“You don’t understand. If she would just listen to—”
“You should go, or Mr. Baker will make sure to make you leave the premises.”
“What?” He frowned, and she lifted her chin toward the end of the driveway. Baker was standing there in a black suit, his arms crossed over his chest.
“I’m his client.”
“Not exactly. You see, he was hired to protect Grace and Lexi Rivera. Therefore, you aren’t the client.”
“Gloria, I just need—”
“I warned you,” she hissed, taking a step closer and poking him in the chest with her nail. “I warned you. You promised.”
“I love her!” He yelled, his hands in his hair. “I fucking love her. Please, I just… I fucked up, okay?”
“Come on, man,” Baker’s deep voice rumbled right behind him. He knew his time was up. “Let me walk you to your car, Marcus.”
“I love her, Gloria. I swear on everything and anything. When I made that bet, I was stupid. Okay? So fucking stupid.”
“Come on, man. Cameras at two o’clock, so it’s time to go, bud.”
“Please, Gloria. Just… tell her I came by.” Her eyes softened, but she didn’t say anything to him, so he had no choice but to walk away.
But he’d be back.
He’d get his girls back.
He had to.
***
The last four days had been hell.
He’d gone home after Baker had fucking walked him to his car, informing him he was no longer working this case for him. He’d been hired by Gloria. As pissed as he was it wasn’t him who was directly taking care of them, he was glad she was being watched. Baker gave him a look of pity before recommending to give her some time.
He went home and did what any man did when he messed up his love life.
He drank.
A lot.
So much he woke up hung over, his body on the grass in his backyard. He’d fallen out of the lawn chair he’d sat and drunk in. Once he’d pulled himself back up, he sat on the grass and looked out at the pool. Bryan had sat silently next to him, handing him pain killers and a huge water bottle. Then, with a sorrowful look, Bryan patted him on the back before he left him alone to his thoughts.
He’d called.
He’d texted.
He’d emailed.
Over and over.
Without response.
So he watched TV. Trying to see if any news of her being seen anywhere popped up. And again nothing. He had even gotten desperate enough to rent a car and park across the street from her house yesterday. He’d sat there most of the day. That was until she got home and all he was able to see was a glimpse of her and Lexi’s backs before Baker knocked on the window of the rented SUV.
He didn’t care.
He had planned on doing the same thing today. He was going to get through to her. He had to. But this time, he was going to wait on her front porch stoop. He’d sit there all day if he had to.
Thankfully, Gabby had sent him a text, reading: Don’t make me regret this. Sunset Park after school.
So now he was trying to blend into the shadows, standing by a tree a bit away from the playground. They’d arrived about twenty minutes ago. He had to look down at his phone to answer Don’s message about a script change and couldn’t see Grace when he looked up from his cell. He found Lexi still playing, but where had she gone? He looked around, knowing she would never leave Lexi alone.
“I think that when you’re six foot plus and look like you do, you need more than sunglasses and a baseball hat to try to blend in.” He could hear the smile in her voice, and it was like his heart came alive.
Fuck, he’d missed the sound of her voice.
He’d called her countless times, knowing she wouldn’t pick up, but her outgoing message of Hey, its Grace, I’m probably in the cave writing. Leave a message! had been enough for him.
He breathed her in and shoved his hands into his jean pockets, so that he wouldn't just grab her. He glanced over at her standing next to him. “I don’t know. I thought I was doing a good job.”
“Hmm…” she shrugged and looked toward the playground, where Lexi was running around with the other kids.
“I was going to add a mustache, but Donnie said it might creep out some of the parents,” he admitted, and she laughed. Hearing her laughter, his heart lightened up. “Grace...”
“She asks about you.” Her smile faded. He noticed how she put her hands into her own jeans and wondered if it was for the same reasons he did.
“What did you tell her?” he asked, trying to look away from her, but she was such a sight for his sore eyes he couldn’t bear to lose sight of her.
“That you’re getting ready to start your new project.”
“Grace...”
“Why are you here?” Her arm brushed against his as she moved to look at him. Up close, he could see that she had dark circles under her eyes and her face had thinned out in the last five days. Worry and regret hit his gut.
Without thinking, his hand slipped out of his pocket and cupped her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. For a small millisecond of time, she let him. He was almost positive she leaned into his touch. But when she realized what she’d done, her entire body went stock still and she shrugged her face away.
“Marcus, what are you doing here?” she asked again, and he noticed she’d called him Marcus instead of Marc. He hated that. He hated what he’d done to them.
“I need to talk to you.”
“That’s come and gone. Look, seriously, we’re cool.” She shook her head. He took off his sunglasses.
“What?”
“We’re cool. I got the check…”
“I know.”
“I read through the agreement before I signed, Marc. I know we might have to work together, and we have to be cool. You don’t have to worry about another crazy ex—”
“No.”
“No?”
“No.” He moved his hands to hold her face again, gently tilting it up to make her look at him. “I don’t want to us to be cool. I want more.”
“Marc.” Her eyes went sad, but he kept talking.
“I’m sorry. That fucking bet… I swear it was before I knew you. Before things changed. Before things became more than just about the story.”
“Baby…” Baby. Fuck. Thank god. He wanted to fist pump the air. A baby from her had to be a good sign.
“I swear. I wanted to tell you. I tried. I just…”
“Did Garrett really offer you an out?” she blurted, and his entire body stilled.
“What?”
“Did he offer you an out of the bet you made?” she asked slowly, her eyes never wavering from his, and he clenched his jaw.
“Yes,” he admitted. She shrugged away from his touch. He let her face go, grabbing her around her waist instead and pinning her against the tree he’d been hiding behind. “It’s not what you think.”
“Marc—”
“Please. I’m going crazy, Grace. I need you in my—”
“Marc!” Lexi shrieked from afar, and he smiled at her joy as she ran toward them. At least one of his girls was happy to see him. He watched Grace’s dark eyes close painfully slow. He knew she didn’t want him around, especially not around Lexi.
He stepped away, noting how Grace crossed her arms across her chest when she stepped away too. Lexi’s body slammed into his leg, and he lifted her up.
“Hey, little lady!”
“Marc! I missed you!”
“I missed you too, Lexi.” His voice was gruff with emotion. He glanced over at Grace. She looked like she wanted to grab Lexi and bolt.
“Are you coming over for dinner?” she asked, her eyes filled with hope.
“Actually, Lexi, we have to go to Tia Gabby’s, remember?”
“Oh… you can go with us!” Lexi beamed, and his heart filled with hope.
“Lex…” Grace sighed, and he looked at her. She was obviously not sleeping. She looked exhausted. She need
ed help. He could help.
“Yeah.”
“Wait, what?”
“Yes! This is awesome! Yay!”
“But I’m driving.”
“No, you’re not. Lexi, why don’t you go say by to Jordy before we go, okay?”
“Mom…” Lexi’s big eyes pleaded, but he could see the determination in Grace’s stare.
“Lex, please.” He took in the way mother and daughter stared at one another. Then Lexi gave in with a slump to her shoulders before running off to talk to her friend.
“Grace—”
“Stop making this harder than it has to be,” she hissed.
“I’m not.”
“You are. You really, really are. “
“Gracie—”
“Every time you call, every text…” She looked away and brushed at a tear he wanted to wipe away. Fuck, he didn’t want to ever see her cry. Much less be the cause of it. “It hurts.” Her pain was clear in the way her voice trembled. “You got what you wanted. Wash your hands of me, Marc.”
Panic set in at her words, and a damn broke inside of him. He pulled her back against the tree, moving so quickly he knew he’d caught her off guard.
“I fucked up,” he growled. “But I love you. I… I love you with every cell that makes me me…. Don’t you see that?”
“Marc—”
“Let me fix this,” he begged, his heart so fucking heavy with fear she wouldn’t give him another shot. What if he’d really lost her?
“I’m scared,” she whispered so damn softly, he almost thought he imagined it. She kept talking in that hushed, pained tone that was coming from somewhere deep within her, and he hated himself even more. “I want to. I do. Do you know how hard it is to be without you? I trusted you.”
“I know.”
“How did you turn my life upside down in less than a month? Huh? I can’t sleep, because every time I do, I dream of you. I wake up reaching for you.”
“Let me—”
“I can’t.” The broken way those two words came out hit him like a one-two punch to the chest and gut. “You made a bet, which was a stupid man/boy thing to do. And fine, you didn’t know me when you did it. But what about when you did get to know me? When what we became was more than about the book? You said we were more than the book.”
“We are.”
“But you didn’t tell me!” Her voice grew louder, and his hands gripped her tightly.
“And what would you have done, huh?” Anger started to filter through the fear and anxiety of losing her. “You would have sent me to hell.” She looked at him and sighed. He was right. She would have sent him to hell in a hand basket.
“I guess we will never know, right? Lexi’s coming over here, so you need to say goodbye to her,” Grace softly said, her eyes sad and worn down.
“No.”
“Marc,” she sighed.
“We’re not done.”
“We are.”
“Sweetness—”
“Okay, Mom, I said bye to Jordy. He wanted to come over here and get your signature, but I told him maybe another time, because you don’t like being hounded by paparatsi.”
“Thanks, Lexi.” He smiled and stepped away from her mom. He kneeled in front of her and tucked the lose strands behind her ear.
“You’re not coming to dinner, are you?” Lexi’s voice was slightly disappointed.
“No, pretty lady. I have to work on getting my lines down,” he replied, taking a deep breath. “I have a new movie, and I’m going to be busy…” He stopped mid-sentence when she threw her little arms around his neck and whispered into his ear.
“Just say you’re sorry. Mommy gets mad, but if you say sorry, it will be okay. Please, don’t go away,” she pleaded with him, and he closed his own watery eyes and held her a little tighter. How did he fall in love with both of these girls so fast?
“It’ll be okay. Just say you’re sorry,” she whispered again, and he let go of her with one hand and wiped his eyes then cupped her cheek.
He heard a sniffle and glanced at Grace, who was standing behind Lexi, wiping away her own tears. “Come on, baby, Gabby’s waiting for us.”
“I’ll walk you to the car,” he said without looking at Grace. He picked up a clearly upset Lexi.
He walked them to the car and smiled at her as she buckled up into her car seat. He tucked her hair again, and she gave him a frown, her lower lip trembling. He knew he had to do something before she lost it.
“Remember what you told me about Jordy’s grandpa?”
“Yeah.” She sniffled, her big, sad, green eyes staring at him. He leaned in and whispered, “He was right. When you know, you know, and you wait. You fight. You don’t give up.” A light of hope sparkled in Lexi’s eyes, and she nodded at him before he stepped away and Grace closed the door.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m…”
“Giving her hope.”
“I’m not going to quit.”
“You should. I need to focus on her and my books. You need to go on your merry way and make movies. How would we have worked anyhow? If we logically think about this, it would have never worked.”
“We will.”
“We won’t,” she clipped. He pulled her toward the back of her SUV, so Lexi wouldn’t watch.
“I lied. I’m sorry. I fucked up. I was a huge fucking idiot, full of myself, with my head up my own ass. You called it. And I know I have my work cut out for me. But I don’t give a shit. Hell, I’m even looking forward to it. Because the attitude you dish out, the headache you will most certainly give me more than once in our lives, will be worth it. The work to get you to believe in me, believe in us, will be worth the effort.”
“Marc—” He shook his head.
“As long as I get to lie in your arms at the end of every day we can be together. And make no fucking mistake, that will happen. I will get us there.” He finished his tirade with a growl, his lips crashing down on hers, his hands in her hair.
Her lips immediately moved with his. Their tongues glided against one another’s, and he nipped at her upper lip before pulling away. “Drive safe to Gabby’s,” he hoarsely said before he kissed her forehead and walked away.
Every step he took away from his girls hurt.
His chest burned as she drove past him, Lexi waving good-bye.
Chapter Thirty
Grace
Arriving back home from my sister’s house, I settled Lexi into bed and went to the couch. I tried to get rid of the pain in my neck from sleeping on the couch. I knew it was silly. Ridiculous, actually. But I couldn’t get myself to sleep in my bed.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him. The problem was that when I opened them, I saw him too. He was everywhere. Shaking my head, I went to throw a load of laundry into the machine, knowing I was going to have a long night. Standing there as I started the wash, I burst into tears and then soft giggles. I remembered the stupid way I hadn’t recognized him that first day. How I’d offered him money to tell my sisters we’d done it on the washing machine. Wiping my face, I went back to the living room in time to hear a soft knock at the door.
I looked through the peephole and stepped back with a huff before I swung the door open, a pissed look settling on my face. “What do you want?”
“Just listen…” The deepness of Garrett Wright’s voice started to speak, but I was done.
“No.”
“Grace—”
“Look, there is nothing you can say that—”
“I’m sorry,” he blurted out, sounding sincere, his dark eyes pinning me. “I’m so damn sorry. He’s… well, he’s even more pathetic without you than he was before.”
“He’s not pathetic,” I defended him, because even as brokenhearted as I was, I loved Marc.
“I’m a dick.”
“You are.”
“When I offered him an out, I did it so that he wouldn’t be able to pick. You or the book. Grace, I didn’t even let him answer. I
goaded him and pushed his buttons.” I sighed, opening the door to let him in.
“Did he do that?” I ask about the bruise on his cheek and busted lip.
“Yeah.” He shrugged.
“And I’m guessing you’re the one who made him bleed?” I asked, pointing to the couch so we could sit.
“Yeah.” His lips twitched. Looking at him as I sat across from him, I could only imagine the boys they had been. Getting into trouble rough housing.
“He loves you, Grace.”
“He loves himself. Just like you said.” But I didn’t really believe that. He loved his brothers and Don. He was protective of them just like he’d been protective of Lexi and I.
“Why are you listening to me? What do I know? I’m a dick.” He ran a hand through his short, dark hair. “I know he loves you. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have wanted us to meet you. That whole thing with the bet was me being a douchebag.”
“He doesn’t.”
“He does.” His brown eyes stared at me. “Anyone with eyes can see that you two make sense. Watching you guys in Montana… I was pissed and very hung over that morning. Do you know how lucky that little shit’s been?”
“You do know it’s not as simple as luck, right?” I asked, still dumbfounded he could really think that.
“What do you mean?”
“He works really hard. A lot harder than you can imagine or give him credit for. You have no idea the dedication and skill your brother has. What he does is far from easy,” I defended.
“I didn’t mean his work. I was talking about finding you. Finding that one person.” He shook his head and looked at me again. “Not many are lucky like that.”
“Garrett…” I whispered. Did he really think Marc and I were like that? That we were the one for each other?
“He drank himself half to death when your sister sent him away. I watched over him that night so he wouldn’t roll his stupid ass into the pool. He was so drunk he doesn’t even remember me being there with him. And you better not tell him.” My lips twitched, but they stopped when he kept talking. “He’s lost without you, Grace. Watching him mope around the house, staring at his phone like he’s willing it to ring, the disappointment when it isn’t a call from you, it’s sad. Really sad.” I swallowed, taking in what he was telling me. “I love my brother. I know I don’t show it the way I should. But I do. I just have my own shit I need to deal with.”
LIE (Right Men Book 1) Page 28
