by Nita Wick
“That’s good. Isn’t it?”
Haley turned back to Sheila. “Yes. I guess Michael was right, damn it.”
Sheila grinned, a small genuine smile. “I know you hate it, but I’m glad.”
Haley had the urge to stick her tongue out at Sheila as she’d done when they were young. Odd. She’d thought she hated the woman who had betrayed her. She did, didn’t she? No matter how much the woman had hurt her, she couldn’t just wipe away fifteen years of friendship. “He probably would have invited you, too, if he’d had an address.”
Sheila sobered, her smile dying. “Is that what this is? Your closure?” She closed her eyes. “With me?”
Haley considered the suggestion and rejected it. She hadn’t come for closure. Other forces had brought her here. “I don’t really know what this is. When I saw Keith last week, he told me you’d tried to commit suicide. I…I think I just needed to tell you that…That I…”
Sheila stared at her, waiting.
Elusive words hung just out of reach. Haley sank into the chair and tried again. “I don’t want you to die, Sheila. Yes, you hurt me, but I don’t want you to die.”
More tears rolled down the splotchy, red cheeks. “Can you ever forgive me?”
“I don’t think we can ever really be close friends again,” she whispered, regret choking her throat. “But I do forgive you.” Her scattered thoughts finally came together with sudden, welcomed clarity. “I should thank you. Though I cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, approve of your tactics, you saved me from making the biggest mistake of my life. If I hadn’t found you in bed with Keith, I’d be married to that asshole right now.”
Haley jumped up, a restless energy replacing the nervous ache she’d suffered since leaving Knoxville. “I never would have sold HLP Designs. I would never have moved back to Tennessee.” She paced between her chair and the window. “I would never have met Michael. I swear that man irritates me to no end with his I-know-what’s-best attitude. He can be so pushy and arrogant and demanding. Just like my dad was. And I…” Her words trailed off with her next thought.
“And you love him,” Sheila supplied.
With a nod and sigh, Haley agreed. “Yes. I do.”
“That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.” Sheila sniffed, and the tension in her shoulders visibly eased. “It’s been tearing me apart knowing how much I hurt you. I just couldn’t…I didn’t want to live with the guilt.”
A stab of sadness returned. Sheila had suffered as much as Haley had over the loss of their friendship. “Water under the bridge. Time to pick ourselves up, dust off the dirt, and live again.”
Haley addressed Dr. Hansen, who had stood in silence on the far side of the room while they’d talked. “You and Michael were right. I needed this.” She crossed to the door. “It’s time to get over it and move on. I’m ready now.”
Haley stopped short and turned back to Sheila. “You know, you really need to do something with that hair. I say go back to your natural color. Blonde never really suited you anyway. Stop trying to be me. Go back to being Sheila. I always loved that girl.”
Haley left, feeling lighter and happier than she had in months. After the charity ball tomorrow night, she’d go home.
Home. What a lovely word.
* * * *
Michael slipped a finger beneath his collar and tugged. The damned thing was choking him. He couldn’t swallow, couldn’t breathe. Had to be the tux.
He shook his head. Why was he so worried? Surely she would speak to him. She couldn’t still be too angry with him to even talk about it. The woman had to know how he felt about her. She had to know he hadn’t meant to hurt her.
Didn’t she?
He couldn’t shake the image of her staring up at him, accusing and sad at the same time. She thought he’d betrayed her trust. Maybe he had. He’d been so certain that she needed to have it out with Keith and Sheila. It hadn’t worked out like he’d planned. Somehow he thought he’d stand beside her and support her while she closed the book on her ex. He was supposed to be there to hold her, help her. Instead, she’d been forced to leave with the bastard.
Michael stepped off the elevator and followed the sound of orchestra music. The grand ballroom in the penthouse of the sixty-story hotel glittered from ceiling to floor. Men and women crowded the room, dressed in suits and evening gowns that probably cost as much as Michael’s car. He searched the huge ballroom. She had to be here. Somewhere. He senses tingled with the knowledge that Haley was near.
An angel garbed in a golden, shimmering dress stood between two men. She smiled and laughed, a brilliant ray of sunshine lighting the room. Michael stared as if seeing her for the first time. And perhaps he was. Never before had he seen Haley so at ease, so confident.
So…Happy.
He moved toward the bar, never taking his eyes off her. One man, a tall thin fellow with gray hair at his temples, leaned in close to whisper something in her ear. Haley smiled again and shook her head. The other, a younger gentleman probably in his early thirties, chuckled and said something that made her laugh again. Both men looked so familiar.
Michael scanned the room. Hollywood stars mingled with some of the richest people in the world. Well-known faces from politics and magazines crowded the huge room. In one corner, a tall, too-slim cover model entertained several admirers. At a table on the right, a famous multi-millionaire sat surrounded by women.
The bartender asked him for his order. A shot of whiskey might help him relax. Michael felt so out of place, like an intruder spying on world not his own.
But Haley fit right in. She outshined even the brightest stars among them. Another couple joined her. Haley hugged the woman, smiling as if welcoming a long-lost friend. Anyone could see Haley was content here. Happier than Michael had ever seen her. This was her element.
He drank the whiskey in one swallow, hoping to wash away the bitter taste in his mouth. Apparently he’d been right. Haley had needed to talk to Keith in order to put the past behind her and move on with her life. Clearly she’d recovered from the shock of having seen her ex. Whatever they’d discussed had relieved Haley of the burden she’d been carrying. And now she was ready to reenter society and take back her old life.
A life he could never share.
The woman he saw before him now was miles out of his league. Even if he were good enough, rich enough, famous enough to live in her world, he could never be happy here. He tugged on his collar again. This was not the kind of life he wanted, needed. His idea of a party was a backyard barbeque. Football games were his entertainment of choice, not Broadway. He did most of his shopping at the discount store, not on Fifth Avenue.
His eyes burned, and his heart ached. He’d lost her.
Michael spun around and headed back toward the elevators. He had to get out of here. Go home where he belonged.
I’ve lost her. His head throbbed with the repeated thought. But then, she’d never really been his to lose.
With far more force than necessary, he punched the button for the elevator and jammed his hands into his pockets.
“Hey, handsome.”
Chapter Seventeen
Haley’s voice washed over him like a tsunami, erasing everything in its wake—his thoughts, the other people lingering nearby, the music, everything. Even, it seemed, his heartbeat. He turned to her, unable to speak.
“You came all this way, and now you’re leaving without even saying hello?” Her eyes twinkled with a lighthearted cheer they’d never held before.
Michael shrugged. “You were busy talking to your friends. Wasn’t that the actor guy who won the Oscar?”
She nodded.
“And the other one, I know he’s some big millionaire or something. I’ve seen his picture.”
Her laughter tinkled like silver bells. “You’ve probably seen it on the cover of every business and men’s magazine in circulation over the last year.”
“Yeah.” Michael searched for words. “You look wo
nderful, babe. Happy. Really happy.”
She stepped closer and smiled. “I am. Thanks to you. As much as hate to admit it, you were right. Settling things with Keith and Sheila was exactly what I needed.”
Being near her, knowing she could never be his…Clearly her voice hadn’t completely stopped his heartbeat. Now its slow, aching thud sent pain shooting across his chest. “I’m glad. I…You know I was only trying to help. Inviting Keith to the fundraiser wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had, though. I’m sorry.”
She slid her palm up his chest along his lapel. “I forgive you.”
He burned with the need to touch her. Hold her. A part of him wanted to scoop her up, take her home, and chain her to his bed. But he knew he couldn’t. Now that he’d seen that light in her eyes, now that he’d seen her happy, he’d never forgive himself for taking that from her just to satisfy his own selfish desires.
“Well, now that I know you’re okay, I’m going to get out of here.”
“What? Why? Don’t you want to meet a few of these people?” Her brows furrowed. “How did you get in here anyway? This is one of the most exclusive events in the country.”
“Meg. She pulled some strings.”
A grin lifted the corners of her full, sweet lips. “Remind me to thank your sister.”
“Haley…” His voice cracked. “I wish you a wonderful life. I…” The words wouldn’t form. Saying good-bye hurt too much.
Her eyes widened. “You’re breaking up with me? You came all the way to New York to break it off?”
He shook his head. “I came because I needed to know you were all right. Now that I know you are…I can see how happy you are here, babe. This is where you belong. This is where you need to be.”
Michael turned back to the elevators just in time to watch the door close. He cursed under his breath and pushed the button again.
Haley walked around in front of him and gazed up into his face, surprised etched in her features. “I’m sorry I haven’t called you. I should have. Can’t you forgive me?”
He sighed. “It’s not that. I’m not mad at you. It’s just…” He waived in the general vicinity of the ballroom. “This is your world, Haley. This is where you should be. You belong here, but I don’t. I’d be miserable.”
She stared at him for a moment.
Michael tried to guess her thoughts. What was she thinking?
“I see,” she whispered. Then she pouted her lips. “Aren’t you going to kiss me good-bye?”
His lungs seized. He wanted nothing me than to kiss her senseless. But would anything be more painful than a parting kiss?
“Please?” She stepped close enough for him to feel the warmth of her body. Both hands moved to his shoulders, and her fingers grazed the nape of his neck.
Her touch sent need spiraling through him. How could he kiss her knowing that it would be the last time?
How could he not?
He cupped her face and committed every detail to memory—the tilt at the corners of her too-blue eyes, the way her bottom lip was fuller than the top one. Oh, those lips. From the moment he’d first met her, he’d wanted to kiss them, taste them. And he still wanted to, would always want to.
Lowering his head, he resolved to keep the kiss short and sweet. Anything more would only intensify his need and the pain of losing her. He brushed his lips across hers, soft and tender. With deliberate restraint, he lingered only a moment and began to pull away.
Haley had other plans. She threaded her fingers through his hair, pulled his head down, and parted her lips beneath his. When he didn’t immediately accept her invitation, she slipped her tongue between his lips and deepened the kiss, shattering his resolve. He took what she offered. The bittersweet knowledge that this would be the last time he’d kiss her burned him to the core.
Desire blazed between them, but Michael did his best to ignore it. This was the end. It was over. He had to leave. Now.
Tearing his lips away, he pressed his forehead to hers and struggled to catch his breath. With considerable effort, he forced his hands to her shoulders and held her still so that she couldn’t follow him as he retreated. Even with the space between their bodies, unseen electric sparks of passion arced between them. If he didn’t leave now, he would change his mind. He’d do everything in his power to convince her to come back to Tennessee with him.
The elevator bell dinged to signal its arrival.
“Good-bye, Haley.” He almost choked on the words as he stepped around her and made his escape.
Her gaze bore through him until the doors shut.
A miserable churning began in his stomach. She was the one, but he could never have her. How could he live the rest of his life knowing that the one woman who made life worth living was out of reach? Morbid, stupid thoughts crossed his mind. Crazy things like how maybe he’d get lucky and the plane would crash on the way back to Tennessee. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about living the rest of his life without the woman he loved.
* * * *
Haley bit her lip after the elevator doors closed. Part of her wanted to rant and rave over what an idiot the man was. The other part of her was way too pleased to let her frustration spoil the moment. That kiss had told her everything she needed to know.
“Who was that?” Janice, an old friend, stood next to her and adjusted her wrap as she prepared to exit the party. “Serious eye candy, that one.”
“Mmm hmm,” Haley agreed.
“Can’t believe you let him leave without you. Why didn’t you go with him?”
“Remember that old saying about how if you love something you should set it free?”
“If it’s yours, it will return to you,” Janice finished. “Think he will come back?”
Haley smiled. “I’m not the one letting go.”
Her friend’s brow lifted in surprise. “He was setting you free? He loves you that much?”
“Yeah,” Haley replied without pause, without the slightest doubt. “He does.”
“Sooo…” Janice intoned. “Are you going back to him? Are you his?”
Joy filled her heart. “Heart, body, and soul. I’m his completely.” She laughed. “But I may have to teach that man a lesson before I tell him that.”
* * * *
Haley sat on the brown leather sofa in Michael’s condo, waiting for him to come home. It had been four days since the charity ball—long enough for her to get back to Tennessee, move her things into the new house, and make certain that the kitchen, den, and the master bedroom and bath were finished and ready to live in. She still had to buy furnishings and décor for several rooms, but all the major construction was complete as was the paint and wallpaper. There was only one me thing she needed before she could call it home.
Michael.
Keys jingled, and the door swung open. The man she’d been waiting for entered without noticing her. He turned away to shut the door and set his briefcase on the counter along with his keys. With a heavy sigh, he raked his hands through his already tousled hair.
Haley waited. Though she’d had trouble extracting herself in order to greet him, she had known the moment Michael had unexpectedly entered the ballroom in New York a few days ago. He, too, would soon realize she was there no matter how still and quiet she sat.
Michael did not disappoint her. “Haley,” he whispered before he spun to face her. Dark circles beneath his eyes told her he hadn’t been sleeping well. He looked tired. Defeated.
She tried not to smile. “I let myself in. Still have your key.” Holding it up, she let it swing back and forth on its chain. “I hope you don’t mind.”
He cleared his throat. “No. Of course not.” His gaze enveloped her. “What are you doing here?”
She stood and closed the short distance between them. “We need to talk,” she said in her most businesslike tone. Crossing her arms, she glared at him.
Michael rubbed his brow. “Okay. What about?”
Haley cocked her hands on her hips. “You do reme
mber what it means when a woman says that, don’t you?”
“I…” A grin teased the corners of his mouth. “I guess I need to apologize for something.”
She gave him a curt nod. “I’m waiting,” she added, examining the fingernails of her right hand.
“I already apologized for not telling you about Keith’s invitation, but I will again if you want.” He didn’t wait for a response. “I’m sorry, babe. I’m really sorry if I hurt you.”
“We already settled that. I want an apology for what you did in New York.”
His brow furrowed. “Umm…I don’t understand.”
Haley huffed and frowned.
“Can you give me hint?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Just who the hell do you think you are anyway? Who died and made you God?”
He lifted his hands, palms up, surrender in his voice. “Haley, I don’t—”
“You have some nerve, mister!” She used her index finger to poke him in the chest. “What right do you have to tell me where I belong? Since when do you get to decide where I live?”
His bewildered expression faded. A hopeful gleam filled his eyes. “You looked so happy.”
“I was happy. Do you know why?”
Michael shrugged. “I thought it was because you were back in New York with your friends.”
“No. I was happy because I finished with my lawyers and accountant. I was able to arrange everything so they could work through a couple of firms here in Knoxville. Now if I have business to attend to, I can do it without flying to New York. I was happy because I was coming home!”
“So you don’t want to stay there?” He moved closer.
“No. I want to live here in the house I had built. It’s finished, by the way. Well, mostly finished. I moved my things in.”
He smiled and slipped his hands around her waist. “That’s wonderful.”
“Ahem.” She placed her hands over his to be sure they didn’t wander. Not yet. “I’m waiting for my apology.”
