Redeeming The Billionaire (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 5)

by Christina Tetreault

  Without answering, she left the table and came back from his office with something in her hand. “These.” She placed several binders and a folder on the table near his dessert. “What are they?”

  He’d forgotten about the binders from Marty. After the meeting when Marty gave them to him, he’d tossed them in his desk and not looked at them again. What he should’ve done was put them through the paper shredder. He stared at them, willing an answer to come that wouldn’t make him look like a complete ass.

  “I read them all. I know I shouldn’t have, but I did. Why did you need all that information about me and those other women?”

  He stared at the materials. His mind a blank slate.

  “At first I thought maybe these women were people you dated before me. That maybe you checked out all your girlfriends, afraid they were after your money or something.” He heard the catch in her voice. When he looked up he saw the suspicion on her face. “But they all have a July date on them, including mine.”

  Complete honesty was his only option now. “You know that I have a less than stellar reputation.” He’d have to start at the beginning.

  Addie nodded, clasping her hands in front of her.

  “My campaign advisor was concerned it would hurt my chances at election. His solution—find a wife long before the election.” Just talking about the plan made him feel like a jerk. “He had connections with some high-profile families who would be interested in a marriage of convenience. These three women come from those families.”

  “That’s insane but whatever. That explains those binders. But what about my information, and shouldn’t you be here right now with one of those women instead of me?” she asked glaring at him.

  “I agreed with his marriage of convenience proposal since everyone involved would be on the same page.” Did he have to tell her everything? Could he just tell her he’d changed his mind after meeting her? If he did that he could use her previous assumptions about her file.

  “Trent, are you going to answer me?” she asked when he remained silent too long.

  No, she needed the whole truth. Any lies might come back and haunt him later. “After that picture showed up in the paper, Marty checked into you and you reminded him of my cousin Callie and Jake’s wife, Charlie. America loves both of them. He decided that you were the perfect woman for me.” Trent avoided Marty’s exact words that day.

  “And you agreed?”

  “Yes and no. I tried to convince him otherwise at first. When he wouldn’t budge I told him I would consider it but made no promises.”

  Addie’s eyes became glossy. “Why?”

  “Those other women knew what they were getting into with me. They understood we’d only date and marry because I needed a wife, not because I loved them. You wouldn’t have known any of that.”

  “So you never would’ve asked me on that first date if Chloe hadn’t sent in that picture and caught Marty’s attention.” She wiped a tear from her cheek.

  “I don’t—”

  “Be honest for once, Trent. Would you have asked me out?” she asked in a harsh raw voice.

  He hung his head, unable to meet her eyes. “No. I would’ve picked one of those women and after you finished decorating my office, we probably never would’ve seen each other again.” He didn’t want to see her reaction, but he had to make things right so he looked up.

  She’d clenched her jaw tight and tears streamed down her cheeks. “So all of this,” she gestured around with her hand. “Our time together and this proposal are part of a plan to fix your reputation.” Her voice broke but she didn’t look away.

  Her words and reaction chilled him to the bone. A tense silence enveloped the room as he searched for the right words. When he settled on his words, he reached for her hand, but she pulled it away crossing her arms over her chest.

  “When I first asked you out, it was because of Marty’s plan.” Cold sweat trickled down his back as he started. “But almost right away, I forgot all about it. When we were together, it was because I wanted to be with you, not because I needed a wife.” Addie’s expression remained the same. “The day I told you I love you, I meant it. Addie, I love you and want to marry you because of you, not Marty or some half-ass plan.” Panic rose inside him.

  “No. When I said I love you, I meant it. You’ve just been using me for your own goals,” she said, bitterness lacing her every word.

  Afraid of where the conversation was headed, he stood and walked around the table. Taking her by the shoulders, he turned her toward him. “That’s not true. Every word I’ve said, I have meant. Addie, I love you.”

  She sniffled and wiped another tear away. “I don’t know if I can believe you.” She slipped the ring off her finger. “I know I cannot accept this.” The ring hit the table as his heart hit the floor. “I do love you, Trent, but I need to go.”

  “Don’t leave like this.” Tears gathered in his eyes, and he gripped her shoulders tighter.

  “Please, let me go.”

  Other than physically keeping her there by force, he couldn’t think of any way to make her stay. “Not until you promise to think things through. Consider giving me another chance.” He’d envisioned this night so much differently. Right now they should be wrapped up in each other’s arms, talking about wedding dates.

  Addie took hold of his wrists and pulled at them. “I can’t make any promises.” She stood when he released her shoulders. “I’ll get my stuff some other time.” She went toward the door without looking at him again.

  He couldn’t move his feet; they were cemented in place. “Where are you going?”

  She continued walking, answering him as she went. “My house or I guess Chloe’s house.”

  He watched in silence as the door opened and closed, sending a single teardrop down his cheek.

  She made it into her car before the dam broke and tears poured down her face. How could it have all been fake? She’d been confident that his feelings matched her own. And what kind of a person manipulated another like he had?

  Addie dropped her head against the steering wheel, sobs racking her entire body. She’d been sure that he was the one despite the differences between them. Never in her wildest imagination had she expected their relationship was a ruse, a plan to fix his reputation.

  For quite a while she gave her emotions free reign. Then when her head began to pound she sat up. Ignoring the burning in her eyes, she took several deep gulps of air and wiped the tears with the sleeve of her sweater. Confident she’d make it home in one piece, she started the car and headed for Chloe’s.

  When Chloe opened the door, she took one look at her cousin and hugged her. Neither remembered that just days earlier they’d argued. Instead, Chloe led her into the kitchen, dropped a full container of mint chocolate chip ice cream in front of her and waited.

  Addie’s first instinct was to tell her cousin everything, but she held back. How much should she share? She loved Chloe much like a sister. However, now she wondered if she could trust her with the whole truth. She’d didn’t fear she’d leak the story the way she had the picture. Chloe wasn’t cruel, but what if she said something to a friend? Who knew what her friends would do with the information?

  “Do you want to talk?” Chloe asked, well into her own ice cream container. “If not, that is okay.”

  The cold ice cream soothed her achy throat brought on by all her sobbing. “We had a big fight. Do you mind if I stay here for awhile?”

  Chloe gave her a hug. “Of course. Technically, this is still your house,” she reminded her. “And if you need me later, I’m here.”

  Addie nodded, then dug in for more ice cream.

  ***

  The metal frame of the futon dug into her back causing even more discomfort when she woke the next morning. Even though her cousin had offered her the use of her old bedroom, Addie declined and slept on the futon she’d left in the spare bedroom. She’d always intended to replace it with a proper bed. Since until recently she’d
never had any guests the entire two years she lived here, she never had.

  This morning, as the metal bars poked into her back, she wished she’d invested in that extra bed. Rubbing at her temples she closed her eyes again, the sunlight making her headache worse. The last time she’d had a headache this bad was the one time she’d tried giving up all caffeinated beverages. She’d lasted only two days before she grabbed a jumbo iced tea from a nearby fast food restaurant.

  Addie groaned as her stomach rolled, and for a moment she feared the ice cream from the night before would make a repeat performance. That’s what I get for eating a whole container of ice cream. She swallowed down the bile rising in her throat. Never again.

  A soft knock sounded on the door, followed by Chloe’s voice. “I’m leaving for work. I left some bacon and waffles on the counter for you. Will you be here when I get home?”

  “I will,” Addie answered. “Possibly in the very same spot if this headache doesn’t go away.”

  The door opened and Chloe poked her head inside. “There is some extra strength Excedrin in the bathroom. See you later.”

  Addie waited until she could lift her head without the pounding making her dizzy. Still in the pj’s she’d borrowed from Chloe, she went downstairs. Perhaps a coffee would send the drummer in her head on his way.

  The combined smell of bacon and waffles hit her head-on when she entered the kitchen. Her stomach, still upset from the previous night’s overindulgence, flipped sending Addie on a mad dash to the bathroom, which she made it to just in time.

  Once confident her stomach held nothing else, she splashed cold water on her face. Vomiting was the least pleasant physical response in the world and something she rarely did. Patting her face dry, she looked into the mirror. While her tan from the summer had faded, she usually had more color than she did now. Making her appearance even worse were the purple smudges under her bloodshot eyes. Man, was it a good thing today was Saturday. She looked like hell. Had she looked this bad last night, too? If so, no wonder Chloe appeared worried when she opened the door.

  There’s nothing you can do about it now. Addie turned off the light. Besides, she had other problems, all of them with the name Trent attached to them. How could he treat her this way? Sure, she’d read that he was a carefree playboy, but she’d never heard him called cruel. The way he’d manipulated their relationship bordered on cruelty in her mind. And if what he said was true and he did love her, how could she ever know for sure? Could she ever hear him say those words and not wonder if he had his reputation and political career in mind?

  Addie skipped the bacon and waffles and made herself a hot cup of herbal tea. As much as she wanted a nice big hot coffee, she knew her stomach would never handle it. Addie washed some headache medicine down with her tea. Man, she hoped Trent had as crummy of a night as she had. When she walked out, she’d noticed the distraught expression on his face. “He was probably upset his plan backfired,” she muttered to herself as she grabbed her toast from the toaster.

  Something soft and fuzzy rubbed against her leg and Addie slammed her knee into the table when she jerked it away. “Ouch.” Glancing under the table she spotted Hugh, her cousin’s black cat. A stray rescued from a local animal shelter, Hugh’s entire body was black except for one small patch of white around the eye. Not your typical cat, at least in terms of the ones she met before, Hugh loved human companionship much the way a dog did. “I forgot you were here.” She scratched the cat behind the ears. Hugh purred, then licked her hand before curling up into a ball on her feet.

  Both Addie and the cat stayed in the kitchen. Addie sipping her tea and thinking about Trent, while Hugh kept her bare feet warm. “This isn’t solving anything, Hugh.” While she couldn’t solve her problems with Trent, she could solve one of her other problems, her lack of clothes. All of her stuff remained at his place. While at some point she’d have to get it, she wasn’t up for that today. Thankfully, she had a credit card and a nearby mall. After depositing her half-eaten dry toast in the trash, she headed upstairs.

  ***

  He’d tried calling her five times while she shopped. When the fifth one came in the dressing room of Macy’s she switched off the ringer. Now back at home, or rather Chloe’s, she unpacked her shopping bags, her cell phone still switched to vibrate.

  She owned more than enough clothes and as soon as she felt ready, she’d face Trent and get them. For now the clothes in the bags as well as what she borrowed from Chloe would hold her over. Once she hung up her clothes, she grabbed her phone. She couldn’t leave it on vibrate forever. What if her parents or one of her brothers called? She punched in her password. She’d missed six calls, five from Trent and one from her cousin. Her first instinct was to delete all the messages he’d left. Nothing he could say would change her mind. She needed time and space. Her curiosity got the better of her and rather than delete the messages she listened to each one.

  On the first message he sounded remorseful as he apologized again and asked her to come back. By the fourth he sounded frustrated. There was no missing the desperation in his voice during the fifth message when he all but begged her to call him back.

  All the messages pulled at her heart, turning her water works back on. Even knowing the truth about why he asked her on that first date, she wanted to believe he loved her like he claimed. But how could she believe that from someone who’d started their relationship because of a plan?

  After deleting all the messages from Trent she played the last one from Chloe. Her message only asked about how she felt and told Addie to call if she needed anything. Deleting that message as well, she prepared herself some lunch. She’d considered buying something from the mall’s food court. When she’d walked into the area though, the smell of greasy burgers, pizza, and Chinese food sent her running for the bathroom. Now though, her stomach grumbled. A can of soup and a cheese sandwich sounded like just the thing.

  Chapter 17

  She’d never considered herself a chicken. Well, unless it came to thunderstorms, but that was a whole other story. Yet, by Thursday of the following week Addie still hadn’t worked up the courage to get her things from Trent’s apartment. Which left her with two options, either she sucked it up and went over there or hit the mall and racked up a higher credit card bill. In all honesty, she couldn’t decide which option was worse.

  So far she’d not spoken with him once. He’d called every day since that dreadful Friday night, leaving her messages when she didn’t answer. He’d also stopped by on Monday night, but she’d been up in Worcester meeting with a new client so Chloe had dealt with him. After that unannounced visit she’d feared he’d show up at her office. After all, she did work a few floors below him now. Perhaps because he feared a public scene, he never showed up there. That hadn’t stopped him from sending her a dozen roses. Unlike the previous flowers he’d sent, these found their way into the trash, as did the handwritten note attached.

  In the end, Addie managed to avoid both solutions. Around noon on Thursday, Chloe made an unexpected visit to her office. With her shift at the bakery over and her late afternoon class canceled for the day, she’d popped in and invited Addie for lunch.

  “I’m not sure eating out is a good idea considering I need a whole new wardrobe. I should work on saving my money where I can.” Addie covered her mouth as she yawned again and wondered if another cup of coffee would help. So far today she’d had three cups of coffee and two hot teas, but she still had trouble keeping her eyes open. It had been that way since last week in fact. At first she’d chalked it up to Trent’s short business trip. After their falling out on Friday, she’d assumed it was the stress from that. Whatever the cause, she needed her body back to normal. Every morning she got up tired as if she’d not slept at all. The exhaustion only made her nausea worse.

  “Do you want me to get your stuff from him?” Chloe asked.

  She’d considered asking for Chloe’s help but dismissed the idea almost right away. “You’d do tha
t?”

  “It makes more sense than buying all new clothes, although I still think you’ll move back in with him soon. You love him and I saw the way he acted around you. He loves you, too.” Chloe still believed they’d had a simple disagreement, and Addie liked it that way.

  Addie considered her cousin’s offer. It did make a lot more sense than maxing out her credit card. “You really don’t mind?” If she sent him a text message and told him Chloe was coming, she could avoid both seeing and talking to him.

  Chloe gave her an exaggerated sigh. “Do you think I would’ve offered if I minded? If he’s around I can go tonight.”

  She didn’t question her cousin again. Instead, she sent Trent a text message. As if he’d had his phone in hand just waiting for a message, he responded answering her question as well as asking if he could call her. When she thanked him for his cooperation, but ignored his question, her phone rang.

  “Well, are you going to answer?” Chloe asked. “Whatever you argued about couldn’t be that bad.”

  Answer and get it over with. Maybe he’ll stop calling. As the ringtone started over again, she picked up the phone. “Hello.”

  “God, I’m glad you answered this time.”

  The sound of his voice brought back one memory after another, each one another stake into her heart. “Don’t worry about packing my stuff. Chloe can do it. I’ll have her leave my key, too.” When she’d rushed out Friday she’d not thought about it.

  “Addie, please give me a chance to make things right between us. Come over this weekend so we can talk.”

  His voice bordered on begging and she wondered if maybe he did care. Just as quickly she wondered if it was all an act. Didn’t politicians act in front of the voters all the time? Perhaps this was just another performance for him.

  “I can’t, Trent, not yet.”

  “When then?”

  The plea in his voice weakened her resolve but she pulled up the image of the documents she’d discovered. “I don’t know.” She swallowed down the sob that almost escaped her. “Chloe won’t take long tonight if you have other plans.” Addie hung up before he came back with another plea.