The ball was another matter. It was a vanity project, pure and simple. He hated being forced to attend. Every year, he was expected to escort the vapid daughter of a socially acceptable family. Money and connections were the only qualifications. Wit and intelligence seemed to have been bred out, not a desirable trait in the Harper Falls elite.
“I’m not.”
“Full sentences, Andrew.” Regina sat up even straighter. Drew wondered how she managed to function with a stick constantly shoved up her ass.
“I will not be attending the Lilac Ball. With or without a date.”
“I see.”
Drew wasn’t expecting an explosion. Regina never raised her voice. However, her lack of surprise at his announcement did throw him a bit.
“Am I to assume you will be spending the evening with Tyler Jones?”
If this were a movie, Drew would have admired the way Regina played him. The slow build, never giving a hint to her end game. As an observer, he would have applauded her tactics. As a participant, he felt her cold stare chill him to the bone. His mind scrambled. With no warning, he wasn’t sure how to proceed.
“What do you think you know?” Answer a question with a question. It bought him time to think.
“I know everything. I know about your little meeting place down by the river. I know this has been going on for almost a year. Please tell me you’ve been using protection. The last thing we need is a mongrel Harper in the family tree.”
“You go too far, Regina.”
Drew was too angry to notice Regina’s reaction to his use of her name.
“It is Mother, do you understand? What would people say if they heard you call me by my given name?”
“I don’t give a damn what people think, Regina. I stopped thinking of you as my mother long ago. I’m not going to play the hypocrite just so you can save face.”
If anything, her eyes became colder, her back straighter.
“You will stop seeing that Jones girl. Immediately.”
“Are you out of your ever-loving mind?” Drew was flabbergasted. “I love Tyler. I plan on spending the rest of my life with her.”
“That is impossible.”
“Don’t worry. We won’t be here in Harper Falls. No uncomfortable holidays to get through. Dad can come and visit his grandchildren. You won’t be a part of our lives.”
Drew wasn’t certain, but he thought Regina actually choked at the mention of grandchildren.
“Is she pregnant?”
“No.”
“Good. That would have been…unfortunate.”
“Because she isn’t worthy?” Drew scoffed.
“Because she’s your sister.”
“What?”
“WHAT?”
Tyler shot straight up in bed, her eyes a stormy gray.
“Calm down, Ty.”
“Are you kidding? Was she kidding? Please, tell me she was kidding.”
Drew took her shoulders, easing her back down onto the bed. He leaned over her, smoothing back her hair.
“She wasn’t kidding. She doesn’t know how.”
“Drew—”
“We wouldn’t be here, like this, if we were brother and sister, Ty.”
“Then what was she up to?”
“Let me finish.”
TEN YEARS AGO
“YOU HEARD ME, Andrew.”
Drew was reeling. Tyler was his sister? Impossible. Please, let it be impossible. He started running scenarios through his head. None of them made sense.
“Is Martin Jones my father? Or are you telling me Dad is Tyler’s? Unless there is some other twisted combination that hasn’t occurred to me yet.”
“The specifics don’t matter, Andrew.”
“They are all that matters. You want me to believe that I’ve been—” God, he couldn’t even say it. “If I’m to accept this, you need to give me some facts.”
“If you insist.”
Regina tapped her manicured nails on the surface of her desk. Nerves, Drew thought. She didn’t show them often. That she did so now gave him a spark of hope.
“Well? Spill it, Regina.”
“Watch yourself, Andrew. You will show me respect while in my home.”
“If I’m to believe you, that moral high ground you’re so fond of standing on is about to crumble into a million little pieces. You can’t have it both ways. Are you a cheat who gave birth to another man’s child or not?”
“Nineteen years ago, I was briefly… involved with Martin Jones.”
“Am I his son? Yes or no?”
Again, Regina hesitated.
“You can’t even say it. Why start a lie then refuse to follow through?”
“I don’t want to embarrass your father.”
“Which one?”
Regina raised her eyebrows, the look she gave him saying what she wouldn’t. It was a lie. Drew was certain.
“He loves you. This would devastate him.”
Drew doubted it. Any illusions Russell Harper might have harbored about his wife were lost long ago. This sham would only add to the knowledge that she was beyond contempt.
“And then there’s his heart. You know what the doctor said about avoiding stress. Leave Russell out of this, Andrew. It will be best for all of us.”
Drew swallowed. His father’s condition wasn’t life threatening. Not yet. Adding any worry wouldn’t help though. He would try not to involve him, unfortunately at this point, Drew wasn’t sure that was possible.
“Two days, Regina.” Drew stood indicating he was done. “Show me some proof or back down. If you still want to play the cryptic messenger of doom, I’ll be forced to go to my father.”
“And say what?”
“Simple. I’ll tell him your story. Then I’ll ask him to join me for a little test. You can lie. DNA won’t.”
He thought she would stop him before he got to the door. Her bluff had been called. Game over. Turning back wasn’t a good idea. Lot’s wife came to mind. For the first time, Drew understood the temptation. Sometimes it was impossible not to take one more peek at the disaster.
“Two days, Regina.”
No pillar of salt. She wasn’t that powerful. Her cold eyes, though. The eerie emotional calm. He knew that image would stay with him the rest of his life.
TO SAY IT was the longest forty-eight hours of his life would have been a gross understatement.
Drew was in a hell of his and Regina’s making. After little sleep and a stomach that considered food the enemy, by the time the deadline finally arrived, he kicked himself for not sticking to his gun and forcing her hand right away. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to watch all those old movies so he could keep up with Tyler’s many references. Now he kept asking himself what would Humphrey Bogart do?
Relying on the advice of a dead actor’s fictional exploits probably wasn’t the smartest way to go.
He wished he could share that bit of lunatic thinking with Tyler. No one would appreciate it more. Except he couldn’t tell her — not any of it. Until he knew the truth, he had to avoid her at all costs. He couldn’t trust himself not to blurt out everything. Well, he wasn’t going to burden her with information that he hoped was false.
Leaving a note seemed the safest thing to do. School was catching up with him. He needed to study. Lame, maybe. Tyler would understand when he was able to explain.
It was relief, not dread, that Drew felt when he went to confront Regina. Time was up. The end of her crazy scheme was finally here.
“Andrew.”
“Regina.”
“Have a seat. There’s no reason not to be civilized about this.”
Drew remained standing. It wasn’t a power play. He just wanted to be as near to the door as possible. When he had the truth, he wanted a quick and easy exit.
“I’m here for a simple yes or no. Dragging it out won’t help.”
“You’re right.” Regina nodded. “Russell is your father. There is no doubt.”
Evil
bitch. Drew wanted to spit the words at her. He also wanted to jump across the desk and strangle the life out of her. To avoid the later, he refrained from speaking at all.
“Before you run off to see your little girlfriend, there is one more thing.”
Of course there is. With Regina, the crap was neverending.
Leaving would have been useless. Eventually, she would track him down. Instead, he decided to face the worst now. He would rip off the bandage in one fast pull and hope the wound underneath wouldn’t start bleeding again.
“I’ll admit my ploy about your paternity was not well thought out.”
“No kidding.”
“In my defense, I had only just found out about you and that Jones girl. It was a bit of a shock, to say the least.”
“Suggesting incest was the first place your mind went? How sick is that?”
“The point is,” Regina went on, “I’ve had more time to think.”
Drew felt dread replace anger. Too much time. He gave it to her and now he had the feeling he was going to pay the price.
“Spit it out. Do your worst.”
For the first time, Regina smiled. The curve of her mouth was slight. Not happy, certainly not joyous. Satisfied, Drew thought. She knew she was going to win.
“I will destroy every member of the Jones family. Top to bottom. Financially, socially. The hole will be deep, Andrew. It will take generations to crawl out; even then the taint will never completely go away.”
“Tyler doesn’t care about money or social standing.”
“Why am I not surprised.” Regina’s contempt was palpable. “I understand your little friend is quite fond of her mother. Anita Jones is a timid, inconsequential woman who will never survive my wrath. Will Tyler be able to look at you every day knowing the Harpers destroyed her family?”
“One Harper.”
“The name will be bitter on her lips, Andrew. How long before she hates you? Can’t stand to look at you, to have you touch her? A year? Two? By then, it will be too late. You’ll be married, maybe a child, or two. Picture it. It isn’t pretty, is it?”
Drew felt cold and hot all at once. He couldn’t deny any of Regina’s words. She wasn’t bluffing. In fact, he thought part of her hoped he would defy her so she could have the pleasure of devastating the lives of an entire family. It made him crazy to know he shared the blood of such a sick, ruthless individual.
He knew he was stuck. His father would be unable to stop her. No one had that power. No, Drew thought. That wasn’t true. She gave him a choice. She gave him the power.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Break it off. Immediately. You will have nothing to do with her ever again, Andrew. Not in a month, not in a year. If word gets to me that you’re sneaking around, meeting in secret, I will follow through on my threat. There is no statute of limitations.”
“Fine.”
Drew turned to leave. There was nothing else to say. Game, set, match. The evil bitch had won.
“Andrew?”
“What.”
He rounded on her, teeth bared, murder in his eyes. There was little satisfaction in seeing a brief hint of fear in her eyes. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late.
Regina recovered her composure quickly, her gaze as cool as ever.
“You will be the villain. Tyler is to believe this breakup is entirely your doing, your own idea. My part in it can never come out. Is that clear?”
“Crystal.”
Drew didn’t slam the office door. He didn’t scream to the heavens about injustice. Instead, he got in his car and drove. He had one thing on his mind and one thing only. What to say when he broke the heart of the woman he loved.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
DREW WAITED, HOPING Tyler would say something, anything, to fill the silence.
He spent ten years imagining this moment. Practicing what he would say. He tried to anticipate her reaction. Anger, disbelief? Disdain? Sometimes she would say a simple fuck you before walking out of his life for good.
On a good day, he would let himself fantasize a happy ending. Those were rare — vague. She still loved him; nothing else mattered. That was his favorite. It was also the rarest. He wasn’t very good at letting himself off the hook.
“Speak to me, Ty. Yell, curse. Hit me. Do something. Please.”
Her face was turned away from him. That happened towards the end of his story. Instead of turning back, Tyler shook her head.
“You can’t even look at me?”
“I—” she started. Then she shook her head again.
Tears, he groaned silently. He heard tears in her voice. He never imagined her crying; it was too painful. He preferred her anger.
“Can you forgive me, Ty?” Drew reached out a hand, pulling it back before he touched her slightly shaking back.
“I was eighteen and powerless. I wanted to throw her threats in her face, tell her to go to hell. Instead, I caved. Telling you I didn’t love you was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Part of me died that day, Ty.”
“Now I understand.”
Her voice was muffled. Drew closed his eyes. He didn’t hear anger; he heard contempt.
“Ty—”
“You were the best man I ever knew.”
Tyler sat up, turning towards him. Her face was streaked with tears, her gray eyes sad. Sadder than he ever remembered.
“You know as well as anyone about my father and brothers. Other than Dani’s dad, I thought all men were like the ones in my family. Then I met you.”
Drew thought he might be sick. This was worse than he imagined. And that was pretty bad.
“Maybe it was unfair of me to turn you into my hero. Teenage girls can be silly sometimes. I got over the broken heart, mostly. I never got over the loss of my hero.”
I wanted to be your hero, Drew thought. I hated taking that from you.
“I can’t believe what you did.”
“I didn’t think I had a choice.”
Tyler took his hand lifting it to her cheek. Her eyes were swimming with tears.
“There’s always a choice, Drew. You picked me. You let me paint you as a villain. You let me hate you so my mother wouldn’t suffer.”
“I should have told you sooner. Years ago.”
“I wouldn’t have heard you,” Tyler said. “I mean really heard you. I wasn’t ready.”
“Are ready now?”
This time when she looked at him, her eyes were dry and clear.
“Do you know what I see when I look at you? I see a man. A strong man. Kind. Someone I can count on — trust.” She went into his arms. “I see my hero.”
TYLER STRETCHED HER arms above her head. She didn’t need to open her eyes to know it was morning. Some crazy person let the sun in.
Drew.
She grinned.
This time when she stretched, she used her entire body. Her muscles felt loose. Amazing what a night of lovemaking will do for a woman.
Sitting, Tyler pulled her legs up until she rested her cheek on her knees, her arms wrapped around her legs. Last night. So much happened. So much said.
The end result? Tyler felt free for the first time in ten years. Free to let go of the past. She was ready to open her heart. Not to a new man — to the only man.
“Drew Harper.”
She whispered the words. No more of that. Tyler sat up straight. This time they didn’t have to hide. She could shout his name and there wasn’t a damn thing anyone could do about it.
“DREW HARPER.”
“I hope that was a happy yell. I don’t think I’ve had time since your last orgasm to piss you off.”
Drew leaned against the doorframe. Tall and gorgeous, dressed in faded jeans and dark blue sweater, he was nothing short of mouthwatering. She was sorry to have missed the shower that left his hair slightly damp. Next time, she thought. They would have plenty of next times.
“I was testing a theory.”
He stood, sauntering over. When he
reached her, he sat, taking Tyler into his arms. His kiss was slow, letting her know he was glad to find her in his bed. Tyler responded by wrapping herself around him. There was no place she would rather be.
“What theory?”
“Hmm?”
Drew smiled against the side of her neck. He loved that he could turn her brain to mush with a single kiss. It was only fair; she could do the same for him.
“My name? Yelled? Theory?”
“Right.” She pushed at Drew. “If you want an intelligible answer, you better stop that.”
“You taste like…”
“Like?”
“Give me a minute. I need another sample.”
Laughing at his silliness, she turned her head to give him better access. A few more seconds of that and her brain wouldn’t be mush; it would be goo.
“You taste like Tyler. My favorite flavor in the world.”
He didn’t just have control of her brain, Tyler realized. With only a few sweet words, he had her heart in the palm of his hand. She trusted him to keep it safe this time.
“We can tell the world.”
Tyler didn’t have to explain. Drew understood.
“I’ll take care of that right after breakfast. You want a shower first?”
“Yes. Give me ten minutes.”
Tyler didn’t tarry. She was washed, dressed, and headed down the stairs in under ten minutes. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and frying bacon greeting her like old, welcome friends.
She had assumed they would go out to eat. Seeing Drew expertly cracking eggs into a bowl was a definite surprise.
“You can cook.”
“I can’t tell. Was that a compliment or an accusation?”
“That depends. Are you any good at it?”
“Sit and decide for yourself.”
It turned out he knew his way around the kitchen. Perfectly browned toast, crispy bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs. The coffee tasted like it was sent down from the Gods. It might not have been the most complicated of meals, but it was better than Tyler could have done.
If You Only Knew (Harper Falls #3) Page 21