by C. C. Wood
My hands clenched into fists. I wanted to believe that she was lying, that she was playing me, but I didn’t. Maris’ gaze was steady and sincere and her body language was open.
I forced my hands to relax. “If what you’re saying is true, then I don’t understand why he wouldn’t mention that he not only had an ex-wife but that you were business partners. I understand some couples remain friends after they break up.” Okay, so I didn’t truly understand it but I knew it happened. Even in business. Couples might start a business together and remain partners after their divorce.
Maris shrugged. “I wish I knew, Chelsea. Though I did tell him he should be upfront about it. Some of the women he’s dated in the past didn’t like it but I told him that keeping it from you would only make it worse when he did finally tell you.”
I frowned at her. I didn’t understand how I hadn’t heard she was his partner before. I’d been working for Chris for over a year and Landen was one of his bigger clients. Why didn’t this come up before now?
“Chelsea?” Maris spoke my name like a question, bringing my focus back to her.
“I work for Chris Barden. I should have known all this at the beginning. Why haven’t you come into the office with him?”
Maris smiled but it wasn’t an amused look. “I’m only involved in one of his companies and I handle all of the work that Chris does for the rest of his businesses. I didn’t need to be involved in his meetings with Chris.”
God, I was so confused. Landen was not some weak man who shied away from the truth. His candor and intensity were enough to make even me uncomfortable at times. Why would he keep this from me?
Beneath the confusion, anger was growing. He’d lied to me. I didn’t differentiate between outright lies and those of omission. Both were unacceptable in a relationship.
Before I could sift through my emotions and settle into the strongest, Landen appeared in the doorway and paused when he saw Maris sitting at the island. His eyes came to me and he hesitated. I knew that he could see exactly what I was thinking. It had to be written all over my face.
It was a struggle but I managed to keep my voice calm and level when I said, “Maris and I were just getting to know each other.”
If I hadn’t been watching him so closely, I would have missed the wince that followed my words, but I didn’t. He knew he was in deep shit with me.
I didn’t stick around to hear what they had to say. Instead, I skirted around him, evading the hand he put out to stop me and went back upstairs to finish getting ready for work.
My anger propelled me up the steps quickly, through his bedroom into the bathroom. I ignored the way my hands were shaking as I put on my make-up. I didn’t take my time. No, I wanted my armor in place when Landen made it upstairs.
He and I were going to have words and then I was going to work. I would stew about this later tonight, in the safety of my own apartment.
The house was quiet when I left the bathroom and slipped my feet into my pumps. The fine tremor in my hands had vanished and the confusion and hurt were buried beneath my anger. It churned in my chest, a volcano poised to erupt. The blood in my veins felt molten, burning like lava.
I heard his light step on the stairs as I gathered my things. I stopped at the end of the bed, my purse resting on the mattress when he entered the bedroom. I could see the regret and apology in his expression before he even opened his mouth to speak.
“I’m sorry, Chelsea.”
The quiet words did nothing to soothe me. “That you lied or that I found out?” I asked. My own question was sharp, slicing through the air with fatal aim.
Landen took a deep breath before he answered. “That I lied.”
He didn’t expound upon that, so I crossed my arms over my chest and stared into his dark blue eyes. “Why?” I truly wanted to know.
“Several reasons.”
When he paused, I lifted my brows. “Really? That’s your answer.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets but remained in the doorway. I sensed it was his effort to keep me from leaving rather than giving me space.
“The last woman I dated couldn’t handle it. She was convinced that Maris and I were still having sex. That all the traveling we did together, all the times we saw each other, we were fucking every chance we got. I’d already fucked up by disappearing on you and I didn’t want to give you more ammunition to convince you that I wasn’t worth the risk.”
“Give me some fucking credit, Landen,” I shot back. “I’m not insecure. Would I have wondered at first? Absolutely, but if you’re telling the truth, it would have become obvious pretty damn quick if you and Maris still had the hots for each other. I’m not an idiot and I’m not the jealous type. I know that you have a past, just like I do. I may not be friends with all of my exes but I don’t necessarily hate them all either.”
He took a single step forward. “Are you saying that you wouldn’t have used the information to drive a wedge between us from the beginning? That you wouldn’t have seen it as a very convenient excuse to keep me from getting too close?”
My frustration boiled over and I threw my hands out. “I don’t know, Landen. You didn’t give me the opportunity to decide for myself. But I can tell you that right now I’m pissed as hell that you lied to me.” When he took another step toward me, I lifted a hand between us. “Stop moving. I realize that you need some reassurance right now but I’m not in the place to give it to you.”
He froze and stared at me with cold eyes. “Are you saying that this is the end?”
I growled beneath my breath. “No, I’m not. I am saying that I don’t want you touching me right now. I’m too angry.” I sucked in a huge breath and released it, trying to control my urge to yell at him. Screaming at him would only make this entire situation worse. “You lied to me, Landen. If you had told me a few weeks ago, before you started pushing me to move in with you, I might have struggled with it a bit. I would have had trouble believing you when you said that you were just business partners, yes, but I would have listened and given you a chance to explain. It’s not that you work with your ex-wife. It’s the fact that you lied to me. You kept this from me intentionally. That is where the real problem is. You insist on honesty and open communication, yet you didn’t give me the same courtesy.”
The chill faded from his eyes, leaving sincere regret behind. But his face hardened when I reached out and scooped up my purse and slung my laptop bag over my shoulder.
“We don’t have time to hash this out right now because I need to get to work and you have a plane to catch. To be completely honest, I need some time to figure out how I feel before we do.” At my final words, Landen flinched. I hadn’t meant to sling the barb at him, but it hit home just the same.
“Chelsea, I’m not leaving until we talk about this. I know I fucked up, but—”
“Stop right there,” I demanded.
“No!” he shouted. My body stilled. I’d never seen Landen lose control when he was angry, but he was definitely on the edge at the moment. He shoved his hands through his hair, mussing the dark strands and leaving a few standing straight up. “God, you have no fucking clue, do you?”
“About what, Landen?” I asked harshly.
He took a huge step forward, putting himself directly in my space. His eyes gleamed with an emotion I couldn’t decipher. “I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you. I told you that but you obviously don’t get it. I fell in love with you months ago and you barely deigned to speak to me. You say I’m arrogant and I know I am, but when it comes to you, it’s not arrogance that you’re seeing. It’s desperation. You said that you didn’t think I was as invested in you as you are in me, but it’s the other way around, Chelsea. You’re scared that things won’t work out and I’ll walk away?” He laughed, an ugly, harsh sound. “You have no idea. You’re the one already poised on the edge of leaving, not me. I’ve been all in from the beginning.”
“If you were all in, Landen, you wouldn’t have lied to m
e.”
He shook his head, the gleam in his eyes morphing into anger. “Wouldn’t I? Wouldn’t you do anything if you loved someone and you finally had a chance to have them?”
Air filled my lungs at his words, burning and hot. But he was also wrong. “No, I wouldn’t. I don’t lie to people I love.”
His jaw tightened at my words. I was telling the truth and he knew it.
Suddenly, I was exhausted. I couldn’t deal with this right now. I needed solitude and time to get my head together. I needed my emotions to settle before I would be able to handle him without being swayed by my anger. “Look, we can stand here for the rest of the day arguing about this, but it won’t change anything right now. I need to leave and you have a flight to catch.”
“When I leave today, you need to understand I’m not giving up. You need space? I’ll give it to you. But when I get back, we will talk about this.” I bristled at his words. He spoke as if I owed him and I didn’t appreciate it. He was the one who screwed up. “You wanted to be chased? Well, you got it. You can walk away right now, but I will run you down eventually.”
I didn’t respond. Gripping the strap of my laptop bag tightly, I moved around his still body and walked out of his bedroom with burning eyes and an aching chest.
Chapter Twenty-Four
I bit back a groan as I stared at the spreadsheet on the computer screen. The numbers were running together, losing their meaning as I blinked at them.
Lifting a hand, I rubbed my forehead tiredly. It was nearly lunchtime and I hadn’t accomplished a damn thing today. I felt like I had been staring at this damn file for hours.
Which I had.
The sound of someone clearing their throat grabbed my attention and I looked up to find Chris standing on the other side of my desk with his arms crossed over his chest.
I straightened and met his gaze. Apparently, he’d been talking to me and I hadn’t heard a single word. “I’m sorry, I was distracted. What do you need?”
He cocked his head and studied me. “I think you need to go home.”
My back went rigid. “What?”
“You look like shit and you’re obviously upset about something. Whatever it is, you need to take the day and get a handle on it.”
I winced at his words because I knew they were true. Though I’d managed to leave Landen’s house this morning with dry eyes, they hadn’t remained that way once I got to work. Since I left a full half hour earlier than I planned, I spent thirty minutes in the women’s restroom trying to stem the flow of my tears. It had been a losing battle.
As a result, my eyes were red and swollen and no amount of make-up would hide it.
“I’m fine.” I hated lying, but I also hated bringing my personal problems to work with me.
“Well, I’m not,” Chris replied. “If it were anyone else, I would expect them to suck it up and do their job, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen you ruffled and I’m concerned. I want you to go home, get some rest, and call Lucy if you need to unload on someone. She’s taking the week off so she’s free if you need her.”
I opened my mouth to argue but snapped it closed when Chris lifted an imperious hand.
“I know you could probably make it through the day, Chelsea, but you don’t have to. We’re not that busy and you need to take care of yourself. Take the afternoon off and come back tomorrow.”
With a sigh, I slumped down in my chair. I wasn’t getting anything done anyway. “Okay,” I agreed softly.
Chris stared at me, his mouth pressed in a thin line before he spoke again. “Whatever it is, it’ll work out.”
I was certain then that he knew what was bothering me. For a wild moment, I nearly asked him why he never mentioned Landen’s ex-wife, but I shoved the urge away. Chris was my boss and the husband of my friend. He wasn’t obligated to tell me any damn thing. It wasn’t his job to interfere in my relationship with Landen and it would be unfair for me to expect that from him.
“Maybe,” I replied as I turned my eyes back to the computer screen and saved the file before I shut it down.
As I gathered my things, I heard Chris walk back toward his office. His steps paused.
“Landen cares very deeply for you.” My head shot up at his words and I found him staring at me, his jaw flexing as though he wanted to keep his mouth shut but was unable to. “He’s never been very good at relationships, and this is the first time I think I’ve ever seen him truly happy.”
Without another word, Chris disappeared into his office, shutting the door quietly behind him. I blinked at the heavy door, unsure what to think.
Chris stayed out of my private life, even when Landen and I started dating. When I brought it up, he only waved me away and told me who I saw outside of office hours was my own business as long as it didn’t interfere with my ability to do my job.
Yet he’d said something. I wondered if Landen had called him before he left for Oregon.
I picked up my things and headed out the door to the elevator. I was grateful it was empty as I rode down to the lobby. Once I was in my car with the engine running and the air conditioner blasting, I picked up my phone and called Lucy.
“Hey, Chelsea,” she chirped, sounding happy and relaxed.
Some of the tightness in my chest eased at the sound of her voice. “Hey,” I replied, my voice catching as I spoke. I knew it sounded rough and a little hoarse.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” she asked.
“Not physically,” I replied. I sighed, the air leaving my lungs in a rush. “Can you meet me at my apartment? I—” My throat convulsed and I swallowed hard. “I need to talk.”
“Are you at home or at work?”
“I’m at work but I’m about to go home.”
“Do you need me to pick you up?” she asked.
“No. I’m okay to drive. I’m in my car now.”
“I’ll be at your apartment in twenty minutes,” she replied without hesitation.
My eyes filled with tears. “Don’t rush. I don’t want you to have a wreck or something on the way.”
“I was just thinking the same thing about you but I’m not far from there anyway,” she responded. “I was out running errands.” Lucy paused before she asked, “Should I bring wine or extra tissues?”
I laughed, the sound escaping my tight throat. “Wine would be good.”
“I’ll see you soon,” she promised.
After she disconnected, I set my phone in the console and sighed again. The urge to cry had faded for now. I took one more fortifying breath and buckled my seatbelt before I put the car in gear.
Once I got home, I could release all the emotions roiling inside. But first I had to get there in one piece.
I’d just gotten home and changed into a pair of shorts and a faded, soft grey tee when the doorbell rang. I checked the peephole and nearly smiled when I saw Lucy standing in the hall, a bottle of wine in each hand.
When I threw open the door, she took one look at me and said, “Landen fucked up, didn’t he?”
I couldn’t suppress the laugh that bubbled up in my throat. The outraged expression on her face was both cute and a little scary.
“Definitely,” I replied.
She came inside and put her arms around me in a hug, the bottles bumping my back as she did. “Then we’ll drink wine and talk about what idiot assholes men are.”
I laughed again. “Says the woman who’s still glowing from her honeymoon.”
Lucy pulled back and kicked the door shut. “Hey, just because I’m happily married now doesn’t mean that Chris suddenly became smart.”
Gratitude toward my friend and her husband, my boss, filled me. “He’s the one who told me to take the afternoon off and call you, so I’d say that makes him pretty smart.”
Lucy scowled at me. “Stop talking sense. I need to know you’ll listen the next time Chris does something that annoys me and I need to bitch about him.”
“Duly noted.”
She lift
ed the bottles. “Now, let’s get some glasses and you can tell me what happened.”
I took the wine from her, a smile curving my mouth when I saw the lids. “Screw top. We’re going high-class today.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “Good wine comes in all kinds of bottles,” she groused, following me into the kitchen. I didn’t argue because she was right. I liked giving her a hard time.
As I put one bottle in the fridge and twisted the top off the other, she got two glasses out of the cabinet.
Once we each had a glass of wine and were settled on my couch, she asked, “So what happened that made your eyes so sad?”
I took a deep drink of the sweet white wine before I answered her question with another. “Did you know Landen was married before?”
Lucy’s eyes widened and I knew she hadn’t. “What?”
I took another sip and nodded. “Yeah, I found out this morning. He was married before.”
“When?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. We didn’t get that far.”
Lucy drank half her wine before she queried, “Didn’t get that far? Did you fight about it?”
“Sort of.” I took a deep breath and drained my glass before grabbing the wine bottle from the coffee table and refilling it. “His ex-wife stopped by the house this morning while I was getting ready for work.”
She gaped at me then tossed back the rest of the wine before topping off her own glass. “Details please,” she demanded.
I told her everything. About how warm and nice Maris had been when I answered the door. About how betrayed I’d felt when I found out that not only had Landen been married but he was still in business with his ex. And all the reasons he gave me for not telling me.
By the time I was done telling the story, the ache in my chest had faded somewhat, as though sharing the problem lifted part of the burden from my conscience.