She shoved him back, disgusted. “Did you know?”
His tipsy smile dissolved, exasperation flashing in those sharp blue eyes. “Know what?”
“That it was all a lie? That they knew about Uncle Bradley’s secret long before he was ever arrested? That my parents cut me off just to manipulate me?”
His gaze shifted the way Bradley’s had, giving her all the confirmation she needed.
“Was romancing me their idea, too?” she pressed. “The dinner, the trip to Galveston, the special wine.” She pointed to him. “That was good, by the way.” They knew every button to press, every weakness she had. “And my dad, wow. Oscar performance. I actually believed that he cared that my heart had been broken.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Then how was it, Aiden? And before you even think of lying to me, you should know that Uncle Bradley told me all about the audit. If I don’t get clear answers from you, my next move is to walk out that door and demand them in front of my parents’ most important colleagues.”
Aiden worked his jaw back and forth, but she knew she had him cornered. Image above all else had to be protected.
“It wasn’t some grand conspiracy, if that’s what you have conjured up in your mind.” He pointed to her dad’s leather couch, but she shook her head. Sitting was the last thing she wanted to do right now. Aiden gripped the back of his neck at her refusal and then opted to lean against her father’s massive oak desk. “I’m the one who ran the audit on Bradley’s account, and I’m the one who took my findings to your dad, off book, so to say.”
She kept her surprise hidden, though his admission did seem to explain her parents’ overwhelming affection for him.
“Your dad said to keep it between us and he’d do some digging. A month later, he said the money had been accounted for and that I could close the file.” He shrugged. “I knew something was likely off, but who was I to question your dad? I was still trying to make a name for myself beyond just being Andrew’s old friend.”
She had to hand it to him; he was very good at looking wounded. “Is that supposed to make me feel sorry for you?”
“No, but maybe help you understand my point of view. The money was returned and no one got hurt.”
“How can you even say that after all that’s happened?”
Aiden tugged on his neck and loosened his tie, a shred of remorse slipping through his hard exterior. “I never thought Bradley would do it again. He said he was getting help.”
Her stomach curled. “But he did do it again. And when Mom and Dad shunned me like I was somehow responsible, you stood there and kept their dark, ugly secret.”
“I told you I never agreed with how they treated you.”
“And yet you had no problem taking the position of vice president as a thank you for your silence.”
“They had my silence without any promotion.” Aiden’s eyes darkened. She’d obviously hit a nerve. “I worked hard to get where I’m at now. And I’m good at my job.”
“If that’s true, then why the proposition?” That was the part that didn’t make any sense. “If it wasn’t about the cover up or about the promotion, what was the point of sending you to act as a mediator? They’d already won. I would have jumped the moment they called.”
Aiden looked down at his crossed leather dress shoes. “The invite to the managers’ retreat was their idea. The dinner and proposition were mine.” He glanced back up, and despite flat out admitting he’d lied, there was no apology in his eyes. “I wanted my shot with you. And as long as I encouraged you back into the fold of your parents’ life, they were fine with it. Win-win.”
A sickness shredded her insides as her mother’s words pounded against her memory.
Remarkable timing. In case you’re wondering, I don’t disapprove. It’s rather brilliant actually.
At the time, she’d been too blind to realize her mother was complimenting Aiden’s underhanded tactics, not hers.
“You played me,” she whispered, her voice was more shocked than accusing.
“We played each other. We both came in with an agenda and we both got what we wanted.” He spread his arms, indicating the house and the party. “You’ve spent your entire adult life trying to get to exactly where you are right now.”
He stood from the desk and she backed away, her mind reeling.
“We’re the same, you and me. We see an opportunity and we seize it. It’s not a shame to manipulate a situation to our advantage. It’s a trait to be lauded and admired.”
She pressed her palms to her temples, the pounding becoming a force she could no longer ignore. His words were horrifyingly true. She’d used Beck’s feelings to get him to kick Sean out when she didn’t have the courage to. She used Caroline to hide from her problems. She knew exactly what triggers were needed to get Journey to back down in a fight, and when she wanted to hold on to moments with Sean, she withheld the one piece of information that would force her to choose—Aiden’s name.
“You and I are right for each other.” He gently pulled her hands away. “It’s effortless and despite how we got here, in the end, you chose me over him.” His voice grew thick, the closest Aiden would probably ever come to pleading. “You wouldn’t have done that if our feelings weren’t real.”
“You have no concept of real.” She stared into cool blue eyes, ones that didn’t challenge her or demand honesty. “You only want an image. A carbon copy of what my parents’ have, but you made one critical error—I’m not her. And now I know, I’m never going to be.” She pulled at her wrist but Aiden’s grip only tightened.
“So you’re going to throw all this away for him?”
“No Aiden. I’m going to free myself of this life… for me.” April eyed the fingers wrapped around her wrist. “Now let go before I take my heel and jam it through every bone and ligament in your hand.”
Aiden backed away, apparently smart enough to sense that her threat was not idle.
She tugged open the door. “You can tell my dad that I’m going to have to decline his job offer. Turns out, I don’t want the Duncan legacy after all.” And with that, she walked out of her parents’ house just as her brother had done two years prior.
Andrew had figured it out. He had seen exactly what she refused to see for twenty-six years. Their family’s concept of love was tainted. Burdened with strings and conditions that could only be satisfied by compromising your soul.
True love was unconditional, sacrificial.
She’d just been too afraid to accept it.
Chapter 34
The clock on her dash read ten fifteen and Beck typically went to sleep at nine thirty. Of course, it was a Friday night, but April knew all too well that Beck hadn’t had much of a social life this past year.
She’d damaged him. Just like her parents had damaged her. But the difference was she wanted to try and fix it, which was why she sat in her car, still dressed in the black cocktail dress, staring at his home. Her drive here had been on autopilot. As if she knew that mending her relationship with Beck would mark the start of her resolution to be a better person. Maybe because they’d begun this life together, or maybe because ruining their friendship was one of her biggest regrets.
The grip on the steering wheel made her trembling hands feel numb, a dry heave working its way up her esophagus. Apologies weren’t the Duncan way. She’d never been trained for them, didn’t even know how to begin to tell one of her oldest friends how sorry she was.
The clock’s digital numbers grew, and April slipped from the car, clicking her fob to lock it, though the act was completely unnecessary. Beck lived off Lake Travis on a wealthy and extremely safe street. She’d been here when he walked his friends across the plot of land, excitedly showing them where his house would go. She’d been here the day he moved in, carrying boxes and teasing him about his cliché choice of decorations.
They’d loved each other the way life-long friends should, and she’d been too arrogant to realize how s
pecial that was.
Her finger pressed the doorbell, ending the last of her hesitation. Beck parked in his garage, so she had no idea if he was home. She just knew she needed to be there, waiting.
The wait wasn’t long. Beck opened the door wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans, and for the first time in ages, she saw a hint of the kid who thought one day he’d change the world. His plans were never consistent. One year a doctor, the next an international journalist. But every career choice had him impacting lives. Never once did his dreams include being a commercial insurance salesman and yet, like all things, he did it with absolute dedication.
Beck scanned her but didn’t seem surprised by her unplanned visit. “Odd choice of attire for a late night pop in.”
“I drove straight in from Houston.” She stepped inside and the smell of bacon made her mouth water. “And I haven’t eaten in case you’re curious.”
“I’m not. But come in, I was just about to start the eggs.” He shut the door behind her and walked back toward his kitchen, feet bare and hair slightly disheveled.
His niceness unnerved her, made her glance around as if the boogey man might jump out from a corner somewhere. She carefully took a seat at the bar, where a full glass of orange juice and an empty plate sat. Beck was already grabbing a second one.
This wasn’t their first rodeo in the kitchen together. In college, she’d often show up at his apartment, hop up on the counter, watch him cook and talk out all her frustrations until her stomach was full. Beck was a safe place. He wasn’t Sean and he wasn’t her parents. He was like her, which was why he understood her need for neutral ground.
It wasn’t until her twenty-fourth birthday party that she’d realized his feelings had evolved. His birthday kiss lingered and then guilt sent him home before she’d even opened his present. Neither of them ever said a word about it.
Beck set a stack of bacon between their table settings and poured a bowl of mixed eggs into a frying pan. She lifted a flap of the paper towel and pulled out a small crispy piece.
“I saw that,” he said, though his eyes were focused on the task in front of him. “You can stay, but you can’t eat all my food.” He peeked a quick glance over his shoulder. “Then again, a few extra pieces wouldn’t hurt you.”
She chewed slowly, digesting the concern in those words. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
He turned the burner down and set the spatula on the counter. “Because the person who showed up at my door is someone I haven’t seen in a long time. Someone I’ve missed.”
“You can tell all that from one look?”
Beck chuckled and picked up his utensil again. “April, you aren’t nearly as complicated as you think you are. Especially to me.”
“Because you’ve known me so long?”
“Hardly. I’ve known Ty and Sean for years, too, and both those guys are a complete mystery to me.” He scraped the contents of the pan onto another serving plate and turned off his stove. “I get you because we’re exactly alike.”
“Scary thought.” She grinned at him. “For you anyway.”
“Very scary.” His wink was teasing and it sent a wave of familiar safety through her.
She stood to get them each a fork, noticing a legal petition on the corner. She instinctively gravitated to the spot and picked up the eleven by fourteen document.
ORIGINAL PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME OF ADULT
She continued to read, flipping up the first page to see the signature blocks. “Ty’s changing his last name?”
“Yep. That was his courtesy copy to me.” He turned the oven knob harder than necessary and shoved the pan to the side. “Dad is thrilled, of course.”
She was keen at reading body language. “And you’re obviously not.”
“Let’s just leave it at, I’m not surprised.” His voice held a bitterness she wasn’t sure he was ready to address, so she placed the paper back on the counter and returned to her earlier task.
She set down their forks the same time Beck slid the second plate onto the island and took the bar stool to her left. “Bon Appétit.”
Needing no other invitation, she scooped out a heap of eggs and bacon that would frighten even Sean. Luckily, Beck had cooked enough for at least five, so there was still plenty for him. “My dad offered me a job.” She bit into her second strip of bacon and talked between bites. “Pays twice what the firm does.”
“You gonna take it?” Beck wasn’t eating nearly as quickly as her. His manners wouldn’t allow for it, but she felt unbidden tonight. As if she were standing on a mountain top shouting “etiquette be damned.”
“Hmmm, let me think… that’s a hard one.” Her sarcastic voice carried the weight of the night’s betrayal. “No. In fact, I’m good with never seeing them again. Nor Aiden for that matter.”
“The fairytale wasn’t quite so enchanting, huh?” He stopped chewing and she shoved more food in her mouth. She wasn’t ready to tell him exactly how stupid she’d been. “Are you going to tell Sean about this change in events?”
She contemplated her answer while savoring an especially crispy piece of fried meat. “I don’t think that would be very fair.” Sean wasn’t her back up plan or her second choice, but no matter how she spun it, that was always how it would look.
“He’s not like us, April. Forgiveness isn’t a foreign concept to him.”
Her heart sank and suddenly her appetite vanished. She pushed her plate away, a quarter of the eggs remaining untouched. “Is that your way of saying that feeding me a late night breakfast is just a precursor to kicking me out?”
He tossed his napkin onto his empty plate and stared at her with earnest brown eyes. “Are you saying this visit is you asking me to forgive you?”
“Yes, and to explain.”
Beck’s eyebrows shot up. “You actually have a justification for what you did? This should be good.” Obviously agitated, he stood and grabbed both their plates. The scraping of her food into the trash was nearly as grating as the heavy silence that now hung between them.
“Not a justification, but maybe an explanation.” She bit her lip, willing herself to do the impossible. “I won’t insult you by lying. I did go to your office that day fully aware of how you felt, and worse, I had every intention of manipulating those feelings to get you to do what I needed.”
The dishes made a harsh crashing sound as he tossed them into the sink. “You’re not telling me anything I haven’t already figured out.”
“Maybe, but what you don’t know is that what I said and did once I got there was absolutely genuine.”
Those words made him pause his aggressive cleaning, and he leaned against the counter, waiting for more.
“I did feel betrayed. I was heartbroken. And I did fear being at the condo when Sean came home. I knew I wasn’t strong enough to send him away. And I knew you were. You’ve always been far braver than I am. I’m just good at faking it.” She thought of Andrew. How he independently forged his way without holding on to destructive patterns and people. Beck had that kind of fortitude. The kind of integrity that made him a fully admirable human being.
“You didn’t have to lie to me.” Beck’s voice grew soft. “If you had told me the truth, I would have still gone over there. And moreover, I could have handled the situation much better.”
Her throat swelled and her voice came out small. “I’m not good at being vulnerable.” She looked at him then. Really looked at him with the sincerest gaze she could possibly own. “Whatever my excuses are, you deserved better from me. From someone you trusted, and I am truly sorry I hurt you. If I could take it back, I would.”
Beck swallowed and stared down at his feet. She’d seen the glassiness in his eyes and knew he was trying to reign in the same kind of emotion she’d fought since walking in that door.
Finally his head raised, his face fully composed to include that cocky grin he’d worn since he was old enough to use it to his advantage. “You and I are good, but
I don’t want you thinking I’m still all gooey eyed in love with you. That ship sailed a long time ago.”
“I know.” She wrinkled her nose at him all the same. “Besides, I didn’t stand a chance once a certain doe-eyed brunette walked into Kinder Enterprises.” The switch back to normal was so quick, it left her mildly disoriented. Or maybe it was the heavy food sitting in her stomach because she found herself wanting to rush off the stool and give Beck a huge hug. Instead, she leaned her elbows on the island. “I like Caroline. She’s quality people.”
Beck turned around and tugged open the dishwasher, ignoring her comment by adding their plates between the racks.
She hopped off her stool and gathered the pans from the stove, grateful he’d already discarded the grease.
“I realized something on my drive tonight,” she said.
“How to tell when someone wants to change the subject?”
She chuckled. “No. I realized that there’s a reason you and I gravitate to Journey and Sean. Why we became less when he left town.”
That had him pausing. “And here I thought you didn’t notice you’d become unbearable.”
“I’m not the only one,” she said a bit defensively.
Beck took the pan out of her hand and ran it under hot water. “Go on, before we start fighting again.”
“My point is that people like Journey and Sean make us better. They somehow love us despite our flaws, and they hold nothing back.”
He sighed, set the pan in the sink and turned off the water. “We really would have made a terrible couple.”
“Oh my gosh, it’d be an apocalypse. My pride combined with your sensitivity. Sheesh.”
“I am not sensitive.”
“Are you kidding me? You’re like a five year old girl with a hero complex.” She moved immediately after that comment, dodging the handful of nasty water he chucked at her. “Hey, this dress is dry clean only.”
He grabbed a towel and dried his hands. “You really think I act like a five year old girl?”
She slowly came closer, watching his hands in case they were prone for another attack. “No. But I do think you have been when it comes to Caroline.” She thought of her friend’s flat tires, of the smooth voice on the other end of her phone. “Talk to her Beck. There’s a whole other side you’re not seeing, and she needs your friendship more than ever right now.” April stopped, knowing that to say more would be a betrayal of her promise.
The Truth Between Us (Bentwood Book 2) Page 24