by Dawn Brower
His nostrils flared at her taunts. “As if she’d invite you. You’re nothing.”
“Awe.” She held her hand over her heart. “You say the sweetest things to me. Why ever did we break up again?”
She refused to let him bring her down. He’d been a waste of her time. If she could get back the six months she dated him she would. It’d been a mistake, and she’d been blinded by his handsome face. He had gorgeous, golden-blond hair and warm, chocolate-brown eyes. When she’d first glanced at him she’d been smitten. Now she realized how wrong he was for her. His ambition meant more to him than she did. He saw her as a way to achieve even more. What she hadn’t been aware of was his need to climb the ladder at work and in society. Her mother had been his ticket into some exclusive events. Claire hadn’t even realized he’d been using her to gain an introduction to her mother. Then, when Reese came home from medical school, Nolan found himself a new patsy.
“How’s my sister doing these days?” she asked. Reese had started her residency at Envill East in the pediatric wing. Not that her sister had mentioned it to her. No, her mother had that honor. “I hear she’s doing big things here at the hospital.”
“As if you care.”
She did, actually. Reese was her little sister and while smart and ambitious—when it came to Nolan she was quite clueless. One day she might wake up and recognize what a colossal mistake he was. The moment that happened, Claire planned on being there to help her pick up the pieces. When Reese and Nolan first started dating she’d been devastated. Now she realized her sister had done her a huge favor by taking the cheating bastard off her hands.
After an enlightening discussion with her mother, Claire had come to a realization. Her mother would never be on her side and had encouraged Nolan to date Reese. Not once had she stopped to consider her. It was one more reason to keep her mother at a distance. That all had been ages ago. Claire had moved on and found someone worth loving—if the blasted man would come around and admit his feelings it’d be perfect. All she wanted was Matt to love her as much as she loved him. The rest of the world could figure out their own issues. Claire couldn’t muster up even the smallest amount of concern.
“Believe what you want.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Caring what you think doesn’t even make it on my list of priorities.”
Nolan stepped closer to her. He lifted his hand and skimmed his fingers down her arm. “I don’t believe that. I remember how much you used to love my attention.” He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “We can have that again.”
What. The. Hell? Was she in some alternate universe? Had Nolan lost his ever loving mind? He had to have. Otherwise, why would he believe even for one second she’d want anything to do with him? Heck, it looked like she’d have to disabuse him of that notion and fast. She stepped into him, lifted her hand and trailed it on his face. “You still want me?”
“I never stopped.”
Bullshit. He was playing her. She saw him for the ass he was. “Really? I never knew.” It took everything she had not to roll her eyes. Nolan actually thought she was buying his baloney. “What about my sister?”
A shit like Nolan wouldn’t care if he hurt Reese. As much as she wanted him to pay—she didn’t want it to be at her sister’s expense. She deserved better than him.
“Reese doesn’t have to know.” His mouth curved up with cocky assurance. “It could be our secret.”
Her mouth trembled. Not with need or happiness—no, it was unwavering rage. “It’s nice to see how you really feel about us.” She tilted her head to the side. “You have to be the sleaziest man I’ve ever met.”
His lip curled up. “And you’re a crazy bitch.”
A bubble of laughter built up inside of her and spilled out in waves. “You have no idea,” she said between fits of giggles. “One day Reese will wake up and kick you to the curb. I hope it’s sooner rather than later.”
Nolan grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. “There’s one way to shut you up, isn’t there?” His mouth slammed down on hers in a harsh meeting of lips and teeth. Claire had to force down the bile in her stomach from coming up. This jerk thought he had the right to maul her? He would realize soon enough what a mistake that was. She bit down on his lip hard, tasting the metallic flavor of his blood on the tip of her tongue. He jerked back and glared down at her.
“Claire?”
She spun around and found Ren and Matt standing in the open doorway. For once, she was glad Matt’s sight hadn’t returned. The last thing she wanted was him to see Nolan kissing her. It might give him the wrong idea. Later, she’d deal with Nolan and his upper-handedness. He would not make the mistake of believing he could plant a kiss on her again. She wiped her hand across her mouth and smiled. “Hello, Ren.” She turned to Matt and asked, “All done?”
Matt’s mouth was set in a hard line. The muscles in his jaw twitched and his eyes had gone hard. It was almost as if he—no, he couldn’t see anything. It was silly of her to think he had. He kept harping on the fact all he could see was a blur of colors. He wouldn’t know that Nolan had kissed her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, thanking God for small favors. Matt had enough to worry about. It wouldn’t do him any good to have Nolan’s actions thrown in his face. She loved Matt. Nolan was a part of her past she wished she could forget.
“Are you ready to leave?” She reached out and ran her hand across Matt’s arm. “You must be tired.”
“Who’s this?” Matt gestured toward Nolan.
Claire narrowed her gaze and studied Matt. Could he make Nolan out? Was his vision improving? “No one of consequence.”
“Nolan Pratt,” the offending ass introduced himself. “I work at Courtney, Kissinger, and Harrison. Our Claire here used to be my assistant.”
Claire glanced heavenward and prayed for patience. This was not going to go well. Matt was aware where she used to work. He even had an idea of why she left. She hadn’t told him everything though.
His mouth tightened. “Right. I remember seeing that firm on Claire’s résumé”
“It was nice running into you,” Claire told Nolan. “But Matt and I need to be going now.”
“Claire, is that you?”
Damn, that was her sister’s voice coming from down the hall. There was some evil entity at work. Was she going to catch a break at all? Claire forced a wider smile on her face and turned toward her. “Hello, Reese.”
Her sister smiled warmly. “I’m so glad I ran into you. Are you going to be at dinner at Mother’s tonight? Nolan and I might have good news to share.”
She’d rather go have all the hairs on her head plucked out one by one. “I hadn’t planned—”
“Yes, we’re both going to be there,” Matt interrupted her, looping his arm through hers. “Claire didn’t think I’d feel up to socializing tonight after a long day. But I’m feeling great, so I don’t see why we can’t go.”
Her mouth fell open as she stared at Matt in horror. That settled it. She’d stepped into an episode of The Twilight Zone. Why was he doing this to her? Matt was being completely unreasonable and acting out of character. He may not know Nolan was the asshole who drove her from her other job, or that her sister was the one who aided him in destroying a piece of her heart, but he did know her mother drove her nuts. Was he punishing her for some reason? What had she done to anger him? He stared straight ahead, his eyes remaining unfocused. But his mouth—the muscles around his mouth—remained taut. He was pissed.
“Right. I’ll call mother and ask if I need to bring anything.” She would rather stab a hot poker in both her eyes. “I guess I’ll be seeing you both again later.” The bile threatened to come up again. “Are you ready now?” She turned to Matt. Please be done fucking up my evening. She loved him, but in that moment she wanted to kill him.
“Yes,” he said. Then snapped his fingers and reached into his pocket. “Here, Ren made an appointment to see another doctor. Can you add it to my schedule? I don’t want to miss this one.�
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“Oh, yeah, I can do that.” She bit her bottom lip and put it inside her pocketbook. Damn, Matt was acting strange. A bundle of nerves spread through her belly and grew exponentially with every second. Whatever Ren and Matt discussed after she left must have left him in a weird state. She’d figure it out later. Escaping Reese and her ex’s company was higher on her list. “We better be going then.” She nodded at her sister and Nolan. “Bye.”
“Hey, Matt,” Ren called. “Don’t forget Dani and I are coming by on Sunday.”
He shrugged. “No need if you don’t want to. Claire will take good care of me.” His voice was high-pitched and almost—chipper? She shook her head and let it be. It wouldn’t aid her plan to interrogate him then. It would be better if she found a way to do it when they were alone. Especially as sensitive as Matt had been lately.
Ren chuckled. “We’ll still stop by.”
“Suit yourself.” He grinned. “I could use the company. Haven’t seen Dani in ages.”
“She’s been hankering to see you too.” He nodded at both of them. “I have some test results to look over.” He turned toward Reese. “I could actually use your opinion on one. Do you have a moment?”
“I’d be glad to help,” Reese replied.
“Good.” Ren gestured toward her. “Is now a good time for you? I’m rather anxious about this patient’s care.”
Ren glanced at Nolan and then back and Claire. Did he know what happened between them? Claire hadn’t considered anyone at the hospital might know their history, but it was possible. This might be Ren’s way of helping her out. But without Reese as a buffer, Nolan could turn nasty faster than the blink of an eye. She and Matt had to leave, and fast. She didn’t want to be around him for even a second longer.
“Absolutely. Do you have the results in your office?” Reese asked.
Ren nodded. “It is. If you’ll join me inside.”
Reese turned to Nolan and reached up to kiss him quickly. “I hope you understand how important this is. I’ll call you later.”
Nolan’s jaw clenched, but he kept his voice light as he replied, “You’re a busy, important woman. How could I possibly object to you helping out another human being? I’d be a complete cad if I did.” He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. “Don’t forget to call.”
“I won’t,” Reese replied. “But either way, I’ll see you at Mother’s dinner party, right?”
He nodded. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
Reese smiled at him and then turned to follow Ren into his office. Claire gagged at the whole exchange. Had she really been as naïve as Reese was at one point? It was all so clear what a snake Nolan was now. He was so good at hiding his true nature, but once it was revealed it couldn’t slide back behind a mask of congeniality again.
Nolan turned back to Matt and Claire. His lips tilted into a menacing grin. She wanted to punch him in his perfect face and watch a bruise sprout all nice and purple. It was one of her favorite colors... The smugness was too much to take.
“I think it’s time we left as well,” Claire said. Why had they stood there listening to that exchange? “Are you ready?” How many times did she have to ask Matt that before they finally found a reason to leave?
Matt tilted his head and turned his ear toward her. He lifted his hand and rubbed his ear. “What?”
Claire rolled her eyes. What was this now? Was he pretending to be deaf instead of blind? She tugged on his arm and pulled him closer to her. She leaned up and yelled in his ear. “It’s time to leave.”
“Ouch,” he rubbed his ear. “I’m blind, you dolt. I hear perfectly fine.”
She’d thought so, but what the hell did she know anymore. This attitude he was projecting was ridiculous. “Could’ve fooled me. You’ve not listened to anything I’ve said for days now.”
Matt ignored her. “Mr. Pratt, it was a pleasure meeting you. We’ll see you at Mrs. Jackson’s dinner party later.” He then searched for Claire’s arm and allowed her to lead her away without waiting for Nolan’s response. She was grateful to finally leave the bastard in their wake. But she couldn’t help wondering...What the hell was that all about? Claire led him out of the hospital, puzzled over the whole thing. Matt was determined to drive her insane. She wouldn’t ponder too hard over it. He’d tell her what was on his mind when he was good and ready. For now, she had to prepare for a night of horror as her mother berated her for every life choice she’d made.
Oh, goody...
Afterward, she’d have a long overdue chat with Matt. It appeared as if she wasn’t moving out. If his words to Ren were an indication—apparently Matt couldn’t be left on his own as soon as he wanted to. Well, that was fine with her. She didn’t want to ever leave his side. This gave her an excuse to stay with him until he saw reason. One more win to add onto her side of the tally in their war.
CHAPTER SEVEN
After listening to Dr. Sousa tell him it was his fault his vision remained elusive, Matt decided to will it to the front. It was almost laughable as he mentally squeezed, trying to make his vision work. What would it take to erase all his difficulties and claim his life once again? It seemed to be a damn near impossible feat. Then the office door had opened and images assaulted him. He stood there, stunned and unable to move or say anything. A whirl of uneasiness swirled through him as he grappled to understand what was happening. His stomach flipped over inside of him and his equilibrium tilted on its axis. First blurriness and blended colors greeted him, and then it switched crystal clear high definition quality. Nothing was obscured, and it was amazing to finally make out the details of everything in front of him. It was almost as someone had turned a dial on his retina’s and fine tuned them—a switch that had been malfunctioning and now operated correctly. Euphoria flowed through him in waves. This had been what he’d been waiting for to happen. A sudden return of his vision so he could reclaim his life... As long as it wasn’t an optical illusion, a dream, or something meant to trick him—he could allow himself to hope. He couldn’t take it if his vision was taken away from him again. If it disappeared as fast as it came back to him he’d fall apart in every way.
He had to figure out what was going on with him. The suddenness of his returned vision shouldn’t be taken lightly. What mental block had caused his sight to be suppressed in the first place? Ren had most likely been right in that regard. He’d probably been blocking it himself and he’d somehow managed to bring it to the forefront again. What if it disappeared again? How would he be able to handle it if he was suddenly blind once again? This wasn’t something he should take lightly.
The sight he’d been welcomed back into the world with once again was not one that made him particularly happy. He shouldn’t be upset, but he was. His heart dropped out of him and he’d barely been able to regain his composure. Matt’s hand twitched at his side as he repressed the urge to use his fist on the man at Claire’s side. He’d pushed Claire away so many times it was inevitable she’d find comfort in the arms of another man. That didn’t mean he had to like it. If he wanted to change things he’d have to own up to his mistakes and do something to alter them. He’d have to work at winning her back and making her realize she was meant to be with him. He was an utter ass and had a lot to make up to her. A lightning bolt of sorts had hit him in his solar plexus. Saying he’d been a fool was the understatement of the century.
Claire was within reach—all he had to do was find a way to make her his once and for all. There was too much at stake, and he needed to remove his head from his ass and stop being his own worst enemy. This sulking and pity he carried inside of him was his downfall. She was all that mattered, or would ever matter. He should never have tried to push her away, and realized having his sight back was what made him see the truth. She cared about him or she’d not have put up with all of his bullshit.
Matt’s vision was almost as good as it’d always been. He saw in vivid color and clarity. He rejoiced until his gaze landed on Claire and the asshol
e who was kissing her. Then he’d seen red. Nothing but a haze of burning rage filled him. How dare that man kiss her. Claire was his. Crazy how one moment, one choice, and one blinding bit of rage put things into perspective. Claire claimed he was a brilliant strategist. It was time to put that skill into action. He’d pushed her away too often. Hadn’t wanted to be a burden...
Now he saw it as a way to keep her close. He could pretend to be blind a little while longer if it achieved his ultimate goal. He gathered information, plotted, and devised a plan guaranteed to work. All he had to do was suck it up and act as if he needed her a little while longer. The jerk she had been kissing couldn’t have her. The rat bastard didn’t deserve her. Hell, Matt didn’t deserve her. But Nolan Pratt was supposed to be dating her sister, Reese. If he was kissing Claire he was rotten to the core. Who dabbled with one sister while dating the other? There was something not quite right in that equation.
As he stared forward, focusing on nothing in particular, a calmness came over him. When her sister showed up, everything fell into place. He had to protect Claire, claim her as his, and ensure no one hurt her again. She might still have feelings for Nolan, but he could circumvent them. She wouldn’t be so concerned about Matt if she didn’t feel something for him. It was a starting point and something he could work with. In time, if she didn’t love him already, he believed she could grow to. Jerk-face Matt would be put on the back burner and find a way to win the woman of his dreams.
Yeah, she would be pissed about going to dinner at her mother’s, but in the end it would be worth it. Rachel Jackson was one of the many demons he’d slay for Claire. Her mother had damn well better start respecting her. The power trip had to end. It was the only way Claire would find peace.