“He might’ve wifed her, but he also un-wifed her. Are any of these even words?” A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips before she took a long sip of her coffee. After swallowing it, she gave me a disappointed look. “I can’t believe you’re going down without a fight. This ex of his is obviously trying to mess up the thing you and Ben have going.”
“If the thing between us is so fragile that it can be messed up by Nic, then maybe it wasn’t made for the long term anyway. Better to find that out now, right?” My heart was pretty sore as it was. If I’d given it another month with Ben, I’d have been shattered when something like this happened.
“You can’t give up that easily.” She waved a finger at me. “Don’t you want to fight for what you have?”
I gave a weak smile, sadness leaching into my very soul as I shook my head. “I’m so tired of fighting. Maybe Ben needs to be the one who does the fighting. That’s if he even cares about me at all.”
As if on cue, a knock sounded at our door. My sister broke into a grin. “I wonder who that could be. I’ll just mosey on over there and have a little look-see, shall I?”
I rolled my eyes at her but nodded. Just thinking about all the fighting Ben and I had done over these last few months was making me feel exhausted. If I never had to move off this chair again, it would be too soon for me right now.
Kari, on the other hand, looked strangely energized as she headed for the door. She’d read too many of those romance novels of hers if she really thought it was Ben out there—and that there was any chance at a happy ending for the two of us.
It pained me more than it should’ve, but I knew Ben and I weren’t written in the stars. No matter what I’d thought the other night, our relationship hadn’t been forged in fire. It had simply gone up in flames.
“It’s Ben,” she called excitedly after opening the door. “Or at least, I think it’s Ben. He’s hot, looks rich, and he smells good. It’s him, right?”
“Probably,” I replied.
“Want me to slam the door in his face?”
I heard the rumble of his voice, the volume too low to make out what he was saying but loud enough to know it was definitely him. Kari might be excited about this development, but I was quite sure this was going to be nothing but the next blow against me. He was probably here to fire me all over again.
Goodie.
I couldn’t muster the energy to stand up, but I knew I’d rather have this conversation here than at the office. At least here, there was only Kari to witness my next humiliation. That wasn’t so bad. She’d seen me in so many embarrassing situations that she might not even remember this one a few years from now.
“No, let him in,” I yelled back, straightening my spine. It was the best I could do to at least look prepared for whatever was about to happen.
My sister didn’t follow my instruction immediately, and I could only imagine the death glare she was giving him and the way she would have her arms crossed tightly over her chest. “You better fix this fuck-up of yours and never hurt my sister again, or I’ll make sure you’re not welcome in any of the city’s finest dining establishments.”
“If she even agrees to hear me out, I promise I’ll do my best to fix it. As for hurting her again, well, the only thing I can say is that I never meant to hurt her in the first place and I’ll do everything in my power to never do it again.”
There was a long pause before I heard Kari’s footsteps padding toward the kitchen. She popped her head in, a meaningful look on her face when she mouthed, “Just talk to him.”
“Well, I’m off to buy all the discounted Valentine’s candy at the supermarket. I’ll give you two some space to talk. Don’t kill him, okay? It’ll get blood everywhere, and apparently, it’s real difficult to get that cleaned up properly.”
She gave me a wink before darting into her bedroom, swapping out her pajamas for a warm jacket and a pair of sweats before waving goodbye when she came back out. In the blink of an eye, she was gone and Ben stood in the doorway to the kitchen, dwarfing the room with his size.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw him, and for just a moment, I allowed myself to stare at him before yanking my gaze away. If I was being honest, he looked like hell.
He was still incredibly handsome. No bags under his hazel eyes or messy hair would ever change that. Like me, it didn’t look like he’d gotten much sleep. There was stubble on his jaw that wasn’t usually present, his skin was pale, and his clothes were almost as ratty and rumpled as my robe.
“What are you doing here, Ben?” I asked softly, trying to ignore the pain in my heart that had doubled the moment he’d walked in.
His chest expanded on a deep breath, the tip of his tongue dipping out to wet his lips before he breathed out deeply through his nose. “I’m here to set the record straight. Again.”
Well, I supposed at least that was better than getting fired, but I wasn’t looking forward to hearing what he had to say. Or maybe I was. After talking to Kari, I was more confused than ever.
All that I really knew for sure was that if that Nic woman was in his life anymore at all, then I wouldn’t be. It was as simple, and yet possibly as complicated, as that.
Chapter 38
BEN
“The record is so crooked, it can never be set straight,” she said but waved me into the kitchen anyway. I didn’t like the finality in her tone, but I understood it.
Moving deeper into their tiny kitchen, I resisted the urge to go to her and placed my palms flat on the counter between us instead. I was determined to explain things to her, but I also knew this was a Hail Mary.
After debating with myself about it all night, I’d decided that I at least had to come here. I figured if she tossed me out on my ass, then I could always regroup and try to come up with a different plan. One thing I knew was that I wasn’t just giving up. I couldn’t. Not because of a stupid stunt Nic pulled to try to give me a reason to pay her off so she’d leave me alone.
“I know your one condition for agreeing to go on that date with me was that I’d leave you alone if it didn’t work out. I’ll respect our agreement if you want me to, but I’d really appreciate if you’re willing to hear me out. Please?” I held her gaze and detested the pain I saw looking back at me.
She shrugged but didn’t say anything. Taking her silence as my cue, I didn’t waste any time. I doubted I had more than a couple of minutes, and there were a lot of things I needed to say in that time.
“Nic was lying, Tori. We’re not seeing each other, nor have we ever been off again, on again. She’s taken me back to court because she’s trying to get our pre-nup voided. The only thing she cares about is money, and that was what she came to my house for. Money. Not me. Just my money.”
Still without saying anything, she focused intently on me. I didn’t need her to say anything, though. The best I could hope for was that she listened and that she believed what she heard.
“The only reason I left the kitchen with her at all was because she’s relentless. She’d have hung around all day trying to get me to give her a minute in private and I thought it was better to just get it over with. I didn’t want her bugging us all day, so I gave her the damn minute. Then I told her to get off my property and never come back.”
I let my head drop forward, hanging it between my shoulders as I shook it. “When I stormed out on her, I should’ve gone right back to you. I really didn’t think she’d stoop as low as she did, though. I went to make it clear with my security guys that I never wanted her in my house again and told them to change the locks.”
Rage swelled up in my chest again when I thought about what Nic had said to Tori about us, but now wasn’t the time to cuss out my ex. She was my past, and I was here hoping to win back my future.
“Nic and I never had any kids together, but I wanted them. Eventually, I thought anything to take care of was better than nothing, so I bought a pig. Long story short, Nic only had a key to my place so she could tend to Max i
f necessary. It was never necessary, and Max hasn’t lived with me for years anyway. She’s never used the key before, and it was just really shitty timing on her part that the one time she used it was our first morning together.”
Tori sighed, burying her head in her hands before looking back at me. “Let’s say I believe you so far. How do you explain the ring? That’s not the kind of jewelry a woman buys for herself, and even if she did, that’s an odd choice of finger for something she bought herself.”
“The ring.” I hesitated, searching for the right word. “That’s complicated.”
Her face fell, and I realized what that must’ve sounded like to her. Reaching across the counter for her hand, I didn’t even think about it before I held it tight and rushed to explain.
“Not like that. It’s not complicated because of my relationship with Nic. It’s complicated because I’m not really sure I should tell you where it came from or why I had it.”
“So you did give it to her?” There was no surprise in her tone, only acceptance. Like it had been a foregone conclusion that she was relieved she’d been correct about.
I squeezed her hand, linking my fingers with hers while shaking my head. “No, I absolutely did not give it to her. The ring came from my bedside table and I was the one who bought it, but I didn’t buy it for her.”
When I saw her eyes widening and the disgust when she raised her eyebrows, I laughed. “Don’t look at me like that. I bought the ring for you, Tori. Not for Nic, not for some other random girl, but for you. I know Nic made it sound like there were other people in my life, but there’s only you. I only ever want there to be you.”
“Why the hell would you buy me a ring?” Disbelief rang clear in her tone, her mouth half-open as she stared at me.
“See, this is why I said it was complicated.” I shifted my weight on my feet, still not really sure if I should be telling her the truth. I didn’t think I had much of a choice, though.
But it wasn’t only that. When all was said and done and she really did toss me out and forget all about me, I needed to know that I’d given it everything I had. Not just the stuff that might not end with her laughing in my face.
Her eyes searched mine and she watched as I came to the realization that it was time to man up or get out of her life. For good this time. “I bought you that ring to propose to you, but I knew if I did it on Valentine’s Day, our first official date, you’d never say yes. So I was holding on to it until the time was right.”
A myriad of emotions played out on her beautiful face, and the counter between us suddenly became a real problem. Moving faster than even I had known I could, I went to her and wrapped one arm around her waist while I brought the other to the side of her neck. “You’re the only woman for me, but I keep screwing everything up between us. That morning, I really thought we were finally on the right track and I was terrified that something was going to happen to put us all the way back to step one. Nic showing up did exactly that.”
“Ben, I…” She tilted her head back to look into my eyes, her body soft but not melting into mine. “How did she even find it if you didn’t give it to her?”
“The only way I’ve been able to come up with is that she was in the house for longer than we thought. I used to keep some cash in my nightstand. I’m pretty sure she was hoping to find it, but she didn’t know that I don’t keep money there anymore. She must’ve found the ring instead and she definitely would’ve heard us in the kitchen, so she took advantage and used it to try scaring you away with her lie.”
A slight crease appeared between her brows, but her expression had softened somewhat. There was even a hint of a smile on her lips. “Why on earth would you keep cash in your nightstand?”
I shrugged, a soft chuckle escaping me as I shook my head. “I don’t know. Where else would I keep it?”
“There’s this really nifty thing called a safe. It keeps important things, well, safe, and you can buy them in all different shapes and sizes so you can have them installed just about anywhere in your house.”
“Yeah, thanks.” I tugged at the ends of her messy ponytail, leaning forward to rest my forehead against hers when her head dipped back farther. “I’m so sorry, Tori. I know that I’ve said that to you a lot, but it’s true. If I’d known she was coming over, I’d have made sure that security knew not to let her in.”
She breathed deeply. “So there’s nothing going on between you two?”
“Nothing except acrimonious litigation. That’s what she came to talk to me about. I think she’s realized that she doesn’t stand much of a chance in court. She claimed we were both just wasting money on lawyers that we could be spending on ourselves, and she tried to get me to pay her off to go away. Like I said, she really wasn’t there for me or because we’re together.”
“That’s horrible,” she whispered, pulling her head away from mine to look up at me again. “What did you say?”
“I said no, then told her to get the fuck off my property and never come back. It’s tempting to give her what she wants just so I can finally put anything and everything to do with her behind me, but if I give her more money now, she’ll just keep coming back. When you and I start our lives together, I don’t want her constantly hanging over our heads. I’d rather get things done the right way. If the court rules against her desperate motion, she won’t have a choice but to accept that she’s gotten everything she could out of me.”
“What happens if the court doesn’t rule against her?” Her voice was gentle, her body slowly starting to relax in my arms.
I held her closer to me, feeling like I could breathe again for the first time since I’d last held her. “If the court rules in her favor, then I’ll pay her whatever I have to. If I lose half of everything, it’ll still be worth it as long as I get to live out the rest of my days with you.”
“Why don’t you just pay her and get it over with, then?” She was genuinely curious, and I couldn’t blame her.
“Because I’ve already paid her millions more than she was entitled to. I don’t owe her a thing, and I refuse to pay her just for the sake of paying her to get out of my life. I can always make more money, but Nic will never stop coming after me if I just keep giving her what she wants. She didn’t earn any of the money I’ve already given her. I won’t just be a free ride to her for the rest of her life.”
“You really don’t like her much, do you?”
I tucked some of the wild strands of her hair behind her ears. “It’s more that I’ve lost all respect for her. When I met her, I thought she was gorgeous and so full of life. She was everything I thought a successful man’s wife should be, so I made her mine. It took me longer than I’m proud of before I realized her beauty was only skin deep and her love of life was more a love for my money and what it could buy her.”
“So where does all that leave us?” she asked.
I gave my head a little shake. “That’s entirely up to you. I let Nic walk away with that ring, but it only means I’m going to buy you a new one. Twice the size of that one. If you’ll let me.”
For a long minute, she only looked at me. I saw the wheels turning behind her eyes, but that meant seeing the moment things took a turn against me. She pulled away a little farther, bleak resignation filling her gaze.
“It feels like we’re back at the beginning again, with the tennis bracelet and the offer of a date. I don’t like this feeling, Ben. I’ve heard everything you’ve said, and I don’t think you’re lying to me or anything like that, but maybe it’s best if we stop the charade and give up now.”
“Giving up isn’t an option,” I said, believing it with everything I had inside. “I’m head over heels in love with you, and I’ll do anything to prove it. Even if it takes every day for the rest of my life, I’ll make it up to you somehow.”
Before she could respond, I kept going. I sensed that this was the do or die moment, the one I would look back on for the rest of my days wondering if I could’ve fought just a little
bit harder for her. I’d seen that turn, but I’d also seen the moments right before it. She was afraid of this, of letting me in again when I’d done nothing but disappoint and hurt her.
“If I could give you a solid guarantee that I’d never hurt you again, I would, but all I can do is make you a promise. A promise to love you to the best of my abilities and to strive every morning when I wake up to make you the happiest you’ve ever been, and to wake up every morning after trying to top the day before. I’ve never met a woman more beautiful, funny, caring, sassy, or intelligent than you. I’ll never stop fighting to deserve you or fighting for you. I know I’ve still got a lot to learn about you, but I want to spend the rest of my life learning all there is to know, spoiling you, and growing with you.”
Capturing her face between my hands, I stared down into those eyes that haunted my dreams and asked for the one thing I just wasn’t sure she’d give me. “I know I should be all out of chances, but if you’ll just give me one more, I’ll prove that I can be the man you need. I want to be that man, and I will become him. You’ve breathed life into my existence, and I can’t turn my back on you. I can’t go back to who I was before I met you, and I don’t ever want to hurt you or be without you.”
When my voice became strained with emotion, I took a beat to breathe through it. “As I said earlier, if you want me to leave, then that’s what I’ll do but don’t think for one second that I’ll be walking out of here and forgetting about you. I’ve told you all the things I want, and I think, unless I’m very much mistaken, that you want those things too. Listen to your heart, Tori. I know I’ve hurt it, but I’m asking you to listen to it anyway.”
She didn’t reply immediately, but I gave her the time she needed to think it through. It felt like an eternity passed before she finally let out a quiet sigh and nodded once. “You’re lucky I believe in fifth chances, or you’d be screwed.”
Love Your Moves: A Billionaire Valentine's Romantic Comedy Page 23