My mother was an artist. There was always paint, or clay, or something else to be found on her clothes. Her hair was always pulled up into a messy bun, and she always seemed to be smiling.
Selena’s skin bore none of the same evidence as Mom’s that she’d spent any time in her life smiling. I’d seen her giving polite smiles to people, but I’d never heard her laughing or seen her really grinning at someone.
Those brown eyes of hers were so much like Tristin’s and yet nothing like his at all. Especially not that day. They were cold and calculating as she looked me over. Then she started putting one expensive high-heeled shoe in front of the other as she walked toward me.
I’d only just barely turned eighteen. I wasn’t exactly knowledgeable or mature. Selena was a grown-up, polished, powerful woman who intimidated the crap out of me.
In all the years I’d known her, she’d never come around to my house. For that matter, she’d never really talked much to me at all.
As soon as that thought dawned on me, I realized something was going on. My immediate thought was that something had happened to Tristin, and my heart jumped into overdrive. Tears sprung to my eyes, and my textbook fell off my lap from how much I suddenly started trembling.
“Is he okay?” I asked, panic squeezing my insides so hard it was difficult to breathe. “What happened?”
She frowned at me before giving me a dismissive wave. “He’s fine. Or at least, he will be fine as long as you and I can reach an understanding.”
“An understanding?” I all but stammered, my skin feeling like it was getting flash frozen. “An understanding about what?”
“About your relationship with my son.” She ascended the few stairs to join me on the porch, seemingly without even walking. The way she moved was so graceful it was like she was floating instead.
There was another chair beside mine, but she gave it one look, her lips curling again as she decided against taking a seat. It made it even worse that she remained standing at the top of the stairs, just a few feet away and looking at me with such disapproval that I actually flinched.
When I opened my mouth to ask her what she was talking about, she silenced me by lifting a French-tipped finger. And then she proceeded to make my world come crumbling down around me.
“I’ve indulged this little dalliance you’ve been carrying on with Tristin for long enough,” she said, her voice crisp and clear. “Since it seems that neither of you are inclined to end this madness before it goes too far, it’s time for me to step in.”
Her gaze flicked from the chipping paint on our outside walls to the one side of the gutter that always seemed to sag no matter how often we fixed it, and then to the slightly broken-in-places in the floorboards she was standing on. I still saw her resulting sneer in my nightmares from time to time.
Without giving me the chance to protest or to say that it was much more than a “dalliance,” she narrowed her eyes at me again. “You’re a nice girl, Brittany. I’m sure you’re going to grow into a fine young woman, but you’re nothing more than a distraction for my son.”
Those words were the first dagger she shoved into my heart. She continued to add a thousand more to that first one, and then it got even worse, like she was twisting them all to carve everything I felt for Tristin right out of my heart. It didn’t work, but it was painful enough that it should’ve.
“Tristin’s life has been mapped out for him, and there’s no place for you in it,” she said. “You will never fit into the world he’s destined for, you’ll never be accepted in it, and worst of all, if you don’t end things now, you will be holding him back.”
That was what had stuck with me over the next few days until I’d plucked up the courage to break up with him, shattering his heart and my own in the process. She hadn’t stopped there either.
“I know you think you love him, and I suspect he thinks he feels the same way about you, but it’s not true. You are children, and this infatuation you have going on is now starting to threaten both of your futures. Tristin has a duty, and he accepted that before he met you. Now he’s talking about moving away to go to college and even moving in with you.”
She touched one hand to her chest, literally clutching her pearls. “You didn’t honestly think Luke and I would let that happen, did you? Boys think with their hormones, darling. Surely a smart girl like you must understand what would happen if you two moved in together?”
My heart was hammering in my chest, but her question had obviously been rhetorical. She didn’t wait for me to answer. “You don’t want to be the girl who gets knocked up by a man who’s just going to leave you sooner rather than later, do you? I know he’s been talking about how the two of you are going to get married, but he’s eighteen. He doesn’t even know what he wants for dinner tonight, much less who he wants to tie himself to for the rest of his life.”
“But we—”
She gave me a patronizing smile, her red-painted lips sliding up at the corners for only half a beat. “Oh, sweetheart. I’ve heard from Tristin that you’re supposed to be intelligent. If that’s true, you know what you have to do. Especially if you love him as much as you think you do. Let him go. Don’t be the weight holding him down when he was born to soar.”
And that had been what it had come down to for me. As much as I still didn’t think she’d meant literally letting him soar like he had as a pilot, I hadn’t wanted to drag him down. Hold him back.
I happened to agree with her that he’d been meant for great things. I just hadn’t thought his involvement with me would keep him from achieving those things.
After she’d left, I’d gone up to my room, rolled into a ball while I sobbed, and I’d stayed that way until the next morning. The days that followed had been some of the longest in my life, but I’d convinced myself that she was right.
The Ramseys were practically royalty in this town. Royalty didn’t commit to commoners just because they’d started dating those commoners at sixteen.
Eventually, I’d made up my mind that breaking up with him was the only choice. It also wasn’t only because she’d warned me that she would be back if I didn’t take her advice, reiterating that I was supposed to be smart and that meant making “smart decisions” for my future. And for his.
In the months after I’d done it, I’d barely been a functional human being. The heart was a vital organ for a reason, and I’d given mine away. It was only near the end of my freshman year in college that I’d started surfacing from the fog, and even then, it had taken me a lot longer than that before I really began to pick up the pieces.
“Brittany.” Beckett’s sharp voice cut into my thoughts, yanking me back to the here and now where he was standing in front of me in my garden, snapping his fingers irritably in my face. “I said, are you ready? I thought we were going to the antiques market this morning. If we’re late, someone else might buy my teapot.”
“Right.” I blinked a few times until the memories became hazy again. Clearing my throat, I offered him a tight smile and got up. “I’m ready. Sorry I didn’t hear you coming in. I just got a little lost in my head for a minute.”
“A minute? I’ve been banging on your door for ages,” he snapped, dark eyes burning into mine as he glared down at me. “Thank God the gate to your garden was open, otherwise we’d have been late for sure. What have I told you about locking it, though? It’s irresponsible to leave it open.”
“Well, then I guess my irresponsibility came in useful today,” I snapped right back. I was so freaking done with him treating me like shit.
His brows shot up, and a burst of air came huffing out of his nostrils, but as he crossed his arms, he caught sight of his watch. “Do not speak to me that way. Since you want to talk later, we can add your insolence to the agenda, but right now, we need to leave.”
Yep. Done.
It seemed he’d leveled up overnight from condescending, patronizing asshole to asshole supreme. If I hadn’t already decided to end it, I sure as hel
l would’ve decided to end it now.
Beckett and I drove to the market in complete silence. He liked to go every weekend, but it bored me to tears. It had been fun the first couple of times, but why a person would want to do the exact same thing every weekend was beyond me.
Once we arrived, I was still stewing, but I was determined to bite my tongue until we were somewhere private. He marched right over to the teapots and was debating over which one to choose when he glanced at me with derision etched into his features.
“Perhaps we should get one for your place as well. I’ve had to put up with the smell of coffee seeping from your pores for long enough. I won’t do it any longer.”
Even the salesperson looked taken aback by his sudden outburst. As for me, I’d had enough. Fuck waiting until we’re in private. Fuck being delicate or tactful about it.
I didn’t even care if he thought I was being childish or immature. I was just… done.
“You know what, Beckett?” I said, taking a step back and putting up my hands. “That’s it. We’ve over. You don’t have to worry about putting up with coffee or my pores anymore, because I’m done putting up with everything about you.”
“Excuse me?” he roared, his expression turning thunderous as he drew every eye around to us. “You and I will be done when I say we’re done, and I don’t say so. I’m ready to settle down, and you’re a suitable wife. I might need to polish you around the edg—”
I snorted, my eyes widening to the point of pain as I glared at him. “A suitable wife? No, thank you. We’re done, Beckett. You don’t own me, so contrary to what you might think, it’s not up to you to decide if and when we’re done.”
“Brittany,” he called after me when I turned on my heels and left him in the dust. “You’re going to regret this if you think you can just break up with me without any repercussions. I’m your boss.”
Yeah. Yeah. It wasn’t easy, but I felt so relieved now that we were done that I didn’t even respond. Let him come after me.
I wasn’t scared anymore. If he tried firing me, I’d go to the school board. He wouldn’t get rid of me professionally without a fight, and if that was what he wanted, then that was how it would be.
Nothing he could say or threaten me with was worth being treated the way he’d started treating me. I detested men who thought of women as possessions, and if I’d had an inkling that he would turn out that way, I’d never have agreed to go out with him in the first place.
As most of those men tended to do, he’d hidden it well in the beginning. I wouldn’t stand for it any longer, and if I knew some of the members of the board, they wouldn’t either. While I didn’t want to cause trouble, I would do it if that was what it took. I would do whatever it took to keep from being pushed out of a job that I loved purely because I wouldn’t put up with his misogynistic bullshit any longer.
I’d let intimidation and fear rule me once, but I wasn’t that girl anymore. If I’d learned anything from the aftermath of my conversation with Selena, it was that sometimes, a person had to push past their fears. Face up to the stronger, more powerful person and simply stand their ground. That was what I intended on doing now.
11
TRISTIN
When my office door swung open without a knock or a warning, I knew without having to look who had come by. My suspicion was confirmed when I glanced over to find my mother striding in like she owned the place. Which I suppose she does, but we’re still going to have to lay down some ground rules.
“Mother,” I said politely, folding my arms on the desk as I watched her striding over to the windows. “I don’t recall us having discussed you coming in to see me today.”
“That’s because we didn’t.” She turned to face me, as perfectly put together as always. “Finish whatever it is you’re busy with. You’re coming with me.”
“Where are we going?” I asked without moving an inch. “I’m afraid this isn’t a good time.”
She arched a brow after sending a pointed look toward the black screen of my computer. “You don’t seem terribly busy to me. If you haven’t even switched that machine on today, it must mean that you’ve got everything so well in hand that you can spend the afternoon with me.”
“I have switched it on. It’s just gone to sleep because I’m thinking about something.” I rolled my chair back. “Where exactly is it we’re going? You seem to be in a rush.”
“We’re going out, and of course I’m in a rush.” She rolled her eyes and glanced out the window again. “If we don’t hurry, we’re going to be late, and that’s simply not an option.”
Assuming that it had something to do with my father since I’d rarely seen her in an actual hurry, I got up and grabbed my phone and keys. “Is it Dad? Does he have a doctor’s appointment we need to go to or something?”
“Your father is fine, darling,” she said, giving me a quick but pleased smile when she saw I was ready to go.
“Are you being intentionally light on the details about where we’re going?” I asked, motioning for her to precede me when we reached the door. “It’s not like you to be vague.”
“Yes, well, I have a surprise for you, and I don’t want to ruin it.” If anyone had asked me, I’d have said that I was suspicious because of the cheerful tone of her voice now that we were headed toward the elevators.
Since there was no one around to ask me, I remained silent. I’d find out where we were going soon enough.
My mother led me down to the executive level of the parking lot, where her longtime driver was waiting with the car she favored these days. Unlike her previous rides, this one wasn’t reminiscent of the type of car a mafia boss or politician might be driven around in. It was a sleek silver Land Rover with tinted windows and all the bells and whistles inside.
So maybe it is reminiscent of what a politician or a mafia boss would be driven in, but it’s better than the pretentious town cars she used to like.
We chatted about how it was going with me at the company once we got in. Everything seemed fine until we pulled up to a very exclusive restaurant, and she turned to me with a bright smile on her face.
“We’re having lunch,” she said. “A very important lunch, at that. Come along. We can’t be late.”
I followed her out of the car, all my senses tingling with the feeling that I was about to walk into a trap. As soon as mother walked up to a table with a faintly familiar-looking woman sitting at it, I knew I was right.
“Tristin, honey.” My mother smiled again as the woman stood up and kissed the air beside her cheek. “You remember Faye Marston, don’t you?”
“Faye Marston?” I said incredulously as I took a second look at the woman standing beside Mom.
She was tall, slender, and beautiful. Pale red hair fell in waves to her shoulders, pinned back on one side with a jewel-encrusted barrette. She was dressed stylishly in a navy sheath dress—which I only knew the name of because of my mother—and high heels with red bottoms.
It was the gray eyes that convinced me that this sophisticated woman standing in front of me was, in fact, the same person as the little Faye Marston I remembered. The last time I’d seen her had to have been at least twenty years ago or so. She’d been the annoying eight-year-old daughter of a transportation magnate my parents often did business with.
My mother’s eyes on me made my skin prickle. She was watching me very closely, her smile growing more forced and impatient by the second.
“Of course I remember Faye.” I held my hand out to take hers, giving it a light shake. “It’s good to see you again.”
Her hand lingered in mine after we’d shaken, and she flashed me a demure smile on her glossy pink lips. “It’s really good to see you too, Tristin. It’s been a long time.”
“That it has,” I agreed, withdrawing my hand from her tightening grip and motioning toward the table. “Shall we?”
“We shall.” Selena met my gaze before giving Faye’s chair a pointed look. Knowing what she meant by it,
I moved past the woman to put both my hands on the back of the chair while I waited for Faye to take her seat.
Once she was settled, I pushed it in for her and then did the same for my mother before going to take a seat on the opposite side of the table from Faye.
The girl who used to follow me around our house whenever they were over stared at me until my mother cleared her throat primly. She glanced at Selena and smiled brightly before turning her attention back on me. “So, Tristin, I hear you’re taking over for your father. You must be so excited.”
“Excited?” I arched a brow, my hand pausing mid-air halfway to my already filled water glass. “Sure. I suppose you could say that. It’s definitely been an interesting challenge. What about you? What are you doing with yourself these days?”
“Faye represents her family on the boards of several local charities,” my mother said with a note of approval in her voice. “She’s been involved in many of the same fundraisers I have.”
“Now that you’re back, I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other at the events,” Faye said. “Perhaps we can even go to a few together. That will be fun, won’t it?”
Jesus. So that’s why my mother insisted I have lunch with her. Apparently, she had found a girl she approved of, and now she was going to make a relationship between us happen through sheer will, just like she tried to with me not enlisting and working at the company instead.
She was throwing Faye Marston at me, and I wasn’t amused by it. I could see why she’d think Faye was a good match for me, but it wasn’t going to happen. She might be a grown woman now, and she was definitely attractive, but not like Brittany.
I didn’t give a damn who her daddy was or what both of the companies stood to gain by a marriage between us. Since I didn’t want to lead her on, I wanted to make it clear from the get-go that I wasn’t interested in whatever scheme she and Selena had been cooking up.
Bad For You Page 8
