by Pamela Ann
Who knew what the future held? This could be my calling for all I knew.
I got home, feeling upbeat, and headed straight into the kitchen to pour myself a glass of orange juice. While shuffling through the mail that was stacked neatly on the counter, my eyes were drawn to a smooth, black envelope that had expensive written all over it. Heck, even by touching it, you could immediately tell by the texture and the weight of the stationary.
Who would send us this? It was addressed to Jackson and me, but when I flipped it over to check out whom it was from, there was no addresses.
“Odd.” Placing my drink down, I hesitantly opened it and was stunned to realize that it had come from someone who was apparently close to Drew. Close enough to throw him a birthday party in the Hamptons.
It’s his birthday. How could I have forgotten that it was coming up? Jackson, no doubt, would go. But should I? Was I brave enough to see him? I wasn’t sure. I supposed I would soon find out.
Chapter Twenty
Jackson didn’t disclose much information as we rode in a hired car to the Hamptons. Instead of choosing to go dress shopping, I had decided against it and worn my staple little black dress. The last thing I wanted was to appear like I had made an effort to look good for him.
True to his word, he had made the hotel his primary residence and hadn’t stepped foot in the condo since that incident six days ago. In a way, I couldn’t blame him. The hotel was top notch and had everything he wanted instead of living in our not so humble but still incomparable standards. If he could afford to live in such a lavish lifestyle, then more power to him.
Coming here meant closure for me because I had to get used to seeing him once in a while for special occasions and such. Therefore, I had convinced myself that today would be a good way to practice.
Back in the day, I would have opted for a thoughtful present like baking him a cake or something much more personal. This time was different, however. I had actually gone out and bought him a Mont Blanc pen with his initials engraved on it. Since his life had drastically changed, and he had become suaver and more businesslike, I was sure this would come in handy if he chose to use it. I wouldn’t care either way. He could throw it away for all I cared.
The journey occupied my thoughts. Cori and I had gone out last night. It was unexpected, but when he called to say hi and I had badly itched to share my good news, he had ended up inviting me for a drink to a cozy restaurant a block away. Although we had parted ways after finishing a bottle of wine and some appetizers, he had left with the promise that he would be taking me out for a movie next week. He had said he ought to woo me, but knowing how he worked, I remained tentative.
Before I could get any further into my thoughts, the driver entered a winding driveway with manicured lawns, topiaries, and trees leading to a breathtaking mansion, the biggest I had ever seen.
“Wow, Drew’s rolling with really super wealthy people these days, huh?” I gushed loudly before catching myself when I caught the driver’s grin in the rearview mirror.
“It comes with the territory, I guess. You really should go out more, Chloe. Things are done differently around here. You’ll see,” Jackson said as the driver rounded the entrance to the beautiful palatial home.
Jackson meant well. Maybe he was referencing how I had been spending my time with bartenders and the like, but I didn’t mind. They were my friends, and I wouldn’t trade them for people with mansions or expensive cars. I was fine with where I was. Nevertheless, if these were the things Jackson and Drew liked, then I respected that.
Shrugging, I thanked the kind driver who opened the door for me before bidding us a good time.
As I held my brother’s arm, we entered the large, beige doors where a waiter patiently stood, greeting us politely before offering us a glass of champagne.
My eyes immediately scanned the place, ignoring the waiter. White and earthy tones perfectly meshed together, both representing wealth and glamour in the most understated way. But before my eyes could explore further, my view was blocked by an aged man and woman, making me blink a few times.
“Jackson, nice of you to come and join us!” the man boomed in a British voice.
“You look well, Jackson,” the woman next to the man, whom I presumed was her husband, greeted my brother with a gorgeous smile.
She was young, roughly around her early thirties. Being married to a powerful man apparently had its advantages, not to mention security and companionship. Besides, the older man was genuinely handsome. Sans peppered hair, I could’ve mistaken him for someone much younger.
“It’s good to see you both, Mr. and Mrs. Cavendish,” Jackson nonchalantly stated before turning toward me. “This is my sister, Chloe. And this is Drew’s father, Conrad, and stepmother, Caroline.”
His father? Uh, what? When had this piece of garbage come out of the woodwork?
My mind reeled as I tried to summon a smile, but my lips wouldn’t function. “It’s great to meet you both … finally.” Far from it.
So, this was what Drew had been hiding? His fucking father? Was that where his new found wealth had come from? But I thought he hated the man. Not only that, but this prick had abandon him when he was only two years old … and now, all of a sudden, they had decided to play family again? What the flying fuck! No wonder Jackson and Drew had been at odds. I would have been, too. Hell, even if Drew was the last person I wanted to see, I was still protective of him.
After we made pleasantries, I was about to drag Jackson to the nearest private area to grill him when Drew appeared out of nowhere with a woman hanging off his arm. And boy, was she gorgeous.
Jealousy ate me alive. It engulfed me, seizing me as I helplessly stared at them both. My eyes diverted elsewhere when I noted that they were on their way toward us.
“Jackson, Chloe, thanks for coming.” Drew grinned at us, as if he and I hadn’t had a falling out six days ago. “This is Poppy,” he proudly introduced her without meeting my gaze. “This is Jackson, my best friend since childhood, and his little sister Chloe.”
“Lovely to meet you both, but most especially you, Jackson. I’ve heard a lot of about you.”
British. Again. Wait, that voice. I had heard it before … Then everything clicked in my once dull mind. At the hotel, it was her who had inquired if it was the strawberries and champagne. Well, I supposed she was my replacement, then. That hadn’t taken long.
Who was I kidding? I had jumped the gun way before he had. According to him, I deserved all of these rotten feelings that were filling me. Yes, this was all my doing, but Drew didn’t need to take every chance he got to make sure I knew how badly I had lost him.
Feeling faint, I cleared my throat and quickly excused myself. I wasn’t even sure what excuse I blurted out. All I knew was I needed to get the fuck away from them, STAT.
Scramming toward the outdoors, I plucked two champagne flutes from a passing waiter, downing them one after the other until fresh air greeted my face. The backyard consisted of a massive patio, pool, and a vast expanse of manicured lawn overlooking the beach. It was all so beautiful, but everything was a blur. All I could think about was Drew and Poppy.
I can do this. Just breathe Once the shock wore off, I would be in much better shape. Well, I hoped I would be, or else, I would have to stay hidden out here. Fuck, how can he look so fucking happy while I’m crumbling inside?
“I’ve been looking for you.” Jackson appeared right next to me.
Without glancing at him, I bit the bottom of my lip, hoping the burn in the back of my eyes would go away. The last thing I needed was to make this debacle a perfect shit storm by uncontrollably crying like someone had died. Well, maybe something had. I had heard my heart crack, shattered into smithereens. There was no repairing it.
The devil was hard at work today. He taunted me by having Drew, Poppy, and his stepmother, Caroline, appear a few feet away. They seemed to be sharing a great story, because I heard them laugh while Drew held Poppy’s back, as if
he were protective of her, as if he truly cared for her and he simply couldn’t get enough.
Thirty more minutes and then I’d Uber my way out of here. Hell, I would take the bus out of here if I had to as long as I was away from this nightmare.
I felt as though, each time I glanced at him, my heart was punctured by a knife, bleeding out until it was dead and gone.
“Caroline seems too cozy to be his stepmother, I found myself saying, loathing the fact that the woman was inappropriately feeling his muscles right where everyone could see. What the hell?
Jackson followed my gaze then let out a dark laugh. “She’s trying to secure the upgrade before dumping the older version.”
Ew.
“You’re not serious?” He had to be joking, right? That was disgusting.
“I mean, look at her. She calls and always goes out with him for lunches and dinners. She’s worse than a stalker, but Drew sees it as affection.” He shrugged, as if he couldn’t believe his best friend was so naïve.
Heck, I had just met them, and I could easily tell she was too close for comfort. But as for Drew mistaking it for affection, it wasn’t hard to believe. He didn’t know any better.
“His mother didn’t give him any, so cut him some slack.”
“He’s just fitting right in as if the past eighteen years didn’t fucking happen, as if we didn’t matter. We were his family, too. We were there for him more than these fuckers ever were. Look at him now. It’s like none of that bullshit fazes him.”
“Oh, Jacks, don’t compare what we shared with him to this. This is different.” Reaching out, I gripped his arm, hoping he would see Drew’s side. “We’re always going to be here for him. Always. Nothing will ever change that. Let him enjoy this. Maybe his dad is ready this time around.”
He scoffed, obviously skeptical.
Bracing myself, I dragged my eyes away from Drew and Poppy, who were now speaking to a woman. Staring ahead at the horizon, I pulled my shawl closer around me, needing some comfort, some warmth, because everything felt cold all of a sudden.
“When did all of this happen, Jacks?”
“Since Drew and I began being at odds? He didn’t care for it when I said his father could just be using him.” Jackson sounded hurt.
“That’s very harsh, even for you, Jacks.” Jackson’s reaction was understandable, as was Drew’s. As friend and family to him, he should have been more supportive to whatever his friend had decided on. This was his father, not some random. One couldn’t just brush that aside. “He doesn’t have any family. Wouldn’t you have done the same?”
Jackson shook his head. “Not when the asshole had missing ninety-nine percent of my life and popped out of nowhere because he didn’t have an heir. Like, what kind of bullshit is that? Drew, the smartest kid I know, buys into that shit? If I don’t look out for him, no one will. We fight, but I do it because I don’t want him to end up hurt—that’s what friends are for. He’s already been through enough.”
“I know, Jacks. We all want the best for him.” My heart ached as I thought of Poppy. “But we have to trust that he knows what’s good for him.” If he was happy, then I would learn to be happy for him. It was all I could do. I hardly doubted I would ever stop loving him, but hopefully someday, the pain would subside.
“If he knew what was good for him, he would’ve fought for you.”
It was funny how Jackson seemed to easily accept my feelings for his best friend, but instead of asking him why he wasn’t against it, I decided not. He was only being kind. It was nothing to get emotional about.
“It’s all over now.” Exactly. All was said and done.
“Oh, Chloe. How can it be over when it didn’t even begin?”
It had, somewhat, but it had never taken off either.
“He doesn’t want me, Jacks. I’ve tried, but I couldn’t get through to him. It’s fine. I’ll be fine.” Even to my own ears, my words sounded forced.
“If there’s a man out there who closely matches just how much I love you, it’s him, Chlo. He’s stubborn as a mule, but he cares about you. Don’t give up just yet. Give him time. He’ll come around. Trust me.”
How could I argue that there wasn’t a spec of a chance for us? Jackson wouldn’t understand. Therefore, I kept my mouth shut and tried to appear unaffected.
After more guests arrived, it didn’t take long until they announced the food was being served on the black and white tented veranda. Though it was a bit chilly, the torches and fire pits made it warm.
I wasn’t sure what prompted me, but the moment I sat at one of the beautifully decorated rounded tables, I made an excuse of needing the bathroom. The thought of mingling with strangers while trying to act civilized would put me in a mental institution. Let’s face it. The last thing I needed was to be in a public setting. Okay, this was a private party, but apart from two souls, there wasn’t a familiar face around.
Before a panic attack seized me, I found myself back in the main house with two champagne flutes in my hands, randomly deciding to take a look around the grand place.
There was no way I would get the opportunity to give him his present, so maybe I would simply keep it to myself. Besides, it wasn’t as though he would detach himself from his woman long enough to care about other guests. What pissed me off even more was the fact that they looked perfect together.
No wonder things had changed for him. He had the world in the palm of his hand. It was rather funny how I had thought he was selling drugs at one point.
I peeked around the right wing of the house where the uniformed staff and guests weren’t around. The sound of the party faded into the background as I tried to grasp Drew’s newly found relationship with his father … and Poppy. And Caroline. My mind was overheating.
I found myself in a room with a lot of animal memorabilia, a pool table, tennis table, old-school arcade games, a chess table, and whatever else a game room could consist of. There was also a luxurious bar calling for me, and after finding a vintage bottle, I helped myself and took it with me toward the pool table. By then, all the drinks I had consumed had fully saturated my system.
If I were an insane woman, I would make a scene out there just to make Drew’s life less sweet than it looked. It would be quite the entertainment. Drew should be thankful I didn’t have it in me.
Plucking the black and white eight ball from the felted table, I weighed it in my hand before mildly throwing it in the air then catching it.
“If you plan to attack me with that, I suggest you choose something sharper and pointy,” the familiar voice echoed in the background.
I choked on my breath, hating that my body immediately responded to his presence. Don’t look at him, or he’ll see what you’re feeling.
Taking a sip of my strong drink, I placed the ball down as if it were poisoned. “I didn’t even realize you were here. Besides, I don’t need a weapon to hurt you.”
He was somewhere behind me. I could feel him, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. A part of me was afraid I might crumble and embarrass myself.
“So, this is your father’s home. You never mentioned him.” Yep, my mouth had its own mind. Damn it.
“I meant to when the time was right.”
Maybe he wasn’t comfortable sharing it. I would never know.
“She’s beautiful. The woman who was hanging off your arm earlier, I mean. Is it serious?” God, what is wrong with me? I keep fucking digging my own grave.
He took forever to respond, and when he did, he wasn’t coy. “I am still deciding on it.”
He was deciding? That was a major change from exclaiming he wasn’t boyfriend material. He had changed his mind quickly.
“You’re not one to have girlfriends,” I heard myself say before drinking the rest of the offending liquor, hoping the fire it lit inside would calm my nerves.
“That was before. Things change.” He sounded so close yet so far away. Why was he even here? Where was Poppy?
If I
were wiser, I would change the subject or, better yet, run as far as I could. Nevertheless, I didn’t do any of that, because I was quite stupid when it came to him. I doubted that would change anytime soon.
Letting my forefinger graze the woodwork against the lacquered table, I braced myself for what was next. “What made you change your mind?”
“You.”
His response made me spin on my heels, facing his cool detachment as he eyed me incredulously.
“That’s a cruel joke!” I snapped. “You sent that text, telling me you were done with me. You said all those things. I—” Pausing as I tried to refrain myself from going full-on hysterical, I mistakenly gazed into his eyes, and just like that, I felt all the hurt and pain wash over me again and again. “How can you do this, knowing how much I love you?”
“Love.” He laughed darkly. “Don’t throw bullshit in the air, Chloe. You know nothing about love!” he viciously growled. “If that’s how you show how much you love me, by me catching you with your legs open while some guy fucks you, then I want nothing to do with it!” His face paled as he tried to reign in the anger he had quelled for so long.
How could he even question it?
“For days, I didn’t hear from you. I called, left you voicemails and messages, but I didn’t get anything back. Then Sunday came, and you sent me that message, saying you were done with me, with what we had at that time. You were gone, and for all I knew, you were sleeping with other women—”
“I came home to you every fucking night for six days straight. That was unprecedented even for me! All I wanted was you. Every damn minute, hour, you were all I could think about. It was terrifying. I left because having you around made it difficult to do anything else. I needed some time to think and figure out what to do. I came back that morning, wanting to fix things, to ask you for forgiveness after I sent that text, realizing I didn’t want to lose you—”
“Don’t say that! You’re lying just to make me feel more awful than I already do.” That wasn’t how it had happened. He was fabricating this.
