The Wager: A Billionaire Romance

by Kyle, Calista

  "I'm going up there tonight," I said.

  "Wait, you're only going to make it worse for yourself if you just go up and bum rush her at the funeral or something," she said. "We need a plan."

  I bit back the retort that was on my lips at her low opinion of me. I was a jerk, but I wouldn't go so far as to make a scene at her father's funeral.

  "What do you have in mind?" I asked, suppressing the annoyance in my voice. I was after all grateful to her for deciding to help me out.

  "I'm going to call her and try to smooth things out, maybe plant the idea of her seeing you again so she's not so blindsided by it. In the meantime, I think you should write her a letter telling her everything. Don't leave anything out so that way, if she decides she still doesn't want to see you, I can give her your letter and she can read what you have to say," she said.

  "That's your plan?" I couldn't hide the disappointment in my voice. I wasn't expecting much, but her plan seemed so uninspired."

  "Well, can you think of anything better?" she sniffed.

  "No, I'm sorry," I said. "You're right. It's probably best not to rush her. Thank you for agreeing to help me."

  I hung up shortly after and sat at my desk, staring at my computer screen, the blinking cursor taunting me. What could I say that would change her mind about me? I wondered. I closed my eyes and thought about that first moment I saw Lily at the Eichendorf, looking fiery and cool all at once in her hideous glasses and ill fitting dress. A slow smile crept across my face and I began to type.

  Chapter Thirteen: Lily

  I lay down on my bed in my old bedroom and stared up at the popcorn ceiling. The tears had finally stopped coming. I was completely cried out and I didn't think my body was able to produce any more tears. When I arrived in Maine almost a week ago, I went to the hospital immediately. My mother met me in the lobby and threw her arms around me, nearly collapsing from her grief.

  "I'm so glad you're here." Her voice was muffled against my shoulder.

  "What happened, Mom?" I asked. I led her to the waiting room and helped her sit on one of the chairs before taking the seat next to hers.

  "He was heading in to work in the morning and the police say he stopped his car to help another motorist who had a flat tire on the side of the highway. And while he was down there helping to fix the flat, another car just lost control and slammed into the rear of the car," she said between sobs. "Your f-father was trapped under the car."

  "What did the doctors say?" I was afraid of the answer. From what my mother described, it was lucky he wasn't killed on impact.

  She shook her head sadly, a fresh burst of tears spilling down her cheeks. "Oh Lily, they say he won't make it. He's got massive internal bleeding, his spine is crushed, and...and...they say he's brain dead."

  I felt like I was going to be sick. My strong, proud, kind father was laying in a hospital bed, his body broken and his mind far gone. It was like my life was turning into a nightmare.

  "What are we going to do?" my mother lamented. "I can't let him go, Lily."

  "Shh, mom. We'll figure something out," I said, wishing it were true.

  It was hard to be strong for my mother, but I knew I couldn't break down now. She needed me, my father needed me, I couldn't give in to my urge to just crumple to the floor and cry. We stayed in the hospital all night, hoping against hope that a miracle would happen and he would wake up. Eventually, I told my mother to go home and get some rest while I watched over my father. She'd been in the hospital since the accident and looked rough, not that I could blame her.

  "I can't leave him," she had protested.

  "I'll be with him the whole time," I assured her. "If anything happens, I'll call you. Go on Mom, you need to take care of yourself too."

  "All right, I'll just head home for a quick shower and then I'll be right back," she said.

  "You need to sleep."

  "You know I wouldn't be able to fall asleep with all of this happening. I know you mean well, honey, but I have to be here with your father. It might be the last time--," her words were drowned out by a fresh bout of tears. I pulled her in for a hug and patted her back soothingly.

  "It's all right, Mom."

  She left soon after and I sat alone with my father in his hospital room, by his bed. It was hard to see him like this and a wave of guilt hit me as I thought of all those wasted years I'd stayed away from home. It seemed so stupid now.

  I thought I was being tough and moving on with my life by leaving town, but I was really only hurting myself and my parents. They never said anything or complained. They were understanding of my need to start my life over and the pain that I'd left behind. But in the face of all this, my reason felt so insignificant and stupid. I wished I could have all that time back.

  My father died the next day. The doctors said his injuries were just too extensive. While it was heartbreaking and gut wrenching to hear, a part of me was also relieved that I or my mother didn't have to make the decision to take him off life support if it came to that.

  His funeral was held three days later. My mother was a complete wreck, so I took over everything. I was running on autopilot, not stopping to think or feel anything. If I did, then I would just collapse from the sheer weight of it all.

  I was surprised by how many people turned out for my dad's funeral. I always knew he was well liked and respected in town, but seeing the church packed was still extraordinary. After everything was over, I drove my mother back home. She moved listlessly through the house, staring at old photographs and mementos from the years they'd spent together. It was heartbreaking watching her like this.

  ***

  I was still with my mother a week after the funeral. It seemed cruel to leave her there alone. She seemed so lost and in pain, I didn't have the heart to head back to my life in New York. What was there to go back to anyways? I thought bitterly. I shook my head, not even daring to go down that route. There was enough on my plate without having to add that mess on top of it. But I was finding it harder to keep him out of my thoughts. There'd be times when I'd catch myself wondering what he was doing now and if he ever regretted what he did.

  Mel had called me every day since I'd come up to check on me. She wanted to come for the funeral, but I told her not to bother. I honestly didn't want to face her questions or concerns about my mental wellbeing. She was already too worried about how I had coped with breaking up with Roman, I could only imagine the kind of smothering attention she'd give me after all this. It wasn't like I didn't appreciate the thought or concern, but I just wanted to be left alone.

  Something she said on her last phone call got my attention, though. Since she had heard of what Roman had done, Mel was adamant he was the worst human being on the face of the earth. It was almost astounding how much anger and vitriol she had for him, but recently she'd been softening her stance. At first, I didn't really pay it any mind. I had other things to occupy my thoughts. Then she had called me and told me that it might be a good thing if I had some more familiar faces around me at this time. I thought she meant herself, but when she said she had been talking to Roman, I was dismayed.

  "What do you mean by that?" I asked.

  "I mean he called Chad to try to talk to me," she said.

  "Why would he do that?"

  "Because he wanted to find out where you were."

  "You didn't tell him, did you?" I asked.

  She hesitated which told me all I needed to know. I felt anger and betrayal that Mel would tell Roman I was up in Maine. She was my friend after all. Why was she talking to him and telling him where I was? And why did he even care?

  "Don't get mad," she said. "He really sounded miserable."

  "Good, he should be miserable. You do remember what he did to me don't you? Why would you go talk to him in the first place?" I asked angrily. "I don't understand you. You're the one who said he was a bastard and an asshole and they you turn around and...what? Are you two up to something? Does he have another little prank up his sl
eeves?"

  I knew I was being unreasonable and lashing out angrily, but I couldn't believe that Mel would betray me like that.

  "Whoa, calm down Lily! You know it's not like that. I would never do that to you," she said.

  "Could have fooled me!"

  "Come on, Lily. You're being unfair. I know how much he hurt you and don't think I didn't let him have it for that, but if you would talk to him, you'd see how much he regrets it. He says he loves you, Lily," she said.

  My heart jumped up in my throat hearing her words. Love? Roman in love with me? I couldn't believe it and yet a part of me yearned for it to be true. A few weeks ago I would have melted in his arms if he'd told me that. I'd even day dreamed about it a few times. Then I remembered the wager and all my anger came rushing back up again.

  "He doesn't even know what love is," I scoffed.

  "I know you're mad, and you have every right to be. I would be too in your shoes. But maybe he regrets what he did? Maybe he really did fall in love with you and didn't know how to tell you about the wager without hurting your feelings," she said. "I know when I talked to him, he sounded miserable. Chad even says there's been talk about him going off the rails."

  "I don't know what kind of sob story he told you but I can promise you it's all lies. I was there. I heard him tell that other guy he was only with me out of pity. Those words were straight out of his mouth. How can he explain that? If he had fallen in love with me, why would he say that?" I asked.

  She was silent and I knew she had no answer because there was none. She had fallen for Roman's lies like I had. He was a very good actor, so I couldn't blame her.

  "You know, now that I think about it, I bet he orchestrated that whole scene with Maxwell Stein too. I wouldn't put it past him to do that so he would come off like a knight in shining armor," I continued, warming up to the subject.

  "Lily, I don't know why he did the things he did. I can't explain it, only he can. If you won't agree to see him, maybe you can read what he has to say."

  "What the hell are you talking about, Mel?" I asked

  "He's written you a letter. I forwarded it to you a few days ago. You should have gotten it by now. You don't have to read it if you don't want to, but it's there if you decide to. For my part," she added, "I'd want to know. I'd want an explanation."

  "You're a real busybody, you know that, Mel?" I said exasperated. "I don't even know what to say right now."

  "I'm sorry, Lily. I know this is a tough time for you and the last thing I want to do is add to that, but I really think you should hear or read what he has to say. I've always thought there was something special between you two. And don't feel like you have to read the letter immediately. Do it at your own pace," she added uneasily, while I continued to remain silent on the phone.

  "Listen, I've got to go now," I finally said. "I've got to head out for a bit."

  I hung up the phone, my head beginning to throb at all that I had heard. When did my life become such a sideshow? I wondered. In the course of a little over a month, my peaceful ordered existence had been turned upside down and I was just scrambling to pick up the pieces. I pulled myself off my bed and slipped on my sneakers and jacket. Fresh air was what I needed. It was feeling stagnant and cramped in the house.

  I headed down the stairs and was just about to slip out the front door when I doubled back and headed towards the living room. There, lying on the coffee table was a weeks worth of mail and on the very top was the letter Mel had forwarded me. I picked it up and slipped it into my purse and headed out.

  My heart was pounding in my chest like I'd run a marathon. There was nothing I wanted more than to rip open the envelope and devour the contents of that letter but I held back. I didn't know what I would find or if I was even ready to read it yet. Instead, I got in my dad's truck and started the engine and drove.

  ***

  After fifteen minutes of mindless driving around, I had finally decided to go to the grocery store to pick up some supplies for home. I needed something to take my mind off the letter and besides, we were low on just about everything since neither my mother nor I had even thought about shopping.

  Driving around my hometown, it felt like nothing had changed. The people were all the same, the stores were all the same. It was hard to be back here since so many things brought back bitter memories. I pulled up to the parking spot at our local Starford's and got out. It was cold and wet outside and I pulled up the hood on my coat and sprinted towards the entrance.

  The grocery store was surprisingly packed for a Tuesday night. I guess when there's nothing else to do in this little town, the local supermarket was the hotspot. It was so different from New York. I'd always thought of myself as a homebody, but being here where the most exciting thing to happen is the change in weather, I realized how much I'd missed New York and the big city.

  Even my quiet nights at home in my apartment were more exciting than what was going on now. Part of that might have been the fact that at least in New York, I had friends and people that cared about me. Here, all I had was my mother, and she wasn't in any condition to do anything but grieve.

  It was hard to stop thinking about what Mel had told me. I kept coming back to the same thing over and over again: Roman loved me. Could I believe it? Would it change anything? I still didn't know the answer to that. I was so confused. Nothing made any sense and I was giving myself another headache just trying to sort through it all.

  I thought about reading his letter. It was so tempting just pull it out and get it over with. What could he possibly say that would make what he did okay? Mel seemed to think he was sincere. She had even taken up his cause, which actually said a lot. If there was one thing I could say about Mel it was that she was loyal to a fault.

  She also thought she knew what was best for me. In this case, she thought that I should give Roman another chance, but I didn't think I was even ready to consider the possibility. I kept going over the same arguments in my head, not paying attention to my surroundings.

  Suddenly I heard my name called. Actually, it was the nickname I'd been branded with in school--troll face. Slowly I turned around to see the hated face of one of my tormentors all those years ago--Pauline Fontana. She even had the temerity to oink at me. She was wearing the green polo shirt and black cap of an employee and looked like she had aged 20 years in the last six.

  "Oh my God, it really is the troll face," she said, giving me the once over. "I thought I recognized your dumb ass."

  My body tensed and I cringed inwardly as I felt the heat flush up my face. I got angry with myself for still feeling that fear and dread I'd felt all those years ago. I was an adult now, a grown woman who owned her own business. Why did I still let this person affect me?

  "Hey Todd, get over here," she said waving to another man in the same uniform as her. "Look who decided to show her ugly face back in town."

  I stopped breathing for a second. I had tried not to think about Todd or Pauline or any one in their group for years and now it was all rushing back at me. The boy who stood me up for prom came sauntering over with a pompous grin on his face.

  "Holy shit! It is you," he said.

  "Well, aren't you going to say hi, Troll? What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Pauline taunted. She turned to look at Todd and continued, "She's just as stupid as she was in school. Can't even string two words together."

  "Maybe she's in shock," Todd said. "You heard about her old man, right," he said, ignoring me. "Got run over by a car."

  They both looked at each other and started to laugh. My shock and fear soon turned to anger, as their laughter sent my blood boiling. It was one thing to pick on me and call me names, but to go after my father, a man who never hurt anyone and who was one of the kindest men who lived, well that was too much. I'd spent too long being afraid and backing down. Enough was enough. I was not the same girl I was six years ago, and I damn well wouldn't stand around and let them continue to bully me or my family.

  "Wha
t's wrong with you people? Haven't you grown up yet? Is your life so miserable you still need to take your anger out on me?" I asked.

  "What the fuck did you just say to me, Troll? You're the loser and you'll always be one. Don't forget it."

  "I'm not the one still living in my mother's basement working the same job I had in high school," I said hotly.

  They both looked like they'd been slapped in the face. The shock was evident as they continued to stare at me, with mouths hanging open and eyes widened. I could pinpoint when that shock soon turned to something more dangerous. Their eyes narrowed and their mouths pinched into a sneer.

  "Fucking Troll thinks she's hot shit now," Pauline said to Todd. "I'm going to remind you what a worthless little piece of shit you really are when I kick your ass."

  "You might want to rethink that," I heard a voice say behind me.

  It was a voice I hadn't heard in weeks, but one I couldn't forget. I turned around quickly and had to suck in a gasp at the sight before me. Roman was standing there tall and broad shouldered and as handsome as I've ever seen him. His hair was a little longer than I remembered, but still thick and wavy. He wore a navy blue overcoat over a pair of faded blue jeans. I cursed myself for where my thoughts immediately went. Why did he have to be so good looking? And why did he still have such a power over me?

  I turned back around to face Pauline and Todd, trying to gain some semblance of calm but failing miserably. There were so many questions running through my mind. What the hell was Roman doing here? How did he find me?

  "What the fuck are you going to do about it?" Todd asked, recalling my attention.

  "I'm going to report you to your manager. I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate their employees threatening a customer," Roman said coolly with a hint of steel in his voice.

  Pauline and Todd narrowed their eyes at Roman before backing down. They shot me one last angry glare before turning around and walking away. Once they had left, the silence filled the air between us.