Over the Edge: The Bridge Series: Book Three

by Meredith Wild

  I shook my head. “Not like this.”

  “You never thought somewhere down the road, she’d want a family? We’d be in the same situation. Until modern science can figure out a way to make a baby out of two sperm and an egg, it would have to be you or me.”

  “Then we could have had a conversation and figured it out. Instead, you made the decision without consulting anyone, not even her.”

  That shut him up for a second.

  “I know we’re dealing with this because of me. But we’re here now. We can figure this out.” He sighed. “Ian, she’s eight weeks pregnant. We got the ultrasound this week, saw the heartbeat and everything.”

  Jealousy and love and rage fought for dominance in my thoughts, a toxic cocktail of emotion.

  “Thanks for letting me know, Will. Fucking magical. What can I say?”

  “Listen, asshole, I’m telling you that so far everything looks good. She’s healthy and so is the baby. Sorry, I thought you might want to know.”

  “Thanks.”

  My tone was full of spite, but deep down, I was grateful to know. I couldn’t imagine what I’d do if something happened to Liv. I couldn’t live with it.

  “I don’t know why I bothered calling. I just… Whatever.”

  He hung up, and I nearly threw the phone against the wall.

  I shouldn’t have picked up the phone. I should have never fallen in love.

  WILL

  Kevin Dermott had long been fired from his senior position at a prominent firm on Wall Street. As soon as word got around that an investigation was brewing, he’d been escorted out. While his humiliation was likely still ripe, he got to lick his wounds at his multimillion-dollar home on the Upper East Side.

  I rang the doorbell, and he answered.

  “Will Donovan, hey.”

  “I reached out by phone a few times.” When I hadn’t heard back, I decided to pay him a surprise visit. I was determined to squash this situation before the trip to London.

  “Sorry, I’ve been screening calls. What can I do for you?”

  “I want to talk to you about Jia Sumner.”

  He glanced over his shoulder and back to me. “I don’t really do business with her anymore.”

  “That’s not what I’ve heard.”

  He frowned. “What have you heard?”

  “I heard that you’re blackmailing her to get cut into the Reilly Donovan Capital profits.”

  He shook his head. “No, that’s not true. I don’t know what she’s telling you, but I haven’t talked to her in months.”

  “I know about the video.”

  He took a step back. “I have to go.”

  I put my hand on the door before he could close it. “Listen, Kevin. I need you to think really hard about this. I know it’s been a rough few months. Your career has taken a major hit, no doubt about it. But you’ve still got your family. Your wife, your kids. That’s what really matters at the end of the day.”

  He stared at me, his eyes cold and still. There was no question in my mind that he’d caught the meaning behind my veiled threat. I wasn’t above making his life hell in every possible way if he compromised Jia’s career or my company.

  He stepped through the doorway toward me and shut the door behind him. “What about the video?”

  “I want to make sure it never sees the light of day.”

  His breaths came shorter, and I could tell his adrenaline was spiking. “I don’t want it to either. I’m in the fucking video too. It was a mistake. I should never have made it.”

  “Then why are you threatening Jia with it?”

  He flinched. “I’m not. I told you I haven’t talked to her in months. I didn’t bring her up with me when I got promoted earlier in the year. I don’t think she’s uttered a word to me since. I do know she’s calculating as hell, though. So I want to know what she’s saying to you.”

  “Reilly gave up his shares at the fund. Did you know that?”

  He shook his head. “No, it hasn’t come up. We’ve had a few other things on our plate.”

  “He’s threatening to leak the videos if she doesn’t cut him in. She’s seen them, so that means he has them.”

  Dermott swallowed and rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand. “Goddamnit.”

  “Why does he have these videos?”

  “We got drunk one night, and I made the mistake of sending them to him. I had no idea he’d ever use them against me, let alone her.”

  “I don’t care what’s gone on between you and Jia, but I need you to make these videos disappear, once and for all.”

  He nodded. “I will. Consider it done.”

  Chapter Twenty

  IAN

  I chugged down a bottle of water, replenishing all the fluids I’d lost in the heat of the fire. Darren dropped down beside me on the length of street curb I’d claimed for my recovery. More crews had come onto the scene, and the fire was under control now. Everyone was safe. The building was damaged but not completely destroyed. Another day on the job.

  “That was a bitch, huh?”

  I unscrewed the cap to another bottle and drank from it. “Yeah.”

  “How are things going with you anyway?”

  “Fine. Same old.” The truth was I was a goddamn mess, but Darren was the last person I was going to talk to about it.

  “I don’t think I told you, but a spot opened up on Ladder 201. They offered it to me.”

  “Good for you, I guess,” I muttered, sucking down some more water.

  I wasn’t sure why he was bothering to tell me. We hadn’t spoken much since we’d come to blows over me dating Liv. The tension had settled into a manageable discontent for each other. And when I’d left Liv, I hadn’t noticed it at all. I was too numb to notice or care.

  “I thought about it, but I don’t think I’m going to take it.”

  I shot him a tentative look. “Why not?”

  He shrugged and twisted his mouth up. “I don’t know. Didn’t feel like getting to know a whole new crew. I’ve had a good run here. Why mess up a good thing?”

  I shrugged and stared down at the dirty ground, contemplating why he’d tell me all this. Did he want me to go? Maybe he’d never be able to forgive me for being in a relationship with his sister, but it wasn’t something he had to worry about for the future. Liv and I were over. I wasn’t going back. As much as it killed me, I knew it was for the best. Maybe Darren didn’t know that yet.

  “Maybe staying won’t be so bad. Things aren’t as complicated as they used to be. Liv and I… We’re not together anymore.”

  His lips formed a grim line. “Yeah, I know.”

  I stared at him in disbelief. I expected him to be smiling ear to ear about it. Instead, he seemed…thoughtful. I had no idea what that meant.

  “Listen, Darren. I’m sorry that it messed things up between us. I really am. Hopefully we can all move on now.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll live. But I don’t think Liv’s moving on very well.”

  Fresh pain worked its way through my chest at the thought of her hurting. After Will’s call, I knew she was, but I didn’t have to see it or hear it, so I could talk myself into thinking she was happy with Will and the promise of their future together.

  “Is she okay?” I forced the words out, bracing myself for his reply.

  “We had a family dinner the other night. Will came.” He shrugged and made a face that I recognized as unimpressed.

  If I weren’t so emotionally fucked up over the whole situation, I might have laughed.

  “And…”

  “I don’t know. Vanessa told me you left, and I guess I didn’t realize I was rooting for you this whole time. You know, between fantasies of drowning you in the East River.”

  I cracked a smile. “I’m touched. Truly.”

  He exhaled a loud sigh. “I don’t know. She doesn’t seem as happy as she was, you know, before…”

  “It’s complicated.”

  My relationship with
Liv had been complicated from day one. I was certain Darren couldn’t disagree, but I wasn’t sure yet if he knew about the pregnancy. I sure as hell wasn’t going to bring it up.

  “Tell me the truth. Do you really love her? Like, are you sure you even know what that means?”

  “Of course I love her. And yes, I know what it fucking means. Doesn’t change the fact that it’s not going to work out. It’s over.”

  He drew his lips tight together. “Goddamnit, Ian.”

  I frowned. “What?”

  Why was he pressing me about this? This was a hot-button topic that we both knew to steer clear of if we had any hope of repairing our friendship down the road.

  He brought his hand to his forehead and rubbed back and forth. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this. But I think you should reconsider.”

  “Reconsider what?”

  He threw his hands up. “She’s in love with you, man. I don’t get this whole fucked-up thing you guys started, but I can’t see that look in her eyes week after week. Whatever you did, you have to fix it. I don’t care what you have to do, but you’ve got to make this right.”

  I looked away, unwilling to believe I had the power to change this path we were on. A path that was taking Liv and me in two different directions. Day by day, we got farther apart.

  The street was busy with other firefighters, police, and a couple of news trucks. Above it all, a sunset washed over the sky like a watercolor made of pinks and violets.

  I shook my head. “I can’t fix this, Darren. I wish I could. I just can’t.”

  OLIVIA

  We had planned to stay in London for a little over a week, but after only a few days, Will concluded his business and let me in on a surprise. We’d be spending the remainder of the trip in Paris, a city I had fallen in love with long ago.

  I’d never experienced Paris in the fall. The city was as beautiful as I remembered, but cozier and infinitely more romantic now that I was sharing it with Will.

  Our hotel had a view of the Sacré-Cœur, and every morning, Will would wake me up with a tray of hot cocoa and chocolate croissants. The pregnancy nausea I’d experienced had been manageable thus far, and I was determined that nothing would keep me from French pastries on this trip. Life was too short for that.

  On our second night, we had dinner with Will’s mother. She was a petite blonde. Fashionable but not pretentious. She was warm, and the love she had for her son was infectious and heartwarming. She begged us more than once to leave New York and start our family in Paris. At the end of one of the most incredible meals of my life, I almost considered it.

  Afterward, Will and I went for a walk around the Champ de Mars. The sun had set and the air was cool, but Will’s hand was warm in mine.

  “What do you think? Should we relinquish our citizenship and stay here forever?”

  “I wish.”

  He lifted an eyebrow. “Do you? You know I’ll give you whatever you want.”

  I laughed, but I knew he was serious. “Might be hard to manage your empire from here.”

  “No doubt it would.” He sighed. “Maybe one day, when I can step away from all of it, we’ll go expat and get a place on the Riviera or something. We can make love and drink wine and eat all the food, every day.”

  “Sounds like heaven. I think I should start brushing up on my French now.”

  He pecked a kiss on my cheek. “We’ll have you fluent in no time, princess.”

  The night was growing dark, and we found a bench along the path that offered an unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower. I pulled my coat tighter. Will immediately put his arm around me to keep the chill away. I leaned into his warmth.

  Before us, the tower lit up against the navy sky. People milled around on the vast lawn that surrounded it. Happiness expanded out from my heart, and for the first time, it hit me that I hadn’t been truly happy in a long time. Not since Ian had left. I had tried to smile more, for Will’s sake. Most days, seeing Aidan or immersing myself in work was enough to keep my emotions above water. Other days were harder, drowned in regret and heartache.

  Good or bad, every day that passed, I lost a little more hope that we’d be able to make amends. I had no idea if I’d ever see Ian again, let alone love him. With his absence and his silence, I forced myself to accept that I’d failed. The grand dream I’d had for us was only that—a dream.

  Being with Will had to be enough. I loved him deeply, and we were going to be a family. He alone was a dream come true.

  A part of me wished I’d never let myself love Ian, because then his leaving would be something I could bear.

  I closed my eyes and tried to forget. This moment was too perfect to color it with sadness and regret.

  “I love you,” I uttered quietly.

  “I love you too. More than anything.” Will tipped my chin up and held me with his penetrating cobalt gaze. “I have a question for you.”

  “What is that?”

  “I feel like I’m at the risk of totally messing up a solid Hallmark moment by asking it.”

  I smiled. “Shoot.”

  “Do you want to get married?”

  The question stole my breath. I hesitated, trying to gauge where this was coming from so suddenly. He wasn’t on one knee, proposing. He was asking me an honest question.

  “I thought you weren’t husband material. Did something change?”

  “Everything’s changed, not the least of which is you carrying our child.”

  “Do you want to get married?”

  Amusement glittered in his eyes. “I asked you first.”

  I laughed softly. “Seriously, Will.”

  He sighed and stared up at the tower lights. “I don’t know. I think marriage has different connotations for different people. My parents split up when I was young, and it wasn’t easy going through that as an only child so I’ve never put much stock in the idea of marriage. But at the end of the day, I want to do whatever you’re comfortable with.”

  I frowned. “I don’t want to get married to be comfortable.”

  “Okay. How about this? Let’s say, in an incredibly cliché romantic gesture, I proposed to you right here at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, in the city of romance. If I got down on one knee, presented you with the biggest diamond Wall Street money could buy, and asked you to be my wife…what would you say?”

  He was trying to be funny, but I understood that underneath it all, we were having a very serious conversation about our future and how we were going to define it. I tried to visualize the scenario he painted. For all I knew, he could have a ring in his pocket. What would I say?

  My nerves rioted, and my breathing became shallow. Suddenly the thought of him proposing and me having to give him an answer terrified me. I swallowed hard and looked up at the twinkling lights that stretched high into the night sky.

  I searched for calm, and then I remembered, whatever life threw at us, Will could handle the truth. He relied on it. After a moment, I met his gaze.

  “If you asked me right now, I’d want to say yes, because I love you and I want to give you everything you want.”

  He blinked once, his expression calm. “But you wouldn’t.”

  “I’m not sure I could say yes right now. Not because I don’t want to be your wife, but because I already feel tied to you in all the ways that matter. We’re going to have a baby. We share a home and a life. I believe in our future, and I don’t need a piece of paper or a huge social event to make me feel like it’s any more real or secure.”

  I fidgeted with my bracelet and waited for him to speak. I hoped he wasn’t upset or hurt. I couldn’t bear it, but I wanted him to know how I really felt.

  “We’ve already broken all the rules, Will. Trying to follow them at this point for the sake of tradition feels a bit backward, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah,” he said with a small nod, his gaze drifting away from me.

  Guilt rushed in over my earlier panic. Maybe I’d misread him completely and I
’d totally ruined a moment. “I’m sorry.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry for. I completely agree with you. I just was hoping I wasn’t crushing your hopes and dreams by totally botching a potential proposal. I figure this is every girl’s dream, right? Really good-looking rich guy offering jewels and a big white wedding.”

  His humor filled me with relief. “Were you prepared if I’d said yes?”

  His smile softened and his eyes glimmered with emotion. “I was. I’m always going to be ready to give you whatever you need, whatever you want.”

  My heart stopped and my smile faded. “Will…”

  He reached into his pocket and withdrew a thick white ribbon. It was tied around a delicate diamond ring. He untied the bow and held the ring between his fingers.

  “It’s my mom’s. Used to be my grandmother’s before my dad proposed. I want you to have it. And if you change your mind, you tell me, and we’ll put a band next to it. We’ll say all the right words in front of God and our families and all the New York City elite. In the meantime, this just means I love you, and I plan on loving you for the rest of my life.”

  My lips parted, and tears formed at the corners of my eyes.

  “What do you say, Olivia? Do you solemnly swear to be mine…forever?”

  I nodded, breathless and overwhelmed by love—the love I had for him, the love he radiated back to me. “I do.”

  He slipped the ring onto my finger and kissed me tenderly.

  “I have one more surprise for you.”

  I smiled against his lips. “You are full of them lately. I can’t wait.”

  “This is the best one.”

  He turned his head and narrowed his eyes, like he was looking for something in the distance. I followed his gaze, searching for the surprise that already had my heart beating fast.

  Then, on the walking path, illuminated with light, I saw him.

  But it couldn’t be him. In a split second, I convinced myself it was his French doppelgänger. Until I glanced back at Will, who was smiling down at me.

  “You didn’t think I was going to let you leave Paris with a broken heart, did you?”