by Haley Jenner
The sigh he coughs out mocks me, and I stand, moving out from behind my desk.
I scowl over at him, taking a breath to speak but he cuts me off before I’ve had a chance to form a conscious thought.
“I want her gone.”
Shock lacerates through my body, and I gape, my mouth opening and closing in an ability to conjure a single coherent word.
“It’s not up for discussion. We look like fools, having a grown woman squatting in our house. We’re at an age where we should be getting married, having children. Instead we have this zombie living with us, who can barely pull herself out of bed.”
He turns to walk away, and I follow his footsteps. “No.”
Pausing his retreat, he turns, head tipped to the side in irritation. “Sorry?”
I bark out a humorless laugh. “I said no.”
“Cute. That you think you have a say in this, Aubrey. If you won’t tell her she has to leave. I will. Annabelle, against all appearances, isn’t stupid, I tell her she’s not welcome, she’ll leave.”
“No,” I repeat, the word cracking against the walls of the guestroom.
“Are you going to just keep repeating the same word over and over again? What does it matter, Aubrey? Let her go and mope somewhere else.”
I stagger backward at the lack of feeling in the way he speaks of my best friend. “You honestly have nothing inside of you. You’re empty. Void of emotion.”
Scrubbing a hand down his face, he groans in irritation. “You’re being overdramatic.”
I watch him, looking down at me in nothing but boredom.
“Only you would think that. Maybe it’s because you don’t have any friends, you can’t imagine what fatal fucking error you made by throwing out such a heartless ultimatum.”
I meet the stone of his stare with the ice of my own.
“You wouldn’t understand though because you have no friends. No one who would do anything to help you.”
He laughs dryly, the sound bitter and chafing. “Oh, Aubrey. How can you be so daft? Annabelle is using you. How often did she visit prior to her life falling apart? Hmmm?”
“See that’s your problem, David. You see every act of kindness, every act of love as having an ulterior motive. You see my friend using me, I see her leaning on me, needing me,” I pause to take a breath, brushing my hair from my face. “I feel sad for you.”
He doesn’t like that, being made to feel less, made to feel weak. Once upon a time, his slicing look would have cut me, wounded me to a point that I would’ve worked my hardest to fix it. I would’ve hated being looked at with so much animosity. Not now. He can keep his rage firmly in place. Fuck him. Fuck his stifling fucking home and his holier-than-thou attitude.
“I’m done. We’re done,” I correct.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he huffs.
“I’m fucking serious. I’m done with this fucking charade. I was content enough with your bored indifference, but then you went and threatened the safe haven of my best friend. Fuck you. I’m done.”
The flatness in his eyes dissipates as I work to move past him, a panic seizing his frame as he grabs my arm.
“Let go of me,” I spit.
“You stupid girl, you think you can just stamp your foot and be rid of me? No.”
My face morphs into one of surprised amusement. “I don’t just think it, it’s what’s happening. You don’t want this just as much as I don’t.”
“You’re wrong,” he argues, his defenses escalating at the desperation he let leak into his voice.
“Please,” I spit. “You’re not in love with me.”
His eyes close over in affliction, brows knotting together like my words alone bring on the mother of migraines. “God, Aubrey. Forget the silly notion you seem to have of true love. You can’t possibly believe it actually exists. It’s a fairy tale. Not real.”
I swallow against the acid of his words. “I’ve seen it,” I defend.
“Oh, that’s right, Archer and Annabelle.” He rolls his eyes. “How well love worked out for them.”
His grip on my arm tightens and I wince, pulling back, but he’s stronger, pulling me closer. “Aubrey, my job is built around finding weak spots and exploiting them. Capitalizing on deficiencies in a way that plays right into my hands.”
Yanking my arm from his tight grip, I step backward, away from his menacing glare. I’ve never seen him so angry, so panicked.
“You showed me your Achilles heel the moment I met you, Aubrey. The moment you agreed to go out with me after your dad introduced us. Anything to please Joseph.”
I swallow heavily at his easily spoken threat.
“I knew you weren’t interested, not in the same way I was you. I thought you’d grow to like me,” he shrugs, not too concerned that it didn’t play out that way. “You’re beautiful,” his hand reaches up, touching a strand of my hair and for a single moment the annoyance in his eyes dies, replacing itself with yearning. “More importantly,” he comes back to himself, dropping his hand away. “I knew you’d do great things for my career. Which you have done. Well, not you personally, your status, as Joseph’s daughter. Surely you know that our relationship put me in higher esteem with the other partners.”
“You used me.” I want to laugh at how absurd that is. How stupid I feel that I never saw it.
He watches me blankly for a single beat before shaking his head. “Not entirely. To begin with it was a bit of both. But while my affections grew for you, yours lessened with time. So disappointing.”
He seems sad as his words drift off and I almost feel bad for him. Almost.
“Aubrey, I can’t afford a hiccup in my career. Not this early on. I’ve just been voted onto the Board and this relationship ending wouldn’t look good.”
I shake my head, shocked that he’d think I give two shits about his career. “That’s not my problem.”
He taunts me with the sharpness of his smile. “That’s where you’re wrong. You’re far too beneficial for me to let you end this. It’s not an option.”
I laugh at the idiocy of his comment. “Jesus, David. Listen to yourself. You can’t lock me in a fucking cellar.”
“Not necessary,” he smirks, the gesture twisting the attractive lines of his face into something ugly. “I could ruin him.” The words are spoken softly, his body language relaxed as he leans casually against the doorframe. But his eyes shoot daggers, cutting into me, daring me to defy him. “Joseph. I could take his career from him. The one thing he loves more than anything, more than you, I could take it from him. He’s older now, pushing back on motions that could move the company into another league, I could move to have him voted out.”
I hate that I don’t know enough about my dad’s career to know if that’s true. Whether David has that level of power.
“Aubrey, I don’t like looking like a fool, and I will step on or over anyone to make sure that doesn’t happen. I’ve worked too hard to let it all fall down now.”
“You wouldn’t,” I breathe. “He has nothing to do with this. With us.”
He stands to full height, pulling at his tie. “But he’s the one way I can keep what I want. High esteem is critical to me. I won’t lose face because of a childish tantrum you’ve decided to throw. If the very real threat of me ending your father’s career is how I keep you in check, then Joseph has everything to do with us.”
He walks away without further comment, turning and leaving the guestroom like nothing had happened.
I’m still standing there dumbfounded when he moves into the open door once again. “Annabelle can stay. For a few more weeks,” he offers lightly like he’s doing me a favor, like he didn’t just threaten me, like he didn’t just blackmail me into staying in this relationship.
He’s gone again before I can blink and I stand in a sea of Annabelle’s belongings trying to work out when it changed, when I completely lost sight of the man I was sharing a bed with. Or was I happy enough to remain oblivious and he’s always bee
n this person?
I wish I could even pretend that I told him to shove his threat up his conceited fucking ass, but that would be a bold-faced lie. Because as soon as he simply spoken ultimatum slid from his lips, I knew he’d won. He took the one fear, so deeply rooted within my body and painted it neon. I couldn’t have ignored it, no matter how hard I tried. As much as I hate to admit it, after all these years together, David knows me, whether I want to admit that or not. He knew that he had me before the words were spoken. He’d won a long time ago. It just unfortunately took me longer to figure it out.
Rubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands, the skin becomes damp with the tears pooling inside. I fall back on the bed, pulling my comforter over my head as I stutter through my breathing and not for the first time over the past few months, I cry myself to sleep.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Aubrey
I wake unrested and impossibly more tired than when I arrived yesterday. Removing the sleep from my eyes I blink, wide-eyed and slowly, working to bring the room around me into focus. The room, although designated a guest room, has been specifically decorated for me. Something Dad would have hired someone to do for him. While the neutral base of the room is obvious, splashes of color bring the space to life. Throw cushions, a large armchair and a soft rug brighten the room with their red hues. Pictures I’ve taken cover a large portion of the walls. All scenery, some subdued by grey scale, others vibrant in their color.
I take so much comfort in this room. Appreciating that while it’s not my dad’s style, he’s always done his utmost to make me feel at home. Both emotionally and physically, all the minor touches adding to his effort.
Patting the softness of the comforter, I search for my phone and am relieved that even at eleven in the morning, David has not attempted contact. He would have definitely seen the note, a creature of habit, he would have come home to eat and sleep before heading back to work this morning.
Disappointment also sets inside of me. Ridiculous as the hope may be, my phone is empty of calls and texts. Meaning nothing from Jake.
Switching the phone off, I throw it back into the mess of the bed and move to get up. I sit along the edge for a few minutes, letting the softness of the carpet massage my toes. Finding a robe in the bathroom, I wrap the thick material around my frame and slowly make my way through Dad’s home towards the kitchen and the smell of waffles moving through the house.
“Sweetheart, was just going to wake you. Sleep well?” Dad greets, moving to blanket me in his warm embrace.
“Morning, Daddy. I slept fine,” I lie. “Even better, woke to the smell of waffles.” I pull back slightly to smile up at him, and he squeezes my shoulder before moving to the table.
“Come, eat.”
Settled at the table, Dad pours us both coffee, as I begin eating. I love Dad’s waffles, always made from scratch, their soft and fluffy on the inside with the right amount of crisp on the outer layer. Freakin’ delicious.
“Noticed all the bags in the entryway, Aubrey, seems you’re not just crashing for a few days,” Dad prompts, lips to his coffee, eyes to me.
For such a serious and guarded man, his eyes are uncharacteristically kind and approachable. They project a warmth I’ve never let myself appreciate until this moment. They’re set behind a thick-framed pair of glasses, somewhat shielding them from anyone that may try to read further into him. I guess they’re a mechanism of defense, an additional form of armor against people wanting to know him more. This used to make me sad, but now I see a contentment in his gaze, and for the first time in my life, I consider that maybe he’s happy enough in life to want to keep strangers at a distance.
He lets me contemplate him for a few quiet moments as he drinks his coffee. His dark hair shows more greys than I remember, offering an air of notability, distinguishing him as a gentleman. It’s neatly trimmed, his face clean-shaven, of course. I actually can’t recall a time I’ve ever seen my dad sport facial hair. He’s too modest, too clean cut for that.
His posture is strong, almost rigid, but he’s fit and considering he’s nearing his late fifties, he’s still kinda got it.
He shifts in his chair, his dark eyebrows rising above the frame of his glass. Offering him a tight smile, I nod a few times, moving to grab my coffee cup. “David proposed… I think that’s what it was, anyway. More suggested we get married,” I start and I watch my dad place his mug back onto the table and rest his jaw in the palm of his hand, focusing his attention solely on me.
“I gather by the bags it didn’t work out best… for him.”
“Daddy, I’ve done something and I think that you’re going to bear the brunt of it. I just… God. I tried to leave David months ago. You know, I tried for so long to find happiness with him, but it took so much effort that it started diminishing who I was. The last few years have slowly eaten away at me until... I don't recognize myself anymore.”
Concern pours from the kindness in my father’s eyes, and I force a weak smile.
“David threatened me, or more he threatened you.”
“Excuse me?” The menace in his tone is not something I’ve ever heard.
“Daddy,” I placate, but he shakes his head.
“Tell me. He threatened you how? Physically?”
“No,” I force out quickly, seeing his shoulders relax somewhat. “He explained that our relationship looked good for him. He alluded to the fact that he pursued our relationship in the beginning to further his career.”
The look of shock and disbelief crosses his face and I feel for him, how foreign this feeling of uncertainty would feel to him.
“His threat came about when he told me that he had the power to vote you off the board. He told me he could destroy your position in the company if I left.”
He laughs, the sound scornful and angry. “God, Aubrey. Why didn’t you come to me?”
I shrug. “I knew you’d always choose me. You’d forgo your career to give me happiness. I wanted to do the same for you.”
“You’ve been living this way for months? What type of father am I that I didn’t notice.”
“Daddy—” I start, but he cuts me off.
“Aubrey, David has as much power to have me voted off the board as I do him. Nil. Our board consists of over twenty people, Aubrey. Both inside directors as well as shareholders. He just can’t have me voted out because he feels like it.”
“But he said you were pushing back on ideas, you said that to me yourself.”
“Aubrey, sweetheart. That’s business. Motions are passed. Others are not. He holds none of the power he alluded to.”
He seems sad. His hand covering his mouth in worried contemplation. “We should go to the police.”
“No.” I lift both my hands to stop him continuing. “Honestly, apart from the threat, he basically left me alone. I actually think in some warped part of his mind he didn’t see the blackmail as significant as it was. He truly thought we’d go on with our lives, get married, have children.”
“Good God.” He looks so broken down. So lost and I know he’s punishing himself for introducing us in the first place.
“Daddy, I am fine. Better than. Truth is, I would’ve gone along with David’s plan, but something pretty big happened to make me realize that I couldn’t do it. Even if the fallout hurt you, I couldn’t do it anymore.” I bite my lip, struggling to check the emotion I suddenly feel at admitting that out loud.
“Something or someone,” Dad queries, and I feel sick.
Dropping my head into my hands, I begin to cry. For what, I’m not sure. Dad’s chair shifts closer, his hand rubbing along my back as he makes soothing noises.
“Do you hate me?” I ask, lifting my head slightly.
His hands stop abruptly, and he looks at me completely confused by my words. “Hate you? Why…?”
“It was someone… I fell in love with someone else. I cheated. I lied. I did wrong, by not only David but I also hurt Jake… I… God…. I’m such an awful perso
n. Please don’t hate me,” I cry again, and my sobs come louder as thick drops of salty water drop from my eyes.
“Hey, hey, sweetheart,” he soothes, pulling me forward and I bury my face into his neck. “Aubrey, sweet girl, I would never hate you. It’s not possible. I want you happy, that’s all I’ve ever wanted for you, surely you know that. Maybe lying and cheating isn’t the best way to find your place in the world, but you were pushed into a pretty tight corner. I don’t blame you for finding comfort elsewhere. Your happiness is what’s important to me in life. Nothing else compares.”
Moving back, I scan his eyes. “You’re not disappointed I couldn’t find happiness with someone like David?” I ask, using the back of my hand to wipe my nose.
I watch Dad’s eyes flick to my hand before he moves to grab me a tissue, rolling his eyes affectionately. “No. Frankly, Aubrey, I hope something hideous happens to the man. He never seemed to suit you anyway… how can I….” His eyes scan my face before he offers a soft smile. “You’re so much like your mother, Aubrey…I…”
“I was afraid you would think that,” I hiccup and he recoils, completely taken aback by my words.
“Afraid? Why in God’s name would you be afraid of that?” he questions, brow furrowed.
“You’re such a good man, Daddy and I know that you could’ve made her happy. But she left you, never gave you the chance to prove that to her. I hate that you think I could never love someone like you,” I answer, eyes downcast to the table.
“Aubrey,” he breathes. “Trust me when I tell you that Clarah tried, sweetheart. By God did she try and we did love one another, at least a little. But truth be told, your mother burns incredibly bright, much like you do,” he smiles at me. “While I loved Clarah, probably always will a little, we were ill-suited. Clarah needed a man to love her completely and passionately. Me? I…. Well…. As much as I tried, I will always be married to my career. I live for my work, Aubrey. As much as it pains me to say, I couldn’t give Clarah the life she deserved, she knew that and I’m not stupid, Steve always owned her heart. I just borrowed it for a little while. I’ll never regret what she and I shared though because above everything, she gave me you.”