by T. C. Clark
He knew she wouldn’t leave now even with Luca gone. Not with Ashley depending on her help for the ending of the shower tomorrow. For once in his life he made himself forget how his mother left him and looked at their relationship from her point of view.
She had made it clear from the beginning that she wanted marriage and children, dropping subtle hints as their relationship developed and he’d pointedly ignored them. He thought about how she felt upon hearing he was already engaged from the mother of his intended bride and grimaced.
He should have handled this better. He didn’t want to admit it but she was right. If his daughter was in a relationship like this, he would have told her to leave him and probably would have made it his goal to destroy the bastard.
He couldn’t deny the pain he’d seen on her face tonight and it hurt his heart to think that she believed he didn’t value her. Realizing all of this changed things, but it also confused him even more.
In the beginning, he’d had no intention of marrying Ada, but not because he lacked feeling for her but because he didn’t believe in the institution. That piece of paper didn’t mean a thing. He knew now that keeping Dabria in the background had been a safety mechanism for him in case a relationship got too serious.
He thought of an alternative life where he let Ada go. He imagined running into her and a fictional husband, her belly swollen with their child and his blood ran cold. He made himself feel the pain, the rage at the thought. He knew once Ada had committed to marriage and children with someone, there would be no chance of them ever being together again.
He owed Dabria for her help. She’d helped him at a time when he and his family were at their most vulnerable. The vow he’d made upon realizing the truth about her personal life was a real one. Although he’d paid her back the money, he could never repay the kindness that she’d shown them in those early days.
He broke into a sweat trying to imagine his life as it was before with the stream of beautiful if indifferent women and his constant drive to have more. He had to talk to Dabria, if marriage and children were what Ada wanted from him then he would find a way to make it happen if only to stop the bleak future he imagined without her. An image that created a cold knot of dread in his chest.
* * *
Dabria put down the phone and starred out of the window. She couldn’t let Nikos keep his promise, it had been such a sweet one made at a time in her life when she really needed it. But she couldn’t allow him to be responsible for her happiness. She’d called both of her parents and asked them to meet her at their family home in Athens next weekend. She would tell them then and deal with the consequences.
She couldn’t let another person be hurt by her fear. She couldn’t tell them over the phone, this bombshell could only be dropped face to face. She would keep her secret for one more weekend and then she would release Nikos and hopefully, he could fix his relationship with Ada.
She smiled sadly at the image in the mirror. She didn’t want Nikos to feel the soul-crushing sadness that came with losing the love of your life. It was ironic that it had taken his situation to make her brave when just a few months ago she’d let the only person she’d ever love go because she couldn’t face the reality of people knowing the truth.
* * *
Luckily no one stopped Ada as she rushed back to her suite; she was not up to polite conversation right now. She sunk onto the bed her body completely drained of energy. She’d half expected Nikos to come after her and was relieved to find he didn’t.
She knew he was still processing everything she’d said. She waited for the satisfaction to come from getting closure but found nothing. The end result would always be her without Nikos and that hurt….A LOT.
But she wouldn’t be someone’s other woman, she couldn’t do it. Even as she replayed their conversation in her head and realized that whatever relationship Nikos and Dabria had was not a normal one, it didn’t change the fact that he’d lied to her or that in the end, he couldn’t offer more of a commitment. Even if Dabria hadn’t come in the picture, their relationship wouldn’t have survived that.
She needed to take a long shower and eat something. She had a job to do and she wouldn’t allow this emotional turmoil to stop her. She stopped when she saw all the missed text messages that glowed on her phone. It only took her a moment to check them.
Surprisingly, they were all from Luca. She smiled as she opened the first one, but the smile was gone by the time she got to the last one. She knew when she left Nikos that he’d been angry but not this much. He was a man who’d been likened to a war general in business because of his strategy and planning, and apparently, he’d used that skill to target Luca.
Luca seemed to be taking it in stride showing no signs of distress. From what she gathered from his messages the only reason he’d told her about it was because he had every intention of retaliation and he wanted her to know Nikos had fired first.
She thought about the two men who were so similar. If it wasn’t for her, they could have been friends. She wouldn’t allow her past relationship with Nikos to hurt Luca. He’d been there for her when she’d needed someone. He hadn’t pushed her when she’d told him she wasn’t over Nikos and she knew that was something new for him.
She asked Luca to give her a day to talk to Nikos and figure out how to put a stop to this. It had taken her five minutes of solid begging before Luca had agreed to her plea. She knew this was about pride for Nikos. She wouldn’t let the people who worked hard at both of their businesses have their jobs threatened. She would find a way to fix this.
* * *
Nikos ran the grounds of the hotel in an effort to clear his mind. He hadn’t slept at all last night after his conversation with Ada. In all of this time he’d never seen the relationship from her eyes, never needed to. She had loved him well, always being there when he needed her, never putting him second in her life.
Remembering their life together over the past two years loosened the bitterness he had over her disappearing. The rage he’d felt at the time wasn’t only for her, but also for the mother who’d left her kids behind to fend for themselves.
She’d disappeared, leaving one night never to return. The call of the drugs too strong to keep her with them. Her betrayal had colored his view on women and made it impossible for them to get too close to him.
Well, everyone except Ada. Their chemistry was explosive. It had blinded him to the depth of his feelings. When they’d first got together, he was sure his need for her would wear off after a few months, but he’d been mistaken.
Every moment with her was like feeding an addiction. He didn’t just want her in a sexual way; no he wished it was as simple as that, to only need her body under his would make this situation bearable.
No, he needed her in his life in every way. He continued his run sweat pooling down his body. His pace was punishing, but he pushed on. He needed to calm down before he approached Ada again. He would have to plan his next step carefully he had a feeling he was treading on thin ice.
When he got back to the room last night Dabria had been asleep. He had been relieved because he knew the first step to fixing his relationship with Ada would have to begin there.
He didn’t know how to tell Dabria that he could no longer act as her shield. But he would figure it out. Also, he would make sure she understood that he would support her as if she was his family.
If her family cut her off, she would want for nothing. He would make sure of it. He recalled a time when he’d been working night and day to create a home for his brothers. The poor Greek kid who would do anything for money.
His pride still hurt from the pure desperation he’d felt at only fifteen years old. When his mother had walked out on them, it fell to him to provide and care for his broken family. He could still remember Dabria watching him work so hard with her kind doe-like eyes.
She had been one of his only friends back then. Often dropping food off when he wasn’t around, knowing he wouldn’t acce
pt her charity. He’d let the pain shape him and empower him. He worked hard and kept his grades up only to be gutted when he was accepted into a world-renowned and extremely expensive university overseas. That was the one and only time he’d lost it and small Dabria had found him crying in his backyard.
His life had been hard, but he’d held his family together with his steely determination and quick wit. But even he knew that would only get him so far, he didn’t have the money to move his brothers overseas and he would die before he left them behind.
When he’d opened that envelope he’d watched his dreams disappear before his eyes and the dam he’d kept so tight burst. Dabria had found him and held him as he cried out his frustration. He hadn’t shed a tear when his mother left them, not even when he’d had to work two jobs and keep his brothers alive and well. But knowing his dream future was just out of reach proved to be too much.
Before Dabria left, he’d made her promise not to speak of this to anyone else. She’d become as close as a sister to him. So he knew she could be trusted with this. She’d returned the next day at dawn just before his shift at the restaurant.
“Take this and go, Nikos, go do something with your life. You’re meant for something more.”
“What is this?” he asked his face going red.
“You will say you can’t take it because of your stupid pride. But I will not let you deny the future you dreamed of. This money will get you through university and help you take care of your brothers while you’re there.”
“I won’t take your charity,” he said his jaw set in a hard line.
“It’s not charity I expect you to repay me in full in ten years,” she said genuinely not breaking his stare.
“I can’t take this,” he repeated, even though his soul begged him to reconsider.
“You will Nikos because you are meant for more. Everyone sees it that’s why the others no longer taunt you. They recognize the man you will become. This money… it literally means nothing to me. I’ve always had it and I probably always will. Yet it can change the course of your life; don’t stand in your own way. Live for everyone who can’t,” she said sadly.
In the end, she had refused to back down, and he had done the one thing he had sworn not to and accepted her help. He’d taken his family to the States and hadn’t looked back. When she’d arrived only three years later, he’d thought she’d come for her money.
But he’d been surprised to find the gentle girl he’d left behind desperate and afraid. She’d begged him to step in as her fictional fiancé. Apparently, her parents had arranged her marriage to a family friend. After revealing exactly why she couldn’t do this, he had known the only way to protect her was with his name. After everything she’d done, he’d been quick to do so.
Anyone who really knew Dabria and Nikos knew they didn’t have a normal relationship. She had been kind to him when he was ready to turn his back on the world and in turn, he had protected her for the last decade with their impending engagement. This was a mess. He’d never expected that anything would make him break his vow to his dear friend, but then he hadn’t expected to find love either.
* * *
Ada took another sip of cucumber water and smiled at yet another person she didn’t know. She could feel Nikos watching her from the other side of the room but refused to meet his eyes. She had already decided to corner him after dinner and demand that he stop messing with Luca’s company.
She feigned interest in the people around her trying to focus on the conversation but had a hard time doing so. Dabria followed her as she visited everyone at the party; it was as if the tiny Greek woman was stalking her.
She knew a few of the woman looked at her differently. Apparently word had gotten out about the Nikos and Dabria situation, and it hadn’t painted her in the kindest light. The only thing that seemed to keep the crowd from tearing her apart was Dabria acting as her constant defender.
No matter where she went there she was making sure everyone treated her well. When one of the girls had made a cutting comment about the role of mistresses it had left her speechless. Dabria stepped in and dismissed the girl with a quickness that made it clear that she had her back.
Once she’d finished her last round and was sure the event was going well, she had pulled her aside.
“Why are you defending me?” Ada asked her warily when they were alone.
“Because you’ve done nothing wrong and some of these people are idiots throwing stones in glass houses,” she said with a frown.
“The engagement between you and Nikos, is it real?” She found herself asking, needing to know the truth.
“In a sense it is. He would have married me but for not for the reason, you think and that was before he met you.”
“Why are you still engaged?” She asked.
“It’s not a story I can tell you yet. But know that soon I will release him from his promise to me. I know he messed up with you but if it’s any consolation, he was destroyed when you left,” she answered.
“He should have never have lied to me about you,” Ada murmured her eyes finding the man in question.
“You are right but I think somewhere in his heart he knew you wouldn’t agree to a relationship with him if you knew the truth,” Dabria said turning to look at Nikos too. He was watching them both as they talked. His eyes full of pain.
“That doesn’t make it right.”
“I didn’t say it did. I’m just saying that man has as much pride as a king and he lied to you in order to get you. I would say he wanted you more than anything else he’s ever wanted and a need that great can only be love.”
Ada ignored her comment. She was done with reading between the lines with Nikos. If he wanted her, he needed to prove it.
“I still don’t understand why you’re not upset. Even if there is no love between you too. It must have hurt you to see me live openly with him. Finding out about you nearly destroyed me.”
“Trust me when I say this thing between us isn’t what you think and that yes he lied to you but it was not because he had some traditional Greek bride waiting for him,” she whispered watching her face. She kept her voice low so the people around them couldn’t hear their conversation.
“Dabria why can’t you just tell me what’s going on?”
“Please let me have just one more weekend of normal. I will tell you everything soon after I speak with my family. I don’t want you to give up on him… trust me, he’s worth the fight,” she said. Sensing she had said all that she could to convince Ada that there was nothing romantic between them, she turned and left.
Ada watched her leave with a sad smile. Dabria didn’t understand that it wasn’t just the hidden engagement that upset her, it was also his belief that they could or would never have a future. She’d trusted him more than any other man in her life and he had hurt her badly.
They had been in trouble long before she’d come on the scene. She needed this weekend to be over so she could go home and think about what her future could be without him. This last month had been about pulling through the overwhelming sadness that had nearly consumed her; and facing the gut-wrenching despair that came with the ending of a love affair.
Even if Nikos hadn’t loved her, she’d loved him. Her heart found it difficult to accept that he was no longer hers. She needed to rebuild her defenses against him before she approached him about his involvement in Luca’s company.
She smiled as another group of people walked up to her and put on her best game face. Right now she needed to focus on helping her friend. She kept her eyes firmly on the French couple talking excitedly and refused to meet the intense gray eyes watching her from the other side of the room.
* * *
Nikos kept Ada in his sights as he circled the room. He’d told his contacts to stand down in his battle with Luca. He had a feeling she’d already heard about it by the nervous looks she’d given him. Ada hated confrontation, and he knew she was gearing herself up for one with him
. He needed to remove as many obstacles as he could for the both of them.
He’d already decided after his long run that he would do whatever it took to bring them back together. He saw an Australian businessman sauntering up to him and grimaced. He’d never liked the man, or the envious looks he’d cast whenever he’d come across Ada at business meetings.
Their companies sometimes worked together, so he forced a smile as he approached. The man stood nearly as tall as him with bright blue eyes and a harsh jaw. His white blonde hair drew the attention of the women in the room. He looked as if he’d had too many cocktails.
Nikos preferred traditional serious businessmen such as himself. Brad was the new age one who surfed on the weekends and had drinks at his office after work. But despite his light attitude, he was fantastic at making money.
“Hey, Nikos that deal with Antos Shipping was good on ya. I stopped by their operation last week and it’s was doing bloody well,” he said his accent overly loud in the room.
“Thanks, it ended up working out. How do you know Michael and Ashley?” He asked as he examined his business acquaintance. He looked like he was in… pain. His eyes glittered as they found the couple on the other side of the room.
“Me and Ash… we go way back, yeah,” he looked at the petite and the very pregnant brunette across the room longingly. He took a step in their direction and then stopped his body going rigid. Nikos was sure he was having a conversation with himself in his head.
“Oh,” Nikos said surprised at how much emotion Brad was showing and then he pictured himself in his shoes. He imagined showing up to an event hosted by Luca and Ada and watching her across the room pregnant with someone else’s child. He knew he wouldn’t be able to guard his emotions either. He scowled as the pain from the picture in his mind soured his stomach.
