Envy: A Second Chance Romance (Deadly Sin Series Book 2)

by Penelope Marshall

  The gentleman stepped out of the car. "Hello. Liam, I presume?"

  I coughed a few times before I could answer. "Excuse me—yes."

  "I'm Mr. Miller, but you can call me Kerris. I know you don't remember me, but I still recall that sixty-yard-pass you threw to win the championship game your senior year."

  A grin fell over my face when I heard his compliment. "Why thank you, Mr. Mill—I mean, Kerris. It's nice to know people still remember."

  "Yes, you were the highlight of our little city. I know your Uncle Henry was so proud when you went off to be a big shot lawyer."

  "Was he now?"

  "Yup, he sure was."

  There was an awkward few seconds of silence before he chimed in again. "Well, are you ready to go in?"

  "As I'll ever be," I said, motioning for him to go ahead of me.

  He stuck the key in the lock. "So I just want you to know, your uncle let the house go a little the last few years."

  I pored over the crumbling wooden porch. "You don't say," I said, following him into the house, which smelled of old papers and moth balls.

  "Wow!" I exclaimed.

  "What?" Kerris asked, stepping over a pile of newspapers.

  "I expected there to be a lot of clean up, but I guess I was hoping for a pleasant surprise," I replied, following him through the living room, into the kitchen.

  On the way, I spied a few framed pictures of me in my high school and college football uniforms, surrounded by trophies and medals.

  I stopped and picked up a medal from junior high. "He really kept all of this?"

  "Like I said—he was proud of you. Just like the rest of us."

  "Hmm," I murmured, setting down the medal where I found it.

  I picked up a prom picture housed in a glass frame and ran my fingers over the glass, studying how beautiful Kelley, my high school sweetheart, was in her fitted, navy blue prom dress.

  From the kitchen, Kerris yelled, "Your Uncle wanted you to keep the place, but I'm sure you're gonna want to sell it and get outta dodge."

  "Why do you say that?"

  "Forgive me for saying, but you haven't been back since you left for school, so I'm just assuming National City is not somewhere you wanna plant roots."

  "Roots?"

  "You know—a wife—kids maybe?"

  I chuckled. "No. There will be none of that going on here, or anywhere for that matter. I've gotta focus on my career."

  Kerris raised an eyebrow. "Well, son—looks like you have it all figured out."

  "I sure do," I said, trying to put on a brave face.

  He didn't need to know my life was going to shit in a hand basket. He sat at the table and shuffled some papers in his briefcase around. "If you wanna sell this place, you are gonna have to fix it up."

  I rubbed my palm against my forehead. "You think I can have all this done in a few days?"

  He looked around the kitchen, and then out the window. "If you hire a whole crew, I'm sure you could."

  "Where would I get a crew?"

  "I know a few contractors, but they aren't gonna be cheap on short notice."

  "Money is no object," I interjected.

  "That's good to know."

  "I'm sure it is," I said, scanning the papers he had just handed me. "What is this?"

  "What?"

  I slammed a piece of paper on the dining room table. "This paper that says I am only half owner of this property."

  He shrunk into his chair. "It explains on the next page."

  I read the next page. My eyes widened, and my jaw fell open. "You have got to be kidding me?"

  "I assure you, your uncle was pretty adamant about that clause."

  I looked up at him, my eyes reddening with all the fury the last year had welled in me. "Are you fuckin' kidding me? Was he drunk?"

  "He wanted the best for you."

  "The best for me is not leaving half of his property to my high school girlfriend. What if she's crazy—strung out—dead?"

  "I can assure you she is none of those things. Kelley works at The Lounge, and she is perfectly in her right mind."

  "The Lounge?"

  "The bar on National City Boulevard."

  "I know where it is," I replied angrily. "That's not the point."

  Kelley was the last person I wanted to face.

  "You two could sell it, or do what your uncle intended and start a family here."

  "A family? I don't even know this woman anymore. Do you know how long ago that was? This says we need to spend two weeks living here together before we can make any decisions." I paused. "And we have to physically be in the house by 7:00 pm, and we can't leave until 8:00 am. Who's going to enforce this craziness?"

  "I will. I'll be coming to check on you two randomly. If you both fail to be home during those specified hours at least twice, then you lose the house to AMVETS."

  "AMVETS?"

  "You know your uncle was a big supporter of the veterans. If they get this property, they'll turn it into a halfway house for needy vets."

  "I mean, that's a great cause, and I'm tempted to just let them take it," I said, rubbing the sweat from my forehead.

  The thought of having to face Kelley again made my stomach bunch up in knots.

  He leaned back in his chair. "She can't be that bad. You loved her once."

  "Yeah, once."

  I played back the last time I saw her all those years ago. Her long brown hair flowed in the soft Coronado Beach breeze, glistening under the silver moon. The water crashing behind her sang praises to her beauty, and instead of admiring the woman who had given her whole heart to me, I was too busy thinking about my future. I told her I'd be back for her. It just hadn't worked out that way.

  "Liam." Kerris waved his hand in my face. "Are you with me?"

  I shook the memories from my mind. "Yeah. I'm good. I'm with you."

  He smiled. "You could take that time to spruce up the place—have her help. Think of her as an extra set of hands."

  "I can't believe you're joking about this. This woman is not my biggest fan."

  I plopped down on a wobbly, wooden chair, rereading the Will, looking for a loophole.

  I picked through each line, looking for a weak point or a loophole. "Did you draw up this Will yourself?"

  "Yes."

  "I gotta say, you did a damn fine job—fuck you did a damn fine job."

  As his peer I was impressed, and I begrudgingly offered up a compliment; shaking my head at the fact there was no way out of my predicament.

  He chuckled just as the sound of a car door slamming shut in the driveway zipped into the kitchen. My head whipped to the side. "What was that?"

  He stood from the table. "More like who."

  "Her?"

  "Yes, it's Kelley."

  My stomach jumped into my chest, wondering what the passing years could have done to her. I stood up and walked behind Kerris, stealing a quick glance in the mirror above the mantle, making sure I didn't look like a complete wreck from the morning drive.

  Kerris pushed through the front door, greeting Kelley mid-step. "Kelley, my dear."

  "Mr. Miller," the soft, familiar, voice replied.

  I paused, wondering how one would greet a jilted ex. I took a step back then turned, hoping it was all just a dream and I'd wake up in my apartment any minute now. The door creaked open, then shut behind me.

  Kerris cleared his throat. "Liam, I believe you know, Kelley."

  I inhaled a deep breath of courage then turned. I was awestruck when the girl I loved all those years ago was standing, just as beautiful as she was back then, right in front of me. She stretched out her hand, holding it out mid-air, waiting for me to shake it.

  Shake her hand? Who the hell wanted to shake her hand? What I really wanted to do was kiss her soft, glossy, pink lips—like I used to do under the bleachers after a big game.

  Fuck, she hasn't changed a bit.

  Kerris cleared his throat again which pulled me from my mesmerized st
ate.

  "Oh, I'm sorry. I—" I stuttered.

  Kelley chimed in, "Don't worry about it. This is a sad time for you—for all of us—especially for you."

  "Yeah, that's what it is. With my uncle passing and all…" my words trailed as she brushed by me, looking at the many pictures on the mantle.

  She held up one of my trophies. "Wow. So many memories."

  I chuckled nervously, hoping she wouldn't see our picture. "Yeah, memories."

  I'd never had such a boyish reaction to a woman. I was always confident in my abilities to make them swoon with a slight compliment or a quick smile from afar. Could it be our history—the fact that she was the first girl I'd ever loved—the first girl who ever loved me? She knew me before I was rich. She knew the real me. She knew the me I tried to bury when I'd left this fucking city.

  "I'm going to leave you two to it. Liam, I hope you will fill Kelley in on all the—" he paused to clear his throat again, "—rules."

  "Rules? What rules?" she asked, putting the trophy down.

  The front door slammed behind me. Kerris hadn't wasted a second to make his escape.

  Damn, coward.

  "Let's go into the kitchen. You might wanna sit down for this."

  KELLEY

  My eyes narrowed as I slowly took my first step toward the kitchen. He looked the same; a cut up from the floor up, chiseled-jaw, black-haired, blue-eyed, Greek god of a man. I always found it hard to concentrate around him, and now I remember why.

  Damn, he looks good enough to eat.

  Why was I thinking that? He was the man who broke my heart into a million pieces—the man who never came back for me. I'd decided before I'd even arrived I was going into the meeting with all the class and grace one could fake. He wasn't going to know how much he'd hurt me, or that my heart still harbored small remnants of something I couldn't describe.

  He sat at the table and motioned for me to sit on the chair across from him.

  Who does he think he is?

  I wasn't a meek woman. I didn't need a man to tell me what to do—I had that in Jesse. I would never submit again.

  "I'll stand, thank you," I said, waving him off.

  "Suit yourself," he replied, picking up a stack of papers off the table.

  "I will," I sassed.

  Fuck, be graceful.

  "My uncle left both of us this house."

  "Mr. Miller told me."

  "I'm assuming by the way he took off, he never filled you in on the details?"

  I raised my eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

  He glared at me for a moment before continuing. "We have to stay here for two weeks."

  "Two weeks?" I asked, realizing what a lucky break it was, seeing as how I had nowhere to live. But I couldn't appear too eager. I stilled my face, and let the corners of my mouth fall into a frown. "Don't you think that's too long?"

  "I certainly do, but I looked over the Will and there's no way out. Unless we wanna forfeit the property. Is that something you wanna do?"

  "Forfeit?"

  He looked away, shifting his attention back to the paperwork. "We have to physically be in the house by 7:00 pm, and we can't leave until 8:00 am the next morning."

  "Wait, wait, wait," I interrupted. "What do you mean we can't leave?"

  "Exactly what I said. We can't leave during those specified times. My uncle was very specific in his Will. If we don't abide by the aforementioned stipulations, we will lose the house and the surrounding property to charity."

  "Why would he do that?" I asked, deciding I should probably have a seat after all.

  "Why would he do any of this? Why would he leave you half of his house?" he asked, shaking his head.

  His question instantly put me on the defense. "What's wrong with me? Just because I wasn't good enough for you—"

  He shot up from his chair, interrupting me mid-sentence. "Hold on now. I never—"

  I stood to my feet, the chair scraping against the floor behind me. "That's exactly right—you never—"

  "Don't you dare finish that sentence, Kelley," he growled.

  "And what are you gonna do—leave?" I sassed.

  He paused and stared at me for a few seconds. His piercing gaze froze my blood.

  Have I gone too far?

  I bit my lower lip as the anger in me receded from a loud roar to a slight whimper.

  LIAM

  Fuck, I wanna kiss her.

  But I couldn't. I wouldn't. She was off limits. The whole thing was going to be a business transaction—that's it.

  The fear began to build in her big brown eyes, and I knew my imposing posture was to blame. I backed up, clearing my throat as I pulled my gaze away. The tension in the room eased, but nothing was going to make it go away completely.

  I broke the silence, "Well, that's it. I'll leave the choice up to you. We can stick out the two weeks and sell the house after, or we can let it go to charity now and cut our losses?"

  Her eyes glistened with tears. "You would like that, wouldn't you? Let me give you the okay to leave again. It'd make your life so much easier."

  "That's not what I mean."

  "Well, I'm not gonna give you the okay. This house, or anything in it, might not matter to you, but it does to me."

  "What makes you think this house doesn't matter to me?"

  "How many times have you visited since you ran away?"

  "I didn't run away," I bellowed, slamming my palm against the table, crinkling a few pages in the process.

  "Then what would you call it?" She leaned in. "I call it running like a coward."

  I shook my head, then stepped out from between the table and chair, brushing by her as I walked out of the kitchen. The aging house shook a little as the front door slammed behind me.

  I looked down at my clenched fists, and tight, white knuckles, realizing how mad I'd gotten over a few trivial words. My hurt couldn't be hidden or tucked away in a small box at the back of my brain. How would I get through the next two weeks if the slightest thing set me off? I held my breath, trying to stave off the urge to march back in the house and have it out with her.

  But that wouldn't solve anything. I glanced over my shoulder, taking one last look before hopping in my car and driving off.

  REMINISCING

  KELLEY

  The screeching of his wheels as he peeled out of the driveway were like nails on a chalkboard. My fists loosened, and a sigh escaped from my lungs as I sat down and began to push the messy pile of papers back together, holding back the tears pricking the back of my eyes. I'd cried enough for that man, and I wasn't going to let him have another drop.

  My phone rang wildly in my purse, and I stopped to ponder whether it could be Liam on the other end. I pulled the phone from inside the dingy, brown leather, disappointed to find Jacob's name flashing across the screen—probably calling to push another shift on me.

  Reluctantly, I held the phone up to my ear. "Hello."

  "Can you come in tonight?"

  I held up one of the pages of the Will, squinting to read the fine print. "No."

  "What do you mean 'no'?"

  "I can't take any night shifts for the next two weeks. I have a thing," I stuttered, laying down the page on the pile of papers.

  "What kind of thing?"

  "That's none of your business, Jacob. I'll take all the morning shifts. Take it or leave it."

  "I'll leave it. You're fired!"

  "Fired?"

  "You heard me, Kelley."

  "Fine!" I yelled into the phone, clicking off the call.

  Fuck, I need that job.

  I looked around the kitchen, noting the crumbling walls and chipping paint, wondering how Liam's uncle had let the house get so bad. In all the times I'd come over after school, I never remembered it looking like that. I walked around the kitchen, then into the living room, taking stock of the piles of newspapers, odds and ends, stacks of frames with pictures already inserted into them. It's like he was getting ready to hang up
every memory of his life, but vanished before he could start.

  It felt violating to stand there looking at his stuff, knowing I would need to start going through them to get the house into shape. Uncle Henry was such a good man—always so kind—treating me like the daughter he never had. I think he hoped I would one day marry Liam, and become that daughter, but Liam had different plans.

  I crossed my arms and leaned over a stack of pictures. My heart dropped when I saw Liam in a tux, standing next to a beautiful woman wearing a wedding dress.

  Looks like he did wanna get married, just not to me.

  The picture saddened my heart, and I wondered what image could be waiting underneath. Did I want to look at another happy picture of him with another woman? Probably not. I turned and walked to the couch, plopping down next to a pile of old newspapers, clouding the air around me with dust.

  I coughed as the particles hit the back of my throat.

  How am I going to clean all this?

  I knew I should have waited until he came back, but what if he never came back? After all, it was his track record. Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself off the couch and went about looking for a trash bag to start the arduous task of cleaning the disaster.

  LIAM

  I rolled down the window, letting the fresh air flow into my car, hoping it would blow away the anger I felt toward her. I was a kid for Christ's sake. What did she expect from a kid? What does an eighteen-year-old know about promises—about life? Nothing. I was clueless.

  I didn't want to go back there to face her again. The loss of my uncle was enough, and having to rifle through his things while walking on eggshells around her was going to be my downfall. Dealing with a damn mob boss, and losing the woman I loved to him, was nothing compared to the angst I felt at that moment. I wanted nothing more than to turn tail and run back to La Jolla. Fuck the house. Fuck the Will. Fuck her.

  I found myself pulling into the driveway of The Lounge, noting how much it hadn't changed over the years. I felt a sort of claim to the place even though I'd never actually been inside since I left well before I turned twenty-one. The back alley used to be the hangout spot for all the popular kids when I was in school. Crazy. It's a wonder how I ever succeeded coming up in the ghetto the way I did.