come with me?”
Miles grabbed her hand. “If that’s what you want.”
Eden smiled. “Maybe if he sees how happy we are…”
“He won’t kill me with his bare hands?”
“Maybe you shouldn’t come.” Eden knew full well that Miguel wouldn’t really kill Miles but she wasn’t too sure if Miles would lose his best friend and that upset her.
“No, Miguel has a right to know. He’s my best friend and I betrayed him. I deserve whatever I get.”
Miles grabbed Eden’s hand and together they headed out the door to see Miguel.
EDEN AND MILES STOOD outside Miguel’s door.
“Miles, are you alright?”
“Yeah.”
“Hey, if you want to go I can…”
“No, we need to do this together.”
“Maybe Miguel will surprise us and be happy for us.”
“I somehow doubt that.”
“Even if he’s upset now, I’m sure that in time he…”
“Eden, Miles, did you two forget that you have keys?”
“No, I was talking to Miles about the security system in my townhouse.”
“Hey Buddy.” Miguel smacked Miles on his shoulder.
Eden leaned up and kissed her brother hello. “Hey.”
Miguel watched Miles, who hadn’t said a word to him, walk in the door. He may not know what was going on but he knew it was something serious.
“Eden, you look like hell, what’s going on?”
“I had a bit too much to drink last night and…”
“What happened? Did you have an accident?”
“No, I didn’t drive, I took a taxi to Miles’ house.”
“Were you both drunk?”
“No, but when the taxi driver was passing by Miles’ house I asked him to stop and let me out to say hi.”
“At four this morning.” Miles rolled his eyes.
“At four in the morning! My God, Eden.”
“I’ve been dealing with a lot and…”
“Are you sick? Did someone hurt you?”
“I’m sick over the fact that I hurt someone else…someone I love.”
Eden looked scared to death which was making Miguel’s concern for his sister escalate.
“Come on, Baby, let’s go and sit down.” Miguel walked Eden into the living room and sat them down on the couch.
Miles sat in the chair next to Eden. He wanted to hold her hand or just blurt everything out to Miguel himself but he knew Eden needed to do this on her own.
Dane stopped to grab a cup of coffee on the way to work. He sat down on the bench to wait. He barely managed to get in two hours of sleep after a night of drinking and sex.
“Good morning, Mr. Carlton.”
Dane turned around and Lacey, Miguel’s office manager, was standing there smiling at him. Dane smiled.
“Good morning, Lacey.”
Lacey could feel her cheeks heating up once Dane smiled at her. She was socially awkward and as much as she loved to gawk at men, once they paid her any attention she froze on the inside and blushed on the outside.
“Well, I better get going. Have a nice day.” Lacey turned to walk away.
“Lacey, wait, I’ll walk back to the office with you.” Dane grabbed the tray of coffee from Lacey’s hands. “You can carry mine; I’ll get these for you.”
“Uhh, I don’t want to trouble you, Mr. Carlton.”
“No trouble and please call me Dane.”
Lacey looked down at Dane’s big strong hands and then she spotted his tattoos peeking out from his shirt sleeve. She needed to look away before she got herself even more flustered and really did something stupid. “Ok, Dane. Thank you.”
“So how long have you been working at Cruz?”
“I started right after my husband was deployed the second time, so I guess it is about seven years now.”
“Ahh, so you’re a military wife.”
“Dirk joined the Marines right after we graduated high school.”
“I’m a retired Marine.”
“Thank you for your service.”
“I’d love to meet your husband sometime when he’s on leave.”
“Dirk…”
“I’m sorry, I’m getting a call.” Dane grabbed his phone from his pocket.
Lacey was kind of relieved he got a call, her nerves were shot just from talking to Dane.
Miguel sat there looking at Eden waiting for her to start talking but she didn’t.
“Eden, what the hell is going on?”
“Miggy, you know how much I love you.”
“Yes and I love you too.”
“I did something and I know you’re going to be upset with me…”
“Did something?”
“I’ve kept something from you for a long time now.”
Miguel sat back. “Eden, I thought we shared everything.”
“We do, except for this.”
“Why?”
“I knew that it would upset you and that you would be disappointed in me.”
“Baby, I could never be disappointed with you.”
Miles was looking around the room. Watching Eden suffer was getting the best of him. If she didn’t fess up soon he was going to blurt it out.
“I, I’ve…”
“Miles, why don’t you go grab us some coffee.”
Eden grabbed Miles’ hand. “I asked Miles to be here. He knows…”
“Miles knows but you couldn’t tell your own brother?” Miguel stood up and started pacing.
“I haven’t even told you and you’re already mad at me.” Eden stood up and looked at Miles. “I’m sorry. This was a mistake.”
Miles grabbed Eden’s hand. “He n
eeds to know.”
“Miles, please…” Eden shook her head.
“You tell him or I will.”
Miguel walked over to Eden. “What the hell is going on here?”
Miles wrapped his arm around Eden’s waist and pulled her close. “Talk to your brother.”
Eden started crying. “I’m…”
“Migs, a long time ago Eden and I fell in love with each other and…”
Miguel looked at Eden and then Miles and anger and betrayal coursed through his veins. He grabbed Miles by the throat and slammed him up against the wall while Eden stood there screaming.
“YOU AND MY SISTER? YOU’RE MY BEST FRIEND. I TRUSTED YOU. HOW COULD YOU?”
Eden tried pulling at Miguel’s arm. “Miguel, stop, please stop it!”
“Did he touch you?”
“Please, it’s all my fault. I’m the one who pursued him. It’s my fault. I swear. Miles wanted to tell you. I kept telling him I would tell you but then when he asked me to marry him, I knew…”
Miguel heard the word marry and he saw red. He started punching Miles and then before Eden could move out of the way she was knocked to the floor. Miguel tackled Miles and they ended up rolling around on the floor.
Eden started screaming. The maid came running in followed by Alex who had just walked in the door.
Alex ran over to Miguel. “Miguel, Miguel, what the hell are you doing?” Alex grabbed for Miguel’s arm and he shrugged her off. “Miguel, you back off now or I’m walking out on you!”
Miguel stopped. He turned and looked over at Alex. “Don’t go.” Miguel got up, leaving Miles on the floor bruised and bloody.
Eden dropped down and placed her hand on Miles’ cheek. “I’m so sorry.”
“Do you still love me?”
“Always.”
“Then don’t apologize.” Miles started to peel himself up from the floor with Eden’s help.
“Miguel, what in the hell happened?”
Miguel looked over at Eden and Miles. “It seems that my best friend has been fucking my sister behind my back.”
Alex’s eyes grew wide. “What?” She turned and looked at Miles and Eden. “Is that true?”
Eden nodded her head. “We love each other.”
“Wow.”
“Wow? That’s all you can say, Alex? Eden is my sister, MY SISTER! After all I did for Miles, he stabs me in the back, betrays me and fucks my sister…”
“Miguel…”
“I have to get out of here. I can’t stand the sight of them.” Miguel walked out.
Miguel walked into his office slamming the door behind him. He walked over to his desk and swung his arm across it sending everything on it flying about.
“Miguel.”
“Get out!”
“No. Miguel, you need to let them explain.”
“Explain? Explain why two people whom I loved and trusted had blatant disregard for me!”
Alex grabbed Miguel’s hand and pulled him over to his desk chair and sat him down. Then she sat on his lap.
“Look, I know that you are very hurt and angry but you need to calm down and then I think you all need to talk.”
“Talking to them won’t change the fact that they lied to me for God knows how long?”
“You owe them that much. You might be angry and hurt right now but you know damn well how much you love them both.”
Miguel sat there while he thought about what Alex said to him. Yes, he did love them but how could he ever forgive them and trust them again.
Eden packed Miles’ nose with the cotton the maid brought her and then cleaned him up. Miles stood up so that they could leave and got terribly dizzy and sat back down.
“Miles!”
“I need a minute, I must have gotten up too fast and I got a little dizzy.”
“Maybe we should get you to a hospital?”
“No!”
Eden sat down next to Miles and grabbed his hand.
“I can’t believe he did this to you. I’m so sor…”
“I did this to me. I betrayed my best friend. I deserved everything I let him give me and more…”
“You’re lucky that I didn’t fucking kill you.”
Eden and Miles looked up and Miguel was standing there. Eden stood up and helped Miles to his feet. Then she put her arm around him and headed for the door. Eden looked at Miguel as she was about to cross the threshold. “Goodbye.”
Miguel didn’t want Eden to leave while they were all so angry and hurt but he was still at a loss for words. He just stepped back and watched her walk away with his best friend. He felt so torn and alone.
Ryan walked out of his office and literally into Faith.
“Faith, I’m sorry.”
Faith looked up at Ryan. Why in the hell did he have to be so gorgeous.
“It’s ok.”
Faith backed up and then turned to walk away.
“Faith, do you have a minute to talk?”
“There isn’t anything to talk about.”
“Yes, there is.”
“Ok, but only because you’re Alex’s brother.”
Ryan felt awful that Faith was upset but he just couldn’t give her anything more than sex. He thought about her all night and the more he thought the more he regretted what he had done out of his own selfish needs. Ryan walked back into his office and Faith followed. Ryan closed the door.
“Faith, I never meant to hurt you. I was a jerk and I never should have taken advantage of you.”
“Ok, can I go now?”
Ryan reached up his hand to move Faith’s hair away from her eye and before he knew it his lips were pressed up against Faith’s.
Faith wasn’t sure if Ryan kissed her or if she kissed Ryan but it felt so right. She loved how his lips were always so soft and how he would suck on her lower lip.
“I want you so bad.” Ryan slid his hand inside Faith’s panties as he kissed her again.
Faith pulled away. “I…I can’t.” Faith pulled the door open and ran out.
TWO WEEKS HAD PASSED since Eden had spoken to Miguel and as each day came and went she grew more upset. She grabbed a file she needed to talk to Ryan about and headed down to his office. As she lifted her hand to knock, the door opened and Alex was standing there.
“Eden!”
“Hi.”
Eden peeked around Alex almost hoping that Miguel would be sitting in Ryan’s office but he wasn’t.
“We’ve missed you.”
“You may have but it’s obvious my brother hasn’t missed me.”
“Your brother is the most pig headed person I know. He is so miserable.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sure that living with him hasn’t been easy these last few weeks.”
“That’s an understatement.” Alex laughed. “Eden, why don’t you come by the house and talk…”
“No. Miles and I love each other and if Miguel really loved us then he would forgive us for keeping the truth from him.”
“He’s hurt.”
“So am I.”
Alex looked at Eden and her heart broke for her and for Miguel.
“You’re always welcome at the house and for the record, I’m very happy for both you and Miles.”
Eden hugged Alex. “Thank you.”
Miguel was slamming his desk drawers looking for his spare set of keys. He had been struggling for the last week at work without Miles there. Miles always had everything under control. He finally gave up and sat down. He reached for the phone and for a fleeting moment was going to call Miles but instead he called Lacey.
“Yes, Mr. Cruz.”
“Lacey, can you please find Dane and ask him to come see me ASAP.”
“Yes Sir.”
“Thank you.”
Miguel hung up and leaned back in his chair. He missed Miles being his right hand man but most of all he missed his best friend.
Dane got off the elevator and smiled at Lacey. No man had ever given her butterflies, well except for Dir
k. She felt like she was back in high school again.
“So Mr. Cranky is looking for me?”
Lacey giggled. “I wouldn’t call him that to his face.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you giggle like an innocent child?”
Lacey looked down at her desk. She was feeling embarrassed. “Umm, no.”
Dane placed his hand down on Lacey’s shoulder. “Hey, I didn’t mean to insult you. I’m sorry.”
Lacey looked up but she didn’t make eye contact with Dane. “I’m not insulted, I…”
“Dane, are you here to see me or flirt with Lacey?”
Lacey swallowed hard as her face heated up. “Mr. Cruz, I’m so sorry. I didn’t…”
“Lacey, he’s just…”
Miguel reached over and put his hand on Lacey’s back. “I’m sorry, I was just razzing Dane. You’re all good, Lacey.”
“Would you excuse me.” Lacey got up from her desk.
“What just happened?” Dane looked confused as he watched Lacey walk away.
“She is very conscientious about her work.”
“Hmm. So what did you need me for?”
“I need you to help me schedule a few things and accompany me to a meeting later this afternoon.”
“Migs, why don’t you just get over this whole thing with your sister and Miles and patch things up?”
“After what he did, you’re taking his side?”
“I’m not taking sides. All I am saying is why are you punishing Miles for sleeping with Eden when you’re not punishing every other man that she slept with? At least he loves her.”
Miguel balled his hand into a fist, he had all he could do to control himself after Dane’s reply. Dane looked down at Miguel’s hand and was prepared to fight if his fist flew…but it didn’t.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Migs, talk to them. You are all miserable. I know that being lied to is hard to forgive but you all love each other and…”
Miguel turned and walked into his office as he dialed his phone leaving Dane standing there in mid-sentence.
Miles stood in Eden’s doorway just watching her. He loved her so much.
Secrets & Lies (Undercover Love Series Book 2) Page 2
