The cub makes a summersault. And then another one! His mother looks back at him patiently and waits. I can almost see her rolling her eyes and laughing to herself! I can’t believe that I am privy to this! It is amazing! I’m astounded!
When they finally disappear into the other patch of pine trees on the other side, I sit on the edge of the bathtub in awe.
Eventually, I come back to my senses. I turn the water back on. Then I remember that my iPad is in the other room. I turn off the water again, wrap myself in my bathrobe, and head out to retrieve it. I need to take my mind off of everything that’s happened today. And there’s no better cure than to watch something mindless to space out in the bath.
I thought that the iPad would be in the main bedroom, but it isn’t. I can’t remember the last time I used it, but it must be in my bag, which is the dining room.
In the living room, I hear voices.
Someone is shouting. Who can that be? I thought I was alone. I look around and see that the double doors to the porch are slightly open.
Atticus is on the porch, talking on the phone. He is pacing, walking from one side of the porch to the other in a circle. He is waving his arms around as if he’s trying to convince someone of something. As if the person on the other end can see him.
I’ve never seen him like this. Wyatt seemed like the more exuberant and excitable brother to me. Atticus was always calmer, more collected.
He’s facing away from me, so I can’t really make out what he’s saying. I don’t know what comes over me, but for some unknown reason I take a few steps closer to the door.
Suddenly, his words become clearer.
“I don’t know what you want me to do,” he yells into the phone. “I’m only going to get the money when the IPO goes through.”
“That’s all I can do,” he says after a moment.
“Okay, okay, I know. Yes, I know the juice is running. But I can’t get the money from anywhere else. If you want me to pay you a few grand at a time, yes. But not if you want the whole thing. Do you want me to pay you a few grand at a time?”
“No? I didn’t think so!
“I don’t understand what you don’t understand. The only way I can pay is after the IPO.”
I take a step forward, and the floorboards creak. Shit! I walk away from the double doors and grab my iPad.
“Annabelle?” Atticus says, walking into the room.
“Oh hey.” I avoid eye contact with him and pretend that I didn’t hear a word.
“Agh, girlfriends, they’re impossible. Am I right?” he says. He’s as pale as a ghost.
“What?”
“I was just on the phone with my girlfriend, and I don’t know if you heard me. Sorry if I was shouting.”
I stare at him. I hate it how some guys have the tendency to insult women to other women’s faces and then ask for their approval.
“Yeah, right,” I mumble.
Atticus shifts his weight from one foot to another and doesn’t look me in the eye. Now, I know for sure that I had no business hearing that conversation.
“I didn’t actually hear anything, I just came out to get my iPad,” I assure him. He smiles, looks like he believes me.
“Okay, well, I’ll see you around then.”
I watch him leave.
24
Gatsby comes back right as I get out of the bath. He is wearing a new suit and looks as sharp as ever. His hair is brushed back, and his eyes are twinkling.
“Must’ve been some meeting,” I say. I want to wrap my arms around him, but I’m soaking wet.
“I had a video conference. I had to look presentable.” He comes closer to me, wrapping his arms around me. He’s not as concerned about his suit as I am.
“Oh wow, if I knew I was going to miss this, I would have never gone downstairs,” he says, kissing me.
I feel how hard he is through his pants, and he undoes my towel, dropping it to the floor.
“Come to me,” he says, kneeling down on the floor and kissing my breasts.
His lips start to meander down toward my belly button.
I feel hot all over, and it’s not just the bath. But before I lose all control over my faculties, I pull away.
“I have to ask you something,” I say.
“Anything,” he says, kissing my collarbone. “Just talk while I keep doing this.”
Gatsby pushes hair off my neck.
“No, c’mon. This is serious. Please.” I pull away and pick up the towel off the floor.
“Okay, okay.” He folds his arms across his chest. “What? What’s so important?”
I have to wrap myself in the towel before asking him. I have never been totally comfortable with my own nudity. Plus, I need to buy myself some time. This is very difficult to say. I can’t find the words. I don’t really know what I heard, but I know it’s not good. I know that it’s something that Gatsby should know about. Yet I am conflicted.
Things have just started to get better between them. When we first arrived, Gatsby didn’t even acknowledge that he had brothers. And then today, everything changed. I saw him not just admit that they exist but actually have fun with them. I saw him laughing with Atticus, reminiscing about their childhood.
Given my own experience with my sisters, I don’t want to take that away from him. I want to just pretend that everything is okay. I want them to remain brothers. Even more than that, I want them to remain friends.
But am I willing to lie for Atticus to do this? No, I can’t. My allegiance lies with Gatsby. Atticus didn’t ask me to. And I don’t even know what it is that I am lying about.
I have to choose my words carefully.
“I was just wondering…” I start.
He waits for me to finish. I can’t find the words. I don’t know how to ask about something that I’m not supposed to know anything about. I don’t want to alarm him if it’s really nothing. If this just has to do with Atticus and not the company.
“I was just wondering why Atticus is so worried about the IPO.”
Gatsby gives off a sigh of relief. “Oh, Christ, Annabelle. I thought you were going to say that you wanted to leave or something. Don’t scare me like that!”
He is relieved too soon, but I just nod and wait for his reply.
“Because we’re all going to get really rich after it goes through.”
“Okay.” I nod. That doesn’t really explain anything.
“Well, everyone but him, I guess,” Gatsby adds as an afterthought. I don’t trust my ears. I am not sure if I heard that correctly.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, technically, Atticus won’t be getting any money from the deal. All of his shares are held in a trust.”
That’s when I realize that what I heard was really bad. Atticus has some plan to get money that’s not his, and that’s why he has to wait for the IPO. Something’s wrong. I tell Gatsby everything. Every last part of the conversation that I over heard Atticus have over the phone. And I remember every detail.
* * *
“No, that can’t be right.” Gatsby shakes his head after I stop talking. “There must be some explanation.”
I shrug. I don’t know anything except what I heard.
“I’m going to go talk to him,” he says. I start to get up and get dressed, but he stops me. “Wait here, okay?”
“No, I want to come.”
“This is private, Annabelle. I need to speak to him in private.”
I’m about to protest again, but then there’s a knock at the door.
* * *
It’s Atticus.
* * *
“Stay here,” Gatsby orders me. I roll my eyes and cross my hands. I can’t believe that he is talking to me like this.
“Please?” he gives me a quick kiss. “Please, I just need to talk to him in private. Brother to brother.”
“Okay,” I give in. I appreciate his kind words. I give him his space.
I am left alone in the bedroom. I pic
k out a pair of jeans, a tank top, and a light sweater that the concierge brought over for me. Then I pick up my phone. I check my email and then mindlessly scan through the books on my Kindle app. Hundreds of different thoughts swirl through my head, and I need to make them stop. I need to focus on something else, but it’s not working.
“Annabelle, can you come here a moment?” Gatsby walks back into the room.
I shake my head, no, no, no.
“What are you doing? What I said to you I said in confidence!” I whisper.
“I know, but I have to get this out in the open. It sounds like it was some sort of misunderstanding.”
“It wasn’t a misunderstanding!”
“Well, that’s why I want you to come out here and talk to Atticus.”
I can’t believe he’s making me do this. This is so unfair.
“Hi, Atticus.” I nod and stand slightly behind Gatsby. I can’t confront him. I don’t want to. This isn’t my business.
“Annabelle, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that you overheard my conversation earlier today.”
“I’m sorry, too.” I shake my head at Gatsby. He has betrayed me!
“I’m sorry Gatsby has dragged you into this. It’s really embarrassing.”
“For me, too,” I add.
“The thing is that what you heard, it’s nothing big. I just owe people a little money. That’s it. It all has to do with this fantasy football thing I’m in.”
Atticus is smiling and nodding. His voice is high-pitched, and he’s the friendliest he’s ever been to me. It’s all an act, but Gatsby doesn’t see it.
“But what about what you said, that you’ll only be able to pay your debt after the IPO goes through?” I say. I don’t want to be confrontational. I shouldn’t even be here. But I can’t just let him cover this up so easily. I can’t let him get away with this, whatever this is.
“Oh, that?” He smiles and hesitates. I can see that he’s trying to buy himself some time. I look at Gatsby, who is anxiously waiting for his reply. “That was just something I was telling him. I do owe him some money, but I’m pretending that I don’t have it. So I was just trying to put him off for a few weeks. So I made up the IPO thing.”
I nod.
“Well, you see.” Gatsby smiles. “It’s nothing.”
“Yeah, it’s nothing. I’m just sorry you two got all messed up in this. I really should keep my private phone calls private.”
Gatsby laughs along with Atticus. I barely crack a smile. I can’t stand what he is doing, how manipulative he’s being, but I need to be alone with Gatsby to tell him this. I can’t call him out on this now. Besides, there’s nothing really to call out. I don’t have any proof.
25
I go back to the bedroom while Gatsby and Atticus share a drink. When Gatsby comes back to the room, I’m already in bed. I can see the relief that’s painted all across his face. I hate to be the one to crush it. But I have to tell him the truth.
“Well, I’m glad that got all figured out.” He smiles and gets into bed with me. “You really scared me for a moment.”
I stare at him.
“I’m not sure it is,” I say. Again, choosing my words carefully. I don’t want to offend, but I can’t let it go.
“What are you talking about? Didn’t you hear Atticus?”
“Yes, I heard his explanation. But I also know what I heard and saw. It isn’t just a small debt. He was seriously freaking out on the phone, Gatsby. You have to believe me.”
“I do believe you, Annabelle. I just think you’re confused. He was just acting.”
“Why? Why would he act?”
“To get that guy to give him some more time. I don’t know. Atticus is a man of large appetites. He likes to gamble. He likes to bet on horses. He spends a lot.”
“Exactly my point,” I say.
“But this is just another example of that. It’s nothing more. So he owes someone some money in fantasy football. So what? Why is this my problem?”
“Gatsby—”
“Or better yet,” Gatsby cuts me off. “Why is this your problem, Annabelle??”
I don’t say anything. I wait for him to explain. I hate the tone of his voice and the way that he’s towering over me. Trying to intimidate me.
“It’s not…” I whisper.
“Exactly. It’s not. You just met him last night. Until yesterday, you didn’t even know he existed. You don’t know anything about him.”
“But I know what I heard.”
“No, I don’t think you do. I’m sure you just misheard something,” Gatsby insists. His voice gets tamer now. He’s not so threatening. Trying to make peace. Perhaps, I should let it go. Maybe, he’s right.
“I know what I heard. This is serious. He’s lying, Gatsby.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Neither do you,” I insist. “Yesterday, you acted as if he didn’t exist. As if you didn’t have a brother. And after a day of skydiving suddenly you’re what, best friends?”
He gets off the bed and paces around the room.
“You’re the one who wanted that, remember?” he bellows.
“Listen.” I get up. I walk close to him and wrap my arms around him. “We’re getting off track. It’s not about you and your brother, not really. I want you to have a relationship with him. A happy one. You have no idea how much I want that.”
I kiss him on the lips. Tears are starting to well up in my eyes. I want to push them away, but I can’t. I can’t see anymore, and I just turn my head away from him to wipe my tears. The crying isn’t just about him. It’s really about me. But I have to stay focused. I’m here to convince him of what I saw and what I heard.
“I want you to be friends, Gatsby. But I also know what I saw and what I heard him say. And how he said it. It wasn’t an act. Something is really wrong.”
“What? What’s wrong?” Gatsby rolls his eyes and folds his arms across his chest.
“You said that he’s not getting any money from the IPO. Why is that?”
“Because he’s been irresponsible before, and our father and he came to an arrangement. All of his shares go to his trust fund. But they’ll go to him eventually.”
My mind is racing. I’m trying to think of all the things that could be wrong. All the reasons why he would want the money. But I don’t know enough about finances. And I don’t know nearly enough about the Wild family.
“So why would Atticus want for the IPO to go through in order to pay off his debt?” I ask. It doesn’t make any sense.
“He wouldn’t! That’s the whole point, Annabelle!” Gatsby’s exasperated. “It’s just something he told the guy on the phone to buy some time to pay his debts.”
I shake my head. No, no, no. It makes sense, but it doesn’t. Something feels wrong.
“I don’t understand why you don’t believe me,” I finally say. “I was there when he was on the phone. And it wasn’t a lie. He was really scared. Really upset.”
“Annabelle, you have to drop this.” Gatsby’s face grows stern. All color banishes within a moment, and all that remains is the stranger I first saw in the pages of the gossip magazine.
“I can’t.” I shake my head.
“You have to!” Gatsby slams his hand on the desk startling me. “Dammit, Annabelle. You just met him. Yesterday! You think that makes you some sort of authority on him? On our family? You don’t know anything about us!”
I nod and look away. I am not getting through, and the more I push, the thicker the wall gets. I hate Atticus for doing this to us.
“What is it that you think you know about Atticus?” Gatsby continues. Now, he is ranting. I turn around and go to the living room. He follows me.
“You think you heard him curse someone on the phone, and that means you know everything there’s to know about him. Is that how you feel about me? You’re so fuckin’ judgmental, Annabelle.”
I hate the way he’s talking to me. I can’t stand it.
“No, I never said that!” I turn around to face him.
I will not stand for how he’s talking to me. I don’t mean to yell, but the words just come tumbling out.
“All I’ve been trying to convince you of is what I saw and heard. I don’t know what it means. But you know what hurts the most? I’m here. I’m standing here, trying to protect you. Because that’s all this is.”
“Well, I don’t need your fuckin’ protection!” Gatsby shouts across the room. “Who do you think you are, anyway? You’re not in any position to protect me. You don’t know anything about me!”
“I don’t need to know anything about you to protect you,” I shout back. His words are starting to make less and less sense. And mine are completely incomprehensible. All I want is for all of this to stop. I can’t stand the drama. The strife. I’m not this person. We’re not this couple. We’re not at a couple at all. Just two people on their first date. First date! Oh my god, I can’t believe it’s our first date.
I grab my bag and start gathering my things. I don’t have much. My phone. My iPad. My work clothes. Skirt. Blouse. Jacket. Panties. Maggie Mae’s high-heeled shoes. Can’t forget those.
“What are you doing?” Gatsby walks over.
“I’m leaving,” I say calmly. As far as I’m concerned, our fight is over.
“And where do you think you’re going?” he says mockingly.
I look up at him. Our eyes meet, and for a brief moment, I remember how nice it was to get lost in the blueness of his gaze. But then the moment passes, and I see the person who is staring back at me. A stranger.
“Home.”
The mocking expression on his face vanishes. He collects himself, and his face returns to its natural color.
“Okay,” he nods. “I’ll make the arrangements.”
I wait for him to call me a car to take me to his plane. I watch the way he moves as he talks on the phone, confident, self-assured, honest. More than anything, I wish for that person to return to me. He is there, within arm’s reach, but I just can’t go to him. I can’t apologize. I have nothing to feel sorry about. I can’t go back.
Acquired: A Billionaire Auction Romance Page 34