by Violet Paige
Lunch time had already passed and she was still absent. I was already hung up on her and so worried. Did something happen to her? There must be a reason for her sudden absence.
“Shit,” I hissed and hit my fist against my desk.
Where was she?
This was bad. I knew I’d already fallen hard for her. I still couldn’t quite believe it, but it was true—I cared about her and I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I was seriously going crazy. I couldn’t remember the last time I cared about a woman this much—if ever.
Even though I’d told myself to let it go and wait for her to come on her own, I couldn’t do that. This was stronger than me. I needed to see her. I didn’t know where she lived, so I had to do a search and find out her address. I was sick with worry and desperate to see her as soon as possible.
I logged into the company’s files and searched through our employees’ directory. After several tense minutes, I found her name and her address.
I got up, picking up my jacket, and rushed out of my office. I couldn’t wait until I finished with work. I had to see her right away. Hopefully, she would be at home and nothing was wrong.
I left the office and went to her apartment. Then again, if she was at home, why did she leave her work? Why didn’t she come back?
“Ugh,” I grunted and exhaled, feeling frustrated beyond words. I drove fast, speeding through the city as the rising anxiety got the best of me.
I parked my car on the nearby parking lot and got out, looking around the area. I quickly found her building, which was a brown brick façade that consisted of five floors only, and climbed up the stairs until I reached her floor.
My heart was beating fast when I arrived in front of her door, and it had nothing to do with me running to come here. I was so nervous, and when I knocked on the door, I even gave myself a small pep talk that everything was going to be alright.
I waited for several moments, but there was no answer. I knocked on her door again, fighting against the negative thoughts.
“Come on, open the door. I need to see you,” I muttered, tapping my foot.
A few seconds later, she opened the door, and my heart felt like it was going to burst when I finally saw her. Relief filled me when I saw she was alright and in one piece, but then I frowned when I noticed the way she looked. The first thing I saw were her bloodshot, puffy eyes and extremely pale face. She looked like she’d been crying. She was dressed in her pajamas, and for a moment I thought she got sick with the flu or something like that.
Her face changed from the initial surprise to anger, and my heart missed a bit. What had happened?
“Rebecca, angel, are you alright? Are you sick?” I took a step toward her, but she sent me a glare that froze me in place.
“Don’t you dare take another step,” she hissed. “I don’t want to see you ever again.”
I felt like she’d slapped me. What the hell? “Rebecca? What happened? Talk to me.”
“I don’t want to talk to you,” she exploded, her face twisting in fury. She was trembling hard, and I felt so fucking confused because I had no idea what could have happened that made her this angry. “You are the most despicable person I’ve ever met. You are a liar! So, go away and don’t come near me ever again.”
The next moment she slammed the door in my face, and all I could do was look at it, feeling completely flabbergasted.
What kind of shit was this now? I couldn’t believe she was so angry!
The worst part of this was that she didn’t even want to talk to me. She was clearly mad at me for something I wasn’t even aware of.
I clenched my fists, willing myself to calm down my breathing, and took a step backward.
I didn’t understand. The last time we were together had been so hot and had blown my mind. Everything had been perfect so far. We got along great and the project was also going well.
So what had happened?
She’d called me a liar, and I had no idea what she was talking about. I’d never lied to her, so now I was more confused than ever.
“Shit,” I hissed and finally moved, looking one last time at the door she’d slammed in my face. She really wouldn’t open it and talk with me, huh?
I shook my head and rushed down the stairs. I was feeling bitter and hurt, but what bothered me the most was the feeling of emptiness that was spreading through me. It was something I’d never experienced before. I was shocked, because I’d never thought I would ever feel like this, but now that I fell for her so hard, I needed her more than ever, and this situation was making me feel like shit.
I needed her back, but I had no idea how to do that.
18
Rebecca
I’d thought the next day would be better. I’d thought the hurt would pass and I would be able to think more clearly after I took some rest.
I was so wrong. The next day had come, and I felt worse than before.
Even though I’d been trying to fall asleep the whole night, tossing and turning in my bed again and again, I finally gave up and spent the rest of the night staring at the ceiling and feeling more miserable.
At six in the morning I got out of my bed, dragged myself to my kitchen, and sat down on the chair, contemplating whether to drink coffee or not. I was exhausted and I needed something to give me energy badly, but I never drank coffee since I hated it.
I got up and choose to make some tea instead. Maybe it would calm my horrible nerves.
I couldn’t believe I fell for Charles’s lies. When he appeared on my doorstep yesterday, I thought I was delusional. I didn’t expect him at all, especially since I’d been ignoring all his calls, and he’d called me a bunch of times.
How did he know where I lived?
I rolled my eyes. “You work for him, Rebecca,” I muttered sarcastically to myself. “He is the owner, and it’s not that difficult for him to find your address in the company’s files.”
I poured my tea in the cup and went to the living room.
I felt angry at myself, because the moment I saw him yesterday, looking all worried for me, I actually wanted to fall into his embrace. I wanted him to tell me I’d misunderstood everything and he never lied to me. Then I remembered he was a liar and a manipulator, and he would definitely feed me with more lies. There was no justification or other explanation—Charles Talon had lied to me from the beginning and he didn’t feel even a flicker of warm emotions toward me. He’d just used me.
I started crying again. I didn’t remember when the last time I cried this was much. I’d cried the whole day yesterday, but apparently that wasn’t enough for my tear ducts. I was supposed to be stronger than this, but the truth was I didn’t know what to do now. This project was obviously a failure, so I had to think about something else...
I turned on my TV and switched the channels until I saw a familiar building on the screen. I increased the volume, realizing this was a news story about the hotel. There was the reporter who interviewed the guy I’d overheard at the hotel saying it would be torn down.
“Can you tell us more about the future of this building?” the reporter asked him.
“There is actually no future for it. It will be demolished soon.”
“Why would it be demolished?”
“It was certain from the start that this project was a failure. Its value is nothing compared to the price of purchase. It was only a matter of time when the owner would officially announce their decision to tear it down.”
“Thank you for your time today,” the reporter thanked him and turned to face the camera. “That would be all. As soon as we have more information about this case, we will report about it.”
I stared at the screen, feeling my heart beating so fast that it was making me sick. I turned it off, the sudden silence making me feel even emptier.
If there was any doubt that I’d heard or understood anything wrong, this was my proof that it was real. I was convinced now that it was going to be torn down, and there was nothing I coul
d do. Such a perfect place would definitely be destroyed, and nobody even cared.
Charles didn’t care.
He’d lied to me from the start, and now I didn’t know what to do.
Suddenly, my phone rang and I yelped in surprise. I looked at the screen. I felt a pang in my chest when I saw it was Charles.
No. I wouldn’t answer. He was an asshole and he didn’t deserve even a minute of my time.
I waited for the ringing to stop and exhaled when it finally did. I felt my tears welling up in my eyes again, and just as I was about to burst into crying again, my phone rang once more.
“I can’t believe him!” It was Charles again, and this time it rang for too long. No. I couldn’t answer him. He was calling me to spread more lies. He didn’t respect me or care about me. “No. I won’t answer you, so you can give up.”
The ringing stopped, and I still stared at the screen, a little disappointed that this was it. Even after everything, I missed him and I wanted to hear his voice.
I closed my eyes. I was really screwed. I knew he was bad, yet I wanted to see him again.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
I looked at my phone in surprise. He was calling me again?
Sighing heavily, I grabbed the phone and finally answered the call. To hell with everything! “What do you want, Charles?”
“Rebecca, finally,” he sounded so relieved that I felt guilt rising from deep within me. No, this wasn’t good. I wasn’t supposed to feel like this about him. “Please, I need to talk to you. Now I understand what the problem is here, and I want to explain some things to you. That place is not going to be torn down. Those are lies. Please, I beg you, meet me at the hotel.”
I gnawed at my lip. My heart accelerated in anticipation, a feeling of hope spreading through me. He’d just said it wouldn’t be demolished, and I was so conflicted. I didn’t know if I could trust him. What if this was just another one of his manipulations?
“I don’t know, Charles—”
“Please, angel. Just listen to me. I want to explain everything to you. Nothing else. If you still think you won’t be able to trust me in the end... Then I will understand that, but please, just give me one chance. Meet me at the hotel and let’s talk about this.”
He sounded so desperate and for a few moments I didn’t know what was right or wrong anymore. I couldn’t be sure about anything. If what he’d just said was right, then why did that contractor say those things?
A part of me—the one that wanted me to believe Charles—was urging me to give him a chance. It was telling me that there was a possibility he wasn’t a liar. It was reminding me that I loved him.
Oh my God, I loved him, and if there was even a tiny possibility that he was speaking the truth...
I took a deep breath. “Okay, Charles. I will meet you at the hotel.”
19
Charles
When she’d said she would meet me, I was beyond myself with relief and joy. She was giving me a chance to prove myself to her, and I wanted to do anything do make her believe me.
I’d seen the story on the news about the hotel being torn down and figured out what had made Rebecca so angry. She’d heard about the place being demolished and she thought I was lying to her from the start.
Shit. That was so fucked up. Not only I was pissed off because of that lie, but I was also mad that I could lose Rebecca just because of some misunderstanding.
I was so furious. I didn’t know who the contractors were or why they would want to spread lies about my project. It was absurd, and I shouldn’t be surprised that it had already reached media. These things happened from time to time when our competition tried to ruin our reputation. They would spurt nonsense and try to make us look like we were on the verge of bankruptcy.
I hated that side of our business. No matter how hard we tried to build our reputation and make more contracts with clients, there were the unscrupulous sharks that lied shamelessly about things that were far from truth.
How did they know about the project, though? Maybe someone at the bank leaked that the expense was higher than the value. Yes, that could be possible.
Shit. These things happened, but this time it was different. This time I could lose Rebecca, and I couldn’t allow that. I’d promised her she could make whichever design she wanted, giving my best to find the money she would need, and I had to show her all of that was real. I didn’t really care how this happened or why—I had to prove to her I was a good guy and didn’t mislead her about the project.
Now I understood why she was angry at me, probably thinking I just wanted to use her. She couldn’t be more wrong and I wanted to give my best to prove to her what she meant to me. I got so addicted to her in this short period of time that I couldn’t imagine spending another day without her. I needed to see her. I needed her to believe me.
I went to the hotel and headed for the old bridal suite. After Rebecca told me how much this place meant to her, I remembered this room, and I’d wanted to use it once to surprise her. I’d never thought I would have to use it in this way—trying to get her to forgive me, but what was done, was done.
If anyone had told me I would be so crazy about some woman, I would laugh at them and then laugh some more. Hell, until recently I joked about Grant being so in love with Madison, not really understanding that connection they shared.
Now I wanted nothing more than to be with Rebecca and never get separated from her.
I loved her.
Shit. I loved her. I loved that woman who was so serious, but at the same time so fiesty and seductive when she wanted to be. She was smart and talented, and she was so beautiful. There was no one else like her. She was truly special and I needed her. I had to make things right with her.
After an hour, I set up the old bridal suite with roses and candles. It had already been furnished with the double bed and floor mirror, and I brought blankets and pillows. I lit the candles and stepped aside to take a look of the work I’d done.
I shoved my hands into my pockets, feeling too nervous. My heart was racing and my palms actually started sweating. Seriously, what was wrong with me? I was acting ridiculous.
I was worried she wouldn’t forgive me. What if she wasn’t the “roses and candles” type of girl? What if she didn’t trust me in the end?
“Stop this, man. You will sort it out. Come on, you act like you’re a teenager on a first date.”
I took my phone out of my pocket and texted Rebecca to let her know where she could find me.
The more time passed, the more nervous I became, and by the time I heard the knocking on the door, I was already pacing around the room in circles and imagining the negative outcome.
Shit. Okay. Here we go. I opened the door and felt my heart skip a beat when I saw her. She was wearing one of her boring business suits, but she’d never looked prettier to me. Even though her face was pale and she had dark circles under her eyes, there was no one more beautiful than her.
“Rebecca.” I approached her, my hands itching to touch her, but I noticed the way she tensed and I halted mid-step. I smiled slightly at her, trying to ease the atmosphere, but she didn’t return it. Okay. I needed to take baby steps with her. “Come in.” I let her pass, stepping backward to give her some space.
She entered and stopped when she noticed how I’d decorated it.
“Charles...,” she began, but her voice died off.
I closed the door, suddenly worried she would decide to bail from here. I got to the other part of the room, making sure to show her I didn’t want to pressure her or anything.
“I’m sorry if it was too much. Do you like it? I mean, I hope you like it. This doesn’t mean I wanted... I... Shit,” I was mumbling, terribly nervous, and I had to pull myself together. I moved my hand through my short hair and thought carefully about the right way to start our conversation. “Why don’t you take a seat?” I pointed at the chair that was placed opposite from the double bed.
“Okay.” She sat do
wn on it and waited for me to take a seat somewhere. Strangely, I felt too restless to sit, so I just stood.
“Look, I saw the news about the hotel today, and now I understand why you were so angry yesterday.” She opened her mouth to say something, but I raised my hand to stop her and looked at her with my pleading eyes. “Please, let me just say this. That was a lie. We never planned to tear down that hotel. Shit, I want to do opposite from it.”
“Then why did that contractor say that?”
“To ruin the project.”
She looked at me like she couldn’t believe me. “What?”
“Yes. Someone lied to ruin our project.”
“I can’t believe you. That is not possible. That is horrible!”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Yes, it’s possible, and you’re right—it is horrible.” I sat on the bed and leaned my elbows on my knees. “Those things happen all the time in our line of business, Rebecca. There are people who would sell their own mother to beat their competition, and the market is too big. There are a lot of strong players, and each one of us wants to be the best.”
She paled and her eyes widened in shock and displeasure. “Do you want to say that your firm does those things too?”
My heartbeat accelerated again, realizing how my words sounded. “No! Of course not, Rebecca. Not all companies are like that. I assure you that LQT is not that kind of company. We’ve always worked hard to succeed on our own, without resorting to such things. We’re military, remember? We work together. We’re family.”
“How can I trust you, Charles? I trusted you so far, but then I heard this...”
I wanted to take her into my arms badly, but I didn’t want to scare her away again. “No, Rebecca...” Shit. She had to believe me. “I’m not that kind of person. Everything I’ve told you until now is the truth. I do my job because I have passion for it. My partners and I are the same—we do things we love and we strive to be best on our own. We rely on our own strength and skills.”
