“Tobias, come back here.”
His shoulders sag as he reaches the top of the stairs, and begrudgingly, he turns around. Every step down is a nail in my heart that this is not what he wants. I want the days back where he ran out of school so excited to tell me about his day.
“Welcome your mom home, son. It’s rude to ignore her.”
The smirk on his face is so loud, I can hear the smarm in it’s silence. I wish I could scratch it off with my fingernails.
Tobias winds his arms around me, but there’s no love or warmth within his embrace. This act is simply that, an act. Nonetheless, I hug him back with every ounce of love I have for him and even more and kiss the side of his head.
Releasing him, he runs up the stairs faster than before in case he’s called back down again, and I desperately need to scream.
“I can make him truly hate you if I wished it so.”
Covering the mask of pain on my face, I face Huxley and his shoulders shake with laughter.
“Give yourself to me and life will be so easy for you, for us all.”
“Hell will freeze over before that happens,” I say, and it only makes him grin, as if I’m offering him a challenge. “It’s not like I’m the only one, Hux. The sheets still smell like eau de whore. I’m assuming you left them that way on purpose, to make sure I knew you had someone in there.”
The grin stays in place, and this overwhelming urge to wipe it off takes over.
“You can roll every willing woman through this house and through your bedroom, but none of them will ever spark an ounce of jealousy in me. If you think your actions will ever make me love you again, you’re wasting your expensive time.”
The grin slips and satisfaction grows. This is what I wanted. I wanted to see the smugness wiped away.
“The only way you’d get to touch me again without me biting your face off is if you drugged me, like you did that night at the beach all those years ago.”
There it is. Every muscle he uses for smirking at me loosens, and his lips form a tight line.
“Yeah, I know about that. I’ll be watching what I drink, so you’ll have to catch me at my weakest.”
I chuckle, but it doesn’t come out right. However, the moment is short-lived. His hand strikes like lightning and his fingers curl around my chin like a vice.
“Then I might as well take what I want, Bug. You’ve got the whole town believing you’re happy to be back and with me. They’d never believe I would hurt you.”
He has me there and he knows it. But I stand tall and maintain eye contact with him.
“You were nothing but a spoilt boy back then, and nothing now but a man with his family’s money. Tell me, Hux, what of this kingdom did you actually earn?”
“Oh, Ally, I don’t need to earn anything. Not this town, not the money, and most certainly not you. Everything, including you, has always been mine. I took you back then and you’re mine now. I win, just like I always do.”
He lets go of my chin and I stumble back a step. I want to rub my jaw, but I keep my hands firmly at my sides.
“I win,” he repeats, and walks around me. Scooping my hair away from the back of my neck, his breath hits my skin, but his lips don’t make contact.
“We have forever, and forever is a long time without touch.”
“Forever is too soon before I give in.”
With that, he’s walking toward his office, and I release a long, slow breath, wanting nothing more than to wash his touch off my skin.
Tobias is in his bathroom, and Trenton is glued to his iPad, as usual. Lately, they’ve have been sharing a room. Sitting on the edge of the dresser, I cross my arms over my chest and clear my throat.
“Trenton, has your dad told you your mom used to be my best friend when we were at school?”
His little head, with his mop of dark hair, shoots up, and I quickly learn mentioning his mom is how to get him to interact.
“No. He said you’re here to look after me like you do Tobes.”
This boy has Kayleigh’s bright green eyes and his father’s black hair. The two together is disturbing.
“How much do you remember about your mom?” I ask him.
Sadness washes over him as he lowers his eyes. Is he ashamed of something? “She only smiled when she was with me. My dad made her sad. I don’t know why, but he did.”
I get that, but I keep it to myself.
“I remember her laugh. She used to laugh every day at school. Sometimes she laughed so loud, the teachers would get onto her about it.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.” I smile, remembering funnier times. I move across the room and sit on the edge of his bed, careful to keep some distance.
“Whenever I was feeling sad, she never failed to cheer me up, and that’s what I’m going to do for you. When you’re feeling sad, I’m going to cheer you up.”
His eyes twinkle and his smile is pure. I almost wonder how it’s possible to be so innocent in this house. His smile remains, and he looks over at the bathroom door.
“I’m not sad anymore. I have my brother now.”
He goes back to playing on his iPad, and my lips won’t move to speak. His and Tobias’s bond is already tight. If I could get away with Tobias, what would become of Trenton? His mother is gone, and Tobias would be as well. He’d be left alone with a monster for a dad.
“Show me up, Bug, and there’s no limit to how much I will make your life Hell.”
Turning my head from him, I watch out the window as the limousine cruises through town. The town square I once found beautiful is now my own version of Hell these days. Tonight is the town’s summer ball, to celebrate the passing of the spring rains to warmer weather.
My gown, floor length and navy fucking blue, fits like a second skin with a slit up the side, all the way up to the top of my thigh. A part of me thinks he chose this dress on purpose, for the exposed partial skin. It’s certainly the closest he’s going to get to it.
“I have no desire to embarrass you. I have no desire toward you at all.”
For once, there’s no comeback, no threat—nothing. He stares hard out of the window and at the darkness passing us by. His eyes flicker shut and he sighs, almost sadly. The car slows and rolls to a stop outside the country club, and he half turns to me.
“Give me one dance without cringing away from me or making a scene, and I’ll keep my distance from you tonight. You can enjoy the ball without me at your side.”
My mouth falls open. This can’t be genuine? Does he want me to question it, and then take the offer back?
I can’t find any trust to put in this, and it’s thrown me off balance. I don’t know what to do or say, so I do nothing, and I don’t say a word.
Huxley’s door opens and I slide across the seat to follow him out. The photographer from the newspaper is hovering nearby, ready to take our picture. Huxley straightens his jacket and fiddles with his cuffs, keeping his back to the camera.
“Do we have a deal, Bug?”
“What about the appearances you want to uphold?”
“They’ll still be in place. I need you happy tonight, and the only way for people to see your beautiful smile is if I’m not near you.”
“You need me happy because you want me happy, or you need me happy for some sort of business deal?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. Do we have a deal or not?”
A night without Huxley around?
“Deal.”
He leans in and presses his hand to my lower back, urging me forward. “Smile for the camera, Bug, and then you can scatter off to wherever you want.”
Huxley remains close, and I place my hand on his chest as I turn into him for the camera. I smile, and the flash almost blinds me. By the end of the night, the only crazy the town will see from me is me being crazy in love with Huxley.
Stepping through the doors, I go left, and he goes right. A waiter passes with a tray of sparkling champagne and I grab n
ot only one flute, but two. Throwing back one, I leave the glass on an empty table and walk around with the second.
I can’t take more than three steps before someone is expecting something from me. Smiles, acknowledgments, full-blown conversations about frivolous things.
I recognise most faces, and I remember most of their names, but there isn’t a single person I want to talk with.
I’m certain I would’ve attended thousands of these functions if I hadn’t left. Guaranteed I would have become an alcoholic to get through them.
* * *
THE PAST
“Darling, look at you,” Regina beams, her heels tapping against the polished marble floor as she glides toward me. I was hoping they would have left for the charity ball without me, but I should have known Regina would take the longest to get ready and keep everyone waiting. Her silver dress shimmers as her body gracefully moves, and her perfume clouds around me as she loops her arm through mine.
“I knew this dress would be stunning on you.”
Gold silk wraps around my body like a sheath from neck to ankle, and my hair is pinned back so tightly, it’s giving me a headache.
Side by side, we walk out to the car while Thomas waits impatiently in the back of the limo, and Huxley smokes his cigarette.
He’s so handsome in his tuxedo. I can’t believe he’s my boyfriend. For a single moment, when he takes me in and he smiles his rare, genuine smile, I forget all the bad between us.
“Allison, you’re taking my breath away.”
A surge of pride overwhelms me, and I take his hand in mine and lean into him as he kisses my cheek.
“Fucking stunning,” he growls hungrily for only me to hear.
The car ride is strained as it usually is when the Bailey-Vaughan’s spend time together.
“With you graduating, people will be asking about your future, and yours too, Allison,” Thomas informs us, and I tense.
Huxley doesn’t like talking about the future, and he rolls his eyes at his father.
“You may hear some rumours I’m selling the bank, and I want you to fuel them. Obviously, we’re not.”
“Why the charade?” Hux asks.
“I’m bored. Peter Hargreeves will be tripping over his feet to buy from me, in which he’ll spend a fortune on needless bids to impress me. But I’ll only be glad to raise a load of money for the kiddies.”
“And you, Allison, with you and our Huxley still going strong, people are wondering what your plans are after you graduate,” Regina adds.
Thomas is grooming Huxley, and his mother is setting her sights on me. This is going to be a great night.
“They can wonder all they like, it’s none of their business,” Huxley grunts, reaching across the seat for my hand. He has his moments that make me remember he’s human after all.
When we arrive at the Ball, it feels like hours of having our pictures taken. I’ve smiled for a thousand pictures for the sake of the Bailey-Vaughan dynasty, yet I’ve never seen a photograph after one of these events.
Thomas and Regina are the stars of the night, and Regina is pleased I’m remembering my manners and all the training she’s given me lately. Dinner is painfully long and boring, and Mrs. Stonewell is intent on making sure Huxley knows her daughter is due to graduate, the same as us, and that she’s first in basically everything she does. She’s the captain of the cheer team and can play the flute like an angel. I’ve never heard an angel playing the flute, but apparently Mrs. Stonewell has.
Huxley isn’t allowed to be rude, as it would bring embarrassment to Regina, who would flip her shit. Yet he openly stares at me while Mrs. Stonewell goes on about her perfect daughter.
“Excuse me.”
Blinking, it takes me a moment before it registers that someone is talking to me.
“Would you care to dance?”
On further inspection, the guy doesn’t look much older than me, and his square jaw ticks steadily as he waits for my reply.
Instantly, I look across the table to find Huxley staring at the guy who is still standing beside me.
“She’ll be dancing with me,” he says, and a rush of relief flows through me.
Huxley slides out of his chair, ignoring Mrs. Stonewell, and rounds the table. His manners are impeccable as he helps me from my seat and offers his arm.
I don’t look back, more than happy to dance with my man over a stranger. Everyone at our table watches our every step and coos when Huxley swings me around and holds me close in the middle of the dance floor.
“Who was that?” I ask, nodding to the guy now sitting at our table.
“Oliver Stonewell. The flute playing angel’s brother.”
And then it clicks into place.
“Was Mrs. Stonewell really trying to set you up with her daughter while hoping my head was turned by her son?”
“That’s exactly what she was up to,” he huffs, and I realise we’re now on the other side of the dance floor.
Huxley is a brilliant dancer, not that he’ll admit it in front of anyone at school.
In one swoop, his hand swivels in mine, and then we’re running through the archway filled with tea lights and into the impressive gardens, filled with lanterns and even more tea lights.
My heels dig into the grass as we run, so Huxley stops and throws me over his shoulder and carries on.
From my viewpoint, all I see are the hedges and neatly trimmed bushes, until he turns a corner and a pool takes over the view.
Inside, Huxley finds a light switch and turns the lights on low.
“Have you been here before?” I ask.
He sure knows where everything is.
“When I was a kid. I would spend hours searching around here. You think these things are boring now, imagine being ten years old at them.”
I scrunch my nose at the thought and bend down to take my heels off. Regina promised I’d get used to them, but each time I wear anything over a kitten heel, it feels like my feet are on fire.
“Leave them on.”
His hands trace over the silk covering my thighs as he comes up behind me.
“I forget sometimes how fucking beautiful you are. I take it for granted because you’re mine.”
“So you’re not going to dump me for the flute playing angel? If you asked nicely, she might even wear her cheer uniform,” I giggle, and his hands roam over my stomach, warming through me instantly.
“I can’t even joke about not being with you, and I certainly can’t stand the thought of someone else’s hands on you. He was brave asking you to dance.”
My neck tingles against his lips, and I lean my head to the side to make room for him.
“I love you, Bug, and I’m not sharing you with anyone, not ever.”
“Forever is a long time.”
“Not with you.”
“It’s time to come in now, Bug.”
I was hoping he would forget, but at the same time, I’m not stupid enough to believe in hope. Stepping inside, the warmth hits me like a blast of air, and I shiver as Huxley’s fingers entwine with mine.
I don’t recognise the music being played. It’s slow and has everyone around us dancing in each other’s arms.
Of course we make our way into the middle of the dance floor, and I’m swung into his arms. My previous days of dancing at these things comes back to me, and my arms wrap around his shoulders. My back straightens like Regina taught me, and then we move.
“All I’ve been hearing is how beautiful you look tonight, and how happy you seem to be home, with me.”
“People in this town always assumed too much,” I snort quietly.
“They always will. Nonetheless, you’ve held up your end of the deal, and so have I. Let’s enjoy this dance and then we’ll go home.”
I bite down on my tongue at the mention of home, but I nod. The music plays its melody, and I focus on its haunting tune.
Huxley’s hold on my hip tightens and he closes the gap between us.
“I don’t want our marriage to be one continual fight.”
“I don’t want our marriage at all. Let me go, and we’ll stand a chance of being happy again.”
“You don’t understand,” he says, making sure I’m still in his arms. “I don’t know how to let you go, so I’ll never try. Every stupid thing I’ve done to you, every stupid thing I’ve said, it’s all because I’m irrational around you. I always have been, and I don’t know why. Finding you again is worth more to me than anything I own.”
I stop swaying to the music and his hold tightens.
“Stop thinking you’re going to get out of this. It’s clear you’re not happy, and I imagine you never will be. That’s why my leash on you will never loosen. As long as I’m happy and you’re here, that’s all I care about.”
“Huxley—” He cuts me off and rests his cheek against mine.
“I hope one day that we’ll be the ultimate couple. I hope our sons will grow up seeing their parents in love. But I have no problem making you go away, only this time, I’ll know exactly where you are.”
“Like your mom?”
“Exactly like Regina, only your estate won’t be as pretentious.”
It takes a moment, but I notice the music has stopped and we’re the only ones left on the dance floor. He moves away from me and tips his head.
“Thank you for the dance, Bug. Let’s go home.”
Later that night, Huxley doesn’t bother cuddling up to me. He falls asleep, content in knowing that I’m here. He knows I won’t leave, and he probably sleeps better for it.
My plan to make sure the people of Bailey Cove believe I’m not unwell is going smoothly. What I want to know is Ryder’s plan, and what the hell he’s up to.
The next morning, I wake with a smile on my face and a new plan. I’m going to win my son back by going through Trenton. The two of them are stuck like glue, and Trenton doesn’t hate me.
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