No matter how long she held onto him, though, eventually she’d have to hurt him.
And she didn’t know if she could survive that.
Chapter Twenty-Four
It had been an entire week since Syd had last spoken to Caleb, yet somehow it felt like a solid year. She found herself missing him all the time and resorted to playing his band’s CD in the car and at home, simply to feel closer to him.
She stood in front of the mirror, only half caring about her appearance as she buckled the maroon belt at her waist. She smoothed the front of the powder-blue dress and pulled her hair into a loose chignon at the base of her neck. She hooked her fingers into her matching maroon pumps, grabbed her white knee-length trench coat, and scooted down the stairs.
Syd slipped her feet into her shoes and walked briskly into the kitchen. She reached into the cupboard and pulled out a canister of dog food, scooping some out and filling Puff’s bowl, the little dog following her every move with keen interest.
“Dinner is served,” she announced, putting the bowl on the floor and scratching Puff quickly behind the ears.
The dog wagged her tail double time in thanks and dove into her bowl snout first.
Syd swung her coat around her shoulders and headed out into the mild spring weather. Buckling herself in behind the wheel and pulling out of her driveway, Syd mumbled and grumbled to herself, internally complaining about the night ahead before it even began.
She tried not to think about the fact she was headed over to Brett’s parents’ house for dinner with his family. According to dear Brett, his family was unaware of the unconventional arrangement he’d made with her family, and part of the ‘deal’ was that they had to keep up appearances, pretend they’d just gotten back together, no strings attached. She hated the lies and if she had her way she’d kick Brett in the shins and run away.
But there was no having her way in the foreseeable future. Her father’s life was at stake, in the most literal of senses, so, for now, she had to go along with this shenanigan and actually pretend to be in love with the heathen.
“I should seriously have pursued an acting career,” she said, reaching out to turn on the radio.
As soon as Caleb’s voice filled the car, her battered nerves were soothed—which was not a good thing, considering she should be breaking up with him, not looking to him for comfort.
About twenty minutes later Syd pulled into the long curved driveway that led to the Hudsons’ majestic house. She parked the car and got out, rolling her eyes at Brett, who was standing on the porch waiting for her, tapping his foot.
“You’re late,” he said curtly.
“Your mother told me to come at eight o’clock. It’s only eight now. Relax.”
“You should’ve been here a few minutes early to chat before dinner. Now there’s no time for that. I should’ve picked you up on my way over—that would’ve been better.”
“It’s fine, Brett,” Syd mumbled, impatient.
“Yes, well, when you’re my wife I’ll be in charge and things will be different.” He placed his hand at the small of her back and led her into the grand foyer. He helped her with her coat and stepped away from her to hang it in the closet off to her left.
Syd moved to the ornate decorative mirror that adorned almost an entire foyer wall. She was adjusting the straps of her dress when she heard a sweet voice call out from behind her.
“Oh, I’m so glad you’re here!” Brett’s mother said.
Syd turned at the sound of the familiar voice and smiled. Mrs. Hudson walked toward Syd, her arms opened wide in invitation. She had the same piercing blue eyes as her son and her shoulder-length blonde hair was swept off her face, revealing flawless skin and a bright smile. She pulled Syd into her arms.
Syd hugged her back. “Mrs. Hudson. You look exactly the same as you did the last time I saw you!”
“You’ve somehow gotten even more beautiful, Sydney!” she said warmly, putting a hand on her shoulder. “And how many times must I remind you—please, call me Anna.”
Syd nodded and smiled. “Anna.”
“Mother, need I remind you her given name is Nikoleta?” Brett said.
Mrs. Hudson raised her eyebrows. “No, Brett. You needn’t remind me. However, she prefers to go by Sydney. Everyone knows that.”
Syd nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Brett, why do you keep calling me Nikoleta? Only my family calls me that.”
“And I’m going to be your husband, which last time I checked was family,” he replied curtly. “Besides, Nikoleta sounds more elegant than Sydney.”
“Oh, dear.” His mother let out an adorable snort. She reached for Syd’s hand and led her into the elegantly appointed living room. “Are you sure you want to go through with this?” she whispered when Brett was out of earshot. She glanced at Sydney, her eyes having lost all their cheer. “The men in this family are rather difficult to deal with at times…”
Syd, momentarily taken aback by Anna’s comment, was at a loss for words. “I…uh… I mean…”
“My dear,” a deep voice boomed. “You look lovely.”
“Mr. Hudson, hello, so good to see you.” Syd smiled and shook his outstretched hand. She had never been able to figure out Brett’s father—he was pleasant and friendly, but there was an odd lack of warmth and sincerity.
“I should go check on dinner,” Anna said suddenly, hurrying away.
His eyes following his wife, he asked, “I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?”
“Not at all,” Syd reassured. “We were catching up.”
“Really? She said nothing else?”
Sydney shook her head.
“And where’s my son?” he said, still staring down the hall after his wife.
“He was putting our coats… Oh there he is now,” she commented, as Brett headed along the hall toward them.
“Brett, a word please.” He put his hand on his son’s shoulder and led him aside, tossing one last glance at Sydney. It might have been her imagination, but his brown eyes were much colder than ever before.
That was weird.
“Syd!” Brett’s sister, Melanie, bounded over to Syd and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.
“Hey, Mel. You’re looking great,” Syd exclaimed, struggling to free herself from Melanie’s embrace and breathe again.
She and Brett’s sister had always gotten along even though Mel had been a sweet eleven-year-old when they’d first met. They had remained in touch with each other casually, even after Syd’s breakup with Brett years ago. Melanie was the female version of her brother—they had the same thick wavy blonde hair and fantastic smile. But that was where the similarities ended. While Melanie shared her brother’s business savvy, she was a kinder, softer version of him. She genuinely wanted to help people and had a warm, empathetic nature about her, whereas it seemed Brett favored exploiting those in trouble and generally being a controlling assbutt.
Melanie pursed her lips and her gaze moved from Sydney, down the hall to where Brett and his father stood, and back again. “Syd,” she said, taking her arm and pulling her into the study. “Let’s talk a minute, shall we?”
“Oh, okay, sure.” Syd furrowed her brow. This night had gotten off to a very strange start and she was unsure of what to expect next.
She allowed herself to be led into the room and glanced around, always in awe of the grandeur of the Hudsons’ home. The study was the quintessential masculine hideaway—the walls were paneled in a rich dark wood and lined with shelf after shelf of books. The desk and coffee table were stained ebony and the couches and chairs were upholstered in pale gold and deep red striped fabric.
“Hey,” Melanie began, interrupting Syd’s survey of the room. “I’m not sure what my brother’s up to, but there is definitely something going on. He can be controlling and a bit of a jerk, and I’m positive given your history there’s no way you’d suddenly be okay with his behavior and agree to marry him. Is he holding something over you? What does he have up
his sleeve? We both see how controlling he can be…” she repeated. “I’ve always loved you, Syd, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Syd feigned shock. “What on earth are you suggesting, Melanie?”
She rolled her big brown eyes. “Oh please, Syd. I’m not stupid. Mom is happy Brett is finally getting married and Dad is happy that Brett finally had the balls to get you back. But I know better, Syd—especially when it comes to the two of you. You’ve always been his ‘one that got away’.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Something’s up, Syd. I’m not quite sure what it is, and maybe you’re able to fool everyone else, but you can’t fool me. If you let me in on what’s really going on, I can help you fix it. You deserve better than to be a woman in this family. It’s not what it’s cracked up to be,” she said, a surprising hint of bitterness in her voice.
There were no words to describe how badly Syd wanted to confide in Melanie, how badly she wanted to tell her the truth. Telling her wouldn’t help the situation one bit, though. In fact, it would piss Brett off so much he’d pull right out of the deal and Papa would be sent back to Greece.
“Melanie, I appreciate that you’re looking out for me, I really do. But nothing is going on, I promise. Brett and I, well, we got back together, fell back in love. It was as simple as that.”
“Dinner’s ready,” Brett said, coming up behind them and glaring at his sister suspiciously.
“I don’t buy it,” Melanie whispered, walking past her and out of the study.
Syd followed Brett into the dining room, biting her lip and praying he hadn’t overheard their conversation. If he had, she was positive it would come back to bite her later on.
The night thereafter was blessedly uneventful. Syd was surprised that she actually enjoyed spending time with Brett’s family. They were a lively bunch, the table talk never ceasing. Brett was quiet for the better part of the night, seeming to focus more on what Syd was saying rather than bothering to say anything himself.
“I’m glad Brett has finally managed to get you to come around after all these years and agree to marry him,” Brett’s father said, helping Sydney on with her coat. “It took him long enough.”
“Yes, well, it’s done,” Brett mumbled.
Syd’s eyes slid from father to son and back again. There was a hidden undercurrent to their conversation that she couldn’t quite decipher.
Anna, visibly uncomfortable, interjected. “Do come pay us a visit again soon, Sydney,” she cooed.
“I’m sure we’ll see each other very soon,” Syd answered, trying to smile.
“You’ll have to come visit us at the cottage during one long weekend this summer, if you can pull yourself away from the restaurants,” his mother continued, moving with Sydney to the open front door. “I have a feeling my son will be keeping you to himself after the wedding, and we won’t get to see much of you.”
“Mother,” Brett said, his voice low in warning.
“Your mother is right,” Mr. Hudson spoke up. “It might take your wife a little time to adjust to the rules of the Hudson way of living.”
Sydney, suddenly suffocated, needed to escape. “I should get going. Early morning and all.”
“Syd, call me if you need to talk, okay?” Melanie called out after her as she walked through the front door.
Syd glanced over her shoulder to Melanie—she was nibbling on her lower lip and her eyes were filled with concern. Syd smiled and nodded in response and felt Brett’s hand at the small of her back, guiding her toward her car. “Well, thanks for dinner, Brett. Goodnight.” She leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek.
“You can at least act like you love me,” he grumbled. “You do know my father is watching us.”
Syd’s shoulders sank and she shook her head. “Look, Brett, I—”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. “Would it kill you to love me?” he demanded, crushing her mouth with his.
Completely stunned and taken off guard, Syd just stood there, numbly allowing Brett to kiss her.
“Mmm,” he murmured against her lips. “Now that’s more like it. I keep forgetting how good you taste.”
“Goodnight,” Syd said quietly, pulling away from him and opening the door of her Escape.
She got in and started the engine, glancing up to find Brett smiling smugly before driving off the path and away from the house.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sydney hadn’t driven more than five minutes after leaving the Hudsons’ before the tears that she’d been working so hard to keep at bay finally blurred her vision. She pulled over onto the shoulder of the road and flicked her hazards on. Resting her head on the steering wheel, she gripped it tightly and began to weep.
She was tired of the charade, tired of the lying. She didn’t love Brett. Hell, she didn’t even like him, even if she’d cared for him once upon a time. She was surprised she fooled so many people. When they were together she stood or sat as far away from him as humanly possible, without stirring suspicion. When he smiled at her, she frowned or forced a smile so fake it was impossible to believe there was an ounce of genuine warmth. When he touched her, she cringed. And when Brett’s lips met hers, it was near impossible to hide her disgust. Was everyone really that blind?
It was funny, how even though she was technically engaged to Brett, she felt as if she was cheating on Caleb every time Brett kissed her.
Syd let out a scream and punched the steering wheel. She wasn’t mad at her father or Theo. At this moment, she didn’t even care much about Bacchus, who had put her father in this position to begin with. Past was past, and this should have stayed in the shadowy recesses of their lives. This was one hundred percent Brett’s doing—and for that she would never forgive him. She beat the steering wheel again in a flurry of frustration, and, just as abruptly as the vehicular abuse had begun, it stopped. Syd reined in her emotions, and drew in a shuddery breath as she tried to control her angst and compose herself. She sat in the darkened car for nearly ten minutes, the only sound that of the humming engine.
“Stupid,” she muttered angrily, reaching for her purse and pulling her cell out of it. “I shouldn’t be doing this.”
But I’m doing it anyways, because I’m a glutton for punishment and a bad, bad person.
She hit speed dial and impatiently drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for the call to connect.
“Hey, baby,” Caleb said, answering on the first ring.
Her whole body uncoiled in an instant and Syd had no control over the smile that touched her lips at the sound of his voice. “Hey, yourself. How are you?”
“I was fine before you called, but now I’m fantastic,” he answered softly. “So how was that business dinner you went to tonight?”
“Terrible,” she sniffled.
“Did something happen?” he asked, his voice full of concern.
Part of her loved how he worried about her so much. The other part of her worried that she loved it so much. No matter which way she looked at it, she was screwed.
“No, no, it was just boring as hell. It went well enough, I guess. I’m beyond thrilled to finally be out of there.” She paused and bit her lip, suddenly worried she was somehow bothering Caleb with her call. “You’re not in the middle of anything, are you?”
“Me? No, not at all. I’m sitting here messing around with a guitar, as usual.” She heard the smile in his voice. “I’ve always got time for you, Syd.”
Her eyes stung with fresh tears, and she sighed.
“You sound tired, darlin’, and sad,” he whispered.
“No, I’m fine, I promise,” she replied, making a conscious effort to sound brighter. She hesitated a moment then caved in and spilled out what was in her heart. “I really miss you, Caleb.”
“I miss you too, baby. Do you want me to come visit for a few days? I’m sure PJ can spare me for a bit and the trek would be worth it to make you smile.”
<
br /> Her heart leaped at the mere thought of being with him. She was touched in a way she didn’t think possible at the fact that he would consider dropping everything simply to be with her, to make sure she was okay. But she knew there was still too much going on to make a visit from him work safely. “Aw, CJ, thank you, really. You have no idea how much I want to say yes, how badly I’d love to have you here. But I can’t. I’m still so busy. I’m meeting my brother tomorrow for brunch, and I have a ton of meetings during the week.”
There was silence on the other end of the line.
“I’m sorry, Caleb,” she whispered, her shoulders slumping against the back of the driver’s seat.
“No, no. It’s okay. Uh, listen, darlin’, is it okay if I call you back?” he asked, suddenly sounding distracted.
“Oh, yeah. Sure, CJ. I’m still on the road, but I’ll be home in about twenty minutes.”
“Something’s come up I need to deal with. Might take a while. What time is it now over there?”
Syd glanced at the console. “It’s closing in on eleven at night.”
“Okay. I’ll call you at around three-thirty. It’ll be late, but this is urgent, and I still need to talk to you.”
Syd frowned. “Is everything okay?” It sounded like he had gotten up and was moving around.
“Yes, baby, everything’s perfect. I’ll speak to you in a couple hours.”
Syd snapped her cell shut after saying goodbye and sat in silence for a few moments, reviewing her conversation with him. She pulled back onto the road and made her way to her house, her mind spinning as fast as the wheels of her car. Was Caleb being truthful with her? A few moments before they disconnected, he said he had all the time in the world for her then suddenly he was so busy with something—whatever it may be—that he wouldn’t be able to call her back for more than four hours?
Part of her briefly considered there was another woman in his life. He never did explicitly say that she was the only one, and with them being apart for a couple weeks now, it might explain things. After all, she was kind of cheating on him with Brett.
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