The Surprise

by Alice Ward

  “I was being hyperbolic.”

  “Whatever,” she said. “I’m too exhausted to keep up with you this morning.”

  I laughed and led the way to my car. We climbed inside and drove through town in silence. Dani’s head was resting back on the seat as she stared out the window. I wanted to talk to her, but I didn’t know what to say. She looked so peaceful sitting beside me that I didn’t want to disturb her. Besides, I knew she would wake up soon. The second she saw what I had in store for her, she would be glad for a few hours of missed sleep.

  We pulled into a large parking lot and drove toward the back. The helicopter I’d ordered was already sitting there, waiting for us. Just as I suspected, Dani sat up the second she saw it. Her eyes were wide as she whipped her head over to look at me.

  “What are we doing?”

  “Well… you said you’ve never seen the Grand Canyon before.”

  Her jaw sagged. “No…”

  I grinned. “Yep. We’re going to fix that.”

  She squealed and grabbed my arm. “Are you serious?”

  My grin was about to break apart my face. “Completely.”

  I jumped out of the car, and Dani followed close behind me. She looked from me to the helicopter and then back again. I could tell she was still trying to wrap her head around everything.

  “This is insane,” she said. “We aren’t really going to—”

  “We are.” I grabbed her hand. “We absolutely are.”

  She was shaking her head, her palm sweaty against mine. “Why would you do something like this?”

  I looked at her, suddenly worried that I’d made a mistake. “You don’t like it?” I was sure she would love it, but the way she looked at me made me uncertain.

  “Like it?” she scoffed. “Are you kidding? This is amazing. It’s just… It’s just…”

  “Crazy?”

  Her hand squeezed mine harder as her grin competed with mine. “Insane!”

  “Let’s go.” I grinned and led her over to the helicopter, ducking low to avoid the blades.

  The pilot was already inside. He reached down to help Dani in, and I climbed in after her. We strapped ourselves in the back, and I helped her put the headset over her ears so we could communicate. I gestured for the pilot to go ahead. He gave us the thumbs-up sign, and the helicopter began to rise slowly into the air.

  As we left the city behind us, I was more interested in watching Dani instead of the view outside of the helicopter. Her eyes were wide and alive with excitement. I’d never seen her face light up that way before. I smiled while I watched her enjoy the views of Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam, and the O’Callaghan-Tillman Memorial Bridge.

  “There it is!” she breathed as the edge of the Grand Canyon came into view. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it hard. “This is incredible.”

  “I knew you’d like it.”

  I glanced at the canyon a few times, but I had trouble pulling my gaze away from the beautiful woman beside me. When she grabbed my hand, my entire body vibrated with energy. I felt happier than I had in years. I felt like she wanted me there beside her, like I was just as important as the experience itself.

  As the pilot circled the canyon a few times, Dani finally sat back and looked at me again. Her eyes were still wide, and her hand was still wrapped tightly around mine. She smiled brightly and shook her head slowly back and forth.

  “This is like a dream,” she said. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”

  I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed the soft skin. I didn’t know what to say. There were so many emotions coursing through my body that I felt completely overwhelmed. I was so happy that I could share this experience with Dani, but I was also terrified of what my feelings might mean. The longer she held my hand, the less I wanted her to let go. I never wanted to be away from her again.

  This revelation scared me more than anything ever had. I didn’t know how to handle the fact that I was falling for her. Our relationship was only supposed to be a business arrangement, nothing more. I was never supposed to develop real feelings for her, but I had. And I was scared to death of them.

  A few hours later, Dani and I found ourselves back in my car. We drove through town toward her apartment, neither of us saying much. Dani was still smiling about the helicopter ride and chatting about the colors and how she wanted to duplicate them on canvas. As I listened and said the right words at the right time, I thought my heart might beat out of my chest. Just being near her was enough to confuse and excite me. When I planned today’s trip, I wanted to give her something special, but I never imagined it would affect me so much.

  “Talen,” Dani said, pulling me out of my own head. “Thank you so much for doing that for me. I can’t even begin to tell you how much it means to me.”

  “It was nothing.” I shrugged. “I just wanted us to spend some time together, you know? So that we’re more convincing at the investors’ meeting.”

  As I spoke, Dani’s face fell. I didn’t know why my words upset her, but I knew they had. I immediately regretted them and wished I could take them back. The truth was, I only planned that ride because I wanted her to be happy. I missed her so much the night before, and I couldn’t think of any better way to show her than by helping make one of her dreams come true. That was all I wanted for her. From the look on her face, I just ruined the entire experience.

  We pulled into her apartment complex, and I tried desperately to think of a way to fix my mistake. I thought about telling her the truth, how much I really cared about her. Deep down, I wanted to, but I just couldn’t. Our arrangement would end in only a few weeks, and then she would be gone. How could I admit my feelings for her when we were going to go our separate ways soon?

  “Dani,” I said as she opened the car door. I moved to get out, but she stopped me with a look.

  “Don’t worry about it. I can walk myself to the door.”

  “Dani…” I still didn’t know what exactly I was going to say, but I knew I had to try. I couldn’t let her walk away yet. “Listen, I… when I said that before… I just…”

  “It’s fine, Talen,” she said. Her eyes were focused on mine, but she wasn’t really looking at me. She was closed off. There was no emotion in her eyes. “I know this is just a job. I get it.”

  Her words were like a slap across my face. She turned and climbed out of the car without another word. I watched as she walked up the sidewalk toward her door. I could barely see her, but I waited until I was sure she was inside before I let my emotions show. Closing my eyes, I leaned my head against my seat and sighed.

  I wondered if there was something broken inside me. Maybe something that had died and withered away when I was young. I could handle multimillion-dollar projects, understand complicated research… but I couldn’t speak to this one person. Couldn’t put my heart on the line.

  And I hated myself for it.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Dani

  “So, wait,” Madison said on the phone. “He took you on a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you don’t think that means something?” Madison asked for the hundredth time. We’d been on the phone for an hour. I told her all about the surprise and Talen’s harsh words afterward.

  “I told you,” I said with a sigh. “I really thought it did, you know? I was sure that he was starting to have feelings for me, but then, he said it was all business. He just completely shut it down, and now, I don’t know what to think.”

  “I know he’s rich,” Madison said. “But no guy goes through that much trouble for a woman he doesn’t care about.”

  “I thought the same thing. I even held his hand on the ride. I feel like such an idiot now.”

  “You aren’t an idiot,” Madison said quickly. “Any woman would have thought that.”

  “It’s just so confusing,” I complained. “There are times when I swear he cares about me. I mean, we’ve had sex a few times already, and both tim
es were amazing. When we’re together that way, I can feel him, you know? I can feel all of him, and I just know he wants to be with me.”

  “But…?” Madison asked.

  I pressed my fingers to my temples. “But… he’s always really good about making sure I know it’s just business. No matter how close we get, he always pulls back by bringing up work. This arrangement is just a job. I can’t let myself believe anything else. Not anymore.”

  “It’s almost over,” Madison said reassuringly. “Just a little while longer, and then, you’re free. You’ll get your money and your annulment. Then, you’ll never have to worry about Talen Gaston ever again.”

  “You’re right. You’re absolutely right.”

  And she was. My deal with Talen would soon come to an end. When it did, my life would be better than ever. My mother’s care would finally be paid for. I would have more money than I knew what to do with, and we would no longer be in each other’s lives.

  The thought made my stomach clench horribly. Madison was only trying to make me feel better, but the more I thought about never seeing Talen again, the more my heart ached. I couldn’t stand the thought of saying goodbye to him forever. I didn’t want to admit it, not to Madison or even to myself, but I had fallen hard for Talen Gaston.

  When he surprised me with my art supplies, everything changed. I saw a side of him that I’d never seen before, and it opened my eyes to a whole new set of possibilities. I realized that Talen’s tendency to be a dick was just a by-product of his father’s abuse. Deep down, he was a kind and caring man who loved his mother and was sensitive to the people around him. He cared, even when he didn’t want to.

  Still, I couldn’t ignore the things he said. No matter how much I wanted to believe he felt something for me, his words proved otherwise. He made it abundantly clear that he was only in this for his business and nothing more. I didn’t mean anything to him. I was just a means to an end. That knowledge broke my heart, but I knew I’d been through worse. I knew I had no choice but to accept the facts and move on. Soon, Talen would be out of my life, and all the confusing feelings would go with him.

  “I should go,” I said into the phone. “Thanks for talking to me, Madison. I don’t say it enough, but you really are my best friend.”

  “I know.” Her voice was so soft and understanding I wanted to cry. “And you’re mine. Everything will be okay. I promise.”

  “Thanks. Talk soon.”

  “Talk soon,” she said.

  We hung up, and I tossed my phone onto my couch. I knew it wouldn’t be long before I had to return to Talen’s place, but I just wasn’t ready yet. After our trip, I couldn’t bring myself to face him yet. If I had been confused before, it was nothing compared to how I felt now.

  Just as I was about to sit down and wallow in my emotions, there was a soft knock on my door. I frowned. I wasn’t expecting anyone but couldn’t help but wonder if it was Talen. My heart beat faster at the thought. Taking a deep breath as I put my hand on the doorknob, I told myself it would be okay. I just had to open the door and face him.

  When I did, it wasn’t Talen who stood in front of me. It was Perry.

  At first, I was sure that I was seeing things. I wasn’t. Perry was indeed standing in my doorway, wearing the shirt I bought him for his last birthday and looking at me with his deep brown eyes. I blinked, trying to think. I could barely breathe, and I had no idea what to say to him. I waited for him to speak, but he didn’t. He just shifted his weight from one foot to the other and stared at me.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I finally asked. My voice was soft, weaker than I wanted it to be.

  “Can I come in?” he asked sheepishly. I could tell he was nervous, but I didn’t care. The second I saw him, all the pain and anger he caused me came flooding back. I wanted nothing more than to slam the door in his face.

  “No,” I said, stepping outside and closing the door behind me. “You can’t.”

  “Dani, please. I just want to talk to you.”

  “We can talk out here,” I said firmly and leaned against the doorjamb, crossing my arms over my chest.

  He cleared his throat a few times and played with his hands. He kept moving his feet as if he didn’t know how to stand. His eyes flickered from my face to the ground and back again. A sick, twisted part of me enjoyed watching him squirm. I loved the fact that he was nervous and scared to be standing in front of me. I knew I could have said something to ease the tension, but I refused. He dumped me. If he wanted to talk, he needed to find the balls to start the conversation.

  “Dani,” he finally said and took a step toward me. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re sorry?” I repeated. My voice was flat. My eyes were locked on his, trying to read his emotions.

  “I am,” he said earnestly. “I’m so sorry for what I put you through. I know how much I hurt you and I just, I hate myself for it.”

  “What happened to your new girlfriend?” I asked, my voice cutting through the air like a knife. Perry winced, but he soon recovered.

  “I know I made a mistake, but, I don’t want my mistake to ruin our entire future. You and I have been through so much together, Dani. I don’t want to throw everything away just because of one stupid mistake.”

  “What you did was bigger than a mistake.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry.”

  His apologies started wearing on me. The more he said the word “sorry,” the more I wanted to slap him across the face and make him leave me alone for good. Just standing there talking to him was more than I could take. I wanted to disappear inside and shut the door between us, but I couldn’t make my feet move. I couldn’t tear myself away.

  “Perry, what are you doing here? Really.”

  “I’m here to get you back,” he said bluntly. “I want to be with you, Dani. I want to make up for everything I did wrong. I want to fix our relationship.”

  “We don’t have a relationship,” I reminded him.

  “Don’t say that,” he said softly. For the first time, he actually looked hurt. My stomach clenched at the pain in his voice. I hated myself for still caring, but I did. Perry and I had been together for so long that I couldn’t just turn my feelings off overnight. Seeing him in pain hurt me too.

  I sighed. “What do you want from me?” I could feel the tears threatening to pour from my eyes, but I blinked them away. I couldn’t let him see me cry.

  “I just want you,” he said. “I want to give us another try. Dani, we have a history together, and I would hate for that history to just disappear. I want to be with you again. Whatever you want, we can do. If you want me to stay in town more often, I can. If you want to get married, then that’s what we’ll do. Whatever you want, okay?”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “Whatever I want? Too late for that.” I lifted my left hand and wiggled my fingers at him, knowing the huge diamond couldn’t be missed.

  Instead of looking surprised, his jaw tightened. “I thought that was surely some tabloid-made-up lie.”

  He did know about my marriage, yet he came here anyway. Was it just jealousy that drove him back in my direction?

  “It doesn’t have to be too late.”

  I wiggled my fingers again, letting that be my answer.

  Perry looked around. “If you’re so happy with your rich husband, then why aren’t you living with him? Why are you still in this crappy place?”

  Shit. I raised my chin. “I’m not living here. I’m going through my things. You just got lucky by catching me here.”

  His eyes narrowed, and I could tell he was trying to read me. “So, you’re happy with him?”

  “Yes. Very.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  My stomach unclenched, and I flushed with rage. His words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I immediately felt every ounce of my anger come flooding back. I stared at his pleading, desperate face, and I hated him. I hated him for wasting five years of my life. I hated him for cheating on me. And I hat
ed him for showing up now, begging me to take him back.

  “You’re an idiot,” I snapped. “You’re seriously here, begging me to take you back? After everything you did?”

  “I apologized.” He had the nerve to look offended. “I said I was sorry.”

  “And that’s just supposed to magically make it all better? You think that offering to marry me if I want to is enough? What about you? Two people shouldn’t get married just because one of them wants to. It should be because they both want to, but you’ve never wanted that. You’ve never wanted me. Not really.”

  “That’s not true,” he argued. “Dani, I—”

  “It doesn’t matter anymore,” I said, cutting him off. “Because now, I don’t want you.”

  With that, I turned and stepped back inside my apartment. I slammed the door shut behind me and locked it with a furious twist of my wrist. I was so angry that I could barely breathe as I paced around my small space. It was a few minutes before I finally heard Perry’s footsteps as he walked away. I peered out the window and watched as his car pulled out of the parking lot, and he disappeared down the street. I was happy to see him leave, but my anger was still growing.

  I couldn’t believe he would show up at my door like that. I’d been so focused on my feelings for Talen that I hadn’t given Perry a second thought in days. Even when my mother asked about him, I barely felt a thing. Perry was my past, and I wanted him to stay that way. I couldn’t believe he offered to marry me just because he thought that’s what I wanted. He didn’t even bother to say he wanted to marry me.

  As I sat down on the couch and tried to calm myself, I realized that I didn’t hate my ex. Not really. He was just a sad, pathetic man who was better left alone. Our relationship was over, and it had been for a long time. My future didn’t lie with him. It lay somewhere else, with someone different.

  At least I wished it did.

  CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

  Talen

  I missed Dani.

  Following the Grand Canyon trip, I didn’t see her for a few days. She was staying at her place, and my nerves were starting to get the best of me. Not only was I concerned about our image, but I was also worried about her. After I tried to call her twice, I knew I needed to get out of the house. Sitting around and worrying wasn’t good for me. I knew I would just keep calling her and that it would only drive her crazy. I couldn’t let that happen.