“So, that’s why he was in Manhattan? To buy a fucking club? Why couldn’t he have stayed in Los Angeles?”
Avoiding her question, I took the opportunity to change the subject. “We should make plans to visit Ella at The Harbour this summer. We haven’t seen her since the party. Maybe I should just buy a place in The Hamptons.”
“Sure. Sounds good,” she answered, still focused on the story. “That building looks familiar.”
“Do you want to watch a movie?” I asked as I swiped my phone to view the list of rentals. “What are you in the mood for? Comedy, drama, a thriller perhaps?”
There was a long silence, and then she turned to me and said, “Isn’t that one of your properties?”
Shit.
Fuck.
Christ.
My heart thrummed in my chest. Don’t lie, by omission or otherwise. Never lie. Especially not to the woman you love.
Aiming for the nonchalant approach, I slid over to the chair so that I was sitting closer to her. “Yes. I sold that particular property to him.”
Silence filled the space between us, and then, “You…you did what?” Her voice vibrated with anger.
“It’s true. Yes, I sold him that property.”
Her face blanched, and she pushed to her feet in a rush. She stood in front of me, staring, expressionless.
“When?”
“We closed the deal in March.”
“March?” she repeated, folding her arms against her chest. “I don’t understand. Why, Ronan?”
“I needed to…I wanted payback. I wanted Derek to pay for what he’d done to you.”
“That’s what this is about? You can’t be fucking serious.”
“I was serious, but by the time I realized that what I was doing was self-serving, it was too late.”
Her face flushed crimson. “What the hell does that mean?” she snapped.
“I concocted a scheme to set up Saunders. I planned to install cameras in the building in the hopes of catching him dealing in illegal activity.”
She laughed in disbelief. “Who do you think you are? Axel Foley? James Bond? One of the fucking Hardy Boys?”
“No. Hardly,” I admitted.
“This isn’t the movies, Ronan. This is real life,” she shot back. “My life! Your life.”
“I know!” I shoved a hand through my hair as frustration boiled inside me. “I understand that it was stupid and dangerous, and after you slipped into shock when you saw him…”
“Wait…What?” She shook her head. “After I slipped into shock?”
“Holliday.” I reached for her, sensing my precarious position, but she shoved me away.
“You…you brought the devil to my doorstep,” she said coldly, taking a step back. “That’s what you’re telling me. How could you?” Her hands shook as they pushed through her hair.
“No, it wasn’t like that. Months ago, when I set this in motion, I thought, if Saunders was behind bars, it might ease your fear and pain.”
“Bullshit. You just said you were doing this for selfish reasons. I asked you before I moved in with you to please let it go. Now, you’re standing here telling me that you’ve had a ‘master plan’ for months.”
“You weren’t meant to find out.”
“And you think that justifies what you did?”
“You don’t know what it does to me, thinking about what he did to you. It fucking…kills me.”
She prowled towards me, her body surging with energy. “You’re right,” she hissed, jabbing her finger at my chest. “I don’t know, because instead of talking about it, you acted on your emotions.”
“I’m talking about it now.”
“Right, when it doesn’t fucking matter! You said it best when you said that it was too fucking late. Because it is most definitely too late.” Then she stalked out of the room.
I went after her, catching her by the arm. “Holliday, what are you saying?”
She shoved at my chest, screaming, “I trusted you, Ronan, and you went against my wishes!”
“Holliday, please.”
“This was a mistake,” she said under her breath, brushing past me.
“What? What was a mistake?”
“This. Us. Moving in together,” she said in a tight voice, punching my heart.
“Don’t say that, Holliday, please.” I followed her up the stairs.
“I’m done, Ronan,” she tossed over her shoulder.
“Like bloody hell,” I growled. “Stop.”
“You betrayed me. I can’t be around you right now.” Her words were a toxic mixture of pain filled with ice and venom.
“I…I didn’t betray you,” I pleaded. “Don’t you see that I was trying to get you justice?”
“I don’t need you to get me justice. I need you to love me and support me. You have gone out of your way to protect me and keep me safe, and I’m incredibly grateful for that, but the past needs to be just that—the past.” Then she stormed into our closet and pulled her luggage out.
I stood in the doorway, helplessly watching her, as she pulled the drawers open and tossed her belongings into the bag.
My mind raced to think of anything I could say that might calm her down. “I understand that now, and I do love you more than anything. Don’t you see? That is just it—my love for you was partly attributed to my poor judgment in this instance.” I searched her face, hoping my sincere words would pacify her.
She stopped and faced me. “Don’t you dare use our love as leverage against me.” Her mouth pressed into a hard line, and she eyed me with a cold stare. “You can’t honestly expect me to believe that your love for me was so immense that it caused your blatant disregard to do something you knew would hurt me.”
My heart dropped, splashing up bile that burned in my throat. She turned her back to me, continuing the process of packing up.
“My love for you is immense, which makes me want to protect you and keep you safe. I made a mistake, yes, but please, don’t do this, Holliday.”
“The damage is done, Ronan.” She slipped her boots on and grabbed her coat. “If you had communicated with me…” She lowered her head. “One thing I asked for in this relationship is that you talk to me, and I was quite adamant about that matter. The trust I had in you is broken.”
She lifted her head, and her eyes met mine. Tears streamed down her face, washing agony all over her cheeks. My heart splintered and cracked into a million pieces. I wanted to destroy Saunders for having caused her pain, but I’d done this to her.
“Tell me what to do,” I whispered. “I love you.”
“Nothing,” she breathed, wiping more tears away. “Let me go.”
I went towards her and touched my hand to her cheek. “No. I can’t let you leave.” I shook my head, holding my ground.
“Please move, Ronan. I’m leaving. I’ll send for the rest of my things,” she said, averting her eyes.
“You stay. I’ll leave.”
“I’m not staying here. This…this isn’t my home anymore.”
Her words sliced through me, piercing my heart. It would have been less painful had she actually stabbed me with a fucking knife.
“This can’t be the end. Please, don’t walk away from me. From us.”
She pushed forward, and I caught her by the arm. Her hand fell away from the handle of her suitcase. My mouth sealed over hers. While we got lost in the moment, silence curled around us. Her hands slid into my hair, tugging and pulling. My hands drifted to the sides of her face. I tasted her, swallowing her tears, drowning my own. It was too much. Her sobs broke through our kisses, and then she tore her mouth from mine.
“No. Please, Ronan, stop.”
I released my hold on her, and she stumbled.
“Don’t make this any harder than it has to be.” She lifted her suitcase, and barreled down the stairs.
“I can’t imagine my life without you,” I called after her. “You’re mine, Holliday. I will never love anyone else. Our
story isn’t over.”
When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she stopped. “I love you, Ronan,” she said over her shoulder. “I’ll never regret giving you my heart. I’m just sad knowing that I’ll never forget you’re the one who broke it.”
She left me. She walked out the door and never once looked back.
It had been more than forty-eight hours since Holliday left. The house was quiet without her around, but more so, it was cold and desolate. The majority of her things remained, which left me with hope that she would return.
Although she was physically gone, my senses said otherwise. Her scent lingered on the sheets, her whispers drifted throughout bedroom, and her laugh echoed everywhere. And I wondered how long it would last. Would I forget her smile? The feel of her body against mine? The sound of her voice? The very thought that one day it could all fade to black haunted me.
Knowing she was staying with her friend, Tinley gave me of peace of mind. Dean had been able to track her cell phone to that location. I still had Blake keeping an eye on her—discreetly, of course. If she knew I had him following her, it would probably ignite more friction between us.
As much as I could without burdening her, I sent her messages. Mostly, I told her that I loved and missed her. Others were to keep a sense of normalcy, asking her how she was getting on with her day or telling her about mine. I didn’t send pleas or beg for her to talk to me. My hope was that she would want to call me. Tonight, I sent her a message before I attempted to climb into bed.
ME: Goodnight, My Beauty. I love you.
Radio Silence. Nothing.
Unable to sleep, I picked my phone up to call Leah and Jade. It was nearly eight in the evening in Los Angeles.
Emma answered on the second ring. “Ronan, I’m very glad you called.”
“Hello, Emma. How are you?”
“Wonderful,” her cheerfulness took me off guard. “I have a bit of news, and I was going to call you first thing in the morning, but since you called, not to mention there has been a flurry of activity—”
I laughed through her rambling. “Out with it, Emma.”
“I was offered one of the lead roles in a new comedy-drama television show called Cashmere Jungle. Filming starts at the end of May in New York City. Isn’t that exciting?” She was practically giddy with excitement.
“That is tremendous news.”
“Well, there’s a touch more information to share.” She paused. “Dax and I are getting married next summer. We haven’t announced it to the public yet. Naturally, we wanted to tell our families first.”
I swallowed hard, choking my heartache down. “That’s fantastic news. So, you decided not to break up, I take it?” I said with a laugh. Despite how terrible I felt, I was truly elated for her and Dax.
“Dax proposed an engagement opposed to a split, and it was absolutely perfect.”
Emma went on to tell me about the career changes she’d made in the last few weeks, citing that, after the contracts had been finalized, her new management team had had casting calls lined up for her within hours. For now, she and Dax would be keeping their place in Brentwood but also looking for a place in the city to accommodate her filming schedule. I agreed to send her a list of rental properties. The news that Leah and Jade would have both their parents living in the same city lifted my spirits.
“Congratulations. I’m very happy for you and Dax.”
“Thank you, Ronan. That means the world to me. I suppose you rang to speak with the girls?”
“I did. I hope they’re not sleeping yet.”
“I’m afraid Jade went to bed an hour ago. Poor darling was tired from her dance lesson. Leah would love to hear from you. Remember that terrible cough I was telling you about that she had developed a few days ago?”
“Yes,” I answered, walking towards the kitchen. “How is she feeling?”
“Unfortunately, that turned out to be a full-blown chest cold. The doctor assured me, with enough rest and medicine, she would recover in a few days.”
I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that it wasn’t something more serious. Emma’s voice became a hushed whisper as she told me that Leah was sprawled out on her bed, asleep.
“I’ll send you a picture. You have to see how her little body is twisted in the blankets,” she said with a soft giggle.
“Okay. Thanks. I appreciate that.” As I opened the refrigerator, my gaze caught a candid photo of Holliday and me. It was one of us from a weekend trip we had taken to Vancouver to visit my sister Molly and her family. My heart jerked in my chest.
“Is everything all right, Ronan? You sound a bit low tonight.”
I didn’t want to sour Emma’s good mood. Therefore, I elected not to tell her about my situation with Holliday. Plus, I wasn’t entirely ready to talk about it.
“Everything is fine,” I said reassuringly.
After saying goodbye, I hung up and sat back in the chair at the kitchen counter. The longer I sat there, the more anxious I became. With all the extra energy, I decided to hit the gym. I jumped on the treadmill, and I ran, losing myself in the tempo of the music.
Holliday
I felt a little lost without Ronan. My focus at work was completely lacking, I could hardly eat, and I’d barely slept. It had been three days since I’d walked out on him, having sought refuge at Tinley’s beach house. Maybe beach compound was a better description.
Situated on a dune, the property included ten bedrooms, fourteen bathrooms, a courtyard, additional beach cottage for guests and a pool house overlooking a magnificent saltwater pool.
It was nothing short of spectacular coastal living— a complete haven. Tinley said this was her dream home and was proud that half the money she invested was money she’d earned, not solely family wealth. I was confident many fundraisers would take place here.
Curled up with a blanket, I stared out at the ocean from the second-story deck. Behind me, in the loft, sat the showpiece of the home, her Mother’s white grand piano. The first night I’d stayed, the faint sound of the song “Popular” had carried through the house. I’d padded on bare feet down the hallway only to find Tinley playing the tune on the piano. I hadn’t known she played—or that she was fantastic at it.
“Here we go,” Tinley said behind me. She placed the serving tray between us. “A nice hot cup of coffee.” Then she handed me the mug.
I took a drink, wishing it were something stronger, but it was nine in the morning. However, it was the weekend, so maybe I could talk Tinley into mimosas or making these coffees Irish.
And just like that, I was back to thinking about Ronan.
“I can’t thank you enough for letting me crash here,” I said, looking down at my mug.
“Hey, it’s no trouble,” she replied, wrapping a blanket over her legs. “You are welcome to stay as long as you need.”
My phone buzzed, and the first text message of the day from Ronan appeared.
RONAN: I love you now and always.
“A message from the Irishman?”
I nodded, leaning back in my chair.
“Are you going to talk to him?”
“I don’t know what I’d say to him,” I said, rubbing my fingers across my forehead. “I cannot believe he sold that building to Derek. Derek fucking Saunders—the very man who attacked me.”
“Ronan loves you so much he wanted desperately to avenge your honor by making sure that scumbag criminal was locked away forever. That is pretty damn sexy, if you ask me.”
My eyebrows rose. “Are you serious?”
“That was a bold, badass move on his part.” She gave me wink, and then her thumb and index finger pinched together. “Doesn’t that turn you on just a bit?”
I held her gaze. “Did screwing a cowboy or two rattle your brain cells permanently? I know that some women get off on that shit, but I thought about if Ronan had gone up against Derek, and it ended badly. Ronan is tough, but Derek…He’s fucking insane.”
“I hear what you
are saying, and believe me, I’m not trying to make light of your situation,” she said, giving me a sympathetic look.
“I can’t help but think that, if Ronan hadn’t concocted this goddamn plan of his, I never would have seen Derek’s face again.”
“But you can’t say that for sure,” she said, eyeing me over the lip of her mug. “There’s always that off chance you may have seen him one day, and then what? You would have blamed yourself for taking the other way home from work or for selecting that particular restaurant.”
I let that information roll around my head for a minute. I knew from years of therapy that victims often blame themselves for their choices, an unhealthy coping method. With that in mind, I formed my words carefully.
“This isn’t about fate.” I paused for a moment, recalling something Ronan had said.
“As it would seem, fate had other plans for us.”
“It’s about the trust we worked so hard to build, and now, it’s been blown to bits.”
“You trusted him to talk to you. Well, good luck with that plan. You know men don’t usually communicate effectively. Besides, he eventually came to his senses and was straightforward with you when you asked about the situation.”
“He also said I wasn’t supposed to find out, which means he was keeping it from me intentionally.”
Tinley had a point though. I needed to look at the situation more objectively.
We sat in silence for a few moments, sipping our coffee and watching the beach come to life with people walking along the shoreline and boats zipping through the waves. Only weeks ago, I’d been looking forward to spending the summer with Ronan, but now, that picture was much different. All of this left me wondering. Would Ronan even stay in New York now? Maybe he would move back to Los Angeles for the summer. Or permanently. My heart bucked in my chest at the thought of him not being close. Tears welled in my eyes, and my throat went dry.
“Let me ask you this, Holls,” she said, refilling her mug. “Isn’t it entirely possible that Ronan was trying to protect you?”
Perfectly Scripted Page 20
