by C. J. Thomas
Half an hour later I was showered, shaved, and sliding my arms through the sleeves of a fresh suit jacket when my hand reached for the flash drive from the PI. Jumping on my bike, I raced across town with the engine’s roar echoing off the tall buildings.
I marched into the office with my head held high. Coming into the office on a Saturday wasn’t unusual for my brothers, but what did Noah need from me? I’d only just started yesterday. Something was wrong.
Stepping to Noah’s office, I knocked lightly on his door.
He lifted his head, flicked his wrist, and checked the time. “You’re late.”
I wanted to tell him right away about Sienna marrying a man I knew well, but first I’d let him tell me what was so important to drag me into the office early. “You’re not going to fire me, are you?”
Noah glanced to his computer screen and turned it around to face me. “Happen to see this yet?” He gave me a hard look.
Squinting, I moved closer to his desk to confirm what I was seeing. “Is that why you got me dressed in a hurry?”
“I like your suit, by the way.” His eyes were fixed on my blue tie.
I shot him a glare.
“I thought you should be the first to know.”
Lowering myself into the seat, I should have expected something like this to come out after what I’d seen last night. After watching Gary enter the steakhouse, I’d high-tailed it out of there. Getting caught was the last thing I wanted.
Noah turned his head back to the monitor.
Sienna looked amazing in black. It complemented the white pearl necklace she was wearing and brought the color out in her pink cheeks. In a moment of weakness, I almost wanted to be happy for them. Until I remembered cleaning wounds he’d given her.
“I met with the PI last night,” I said just as Evan came barreling into the office.
Noah held my gaze for a second before shifting it over to Evan who fell into the chair next to me. I rolled my eyes over to him. Evan’s collar was opened, his button-up tucked into his jeans. His shifty eyes glanced between Noah and me. “What? Did I interrupt something?”
I cast my gaze to my feet.
“Who is that?” Evan pointed to the computer screen.
“It’s no one.” Noah turned the monitor back to him.
“Wait,” Evan’s eyes sparkled beneath his cowboy hat, “this doesn’t have anything to do with your conversation at your garage does it?”
I looked at Noah from beneath my brow.
“Oh, shit.” Evan scooted forward in his chair. “Is this your woman?” he asked.
“I don’t have a woman,” I reminded him.
He grabbed the monitor and turned it so he could see again. “She’s something else.”
“Just tell him,” Noah conceded.
I rolled my eyes to Evan’s smiling face.
“Yeah, tell me, Trev.” He paused. “She sure would explain the two half-eaten burgers in your Mustang.” He turned to Noah. “Who eats two halves of burgers and calls it one?”
“What are you talking about?” Noah’s brow furrowed.
I clamped my hand on Evan’s shoulder and pulled him back down to his chair. “Sit down and listen.”
He raised his brows and nodded, a smug smile tugging at his lips.
“What I was about to say before we were interrupted by this joker,” I glared at Evan, “is that the PI brought me to that restaurant last night.” I nodded at the computer.
Noah clasped his hands in front of him and straightened his spine. “And?”
“It was him.”
“Him? There never was a girl—it was a guy all along?” Evan gave me a once-over.
No one laughed. Noah turned to Even and told him all about Sienna, starting with her running into my garage in distress. Then he turned back to me and said, “And this is the guy you believe hit her?”
I nodded. “Unfortunately, I do.”
Noah tilted his head to the side and gave me a questioning look.
“Then we better go kick this guy’s ass.” Evan’s gaze hardened. “No one should be able to get away with that.”
Reaching my hand into my pocket, I pulled the flash drive out. “I’m afraid it’s not that easy.”
“Seems pretty straight forward to me.” The muscles in Evan’s forearms twitched as he made his hand into a fist.
Sliding the flash drive to Noah, I said, “Open it up and I’ll explain.”
Noah put the stick into the USB drive, made a few clicks, and pulled up the extensive profile the PI had gathered on Gary Sycuro. Noah narrowed his gaze and read through the document. “Marines? Do you know him?”
“You want to know why I can’t be labeled a hero?”
“C’mon … this again?”
I pointed at the monitor. “Because he saved me from getting killed.” The room fell silent. “I’m not the hero. He is.”
Evan stood and went to read over Noah’s shoulder. Together, they scrolled through everything I already knew. It was a deep dive into Gary and his family. But all I needed to know was that he was going to marry the woman I wanted to make mine.
When Noah was finished reading, he fell back into his chair and shook his head, clearly in as much disbelief as I was.
My jaw locked with tension. “What I want to know is does one good deed cancel all the bad?”
“He may have saved your life, but that doesn’t give him the right to hit a woman.” Evan paced behind Noah, taking off his hat and shoving his fingers through his hair.
Noah lifted his head to Evan and reminded him, “And she’s getting married tomorrow.”
My gut tied itself into a knot at the thought of Sienna’s wedding. I couldn’t help but feel that this marriage was a ploy to win over skeptical voters. But, worst of all, I wasn’t sure that I had it in me to stop it now that I knew Gary was involved.
Noah fixed his eyes on me. “Does Cooper know about this?”
I shook my head. “Only you guys do.”
“We have to tell him.” Noah glanced to his computer. “And we have to do it before tomorrow’s ceremony.”
I nodded. We couldn’t risk Cooper being blindsided by learning something that might affect his campaign. He and Senator Day were from the same political party, but there was something else I needed to be clear on. “Then I guess you should hear this from me.” I paused. “In case it somehow gets leaked.”
Noah’s neck craned and his eyes widened.
“We slept together, too.”
Evan clapped his hands together and hooted as he tossed his head back. “Holy shit.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Noah couldn’t believe his ears. “Why are you just telling me this now?”
I shrugged.
“When did this happen?”
“The day she came running into my shop.”
Noah hid his face inside his hands, clearly at a loss for words. “I warned you.”
“It was too late.” My eyes glazed over. “It just happened. One second I was dressing her wound and the next she was crawling into my lap.”
“Shit.” Noah stood and moved to the window. “Trevor, how could you let this happen?”
I stood and turned away with an upset stomach. “It was something in her eyes that made me believe she was The One.”
Noah shook his head.
“When you know, you know.” Evan’s head nodded.
We continued to stare for a long time before I finally turned toward the door. “Where are you going?” Noah asked.
Fixing my gaze on his, I said, “To talk to the groom.”
24
Sienna
With my hands wrapped tightly around my coffee mug, I curled my lips and stole another small sip. I glanced at Monica from over the rim.
She kept eyeballing me as she anxiously waited for Sophia to arrive.
I refused to reveal my secret, needing both of my besties here in the room when I told them about Trevor. But that didn’t stop Monica from guessing.
Her lips parted and I shook my head.
“But you didn’t even hear my guess.” She frowned.
“Doesn’t matter.”
Monica had already tossed a half-dozen attempts my way without coming close to guessing right. Though it was exhausting to have to keep telling her no while holding onto my secret, I didn’t want to have to tell the story twice.
I stared into my black coffee with my mind going to the worst-case scenario.
My stomach flipped each time I thought about how they were going to receive the news. I was afraid that they would look at me differently, lose their respect. I knew what I’d done was wrong. Getting back at Gary wasn’t an excuse.
I dropped my feet to the floor and moved to the kitchen. Sticking my mug in the microwave, I gave it a quick zap to reheat the liquid.
There was a small knock on the front door before Sophia peeked her head inside. “Sorry that took so long.” She dropped her purse on the bench and removed her summer jacket. “Nolan slept over last night. He insisted on taking me out to breakfast.” After removing her flats, she looked up. Shifting her eyes between Monica and me, she said, “Someone please say something.”
“Coffee?” I asked.
Sophia held her shaking fingers in front of her face. “Had enough already, thanks.”
I moved back to the living room and fell back into my warm spot on the couch. “Sorry for not calling you last night.”
Sophia sat in the opposite corner. Giving Monica a quick glance across the room, she turned to me and said, “Don’t worry about it.”
“I feel bad. I told you both I would call, and I didn’t.”
Sophia’s brows knitted together. “I’m sure you have good reason.”
I watched her eyes roam my face, sweep across my neck, before traveling down my arm. I knew what she was looking for—bumps and bruises from Gary—and I appreciated the gesture even if new ones weren’t there.
“I hope that’s all this is.” She flicked her eyes up to mine.
Monica crossed her legs, still holding her coffee mug in front of her face. “Have you seen the photo of Sienna’s dinner that’s making its rounds on the internet?”
Sophia’s forehead wrinkled as she shuffled her feet and shook her head.
When I looked to Monica, I nodded and gave her the go-ahead to fill in Sophia with all that was happening in my life. Over the next several minutes, Monica told her everything from last night. How my dad invited a journalist to the dinner and how the photo was now going viral. After a few questions from Sophia, Monica gently transitioned into how my mother learned I admitted to not loving Gary.
Sophia turned her head to me, her mouth agape.
“Gary isn’t interested in me and I can’t account for his whereabouts yesterday.”
“So, you assume he was with his ex?”
My lungs filled with an uneasy breath. “I do.”
“And now Sienna has a secret she needs to get off her chest.” Monica raised her brows when she locked her gaze on me. “Isn’t that right, Sienna?”
Leaning forward, I set my mug on the coffee table. Monica couldn’t wait to hear what I had to say. And I couldn’t blame her. I had kept her in suspense ever since I’d hinted at keeping a secret from them.
“Then let’s hear it.” Sophia let her shoulders fall back into the couch cushions as she folded her hands on her lap.
I stared at Sophia for a long second before rolling my eyes to Monica. “Last night I learned the guest list has changed.”
Sophia rolled her eyes to Monica. “So, the wedding’s still on?”
Monica looked at me.
“I’m confused.” Sophia glanced to us both. “Because today is—was?—the rehearsal dinner.”
Monica held my stare. “How did it change? Were people removed, added, what?”
“Added.” My heart started to race. “Foster, times three.”
“As in the Fosters?”
I nodded.
“Nolan will be there with me,” Sophia said. “And Cooper will be there because of your father—”
“—and the third?” Monica’s foot swung like a swing on her knee.
“That’s just it, I don’t know.” I reached for my coffee, needing to calm the scratch in the back of my throat.
“Truthfully, it could be a lot worse.” Sophia’s eyes twinkled with reassurance. “All of the Fosters are great.”
Monica’s eyes narrowed. “This is all you were keeping from us?”
I twisted the engagement ring around my finger as my body temperature spiked. “I’m afraid that the third guest might be Trevor Foster.”
Sophia draped her arm across the back of the couch and tipped her body forward. “Why?” She dragged the word out.
Looking down, I pressed my lips together. “That’s why I called you here.”
Monica shared a look with Sophia. “How does this have anything to do with Trevor?”
Taking a deep breath, I told them about the day I’d run from Gary. “I was scared. I thought he was chasing me. That’s when I found safety inside a garage downtown.”
Sophia’s eyes mooned while Monica’s sharpened into tiny slivers.
“A man was working on his car.”
“Trevor,” Monica snapped. “That’s what you’re saying. The man was Trevor Foster?”
I nodded. “He cleaned me up and, when he did, I let it slip that it was a guy who’d hit me.”
“And you’re afraid of how he will react when seeing Gary?” Sophia’s calm reasoning balanced Monica’s frustration.
“Yes.” My voice was as soft as a mouse. Very afraid.
“In all honesty,” Monica nodded, “I hope Gary gets what he deserves after what he did to you.”
Sophia drew her arm back to her side. “Sienna, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about your situation. I know you think you have a responsibility to marry Gary, but you don’t.”
I swallowed hard, feeling the backs of my eyes begin to swell. I knew I needed to hear this, but I wasn’t sure that I was ready for the truth. “I don’t want to let anyone down.”
Sophia scooted herself over to me and set her hand on my knee. “If your heart is telling you that this is wrong, then you need to listen to it. If you don’t, the only person you’ll let down is yourself. We all go home when the wedding is over. You have to live with it for the rest of your life.”
I blinked and a tear fell from the corner of my eye.
“That’s what I’m saying.” Monica leaned forward, planting her elbows on her knees. Nodding, she continued, “We’ve got to get you out.” Her gaze fell to my busted lip. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that you’re happy.”
“And safe,” Sophia added.
I blew out a shaky breath as tears streamed down my cheeks. Then I surprised them both when I started laughing.
Sophia turned her head to Monica with an unsure look contorting her face. “I’m sorry, but maybe I’m missing something. Why is this funny?”
My laughing stopped, turning back into tears. Dropping my face into my hand, I shook my head hating the irony of it all. “Like it wasn’t already fucked up enough.”
Sophia’s hand moved in a circle between my tense shoulder blades. “Sienna, hun, Monica is only trying to help.”
“That’s not it.” I lifted my head and smiled with disbelief pulling my eyes down. “I slept with Trevor.”
Their silence was worse than their wide eyes. Monica’s lips parted and she couldn’t stop staring at me.
“Like, recently?” Sophia asked.
“Like, the day I found my way into his shop.”
“Oh.” Sophia pursed her lips, surprised by the news.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I feel awful about it.”
“Payback is a bitch,” Monica said with an evil smirk.
Shame hardened my gut. When I thought about what I might have found in my moment of doubt, I hoped that it wasn’t all in vain.
“This isn
’t you,” Sophia said. “I know you better than that.”
“Not like you’re a saint.” Monica glared at Sophia.
“It’s true.” A knowing glimmer shined in Sophia’s eyes. “My one-night stand with Nolan forever changed my life, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
I sank further into the couch, spreading my knees out wide. “But you were single—”
“—and not about to get married,” Monica added.
“Thanks.”
Monica shrugged and whispered, “It’s true.”
My tears dried, leaving me feeling sick to my stomach. “It just happened. Like I had known him my whole life. He was so gentle, calm, and my body just reacted to the feelings my pounding heart was telling me were true.”
“How was it?” Monica asked.
Sophia shot her a hard glance.
The corners of my lips tugged. “Amazing.”
We all laughed.
“I saw him again after that.”
Monica slapped her hand on her knee and tossed her head back with a laugh.
“Twice. Nothing happened. But even that was magical.”
Taking me by the hand, Sophia said, “You need to talk to Trevor. Tell him that you’re getting married.”
“I already did. Sort of.” My forehead fell back into my hand. “I told him there was someone else.”
“How did he take it?”
“It was awkward.” I turned my head to her. “I’m surprised Nolan hasn’t heard about this.”
“Does he know you’re getting married?” Monica asked.
I shook my head. “If it wasn’t for my dad, I wouldn’t even be sure I was getting married.”
“So maybe it’s not him coming?” Sophia flicked her brows. “Could be Charlotte, Travis, or Noah.”
I flicked my gaze to the clock on the wall. “The rehearsal dinner doesn’t start until five but we’re expected to be there early for photos.”
Monica lifted a single brow before falling back into the chair.
“You can still call this whole thing off.” Sophia’s eyes shined with hidden wisdom. “Be fair to him. Treat him how you would want to be treated.” She squeezed my hand. “Follow your heart. Only you can say what is true.”
