His eyes darken. I feel a shift come over him.
“Fine,” he says. His voice is low and dangerous. We’ve entered murky waters. “What is it you want to talk about?”
I bite my lip, hesitating. I really don’t like the change that comes over Jeremy—the one that I just evoked. But it’s too late to back off now. I’ve made my bed, and now I have to sleep in it.
“First,” I say, steeling myself in anticipation of his reaction…whatever it might be… “There are the photographs. Your driver. And Hugh?”
Jeremy makes an angry sound in his throat at the mention of that name.
I soldier on. “What happened Monday at the office, Jeremy? Tell it to me in full, because I know you know.”
“You saw what happened on-screen,” he tells me.
There’s a certain, peculiar inflection in his voice that I’ve never encountered before. It reminds me a little bit of a teenager holding back a secret he’s desperately eager to spill.
“No, Jeremy,” I say. “I saw what happened—I lived through what happened. And it’s not what the tape showed.”
He perks an eyebrow at me. “Are you suggesting,” he says, evocatively, “that what you saw on the monitor was perhaps…wrong?”
My breath catches. “You did it!” I accuse.
Jeremy spreads his hands in a ‘who, me?’ gesture…and then smiles deeply.
“Bravo, Lilly,” he says. “You have discovered the truth.”
My head spins. Thinking about it, considering it, wondering about the possibilities is one thing…but having it confirmed, by Jeremy’s own admission, is quite another.
“Why?” I say. “I mean, what…why?”
“It’s a new technology Stonehart Industries has developed,” Jeremy says. He stands up and walks across the room, picking out a robe and wrapping it around his body. “Still in the prototype stages, but getting closer and closer to completion every day.
“It’s an advanced CGI simulation algorithm. Much, much improved over the primitive things you see in video games or even movies. It’s a program that is able to, in real time, create videos indistinguishable from reality. That includes computer models of real people, accurate to the most minute detail…to the most subtle features of their face. We’ve crossed the uncanny valley, Lilly, and that? That is an accomplishment worthy of the Nobel Prize.”
“You tricked me,” I say. My insides feel hollow. “You deceived me. You had me believe I was going crazy!”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Jeremy says. There’s growing excitement in his voice. “Don’t you see, Lilly? I did what I had to do. You have the strongest mind I know. If the simulation was enough to fool you—why, that is the best litmus test there is. If you could fall victim to its trick, well, imagine the effect it would have on the masses!”
“You’re sick,” I say. “Twisted. You made me doubt my own sanity, as…as…as a ‘litmus test!’” Anger is taking hold of me now.
I do nothing to hold it back.
“How dare you, Jeremy? You claim you love me, and then you go and do—that!” I surge out of bed, wrapping the sheet around my body in quick, livid strokes. “So what am I, some sort of guinea pig to you? First there was the collar. ‘Testing the battery for use in your phone,’ you said. And now this? Playing me for the fool, taking liberties you have no right to take, for the purpose of what? Of seeing how well your new toy works?”
“It’s not a toy, Lilly,” Jeremy says firmly. “And I needed proof. I needed confirmation that it was functional. You were the victim in the act, yes, but I did it to you for the greater good.”
I stab a finger at him. “Don’t start,” I warn. “Don’t you dare lecture me on the ‘greater good’. Whose greater good, Jeremy? Yours? Stonehart Industries?”
“Both,” he snaps. “And yours, too, Lilly. You’re tied to the success of the company now. You’re tied to me.”
“And what if I don’t want to be tied to you?” I snarl. “What if I want to break away?”
He has the nerve—the fucking nerve—to chuckle. “I’ve already severed all bonds holding you here,” he says. “You remain of your own accord.”
“Oh, that’s fucking rich,” I spit. “What about tracking me all the way through Maine, huh? What about executing the robbery? Because that only happened at your command, didn’t it?”
“I had to test you,” he says. “At the same time, I was looking out for your safety.”
“Another test, Jeremy? Really? I mean—really?”
“Yes,” he says. He steps toward me. “And you passed it spectacularly. I have to know if the woman I’m ready to spend my life with possess the qualities I seek in a mate.”
“’The qualities you seek in a mate?’ Can you hear yourself speak right now, Jeremy? Do you know how clinical you make it sound?”
“I do,” he says. “Because that is what you wanted. Don’t forget the deal you made with me on the plane. I am not to make mention of my true feelings for you. This is the only outcome that you could have expected.”
I laugh. “Hah! So you’re trying to pin it on me, now? You told me once that you value honesty—that you need honesty, particularly with yourself, to succeed in the business world. Well, that’s a crock of utter bullshit, isn’t it?” I glare at him, absolutely livid. “You’re not doing any of this because of me. You’re doing it because of you. Because you’re a man who can and who does, remember? Or has that changed, too?”
“It has not.”
“So you had me robbed in Maine, while I was away, why? To see if I would come crawling back to you? You had the photographs of us released to the press, after scolding me for being careless, why? So you could prove that it’s you who is still in ultimate control? What next, am I to learn that you planted Conner to seduced my mother and…”
I gasp. My hands come over my mouth. “Oh my God,” I whisper. “You did.”
He makes no sign of apology, or even a pretense of remorse. He just looks at me, waiting.
I can’t take it. This is all too much. I walk to the bed and sit down, in half a daze.
“Why, Jeremy?” I whisper. It sounds like I’m pleading, but I’m not. I’m just…coming to grips, to once again, with how insane this man really is. “Why? Why, why, why?”
“Because your mother is important to you, Lilly,” he says. “Even if you try to deny it, she still is family. I had to make contingencies in case you decided to reconnect. Which you did. Conner keeps her safe. He makes sure nothing untoward happens to her.”
I just shake my head. “Her entire life is a lie,” I say to myself. “Everything she thinks she knows, everything she values…it’s just there because of you, isn’t it?”
“Because of you, Lilly,” he corrects. “Because of what you mean to me.”
I glare up at him, angry tears filling in my eyes. “And what happens when I stop meaning anything to you, Jeremy? What happens then? Tell me that.”
“That,” he says sternly, crossing the space between us. “Will never happen.” He goes to his knees and takes my hand, “I promise you, Lilly. Because I do—I still do, and I always will, and fuck whatever deal we made on the plane—I do love you.”
“Stop,” I try to pull my hand away, but he won’t let go. “Just stop, Jeremy.” I wipe the tears from my eyes, angry with myself that I’m crying, furious at him for evoking such emotions in me. I feel lost, like I’m stuck in limbo, as if nothing that I do or say holds meaning anymore, unless it’s mandated by Jeremy.
“I won’t stop,” he says. “I’ll never stop loving you, Lilly. Never. You mean everything to me.”
I look away, up at the ceiling. The reflection the moon makes on the ocean outside makes dim light dance on the plaster. “You have a lousy way of showing it,” I sniff.
“Because I’m bound by the promise I made to you,” he says.
I glance down at him—and wish that I hadn’t. His eyes have returned to that soft, glowing sapphire. The one that tells me, with absolute certai
nty, that the man I’m speaking to is Jeremy.
And when he’s Jeremy—just Jeremy, and nothing more—I have a weakness for him.
“What are we doing?” I whisper to him. “What do we have between us? What is this world you’ve dreamed up for me and you?”
“I don’t know,” he admits. “But I’m waiting…waiting…for you to release the shackles that hold me. For you to allow me to express the depths of my feelings for you.”
I sniffle. “That’s what you want?”
His hand tightens around mine. “Yes,” he says. “That is what I want, with all my heart.”
“And if I let you,” I say, “There won’t be anymore…games? No more…tests?”
“None,” he promises. “Not ever.”
“I won’t be your guinea pig anymore?”
“Lilly.” My name on his lips sounds like the sweetest caress. “You were never my guinea pig. Don’t you know?” He lifts my hand to his lips, and kisses my palm. “You have always been…and you’ve never stopped being…my sweet Lilly-Flower.”
“Then fine,” I say. “Fine Jeremy. I release you from your promise. You can do…whatever it is you want to.
“But I’m not saying the words back.”
“Then I’ll wait,” he tells me. “I’ll wait however long it takes for you to admit to yourself that you have fallen in love with me.”
“That’s mighty presumptuous of you,” I mumble.
“Only because I know it’s true. I know you, Lilly. We’ve gone through too much for me to not.
“You’re scared. Frightened. And confused. And now that I can speak freely?” He looks down at his chest, and places a hand over his heart. “The feelings I feel building for you, in here? They terrify me, too. I’ve never dealt with their like before. All of them stem from you, Lilly. Because I love you. Because you have shown me the true meaning of the word.”
“Not very well,” I quip, “if the past week has been any indication.”
He chuckles. “I am not perfect, Lilly. For you, I will make no claims to be. You have seen every side of who I am. Some of those sides—you know this—they disgust me. But if you guide me…if you hold out your hand, and maybe take the lead…I will try to change them. Not just for you. Not just for me.”
He stands, and pulls me up along with him. He wraps his arms around my body and holds me tight.
“But for us,” he whispers.
Chapter Twenty-One
I wake up the next morning utterly refreshed and find the bed empty once more.
“Shit!” I curse. “Shit, shit, shit!”
I don’t need to look at the time to know that it’s way past the hour I was supposed to arrive at the office.
Jeremy—that bastard!—left without me again.
How am I supposed to prove myself capable if he won’t even let me come in to work? What the hell was the point of the employment contract if I’m not even allowed to make good on my duties?
When he gets back tonight, we’re going to have a long, hard chat about exactly what it is he expects of me at Stonehart Industries.
I take a quick shower. As I do, I wonder about our talk last night. Was it a failure? Or was it a vague type of success?
I don’t have any answers about Hugh: Why he got the collar; how he got the pictures; why he showed them to me. At least I know why Jeremy despises the name so much—thanks to Fey’s text.
I marvel at the way things are unfolding. Jeremy told me the story of taking over his father’s company. I assumed after that, he’d just dismissed the man, taking everything from him and throwing him into poverty.
That was naïve of me. If Jeremy’s father had been as successful as I imagine him to be, tossing him aside would have been extremely wasteful. I know the story of Jeremy’s childhood from Charles. No matter what, he respected his father.
And so, it seems, after Jeremy took over the company, he brought the man into his.
What about Jeremy’s brothers? Are they somewhere within Stonehart Industries, working for him, too? Have I already met them without knowing it?
Expose the truth behind one secret and ten more spring up in its place. That’s what it feels like living with Jeremy. I know why he chose me. I know about his vendetta against my family. But I don’t know much else.
The man is, despite the intimacy we’ve shared, still a complete mystery. The things he’s capable of—kindness and compassion included—continue to surprise me. I doubt I’ll ever come to grips with the many faces that are Jeremy Stonehart.
I check my phone after my shower, hoping—wishing—for a message from Fey. Anything that would let me know she’s at least received my voicemail.
There is nothing.
I can’t fight the disappointment that wells up inside. It’s been days since I called her. Enough time has passed for her to get back to me.
It seems that I have truly lost her. The realization saddens me.
I go downstairs, bumping into Rose along the way. She smiles at me. “Nice to have you back, dear,” she says, touching my arm.
Lose one friendship, and gain another? At least Rose and I are on speaking terms again.
“Hey Rose,” I call out just before she turns a corner. “Do you know where the car keys are?”
She stops and turns around. “Yes. But are you sure that’s a good idea? Simon is available—”
“I don’t want to deal with Simon,” I say in disgust. “I got to drive a little bit on my trip, and I’ve missed the feeling. I’ve got nothing else to do today, and Jeremy doesn’t have a problem with me leaving. Don’t worry,” I add after a short pause, “I’ll come back.”
“In that case,” she says, “Sure. I’ll show you. Just follow me.”
***
A few minutes later, I’m sitting behind the wheel of a vehicle I didn’t even know Jeremy had.
It turns out there’s a carport, filled with exotic cars, that I somehow managed to completely overlook. It’s a separate building, not connected to the main house, nestled a few minutes away in a clearing on Jeremy’s property.
There were Porsches and BMWs and Maseratis and even a Lambo. I asked Rose if Jeremy ever drives them himself. She shook her head, and said, ‘Not for years.”
Apparently, he’s more of a collector than anything else.
All the expensive cars intimidated me. I didn’t want to somehow screw one of them up by driving it improperly. So I chose the simplest I could find, and also the smallest: a Porsche 911 Carrera.
Still, it took me a few minutes to come to grips with the fact that I was about drive a Porsche. Growing up, as a little girl, I didn’t exactly have a fascination with cars. But hanging around boys more than girls definitely made me appreciate automobiles more.
I start the engine. It purrs to life. I get goosebumps from the soft vibration. I suppress a giggle, too, then take my foot off the brake, and roll forward through the open garage doors.
I take it slow at first, winding my way over the path leading to the gates. The car controls like a dream. The Toyota I drove in Maine is nothing compared to this. In comparison, the Toyota felt like I had to struggle just to get it to turn. The Porsche seems like it can read my mind, and knows where I want to go before I even steer it.
I drive through the gates and put my sunglasses on. Not because it’s all that bright, but because I didn’t want pictures of me smeared all over the magazines.
Not that I intend on getting out. I just want to experience the freedom of being able to drive around. However, after the Greek restaurant episode, I know that I can’t be too careful.
I take it slow on the residential streets around Jeremy’s mansion. I just want to explore the area. It’s astounding to think that I’ve been living here for so long and still have no sense of the surroundings.
I don’t see many houses. I do see lots of expansive estates. Much like Jeremy’s place. The residences are hidden somewhere deep on the properties.
The streets are all quiet and
empty. Maybe that’s to be expected in an area like this during the day. I doubt there’s paparazzi watching me. So I roll down the window to feel the wind. I can taste the salty tang of the sea. Mixed with the pure, clean, easy-to-breathe air that comes from the evergreens, it swirls around me and fills my lungs. I breathe it in deeply.
I turn onto a side street. Some ways down, I spot a woman walking two golden retrievers. She’s wearing a tight-fitting black and pink tracksuit that clings to her body like a second skin. Her long blonde hair is tied back in a ponytail. She looks around my age.
Just as I’m about to pass, she stops and waves at me.
I gawk for a second, spooked, and instantly start to roll up the window. I catch myself halfway through the motion and stop. What on earth am I afraid of?
“Hey!” she calls out as I pass. “Hey, we’re neighbors, right?”
I stop the car beside her on the road. “Yeah,” I say. “I guess we are. How’d you know?”
“The license plate.” She offers a wry smile. “That’s Jeremy Stonehart’s car, isn’t it?”
“You know him?”
“Oh, we’ve met in the past. Once or twice.” She winks.
My defenses instantly go on high alert. “What do you mean, you’ve ‘met’?” I ask, feeling an unexpected surge of jealousy consume me.
She laughs. “I’m just teasing, babe. I recognize you from the magazines. And I know the Stonehart residence is around here somewhere. Don’t worry. That man’s all yours.”
“I’m not worried,” I say, trying to protect my pride.
She cocks her head to one side. “You sure look worried to me. Anyway, forget it.” She sticks her hand out. “I’m Tracy.”
I hesitate for a split second, then reach out through the window. “Lilly,” I say.
“I know,” she giggles. “But it’s nice to meet you properly. You’ve driven past me a few times this last week—or was it the week before? Anyway, I always see you in the back of that limo.”
“Really?” I ask. “I’m surprised that you could see through the tinted glass.”
Uncovering You: The Complete Series (Mega Box Set) Page 71
