by Amy Starling
Heather pushed me into the backseat of her car, and off we went. Away from downtown, onto the highway, then to the Old Farm Road exit. It was very dark out here. Dark and lonely.
Lonely... Like me, when I pictured Jayce in another woman's arms.
“Almost there. I think I see it up ahead.” She pointed to the spot of brightness ahead that lit up the night sky. “Are you sure about this? Why the heck are we chasing Jayce to a strip club? This isn't like you.”
How could I possibly tell her this – that her playboy jackass of a brother seduced me? That when he held me, I truly felt alive for the first time in years?
That I might be falling in love with...
No. This wasn't love. It's just sex. That's what Jayce said.
A tear rolled down my cheek. Where there was one, more waited to fall.
We made it into the parking lot. It was surprisingly full of cars for this time of night, and I resisted the urge to see if I recognized any of them from town.
Well, there was one I did recognize. Jayce's imposing black truck, right there in the front.
I also resisted the urge to throw a rock through his windshield. Lucky that Heather was there to talk me out of it.
“I don't think you should go in there,” she pleaded. Good for her, trying to be the voice of reason.
Sadly, I was too far gone to listen.
I pushed through the door with her in tow. Nobody in the smoky, dimly lit bar looked up at us. They were too busy gawking at the girl dancing on the counter.
The topless girl.
I bristled as an old man stuffed cash into her underwear. Didn't see Jayce among the men, though. But his truck was outside, which meant he was in here somewhere – doing things I knew were gonna make me cry even harder.
“Where is he?” I stormed up to the bartender. “Where is Jayce Reinhard?”
He and the other patrons exchanged amused looks. Heather tried to pull me away, but I shook her off.
“Go wait outside. You don't want to see this.”
She groaned. “Why do you want to? I don't...” Her eyes widened. “Wait a minute. No. It can't be.”
But she'd already figured it out. I didn't even bother to deny it.
From somewhere down the long, dark hallway came the hoots and laughter of men. Then, the sound of a hand striking flesh and the playful yelp of a woman.
I ran. Heather didn't follow this time. She hung back and stared at the floor.
I followed the noise to a room near the back, then paused. He was in there. Only a thin black sheet separated us.
I threw it back.
Half-naked women danced with men, while in the corner, one blonde bimbo was on her knees trying to get some guy's pants off. Another man had a girl over his thigh. She squealed when he spanked her again.
“Come on, Mr. Fireman. When are you gonna give us another taste of this?”
I found Jayce in a darkened corner. One girl plopped into his lap, while another sat beside him and put a glass of beer to his lips.
He did nothing to stop it. In fact, he wore a stupid grin.
The bastard was enjoying this.
“Well, y'know... We're here to celebrate Max's birthday, not mine.”
“Mmm, he's a big boy. Cocoa will take good care of him.” The blonde thrust her boobs in his face. “Why don't you let us take care of you?”
Fat tears rolled down my cheeks. My stomach roiled as the anger and disappointment built inside me.
I had no right to feel this way. But I did, and the feelings were raw, painful, and very real.
“So this is where you've been tonight.”
The room quieted. Jayce immediately pushed the girls off him at the sound of my voice. His eyes met mine. I was so disgusted, I couldn't look at him for long.
“Elle, I –”
“We needed you tonight back at home. I needed you.”
I couldn't bear to look at this any longer. I turned and fled, trying hard not to let people see me cry. They'd all think I was some crazy girlfriend who'd been psycho enough to track her man down. Maybe that's what I was.
No, wait – I wasn't his girlfriend. He clearly considered me a fling, nothing more.
In the back room, his horrible strippers were still talking crap about me.
“Is that your girl? She doesn't seem like much fun.”
“Yeah. Tell her to loosen up a little. It's not like you were doing nothing wrong, cutie.”
The curtain flew back, and Jayce stormed out after me. He smelled like booze and sickly sweet perfume.
“Elle, please. Listen to me.”
“Don't touch me.” I pulled away. “I don't want you to touch me after your hands have been...”
He watched me cry, but said nothing. I had no idea what I expected out of him.
“I knew your stupid plan would never work. How are we supposed to be married when you're out here rubbing all over these... these whores?”
Actually, it wasn't about the fake marriage so much anymore. He'd made me feel like he cared. As if I was the only woman for him. And I, the idiot, believed it.
He laughed weakly. “Um, you might not want to say the 'm-word' so loudly.”
Heather stared at us from the end of the hall, shock and horror on her face.
She'd heard me. She knew what we were planning. She knew I was screwing her brother.
You know what? I didn't care anymore.
“You slept with those girls, didn't you?”
He hung his head. “That was a while ago, I swear. I didn't touch them tonight.”
“Sure looked like you were touching them to me.”
His arms surrounded me. I stiffened, still furious, but let him do it. Why? I didn't know. I just wanted things to be normal again.
“Why did you come all the way out here to track me down?” He studied me. “You don't trust me?”
I laughed. “Trust? No way. Look what you do when you're left alone.”
He pulled me into a corner where we could fight in peace.
“We haven't gone through with the marriage thing. And hell, Pink, it's not like we're even a couple. We just slept together once.”
I pushed him away from me. I was done with this. Done with letting this player fool me into his bed.
“This is over. There won't be any wedding. No more pulling your tricks. No more letting you seduce me. Find some other girl to marry, because it isn't gonna be me.”
I turned to leave.
“Pink!”
“You were wrong, Jayce. You said it was just sex. Well, not to me. I cared about you.”
I left him there, grabbing Heather on the way out the door. He didn't follow. Just watched me go.
That told me all I needed to know.
In the car, Heather hugged me. I sobbed on her shoulder, grateful for her presence. Without her, I would have been so alone.
“Elle, were you seriously going to marry Jayce – biggest man-whore of all time? What the hell were you thinking?”
“It's a long story. Doesn't matter anymore.”
She gnawed her lip. “You slept with him.”
“Unfortunately.”
“That was probably a mistake.”
“I know.”
Nothing more had to be said. We went home.
Chapter 16 - Jayce
Dad was entertaining clients when I showed up at his house. I banged on the door – he'd changed the locks when I moved out, so my key no longer worked.
The maid, a quiet mouse of a girl named Rosa, peeked at me through the window. She used to flirt with me when I lived here. I, of course, flirted back.
Not today. How could I hit on anybody when Elle was this angry at me?
“Oh, Jayce. Your father is in a meeting right now. He said he doesn't want visitors.”
I slammed my fist into the door. “I'm not a visitor. I'm his son.”
“He said that included you.”
Damn it. If I had a kid, I swore I would never treat him so shitty. Dad acted like
I was an annoyance, an inconvenience to be gotten rid of. Hell, I wasn't sure if he'd ever actually wanted me. Maybe I was just a mistake to him.
“Look, Rosa. This is serious. Please let me in.”
She shut the curtains. “He'll be angry if I do.”
“I don't care.” I pounded on the window. “I'll break this thing and climb through if you don't open the door. You know I'm not kidding.”
“Jayce, please!” There was fear in her voice. “Calm down. There's no need for this.”
I'd been working hard to keep my anger in check. To not let my temper get the best of me. Elle told me it scared off our tenants. That it scared her.
That was the last thing I wanted. Now, though, I didn't care what anyone thought. This was different.
Because dad was planning to marry Angie, Elle's mother. That's what she told me the next morning, the day after she caught me being a jackass at Max's party.
I could hardly believe it. What business did dad have with her? How dare he marry Angie this soon after Debbie died?
Something about this whole mess stunk, and I was determined to figure out what.
The lock clicked, and Rosa opened the door. Though I wasn't feeling it, I offered her a grateful smile.
“I'm going to get in trouble. What if he fires me? Oh, Lord, I can't afford to lose this job.”
I gave the poor girl a hug. “He's not gonna fire you. Tell him I got in through the basement or something. The gardener's always leaving the door unlocked.”
She sniffled. “Thank you, Jayce. He's in the bar, last I saw him. Whatever you got to do, good luck.”
I struggled to keep my rage at bay as I stormed toward the dining area. There was dad's annoying laughter, a few guys talking, and the sound of the bartender filling drinks.
“Of course, Adam. It won't be very much longer now. Just a few more months.”
A man snorted. “I frankly cannot believe we have to wait this long just to start demolition. We should have knocked that damn building down soon as the owner passed away.”
“Unfortunately, that isn't my decision to make. Not yet.”
“What was that fool woman thinking? Handing over ownership to those kids.”
I hesitated outside the door. I'd been seconds from kicking the thing down and knocking dad out for being such a prick. What would Elle have told me? Calm down. Don't do anything stupid.
Easier said than done.
“I don't understand it myself. They have absolutely no experience running an apartment building. It was doomed to fail from the beginning.”
“At least you were able to bargain with her.”
“Yes. She wanted to give them a chance – for whatever asinine reason. Deborah always thought more with her heart than her head.” He laughed. “But she knew they'd probably mess it up in the end. Rather than have them sell to some unknown entity if that happened, she agreed it'd be best if I took Shady Acres over. At least then the property would stay in the family, so to speak.”
The more I listened, the angrier I got. Doomed to fail? I'd show that asshole who was a failure. It wasn't gonna be me.
The other man quieted. “But if there's even a chance those kids might succeed...”
“Don't worry about it. The new apartment complex my company owns is pulling in tenants everyday, while Shady Acres is bleeding occupants. Soon as they lose more than five percent in a month, I'll swoop in and snatch the building up.”
“What about that other thing?”
“It's the perfect fail-safe. Even if they manage to keep occupancy up, it doesn't matter. My son won't get married – especially not in the next four months.”
If only he knew how wrong he was. I felt for the ring in my pocket, rubbing it like a good-luck charm. Elle was pissed at me, but no matter. I was gonna put this ring on her finger anyway.
Just had to do the one thing I seriously hated: beg for forgiveness.
I'd never begged for anything in my life. Too proud for that. When it came to Elle, though, all bets were off. I'd do anything to make her mine.
And to get her back in my bedroom, of course, but that might take a bit longer than I'd like given how furious she was at me.
“What if he does get married? You simply never know. Love does work in mysterious ways.”
Dad scoffed. “Jayce doesn't love anybody but himself. He's far too selfish and spoiled for that.”
“Chip off the old block, eh?”
More laughter. I'd had about enough of this crap.
I pushed the door open and stormed in. Dad stood at the bar with two men dressed in suits. When they saw me, they looked away and fumbled with their liquor glasses.
Not dad, though. He put on his smarmy grin and crossed the room to greet me. I had to remind myself not to punch him, although the thought of it was painfully tempting.
“Why, Jayce. This is an unexpected visit.” His eyes narrowed. “Although I did tell Rosa I wasn't to be disturbed. As you see, I'm busy with work.”
“You're always busy with work. Always have been. Remember when I was a kid, huh? You spent more time at the office than at home with me and mom.”
He put his arm around me. “Son, one day when you grow up and become a responsible adult, you'll understand. Money doesn't just fall from the sky. You have to work for it, and if that means putting in 80-hour weeks, then so be it.”
“Money shouldn't be more important than family.”
“Funny. I never heard you complaining about the nice house, the big TV, the vacations, the car I bought you...”
“Would have done without if it meant having you around. Debbie spent years raising me and Heather while you didn't lift a finger.”
Dad cast his guests an apologetic smile, then led me out to the hallway. The smile faded once the door closed behind him.
“Surely you didn't come here to berate me for your terrible childhood.”
“No. I heard you're getting married to Angie. Is it true?”
He clapped his hands together and sighed. “So the beans have been spilled.”
“What the hell, dad? I didn't even know you two were dating, and now all of a sudden you're marrying the woman? I don't buy it.”
“Angie has been a great friend all these years. When Debbie died, I... I was very alone, and upset that she was taken from me so young.” Here came the crocodile tears. “She, too, had lost a sister. We eventually found comfort in each other's arms.”
Gag. “Okay, that's all well and good. But you're talking about marrying her mere months after she passed. You haven't been dating that long. Why the rush? And why keep it a secret?”
He clearly didn't appreciate my nosy questions. Good. I liked making him squirm instead of the other way around.
“We planned to keep it quiet because, as you said, Debbie only recently passed on. We thought it would be disrespectful to announce our relationship to everyone so soon.”
“And when is this wedding happening?”
“Next month.”
Next month?
“Angie and I are deeply in love, son. She's so excited to be my bride, she decided we simply couldn't wait any longer.”
Holy shit. Felt like I'd entered the Twilight Zone.
“Whose idea was this? Yours or hers? I mean, you spent years living with Debbie and never married her. She waited all that time for a proposal that never came.”
He tensed. “Angie has made me see the error of my ways. I am honored that such a good woman cares for me so deeply.”
It sounded like Elle's mom was the one pushing for this shotgun wedding. But why? Had to be some reason why she wanted it so quickly.
Then a possibility came to me. Money.
Angie was perpetually broke, always spending paychecks on shoes and clothes. Dad, on the other hand, had seven figures in his bank account.
And if this deal went through with Shady Acres, if he managed to snag the property away from us, then he'd stand to have a lot more.
Maybe Angie knew i
t, and she wanted her own slice of the pie. Once she was legally shackled to dad, she'd probably be set for life.
I didn't want to believe that a woman could be so greedy, but knew firsthand it was all too possible. What I didn't understand was Elle.
She was nothing like her mother at all. Nothing like most of the women in my life, actually.
That's what I loved about her.
“Anyhow, I believe that's enough about my love life. Perhaps it's time we start talking about yours.”
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“Well, we're only a few months away from the end of August. I don't see a woman on your arm yet.”
“Don't worry about me. Worry about yourself, 'cause you're not getting Shady Acres.”
He faked surprise. “Are you telling me that you're getting hitched?”
“Yes.” My answer was firm. “I'll have a wife before the time is up.”
He laughed at me. The sound of it made me want to knock his teeth out.
“The only way a woman would marry you, son, was if you tricked her into it.”
That wasn't true. Elle said she cared about me.
And you know what? I felt the same way back. Too bad I couldn't make her believe me.
“I'll show you.” I pushed by him. “I already got a woman in mind.”
“Who is it, pray tell? I want to know the name of the girl stupid enough to shack up with you.”
She'd be pissed at me for telling, but I couldn't keep it in anymore.
“Elle.”
For once in his life, dad seemed truly shocked. He let out a little gasp and stepped back, but recovered from it quickly.
“I'm afraid you can't do that, Jayce. It would be rather... scandalous for our family if you did.”
“The hell you talking about?”
“Think about it. I'll be marrying her mother shortly. Guess what that makes you two then?”
The realization hit me right in the gut. How did I not think of this before?
In order for our plan to work now, I'd have to turn my step-sister into my wife.
Chapter 17 - Elle
A moving van pulled up in front of Shady Acres. It didn't take long for the Franklin family to load up their belongings and drive away.
“There goes another one.” Heather pressed her face against the glass. “At least we got that new tenant who moved in yesterday to replace them.”
