“See, there's one problem with that statement,” he said.
“What problem?”
“I don't have to 'win you back'.”
“Excuse me?”
“Because I don't think I ever lost you.”
Katya didn't say anything. She just turned around and walked out the door, not even giving him a backward glance.
*
Katya was able to keep her mind clear for almost two solid hours. She poured every ounce of her concentration into her work, finishing the last of the edible flowers and pinning almost half of them in place on the actual cakes. She was hanging the remaining flowers in an airtight cabinet when the events of the past eighteen hours finally caught up with her. She hurried into the break room, then screamed into her heavy jacket.
She wasn't sure she could ever forgive Liam Edenhoff for his part in what they'd done to her, but she was positive she wouldn't ever forgive Wulfric Stone. He didn't know what compassion was, or empathy, or sincerity. He didn't have normal human emotions. He didn't deserve forgiveness, nor did he probably care if he ever got it.
I'm just a challenge to him. That's what it is. The one that got away.
With that thought, Katya finally stopped screaming. Wulf wasn't used to losing, and he'd been so close to winning her. To have that victory ripped away, it must have really stung.
Over the past two weeks, she'd had a lot of time to think about her predicament and the men that had caused it. To go over all the signs she'd missed, all the ways they'd tried to one-up each other. Liam, giving her a pool on the roof. Wulf, driving her home to her family.
Even when she'd thought Liam hadn't known who she'd been seeing, she'd been able to sense a feeling of dislike from him. And his disdain for his “business partner” had been clear and palpable. Liam had spent most of his life feeling second best to his twin brother – it was obvious Wulf inspired similar feelings. That had fed into Liam's drive to win her over.
But a desire to prove himself to an absentee father was what Wulfric's foundation was built on. He did not come in second, and especially not to a man like Liam Edenhoff. Wulf was rich and smart and intelligent and, if truth were told, a total snob. A slacker who'd come into an inheritance? Wulf had probably taken delight in helping Liam, and had most definitely rubbed his encounters with Katya in the other man's face.
She paused as she started putting on her jacket. If that were all true – which she thought it was – then it would also kill him if she started speaking to Liam again, but kept refusing to speak to him.
She shook her head and finished gathering her stuff. She wasn't like that, Liam was right. She didn't do things out of spite or anger. Not even new-Katya – she may have been a sex kitten, but she wasn't a raging bitch.
Why couldn't she be? Being Miss Good Girl hasn't gotten me very far …
No. No, she didn't want to go down this road. She didn't want to become that girl, who wound up in a viral video, keying her ex-boyfriend's car and running down his new girlfriend, or whatever. Things had been dark, right after the “break up” had happened. She'd halfway convinced herself to sleep with half of San Francisco, had told herself she would rub it in their faces somehow. Lots of things. Fantasies of setting Wulf's fancy car on fire, or breaking every single one of Liam's video games, things like that. But she wouldn't ever actually do anything mean to them.
… would she?
6
Katya wasn't sure who looked more shocked – her, or Liam. She hadn't really allowed herself to think about what she was doing when she'd marched into his building. She hadn't been invited, and she was sure he hadn't been expecting her. At all. Probably ever again.
Even though it was afternoon, he looked like he'd just gotten out of bed. Owning and managing a night club-slash-sex club meant keeping strange hours. Noon was morning for Mr. Edenhoff. His hair was sticking up at right angles from his head, he was only wearing a pair of loose jeans, and he had a toothbrush hanging haphazardly out of his mouth.
“Uh ...” he finally managed to grunt. She groaned and shoved past him, unwinding her thick scarf as she moved. His apartment was a mess – more so than usual. It made her feel a little better. Clearly, without her constantly nagging him about cleaning up and eating right and doing laundry, he couldn't lead a productive healthy life.
Good. Dysentery is still a possibility.
“We're not friends,” she blurted out, kicking smelly socks and dirty pants out of her way as she waded through his living room. She glanced around. He'd had all the walls removed from his apartment, converting it into a wide open loft. With its high ceilings and faded yellow wallpaper, it very much embodied its owner's personality. Warm and larger than life.
“Is this like a reminder courtesy call?” he mumbled as he shambled into the kitchen. She listened as he spit toothpaste into his kitchen sink. She scrunched up her nose in disgust.
“You're a thirty-two year old successful business owner, yet you live like a nineteen year old frat boy.”
“Seriously, did you just come over here to remind me of things I already know?” he asked, chucking the brush into the sink as well before turning around and leaning back against his counter. She looked away and wished he would put on a shirt.
“I came over because I wanted to ask you something.”
“Alright.”
He must have read her mind, because as he came back into the living room, he bent down to sift through the sea of t-shirts that were scattered about at his feet – he obviously wasn't too concerned with cleanliness. He finally found one he liked and he pulled it on before coming to a stop in front of her.
“If – and I really mean if – there's any chance you and I can be friends again, and ONLY friends, I need to know that you'll be honest with me. About everything. Anything. Things that happened, things that didn't happen, things that are going to happen. If you lie, I'll find out, Liam. I will. It's how the universe works. If you lie to me, I will never speak to you again. Worse than that, though, you will have to live with the knowledge that deep down, you are truly a horrible, hurtful, malicious person who only cares about himself,” Katya finished in a rush, gasping for breath at the end.
Liam's eyebrows had raised throughout her speech, and by the time she finished, they were almost in his hairline. She knew he hadn't seen her mad very often. Just at the very end. No, only Wulfric had been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of her temper.
“Alright. I promise I will never -”
“I'm serious, Liam. Don't make a promise you're not sure you can keep.”
There was another long pause. He took a deep breath, and for a moment, she thought he wasn't going to say anything. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to cry, or to feel relief. But then he rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and sighed.
“I'll never lie to you. I never should have. I only lied to keep from hurting you. Stupid, I know, but what can I say? Sometimes I'm a really stupid guy. But I can learn some things, and you definitely taught me a lesson. I won't ever lie to you again,” he promised. She nodded.
“Good. Did you know Wulf was moving in?”
“Did I -, wait, what? With you!?”
“No, into the Hans' apartment.”
“The who?”
“Jesus, the Hans! They lived in the penthouse in my building, they've lived there for over ten years!” she snapped.
“Well, shit, how should I know that? I didn't even live here ten years ago. Wulfric is living with your neighbors?” Liam checked.
She took a deep breath and counted to ten. She wasn't being clear, she knew, and he had just woken up. He still had sleep creases on the side of his face and she didn't even have to look to know his bed was a mess.
At least it's empty. Jesus, this is Liam I'm dealing with – what if I'd walked in on him with somebody? It's almost more surprising that I didn't.
“No,” she finally calmed herself down a little. “He found them a new place to live and moved them out last ni
ght, while you and I were at speed dating. He moved in this morning, I nearly got run over by his ridiculously over sized furniture. It just seemed … I mean, you just showed up at the event, and we were outside for so long, and then he just happened to get all his little deeds done at the same time. I'm not some toy you guys can play with, not anymore.”
“I swear,” Liam held up his hands. “I had no idea. I found out where you'd be through good old fashioned internet stalking, that's it. He can't do this, I'll tell him he has to move out.”
Before he could turn to grab his phone, Katya stopped him.
“He said the same thing you said to me – he has a lease, and that you also signed an iron-clad contract allowing him to have total control over who he rents to. He won't even let me out of my lease. When I said I'd break it, he threatened to sue me,” she explained.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“God, that guy's a dick. And you fell for him instead of me,” Liam growled, raking his fingers through his hair. Katya glared and before she could stop herself, she elbowed him in the stomach.
“I didn't fall for anybody – I was blindly manipulated into two separate relationships with complete and total assholes!” she yelled at him.
“I don't remember you being so violent, angel cake.”
Katya snorted and turned around, heading for his front door. He jogged around her and blocked the exit.
“I just thought you should know about him moving in, and wanted to see if you already knew. I'm done here,” she explained, fighting with her scarf as she tried to wrap it around her neck.
“Not so fast. I feel like we're making progress here. What are you doing tonight?”
“Liam. Are you serious?”
“Too soon? How about this weekend?”
“Even if I wasn't busy, I still wouldn't be doing anything with you.”
“Oh, busy, huh. Hot date?”
“Wedding.”
“Wedding! Then you need a date,” he smiled big at her. She smirked back at him.
“I already have one,” she replied. He seemed shocked by her response and she took the opportunity to squeeze past him into the small hallway. The elevator was still sitting on their floor, so when the doors opened, she stepped right on. Unfortunately, Liam had regained his faculties by then and he followed her into the lift.
“Who are you going with?” he asked, trying to sound casual. Failing miserably.
“Just some sexy brunette,” she told him, glancing down at his bare feet. There was a dinging sound and they got off on the ground floor.
“Please don't tell me it's someone you met at -”
“Katya!”
She looked up at the sound of her name, bracing herself. Prepared for Wulfric to be glaring at her. But it wasn't him. She smiled as Gaten Shepherd strode across the foyer.
“Hey, how are you?” she asked.
She was aware that Liam was looming over her somewhat. He was a tall, lanky guy, and usually his goofy smile and wild hair kept him from being intimidating, he could be when he put his mind to it. A glare combined with his size was usually enough to get the job done, but they had no effect on the other man. Gate walked right up to her and wrapped her in a hug.
“Doing good. We keep running into each other,” he pointed out, chuckling a little.
“I know. Which reminds me! I know you do carpentry, but do you know anyone good with electrical stuff? My oven still isn't working, and the shitty management around here still hasn't gotten around to fixing it,” she said, turning an icy glare onto Liam. He swallowed thickly.
“Hey, take it up with Wulf-man. I just own the place, I don't manage it,” he said. She rolled her eyes.
“See what I mean? I should file a complaint,” she managed a laugh. Gate glanced between her and Liam, then forced out an awkward laugh, as well.
“Could help. Or I do know a guy, I could have him come take a look. I'll give him a call, then I'll text you when I hear back,” he offered. Katya smiled.
“Thanks, that would be awesome.”
“Good seeing you again, Katya.”
“You, too.”
They shared one more hug – made more awkward by Liam stepping up so close, his chest was brushing both their arms – then Gaten got on the elevator. As soon as the doors slid shut, Liam groaned and followed Katya outside.
“You cannot be talking about him.”
“About him, what?”
“He's your wedding date?”
She almost burst out laughing, then realized torturing Liam was kind of fun. She kept her giggles in check.
“Don't worry about who I'm going with.”
“But he's like a hippy! I think he's in Green Peace, and he's always building shit, and he shops at Whole Foods. Whole Foods. You can't go with him,” Liam insisted. They'd reached her building and before he could follow her inside it, she turned and pressed a hand to his chest.
“First of all – I shop at Whole Foods sometimes. Second of all – it's none of your business. Now go back home,” she ordered him, pointing back at his building. He frowned and placed his hand over the one she had on his chest.
“Katya,” he started in a soft voice. No. No, no, no, no, no. Not sweet, caring Liam. She'd never handled that aspect of his personality very well. “I know we did some really fucked up stuff to you. But my feelings for you were always real, I always told the truth about them. Even if you never return them, even if we never spoke again after this moment, I'd still care about you, and I can tell you don't like that guy. So don't do this.”
Katya took a deep breath. Talk about hitting the nail on the head. It's what she'd been doing for the past two weeks – going out on dates, trying to feel better about herself by grabbing whatever random male attention she could find. And it certainly hadn't worked.
But he doesn't need to know that. He doesn't need to know anything.
“I'm only going to say this to you one more time,” she said, her voice shaking a little. “What I do is none. of. your. business. If you can't handle that – if you think you're entitled to know everything that's going on in my life, then whatever it is we're starting here, it should just end right now.”
She didn't give him a chance to respond. She just turned and hurried through the revolving door, praying that he didn't follow her.
Of course, the way her luck had been going, she halfway expected Wulf to be on the other side of the door. Just waiting to pounce and take away her last shred of sanity. Thankfully, he wasn't. The lobby was empty, all of his enormous furniture hopefully tucked away in his new apartment.
Katya groaned as she rode up the floors to her place. Wulfric Stone, living two floors above her. Liam Edenhoff, still living one building away from her. Two men she'd been involved with, slept with, had deep, personal relationships with. Two men who'd empowered her and helped her grow and changed her very core. Two men who had used her and chewed her up and then spit her out.
And now both those men were her close neighbors.
Jesus, this brings a whole new meaning to “there goes the neighborhood”.
7
The rest of Thursday passed without incident, thankfully. It probably had something to do with the fact that she holed up in her apartment and refused to answer her phone or the door. Tori was able to come home early – she worked as a “bartender” of sorts. She was trained as a bartender, but she worked the private part of Liam's club. No liquor allowed. She doled out expensive water and soft drinks, as well as various brands of lubricants, condoms, and “personal massagers”.
When the shit had hit the fan and Tori had found out Liam had been using Katya and basically lying to her, Tori had been ready to quit. But Katya knew the other girl really liked her job, and she never liked her jobs – hence why she'd had so many over the years. Rent wasn't cheap in San Francisco, and even on the good salary Katya made, she couldn't afford their nice, downtown, two bedroom apartment all on her own. She needed Tori to contribute.
Also, it didn't hurt knowing Tori liked regaling Liam with all of Katya's new dating habits. Really, it was amazing Liam hadn't fired her, yet.
“Why hasn't he fired you?” Katya asked, moving out of the way as Tori set the table.
“Because Jan said if he ever did for any reason other than poor work performance, Jan would – and I quote – 'rip his fucking head off and shove it up his urethra'. Urethra, Kat. I almost pissed myself laughing.”
“Well, better make sure you keep up the good work then.”
“Please, they love me there. There are members who won't come unless I'm working, did you know that? Liam can't ever get rid of me. Besides, I think having me there, even being a bitch to him all the time, kinda makes him feel close to you,” Tori said. Her voice was simple, as if she were prattling off the weather, but the sentiment was terribly sweet. Katya frowned and spooned beef stroganoff over the egg noodles that were waiting.
“I should tell you something,” she sighed, turning around and setting the food on the table.
She explained everything. Running into Liam at speed dating. Bumping in Wulf downstairs. Using Gaten as jealousy-bait. Tori listened to it all without saying a word – which was somewhat of a miracle. She just kept nodding and shoving more food in her mouth. How she kept such a perfect figure, Katya would never know. She never worked out, never gained a pound, and had curves in all the right places. Grossly unfair.
“Wow,” Tori said when Katya had finished speaking. “You've had a hell of a day.”
“You're telling me,” Katya groaned, poking at her remaining noodles.
“So now you get to pick.”
“Pick what?”
“Whether you want my honest opinion, or would like me to say what you want to hear.”
“Oh god.”
Tori smiled big – “I knew you'd pick honesty.”
“I'm afraid to listen.”
“Look,” her roommate sighed. “I'm not … I know my own track history with guys is not good. Or awful. Whatever. But that's me, that's what I do. You, though, I don't know … it's like all the good advice you always give me? The way you parent me and are so awesome? Well, when it comes to this dating stuff, it's my turn to be that way for you.”
The Neighborhood (Twin Estates #2) Page 4
