Finally

by Miranda P. Charles

He’d been waiting impatiently to have this chance to talk to her face to face since she hadn’t returned his calls or responded to his texts. Now she’d arrived. With a date. He couldn’t believe she’d brought a date. Did she really want to wound him?

  He sank in a nearby chair, squeezing his eyes shut. How could this hurt so fucking bad?

  His phone vibrated in his pocket. It was his grandmother.

  “Jeffrey, where are you, dear? People are looking for you.”

  “Who?”

  “Well, your Grand-Aunt Miriam, your uncle, and a couple of Zach’s friends, for starters.”

  He smirked. Of course, Sarah wasn’t looking for him.

  “I’ll be out soon, Gran.”

  “Is everything okay, Jeff?”

  “No. I have a massive headache, but give me a minute and I’ll come out and join you guys.”

  “Oh. Maybe you can ask Rebecca what you can take for it.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Paracetamol’s fine, I’m sure, Gran. I have some here.”

  “Sarah’s here now too, dear,” Magda said softly. “You two could have a proper talk tonight.”

  He raked his hair. Of course his gran would want to make things right. Unfortunately, she couldn’t always get what she wanted. Neither could he.

  “Tonight may not be a good time for that, Gran. It’s Sarah’s party too and she should be with her guests.”

  Magda sighed. “Okay, dear. I’ll let you figure it out. We’ll see you out here soon.”

  He hung up and took deep breaths. The best way to get through tonight—heck, the next hour—was to not feel. But what was the secret to feeling numb?

  Unfortunately, this wasn’t the time to wallow in his thoughts. There was a party going on outside.

  He stood up and purposefully strode out of the room, fighting the urge to cry. How fucking pathetic.

  *****

  Jeff walked into the bar where people were having pre-dinner drinks. His gaze swung to the left and he instantly spotted Sarah talking to Rebecca and Zach. His chest heaved. Why did she have to be like a magnet for him?

  Reluctantly, he made his way toward her. It was her birthday, after all. He should at least acknowledge her.

  “Sarah,” he said, his voice sounding breathless to his own ears.

  Sarah turned her head, her eyes wide.

  His heart hammered hard, every nerve ending hyper-aware of the woman standing before him.

  “Jeff,” Sarah murmured.

  “Happy birthday,” he said quietly.

  “Thank you.”

  The man she came with appeared, holding a beer in one hand and a glass of red in the other. Jeff wouldn’t be surprised if it was Sarah’s favourite shiraz—one of theirs. He swiftly slammed the lid on the hope that spurted in his chest from his brief eye contact with Sarah.

  “Um, Jeff,” Rebecca interjected, “this is Ash, Amanda’s brother.”

  Jeff forced a polite smile as he watched Sarah take the wine from her date’s hand so they could shake hands. So this man was Amanda’s brother. Even worse. Ash and Sarah must have known each other for years.

  “Pleasure to meet you, Jeff,” Ash said.

  “Likewise,” he said, unable to resist giving the man a much firmer handshake than normal. Hell, if he gave in to his urges, he’d crush Ash’s hand. He better get out of there before he totally lost it.

  “Well, enjoy tonight, guys,” he said, then headed for the exit.

  *

  It was a rather cool, overcast night, and it looked like rain. Jeff thought about going back in and grabbing his jacket but he couldn’t be bothered. If he walked briskly enough, he should keep warm.

  “Hey, Jeff!”

  “Hey,” he said to Connor, who’d just arrived.

  “Am I late? I came from Newcastle and I got held up by an accident.”

  “No. Dinner hasn’t started yet. People are still having pre-dinner drinks at the bar.”

  “Are you going somewhere?” Connor asked with a frown.

  “I’m just going for a walk.”

  “A walk? At this time of night? It’s going to rain soon.”

  Jeff shrugged.

  “Bro,” Connor said softly. “Doesn’t Sarah want to talk to you tonight?”

  “Don’t know,” he said bleakly. “Haven’t asked.”

  “Want some company?”

  “No, thanks. I’d rather be alone. Go and join the party.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you shortly,” Connor said, patting him on the shoulder.

  Jeff followed a path leading to the far side of the expansive gardens. He wanted to be as far away as possible from the festivities going on inside. He’d already feigned levity too much last week during his birthday, and he couldn’t gather the necessary energy to do it again tonight.

  He walked until he reached the end of the path he was on. Without a clear track to follow, it wasn’t possible for him to walk further in the dark. The night seemed to be commiserating with the darkness that his heart was wallowing in.

  An itch on his left upper arm throbbed and he tapped on it, not wanting to scratch as he knew it would make it worse. It was a reminder of how hard and fast he’d fallen for Sarah. It was so unbelievably crazy he couldn’t even wrap his head around it. Before he knew it, he was so deeply in love with her. Then in just a few days, he’d lost her.

  Maybe he never had her at all. Maybe for her the seed of love had never sprouted.

  As for him, not only had it taken root, it had grown to a massive tree that now needed chainsaws to cut it and poison poured on the stump to stop the regrowth.

  He shoved his hands in his pockets as he felt the first big drops of rain. Great. He’d be soaking wet by the time he got back inside.

  *****

  Welcome warmth hit Jeff as he entered the foyer of the hotel.

  “You okay, sir?” their concierge asked, clearly surprised at seeing him drenched to the bone. “Do you need anything?”

  “No, thanks. I’ll head straight to my room.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief as he passed by the bar without anyone else noticing him.

  He was opening his door when his phone rang. Pulling it out, he was grateful the dampness of his pants didn’t seem to have affected it. He frowned at the screen, but swiped to answer the call.

  “Bee, what’s up?”

  “Hi Jeff. Sorry to bother you on a Saturday night but I’ve been working on something and I thought I’d discuss it with you.”

  Jeff groaned silently. “Shouldn’t you be enjoying your weekend?” he asked.

  “Work is enjoyable for me,” Bianca said with a chuckle. “And I think I have another brilliant idea.”

  “Bee, I’ve been talking with Zach and Greg, and we think it’s a good idea for Greg to get much more involved in our marketing campaigns. Why don’t you discuss this one with him?”

  “Oh. I see. Um, sure I’ll talk to Greg, if you like. But this particular topic is something you and I have already discussed before. We should only take about five minutes.”

  “Take the weekend off, Bianca,” he said authoritatively. “Then on Monday, you can talk to Greg about it. I’ll tell him to expect your call.”

  Bianca sounded mightily put out as she hung up, but he didn’t care. He’d already agreed with his brothers that Greg should be Bianca’s main point of contact from here on in. They just needed to make it official and tell Bianca next week.

  If he were to find a way to win Sarah back, it was an important step to take—if Sarah could be won back, that was. She thought the only relationship they could ever have was a toxic one. Well, she was wrong and he wanted to prove it to her. But when she arrived with a date and cut his heart with a thousand razor blades, his belief that they had a future had taken a battering too.

  He trudged to the shower and turned the water as hot as he could manage. He stood under the massaging jets, willing the spray to wash away his pain. As he lifted his head toward the nozzle, it wasn’t only water from th
e shower that flowed down his cheeks.

  Fuck, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d cried over a woman. He remembered his eyes smarting when Bianca broke up with him, but he didn’t cry. Not like this.

  Oh, he was really pathetic. Pathetically in love with Sarah.

  *****

  “Hey, where were you? I was going to send out a search party,” Zach said with a concerned frown.

  “I went for a walk,” Jeff answered.

  “It’s raining.”

  “Yeah. I got caught in it so I went to get changed. Anyway, why were you looking for me?”

  “Why?” Zach asked as if he should know why.

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “It’s my engagement party, bro. I want you here to celebrate it with me.”

  “Oh, Zachy. Did you miss me?” he teased, giving Zach an exaggerated hug.

  “I’m worried about you,” Zach said, scowling.

  “I’m fine,” he said blithely.

  “Bull.”

  “Well, what do you want me to do? Grab a microphone and tell all your guests that the birthday girl stuck more daggers in my heart by bringing a date with her tonight?”

  “What? Who? Ash?” Zach asked incredulously.

  Jeff gave his brother a dirty look. He didn’t need Zach lying to him to spare his feelings.

  “He’s not her date, you idiot,” Zach said. “He’s Amanda’s brother.”

  “I know that. But he’s also her date. Didn’t you see them when they arrived?”

  “No. But if Ash is Sarah’s date tonight, Bec would have told me.”

  “You think your fiancée will tell you everything?” he asked dryly.

  “What I think is that you’ve lost perspective,” Zach said, looking at him intently. “Why don’t you just go talk to Sarah? I’ve noticed that she’s been glancing around a lot since she got here, as if looking for someone. I’m sure it’s you she’s looking for.”

  Jeff went silent, looking unsure.

  “Scared?” Zach asked quietly.

  “Last time I spoke with her, she said she couldn’t see how we could make our relationship work. She said it would be toxic. Obviously, she’s finding it very difficult to trust me,” he said with bitterness.

  Zach grabbed his arm and led him to a quiet corner where no one would notice them.

  “Jeff, Sarah was really hurt when she discovered you’ve been hiding Bianca from her,” Zach said. “Apparently, her reaction to that has a lot to do with a bad experience from five years ago. She’d been engaged before too, and the guy cheated on her with his ex-girlfriend. Worse, the idiot even called his ex’s name while in bed with Sarah, then lied to her that he didn’t know such a person. The moron’s excuse was he was reading a book and the name stuck or something. Anyway, Sarah chose to believe him. Then a few weeks later, the guy broke up with her to go back to his ex-girlfriend whom he married shortly after. That’s why Sarah can’t handle you and Bianca working together. She’s scared that the same thing could easily happen again.”

  “I didn’t know that,” Jeff said in dismay. Sarah had asked him a while back if he thought of Bianca while he was with other women. Now he knew why she’d asked such a probing question.

  God, he wanted to punch the man who’d dared hurt Sarah like that. And if he could wring his own neck, he would, for making such an insensitive, idiotic mistake of hiding Bianca from Sarah in the first place.

  “Zach, Greg has to work with Bianca,” he said hoarsely. “I don’t want anything to do with her. And if Bianca working for us still gets between me and Sarah, then we’ll have to get a new ad manager.”

  Zach opened his mouth, looking like he was going to disagree.

  “Put yourself in my shoes, Zach. What would you do if Bec left you for similar reasons?”

  Zach exhaled gustily. “Okay, I get it. Have your talk with Sarah, then we’ll do what we have to do.”

  “Thank you.”

  Now if only he could resolve things with Sarah as easily as getting rid of Bianca.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “Sarah, honey. Smile,” Amanda teased.

  Sarah gave her friend the biggest fake smile she could manage. It was tiring having to pretend she was enjoying herself when she was feeling miserable that Jeff seemed to be avoiding her.

  “I’m sure he’s around somewhere,” Rebecca said.

  “He didn’t look like he was happy to see me. He stormed off after saying ‘happy birthday’ and now he’s been gone for ages,” she said in an almost-whiny tone. “Maybe he just couldn’t stand to be in the same room as me anymore.”

  Amanda and Rebecca rolled their eyes and groaned in unison.

  “He has feelings too, you know, Sarah,” Rebecca said with a hint of impatience. “You were the one who broke up with him. He probably thinks you don’t want him to be in the same room as you.”

  Sarah bit her lip, guilt and regret at not answering Jeff’s calls in the past week pounding her mercilessly. “Well, I’m ready to talk... if I can find him.”

  “He’ll be at our table during dinner,” Rebecca said. “He’s going to be sitting directly opposite you, but if you want, we can swap the place cards and sit him next to you. Do you want me to do that?”

  “No. We’re not likely to discuss our issues over dinner,” she answered. “I think him being directly opposite me is better. That way I can easily stare at him all night.”

  Amanda chuckled. “Yes, just send him—”

  “Amanda?” a male voice said, interrupting them.

  Amanda gasped audibly. “What are you doing here?” she asked, horrified.

  “Enjoying the party. I’m a friend of the Carmichaels’. And I see that you’re Rebecca and Sarah’s friend. Interesting.”

  “Hi Connor,” Sarah said with a slight frown. Connor was smiling, although his eyes were not, as he stared at Amanda.

  “Hello Sarah. Happy birthday,” Connor replied, his glance softening. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “And Rebecca, congratulations again.”

  “Thank you,” the two of them murmured.

  “Well, Amanda, I must say it’s a... surprise to see you here,” Connor said with what looked like a smirk rather than a smile. “Have fun tonight, girls,” he added, then walked off.

  “What was that about?” Rebecca demanded when Connor was out of earshot.

  “Oh my God. I don’t believe this,” Amanda said, looking utterly dismayed. “He’s a friend of the Carmichaels? Ugh!”

  “What was that about?” Sarah echoed, her own dramas temporarily forgotten.

  “Remember when I went to the Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne last month?” Amanda asked.

  “Nooo. He wasn’t that guy!” Sarah said with round eyes.

  “Yes, he was that jerk that put me off one-night stands forever,” Amanda said, eyes flashing.

  “He was your first and only one-night stand,” Rebecca said dryly.

  “Well, he ensured I didn’t do it again,” Amanda said with a glare in the direction of where Connor went. “How close is he to the brothers?”

  “Quite close,” Sarah answered. “Apparently, they’re childhood friends since his parents own the neighbouring property.”

  “Oh no,” Amanda lamented. “Does that mean I’ll have to see him every time there’s a party like this with the Carmichaels? Argh! I need another a drink,” she said, walking off in a huff.

  Sarah and Rebecca stared at each other in disbelief.

  “Is it just me or is that reaction way over the top?” Rebecca asked.

  “Way over the top,” Sarah confirmed. “I wonder if there’s something else Amanda hasn’t told us.”

  “Connor looked equally bemused.”

  “To say the least.”

  They stood there, pondering the unexpected, when Rebecca placed a hand on Sarah’s arm. “Anyway, my dear, let’s get back to the topic of you and Jeff. Where were we?”

  “Oh, that he probably thinks I don’t want to be in the same room as him
,” Sarah replied, her melancholy returning.

  “How do you feel right now?”

  “I don’t know. Sad, nervous. I know that you girls think he likes me, but...”

  “But?”

  “He loved Bianca, Bec. He’d wanted to marry her. Liking me is just not enough for me to feel secure in a relationship with Jeff, especially since he sees Bianca all the time now.”

  “You want love, not like,” Rebecca murmured.

  “Yes. Do you think there’s a chance he might be in love with me?” she asked hopefully.

  “I can’t answer that. You have to ask him.”

  She sighed. “I know. And I will talk to him tonight,” she said with conviction.

  “Hey girls,” Ash said, joining them. “What’s up with Amanda?”

  “Haven’t you asked her?” Rebecca said.

  “She wouldn’t tell me. But she’s got that look that says she’s mighty pissed off.”

  Sarah and Rebecca glanced at each other.

  “Come on, tell me” Ash said cajolingly.

  “I think Zach’s grand-aunt wants me,” Rebecca mused, smiling back at the elderly lady who was pointing Rebecca out to some people. “Excuse me, guys.”

  “Sarah?” Ash prompted.

  “You don’t need to know everything about your sister, Ash,” Sarah said.

  “Ah, now you’ve done it. You’ve got me all intrigued,” Ash said, leading her out to the patio with an arm around her waist.

  “You’re so nosy,” Sarah said with a laugh. “Haven’t you learned that there’s nothing you can say or do that would make the five of us betray each other’s confidence?”

  “Did Amanda make you promise not to tell?”

  “Err, no.”

  “There you go,” Ash said jubilantly. “You can tell me.”

  Sarah rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t concern you, Mr. Stickybeak.”

  “Ever since my dear sister made it her mission to butt in all of my relationships, her men problems have become my concern. Tit for tat, and all that. Besides, I’m really worried. She’s got this murderous look about her,” he added seriously.

  “How do you know this particular issue involves a man?” she asked innocently.

  Ash smirked. “As if I haven’t been around you girls long enough to know. Remember I used to chase away boys who hurt you when you were teenagers?”