[House of Morgan 01.0 - 03.0] Boxed Set

by Victoria Pinder

  His hands fell to his side as his voice cracked. "Belle."

  She flew past him and opened the door. "Goodbye."

  She refused to look at him as he went out the door. As their arms brushed against each other, the sting of sadness hit her hard. She held together and slammed the door shut the moment he walked outside.

  Everything hit her at once. She stared into the room and no longer fought to stop the waterworks. Tears rushed down her cheeks, and she sunk to the floor and hugged her knees. One question swirled in her mind. Was it so hard for a guy to ever truly love her?

  Night grew darker in the sky, and Belle could barely stand. She used the door to help her, and her limbs shivered from the cold marble floor. Her tears had dried, but she was so numb.

  Her phone beeped that she had a message. Her heart hoped it was Peter as she stumbled across the room to the coffee table. She wiped her face and picked up the phone. She saw it was her friend, and her stomach fell.

  She sniffled and asked, Are you back at the hotel?

  Yeah, but aren’t you on a hot and heavy date with Mr. Monopoly?

  No. He's gone forever.

  Forever? I'm coming up.

  Belle threw cold water on her face in the bathroom. A minute later, a light knock on the door reverberated in the air. She fixed her dress, and with every step to open it, she wished for Peter, though she didn't know what she'd say now. She flung open the door, and her best friend must have seen her wash away the tears.

  “This is bad. You didn’t even cry over Colt.” Em hugged her and said, "Tell me what happened."

  Belle stepped away from the door to let her in. She closed the door behind her and waited for the lock. Then she felt the flood of tears that threatened to reemerge. She rocked on her feet as she stepped closer.

  "Em, today has been the worst day ever."

  Her friend's open eyes just made Belle look away as Em asked, "Why? What happened?"

  She folded her hands and slumped into the couch. This was too much. She kept seeing Peter's wide eyes as he stood in the living room with her and said he called it off.

  She sniffled and shook her head. "Peter used me to win a stupid bet."

  Em's voice was loud, and it pierced through Belle. "He what?"

  She couldn't say he called it off while being publicly videotaped for posterity. Every time Colt and Vicki watched their wedding video, the entire Morgan family would remember how Peter had made a bet to date her. Once again, another guy wasn't interested in her, and she had to forget him.

  She hugged her stomach and avoided Em's stares. "He used me."

  Em sat beside her with one leg on the couch next to her. "Oh, sweetheart. I'm so sorry. You deserved better than that."

  She sniffled. Perhaps she was over reacting and should forgive Peter. Right now her entire body felt wretched and numb. Her eyes opened and she peeked at her friend.

  "The thing is, though, he said he called it off."

  Em shrugged her shoulders. "So?"

  The casual shrug was not what she had hoped for. Em should have said 'forgive him because I would.'

  Belle's shoulders quaked as she said, "So it means he's still in my heart and part of me wants to forgive him so I can see this through. Can you do something for me tonight?"

  Em's gaze narrowed, and she stood up. "What do you need? Alcohol? We can hit the bar and drink away your tears?"

  A bar might numb her mind tonight. She purposely took out her phone and charged it in the corner of the room. She'd not be tempted to drunk call Peter if she didn't have her phone. Her throat was sore from crying. She lifted her head.

  "Yeah, that sounds good. You know me well."

  Em headed to the door fast and smiled as she flung it open. "Let's stop in my room first. I want to change into a nice pair of jeans in case there is a hot guy for me. You're clearly off the market tonight."

  This was a dress she had worn to be with Peter. Perhaps her friend was right that she should put on a pair of jeans and her tee shirt. She rushed upstairs and stared at her mother's picture on her bedside.

  "I'll meet you there then in five minutes."

  "We have a plan." Em walked to the door and let herself out.

  The music blared as Belle made her way through throngs of people who sat around and drank. The dance floor under the moon played heavy samba music, and a few of the couples seemed deep into each other. She imagined how Peter might hold her as they made their way across the floor in this dance where hands and bodies moved in fluid motion.

  She swallowed and turned away. She saw Em sitting at one of the tables to the side where there were less people. Belle nodded, wiped her hands on her jeans and maneuvered through the crowd.

  As she neared the table, someone spilled red wine on her white tee shirt. She wouldn't stay out now. The man apologized, and Belle walked away.

  She stood and showed Em the shirt. Em pointed to sit anyhow. Belle sank into the metal seat, so she'd not ruin any white cushions. Em pushed a drink toward her.

  Belle stared at it. "I should go change."

  "You're not looking for a man," Em said. "I say beep it and you drink your drink while you blast off all the reasons you hate Peter, and yet you want to go back to him."

  Belle didn't touch the drink and licked her lips. "I do want to talk about Peter."

  Em again reached across the table and pushed the wine glass into her hand. "So ignore the world and tell me. I won't judge, though I did find myself actually approving of Mr. Monopoly for that microsecond we met."

  "Don't call him that, though I shouldn't be defending him."

  If Peter were here, she'd be tempted to tell him to forget everything she had said. But part of her still felt as if a knife was slicing into her heart, and the pain was intense. She gulped her drink and then winced.

  "I don't know what I want to do."

  Em clinked her glass with Belle's and then sipped hers. "You know exactly what you want, but the problem is you don't want to admit it to yourself yet."

  Right now she didn't have to do anything but hope this wound inside her healed. She sipped and finished her glass. "Is it wrong of me to want a guy who is interested in me?"

  "No." Em refilled the bottle without waiting for the staff. "How did this whole bet thing start? How did you find out?"

  Belle held the glass in her hand, but then saw how everyone on the dance floor moved in every direction as the music blared in her eardrums.

  "Jennifer told me."

  "The ex-girlfriend?"

  "The same."

  Em scooted closer and sipped hers, "And you believe her?"

  Belle shook her head no. She'd never forget Peter Morgan.

  She clutched the drink and said, "I shouldn't, but I asked Peter, and he admitted that he made a bet to date me before I even walked in the door of the party."

  "He admitted it?"

  "Actually I knew before Jennifer told me, and didn't ask him about it the first time. It wasn't until Jennifer told me to my face and it felt like derision that I got this upset."

  Em clinked her glass again, and Belle tried to block her thoughts of Peter as Em said, "So you are giving Mr. Monopoly to his ex-girlfriend practically wrapped with a bow on his forehead and a tag that reads ‘he’s yours’, without asking yourself if you can let this all go?"

  "I can't let him go." Belle gulped her wine. "But Peter has so much on his plate already."

  Em sat in her chair. She sipped her drink. "His mother returned. You stood at his side, and you both seemed happy earlier."

  Belle massaged her temples. Everything started to slow down. "I was, but I don't like being used. Once I give in, then it's a lifetime of giving in and being ignored."

  Em placed her hand on her back. "Why in the world would that happen?"

  "It's how my stepmother and father's entire relationship works these days."

  "First they are your parents, so they are old fashioned, and second, forgiveness is not about giving in. It's about acc
epting you're humans who make mistakes."

  She was probably right. "I should go find Peter."

  She stood. She should have asked for details sooner. She was throwing away her chance, and she refused to continue on this path. Hopefully, Peter would forgive her.

  Chapter 24

  Peter unlocked the door to his home. Caro, the maid, ran away like she was frightened, despite the fact she'd been here in the house since she was a baby. Silence greeted his ears, but he smelled Chanel perfume. Now he understood. He narrowed his eyes, as he went toward his bar to fix himself a cocktail. Belle's words haunted him.

  Then he heard a high heel click on the floor. His skin had no reaction, and the air was filled with Jennifer's perfume.

  He grinded his teeth and called out, "Jennifer."

  His eyes widened as she stepped out from the next room in black lingerie that showed off her ample cleavage. He held the empty glass firmly in his hand as he asked, "What are you doing here?"

  "I missed you."

  She sashayed over to him, and the flowery perfume curled his nose. He didn't budge or soften any of his muscles. She came over and wrapped her arms around him.

  Her breasts pushed against his chest as she hugged him. "I made a huge mistake when we broke up."

  He put the cup down and stepped out of her arms. Then he wiped his shirt like she might have put her makeup all over him.

  Once clear of her, he said, "Jennifer, I'm not stupid."

  She flinched, but then opened her eyes like she saw through him. Even her makeup was expertly done for this moment.

  His body tensed as she said, "I never thought you were."

  Once again Jennifer had gone too far, but this time it wasn't other people's lives. It was his. He cracked his knuckles, but then stepped away from her. Belle deserved better than this bitterness.

  "Did you honestly think I didn't know about your vindictive streak and how you set out to stop Belle and me?"

  Her lips parted as she batted her eyes. Jennifer was like a teenage girl who had never grown up, and she had no idea. Life wasn't like one of her telenovelas. She stepped forward and brushed her cleavage against his arm.

  He tugged his hand away as she said, "Is it so wrong I'm not over you? I have told you before, even in high school, you had my heart and soul. We’re good together."

  Nothing she did was okay. He'd start at the beginning. There would be no more her coming over here or interfering with his life. Security would alert him from now on, but he'd tell her.

  He swallowed. "Months ago, you were hostile to Alice for simply coming to my father's funeral."

  "Alice and I are friends now." She covered her lips and shook her head as if her denial mattered. "Peter—"

  Her words didn't matter. He interrupted. "Then with Colt you were stuck up and derided my sister's choice."

  She rubbed her throat and then put her hands on her hips like she had anything to argue with him about. "Your sister had just come back into our lives. She was my best friend, and she wanted to move to Homestead, Florida. You understood."

  He understood. He let her break up with him, so she'd go away without this conversation. Clearly she hadn't moved on.

  He glared at her as he said in a low voice, "Jennifer, we don't suit each other."

  Again she pushed her body into his as if sex would solve all problems. She pushed him toward the bar. He placed his hands on her hips and spun her around to free himself.

  She wrapped her arms around his waist. "Peter, you and I always understood each other."

  This delusion had hurt Belle. Somehow she mattered to him more than he had thought. He stayed close to Jennifer and coldness inched up his spine as he held her. "No, I dated you because you were here, and I didn't have to go look for anyone. Not because I had some great feelings for you one way or the other. I am sorry if that hurts you."

  "Never apologize to me." His fingers were like ice, but she didn't budge out of his arms. "You're upset right now."

  That was it. His muscles were sore, but he held slow, steady breaths so she'd understand everything. "Do you know why my father liked you, Jennifer?"

  Her eyes widened as he stepped out of her arms and poured himself a drink. He kept the one glass and refused to make her one. She was not staying.

  She placed her fingers on his hand. "Mitch was a horrible human being, but he had good taste."

  Good taste was her belief? Peter's eyes must have grown bigger. He controlled his tone as he angled his body away from her.

  "You have no idea. Dad approved of dating you because you were pretty on the arm and easily cut off if you ever got in the way."

  She threw her hands in the air as if she was hurt by what he had said. "I don't understand. You never cared what your father said about anyone."

  His muscles twitched, and he tensed. This was it. He sipped his drink and remembered his dad's blue eyes. His dad had always said to get people to back into a corner with the truth of what they had done.

  "True, but his advice never leaves my head. I will always hear his voice. Did you go and hunt down Belle to tell her about the bet in hopes that she'd leave me?"

  Her face went white. It was hard to see through her makeup, but he had spent too much time with her.

  "Peter...I..."

  He inched closer like his presence might get her to tell the truth as he glared into her brown eyes. "Did you sabotage the one good thing I had going in my life?"

  "You once said I was the best thing in your life." She took a deep breath. "And I didn't think you truly cared about her."

  "You were wrong." He sipped his drink as life lessons from how his father destroyed people flew through his mind. "Then I should listen to my father's advice for once."

  She licked her glossy lips. "What was that?"

  Mitch Morgan would have ensured she ended up penniless and desperate and that she knew who had destroyed her. Peter channeled his father and wanted to take everything she valued from her. Then he swallowed. He wasn't his father.

  "Go. Part of me wanted to ensure you had nothing left, but we're over, Jennifer. We've been over for a long time. I need you to accept that and move on. Rafe's a nice guy."

  He stopped. He'd not be his father.

  "He's a cop." Jennifer took his pause to mean something else. She grabbed his arms and held them to her breasts. "Peter, you're overreacting. We can move forward."

  He'd not be heartless to Jennifer's mother, who had been kind to him with her never-ending pastilitos and Cuban coffee. She didn't have much, but she was kind. Peter recalled this, so he had a nicer picture in his head.

  "Jennifer, you are better off with Rafe. We both know it. Go home."

  She threw herself into his arms as if she was desperate. "Peter, Belle didn't love you."

  Love was a hard word for him to even think about. The Chanel perfume clogged his brain, and he missed apples.

  He kept his voice low as he said, "That doesn't matter. She was someone I discovered actually does have a heart. She was more real to me than any other woman I have ever met. Now I understand what my brother and sister both told me about picking someone who makes your heart stir. You deserve that too."

  He walked out of her arms and finished his drink. Then he tried to walk out of the room.

  Jennifer grabbed his arm and tugged him to come to her. "Peter. Wait."

  He shook his arm to get her off as he turned around. This conversation was over. Jennifer needed to accept that.

  "My staff will bring your clothes and anything you left in my house to the car or your home. I have to go."

  Tears pooled in her eyes. "Peter, I love you. I'd do anything for you."

  Waterworks didn't fix this. His legs were planted wide apart "We tolerated each other, but it wasn't love. Let's not mix up the past and what we want in the future."

  Sobs emerged from her as she cried. "Peter, what happened to you?"

  Without another thought he snapped, "I found someone I do love. I'll have
Caro show you out."

  Her eyes stopped with the tears, and she wiped her cheeks. "Don't bother. We both know once Belle disappears you'll be back. We always find our way to each other."

  He loved Belle. He should have known that. He hadn't even thought it until now. Any chance with her started with severing Jennifer from their lives. Footsteps from around the corner echoed in his ears. He lowered his gaze to Jennifer as he heard the light footsteps of his staff in the background.

  "Caro, please gather Ms. Gonzales's personal items and show her to the door."

  “Absolutely Mr. Morgan.” Caro stepped out of the shadows and nodded her head. She went toward the living room to collect Jennifer's things.

  Jennifer’s hands clutched in prayers as she said, "Peter, despite everything you said, I'd take you back if you asked."

  She threw herself on the ground and tugged at his legs.

  He stepped out of her grasp. "Have some dignity. We are not living in one of your telenovelas."

  He heard the door close and Caro yelled something in Spanish that made his ears blushed. He chose to ignore the comment and walked outside to stare at the ocean and his yacht. The only place he'd been happy in a long time was with Belle on the yacht. Nothing stirred except a party boat in the ocean that took pictures.

  He loved Belle. He had to find a way to tell her and beg her for another chance.

  Peter changed his shirt to ensure no smell of perfume remained anywhere on him. He took a fast shower and changed. The water wiped away how clammy his skin was from being near Jennifer. He loved Belle and would never leave her, if she forgave him. Tonight he'd sleep in the hotel hallway until Belle came out. He'd have to apologize to her and beg her for another chance.

  His heart thundered that she'd leave if he didn't find a way to tell her that she believed.

  Finished, he strolled through his empty mansion with enough grounds to host twenty middle class families that might never see each other. The walls had art, but nothing was warm here. No matter what he did to the place, Mitch Morgan and the lessons of the House of Morgan lived in every corner. Peter vowed he'd find a way to make this place a home and not a mausoleum.