I park, grab the box sitting on the passenger seat, and head up to my flat, waving to the doorman on the way in. I’m anxious to check on Nicole. Hopefully, she’s gotten some rest and will be chuffed about what I have planned.
The reason I didn’t want her to come to the office was because of what’s inside here. My assistant has been working non-stop to get this trip right. In a few hours, we’ll be on a plane to Tuscany. We’ll spend the next week going to various vineyards, restaurants, and staying in the lushest hotels I could find.
I want to spoil her, make sure that everything exceeds her dreams.
When I get to the door, my phone rings.
“Yes, Milo,” I answer.
“I hear you’re going to Italy for a week.”
“You heard right.”
He laughs. “Now who is chasing a woman?”
Idiot. “I own the company, there is the difference, brother.”
“Oh, is that how it is? Well, I’m not sure what you summoned me for earlier. I’m dealing with some . . .” I hear him whisper to someone. “. . . important things.”
“I asked you to come to the office so I could inform you of the changes happening at Dovetail.”
This isn’t the way I want to tell my brother. My assistant, Margaret, had assured me that Milo confirmed he would come to the office. After an hour of waiting, we finally got word that he was . . . indisposed.
That was the final straw.
“What changes?”
Here goes the fun part. “I’m going to move to America in the next few months.”
“You’re what?” he yells into the receiver. “Are you fucking mad? What do you mean move to America?”
“It’s really not that difficult to understand, Milo. The company is merging with the London office. We’ll be under one corporation, and it makes more sense for me to be the CEO and work out of the office there.”
“Then who is going to run the London office?”
He will never forgive me for this, but I have to make the right business decision. Milo is my brother, and I love the bastard, but I’m tired of his antics. I need someone I can trust and who will do what’s best for Dovetail, and that person isn’t him. The sad thing is that it’s not like Milo is incapable of handling things. He’s brilliant, but a numpty.
“Edward.”
“Edward! Fuck you, Cal!”
“Don’t be mad at me for your poor decisions. You wanted to go roam the bloody world, here’s your chance. If you piss Edward off, he’ll fire you.”
I can hear him breathing loudly through the receiver. “I can’t believe you. You’re my brother, for fuck’s sake!”
“Yes, I am your brother, and because of that, I’ve put up with your shit. However, I’m not going to let you run my company into the ground. I need someone I can trust and who will actually show up to work.”
I grip the back of my neck and rest my head on the wall. I hate this. I hate it more than I can say. My mum is livid and is refusing to speak to me, which is part of why she cancelled. She will get over this, but my brother won’t.
“You really feel that way?”
“Do you think I like this, Milo? I am taking no pleasure in promoting Edward over you. I wanted you to be my right hand. I begged you to stop being so bloody selfish, but even now, this is about you! Not what’s best for Dovetail.”
He scoffs. “You think Edward is? The man is incompetent!”
“No. I thought you would be. You’re smarter than anyone else who works for the company, but you think with your cock, and that doesn’t work for me.”
“Well, now I don’t either. Piss off,” Milo yells and then disconnects the phone.
Jesus Christ. At least on the other side of this door is someone who actually still likes me.
I turn the knob and what I find . . . is definitely not who I am hoping to see.
“Elizabeth, what the fuck are you doing here?” I glare at the woman I despise more than anything.
“Hello to you too, Cal.”
“Get out.” I point to the door.
“Now,” she purrs as she gets to her feet, “is that any way to speak to your wife?”
“Ex-wife.”
“Oh, whatever. We’ll forever be married in the eyes of the Lord.”
I laugh. “I’m pretty sure you’re going to hell, where all demons belong. We’re divorced, I framed the damn paperwork to commemorate the day I was done with you.”
Elizabeth Webb was a beauty. She was everything a man could want. Breathtaking, smart, could handle any dinner situation, and came from money so there was never a worry about being used. I thought she was the sun until I realized all that lived in her was darkness.
She is conniving, manipulative, and has no problem sleeping with anyone who catches her damn eye.
For years I thought that, if I could just make her happier, she’d finally stop.
She didn’t.
I divorced her five years ago, and yet, she still finds ways to make me miserable.
“You were always so dramatic, much like your new girlfriend. Such a pity she ran off in such a hurry.”
“Fuck!” I roar. “What did you do? Why are you such a bitch?”
“I just told her about our marriage, which apparently you failed to do.”
What is wrong with her? “You’re fucking insane! We’re not married. I don’t think what we had was ever a marriage. Where is she?”
“How would I know?” She shakes her head with an eye roll.
I stomp forward, trying to rein in the fury that threatens to overspill. “You have taken everything I care about and ruined it. Get the fuck out of my home and out of my life, Lizzy, before I do something I will really regret.”
I don’t care about Elizabeth. That ship sank years ago. What I do care about is Nicole, and my ex-cow of a wife has made her think we are married.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she tsks.
“What did you say to her?”
“Nothing she shouldn’t have already known. And really, Cal, an American? I’m sure your mum is chuffed about that.”
I throw open the door. “Get the fuck out.”
“I will as soon as I tell you what I came for.”
My heart is racing, and my mouth tastes metallic from the adrenaline. I have to find Nicole. I have to explain because God only knows what Lizzy told her, and I have to make this right. “I don’t give a damn about anything you have to say.”
“Well, you’ll be interested when I tell you I plan to sell my shares of Dovetail.”
Those ten shares and seat at the board are going to haunt me the rest of my life. However, right now, I don’t give a shit. She has no idea I now own the American company, which is exactly what I need. She’s always thought I was too sentimental, that I didn’t think with my brain enough and with my heart too much. Maybe she was right at that time. Now, I’m not the same man. I have plans for those ten shares, and Elizabeth is playing right into my hands.
“Do whatever you want, Elizabeth. I’ve had enough games. I need to find my girlfriend and fix the mess you’ve made.”
She walks over, and her pointer finger touches my arm, which has me jerking back. “I almost forgot.” She sighs. “She left you a note in the kitchen.”
Then the bitch walks out.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Nicole
Can you dehydrate from crying too much? If you can, I’m pretty sure I’m on my way there because I can’t stop crying like a lunatic. When the looks got to be overwhelming, I spent a good ten minutes in the bathroom of the airplane sobbing. I’m sure people thought I was insane, but I don’t care.
After Elizabeth filled me in on everything I didn’t know, I threw whatever I could grab into my bag and got a ride to the airport. On my way, I found a flight leaving in three hours and secured a seat to go home.
They upgraded me to first class—thanks to my breakdown at the counter about being pregnant and finding out the baby’s father was ma
rried to someone else. Not my finest moment.
Now, I’m standing in the Tampa airport, feeling completely lost.
My phone rings, and Kristin’s name flashes across my screen.
“Kris,” I say. Once again, my friend will deal with the fallout of my bad choices. Once again, Kristin is who I will lean on because she has the kindest heart. She won’t make me feel worse than I feel already.
“Nic, you need to come home.” Why does her voice sound as broken as mine does?
“I’m . . . I’m at the airport . . . in Tampa.”
“Oh! Okay. Look, I have to tell you something.” Kristin sniffles, and even with as devastated and broken as I am, something in my gut says there’s something seriously wrong.
“What’s going on?”
“How quickly can you get to my house?”
“I’ll get a ride now. Is everything okay?”
She hiccups. “No, just get here. It’s . . . it’s Danielle.”
I pick up the pace, no longer focusing on myself. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine, but it’s Peter . . . just get here. Ava and Parker are with me, and I could use your help.”
“I’m on my way.”
My heart is racing as I try to get to the baggage claim area. I don’t know what’s going on, but if she called me because she needed me to come home, it must be bad.
I rush to get my bag off the carousel and grab a cab.
On the drive to Kristin’s, the sadness that I’d pushed aside moments ago starts to creep back in. Last week, I was in a car going to the airport with Callum. I was filled with so much hope and excitement, but now I’m broken.
I fell in love with Callum, only to find out he wasn’t mine to love.
Now, I’m pregnant and have to figure out what all this means. He knows I left. Has probably read the note.
Fucking asshole.
It wasn’t like I had much to say to him, but I’d put money on my words being more than enough to get my point across.
* * *
Fucking liar. Met your wife. I’m pregnant and hate you.
* * *
We pass his apartment building, and I flip it off. I’m so angry. I’m so hurt. I’m so mad at myself for thinking that he was different and that we had something special.
I trusted him, and then his wife shows up . . .
I just . . . I still can’t believe it.
“Miss?” The driver calls my attention, glancing between the rearview mirror and the house we are stopped in front of.
“Oh. Sorry.” I hand him the money and when I slide from the car, Kristin is standing on the porch.
One look tells me that something is most definitely wrong.
“Hey,” she says as I approach, and my heart begins to race.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s so bad, Nic. Danni is a mess and on her way here now to tell the kids. Peter was shot.”
“Oh my God!” I gasp. “Is he okay?”
She shakes her head. “No, he was killed.”
My lips part, and I clutch my chest. “No,” I breathe the word. Peter isn’t my favorite person, he never has been, but Danielle loves him. They have those two beautiful kids, and he made her happy.
“I know.” Kristin’s lip trembles. “Noah is in with the kids now, but . . . this is . . .”
“Horrible.” I finish her sentence.
My life may be in shambles, but my best friend’s world was obliterated.
Kristin looks to the house and then back to me. “Those kids . . .”
“Ava is going to be a wreck.”
Peter is Ava’s whole world. That girl loves her father more than anything.
“It’s good you’re here. She’s always been super close with you.”
Kristin is right, Ava is my girl. She comes to me about everything. When she first liked a boy, she told me about it. When she wanted to know about shaving her legs, I was the one to sit on the tub with her and show her how. Hell, I bought her a bra when her mother was in denial about the girl having boobs.
“I can’t believe this.”
She nods. “Why are you here?”
Now is not the time to get into it. “I’ll tell you later.”
“No.” She puts her hands on her hips, her eyes flitting between my red-rimmed eyes and my splotchy cheeks. “Something is wrong. Tell me now.”
I shake my head, knowing that if I start, if I admit this all aloud, that I won’t be able to stop the tidal wave of pain that will come.
“Please . . . just let me focus on Danielle. She’s going to need us, and so is Ava. I can’t do that if I let this out.”
Kristin’s eyes narrow, and there’s a flash of understanding. “Okay, but you’ll tell me later?”
I nod. “I don’t think I have a choice, do I?”
“No. Not really.”
A moment later, Danielle’s car pulls up. Heather is driving.
Kristin and I walk over, and the look on Danielle’s face breaks me. I know that look. I’m feeling that same loss right now. It’s knowing that everything you thought you knew was a lie. It’s pain so deep you feel as though your bones are about to shatter. I can feel the pain in her chest. Her tears are my tears because the four of us share something special.
Our friendship has gone through so many tests and has never faltered.
This will be another thing we get through—together.
As soon as she’s out of the car, the four of us embrace. Danielle cries, and we all let go with her.
“He’s gone! He’s gone, and I’m alone. He’s dead. He won’t ever walk back through the door.”
“I know.” Kristin rubs her back.
“He’s gone, and I have to tell the kids.”
“We’re all here for them,” I assure her.
Tears spill down Danielle’s face. “Make it stop. Make it not be real, please!” she begs.
I wish I could do that for her. Seeing my friends suffer is worse than any pain I could endure. She doesn’t deserve to have this happen. Danielle has a huge heart, and she’s loved Peter since she was in college. No matter what they’ve gone through, he’s the only man she’s ever loved.
I brush her hair back, my own tears mingling with my friends. “We can’t. But God, we wish we could,” I tell her.
Danielle starts to go limp, but we hold her tightly. “How do I tell them? How do I tell the kids their father was shot and killed? They didn’t know he wouldn’t come home tonight.” She sobs. “They didn’t say goodbye like they should’ve. None of us did. I would’ve told him . . .”
All of us look to each other with our own tears. There’re no words of comfort we can offer her, just support. “He knew,” Kristin tells her. “He knew you loved him.”
Danielle’s eyes are void and hopeless. “Did he? Because I did a really shitty job of telling him.” She releases a heavy breath and straightens. “I don’t know how I’m going to get through this.”
Heather pulls her into her arms. “You’ll do it because you have three people right here who love you and who will hold you up. You’re never alone. You’re never without an army beside you, ready to help fight your wars.” She looks at me, and even though she doesn’t know a thing, I feel like the words are for me too. “We have your back. We will never let you fall.”
“Ava . . .”
“I’ll be here for Ava, and so will Heather and Kristin.” I touch her arm. “Don’t worry, we’ll help her.”
Heather nods. “Remember, I’ve been there too. I lost my parents and sister. I know how hard this is, but we’ll do whatever we can.”
Danielle takes my hand, and for the next few hours, I forget that less than a day ago, my life was great. I put aside the fact that I can barely breathe without my chest hurting, and I do what I can to ease someone else’s pain. Because that’s what you do when you love someone. You don’t lie. You don’t hurt. You heal.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Nicole
Daniel
le and the kids have gone home to be with their families while Heather, Kristin, and I sit in Kristin’s living room.
It’s been an intense few hours, and I’m physically and emotionally exhausted.
“You guys okay?” Heather asks. “I’m really tired and today was a day I’d like to wash off me and go to bed.”
Kristin and I get to our feet. “You should go,” she tells her. “I don’t know how you dealt with all that.”
Heather was one of the police officers to arrive at the scene. She saw it all and had to be the one to tell Danielle. She puts on a good show about being strong, but I think she’s reached her breaking point.
“I did what any of us would do.”
No, I wouldn’t have been able to do that. To know that the words I spoke to our closest friend would forever alter her life. She’s so much stronger than she even realizes.
I pull her into my arms. “Is Eli home?”
She nods. “He texted me that he’s there.”
“Good.”
Her husband has this sixth sense when it comes to her.
“Let us know you got home okay?” Kristin, the perpetual worrier, asks.
“I will. I love you guys.”
“We love you too,” I tell her.
We all walk to the door together, and Heather turns quickly. “How did you get back from London so fast?”
I guess I was lucky enough to have avoided the cop in her for as long as I had. I knew it would have been too good to be true to get away with it completely.
“Callum and I are over.”
“What?” Heather practically yells. “No! Why? Why are you such an idiot? He’s so good for you!”
Good for me? Please. “Why is it me? Huh? Why is it something that I did? What about him? And no, Heather, he is not good for me. He’s fucking married!”
My lips start to tremble, and a tear forms. Fucking Callum. I’m crying again.
“Nicole?” Kristin’s eyes fill with worry.
“Oh, and I’m pregnant.”
Not Until You Page 16
