by Lexy Timms
“The boy’s loaded. There’s no question about it,” Eris said.
“He wanted to buy a yacht to dock at his place, so we went shopping for that. Then he convinced me to go sailing out with him on it. And I was petrified about it.”
“Considering what happened last time, I don’t blame you.”
“We went snorkeling and swimming. We tested out the boat and all of its amenities.”
“Did you test the sturdiness of the cabin below?” Eris asked as she wiggled her eyebrows.
“No,” Kallie said with a giggle. “We didn’t. Things didn’t actually go well on the boat. He told me there was one last thing he needed to make Bali perfect, and that it was me. He said he needed me, Eris.”
“And I take it since you came home that you turned him down.”
“Over and over again. There was something he said, though, and I had to stop him.”
“Why? What did he say?”
“I’m pretty sure he was about to admit to me that he loved me, Eris.”
“Now you told me before you left here that there was a small part of you that wanted to see if you could rekindle things with Ash. It sounds like you did just that. So why are you here?”
“Because my life is here? Why the hell else wouldn't I be here?”
“Kallie, your shitty life is here. There’s a difference.”
“The odds are stacked against us, Eris. I have my business here—”
“That you could pick up and take with you.”
“And my family’s here. You’re here.”
“We both know Ash has enough money to fucking fly us out there anytime we want to see you.”
“And what if I did give in? What if I did agree to stay? Ash wants to carve out a life for himself that’s isolated. He suggested I sell off my damn business, Eris. So I could stay at home and pump out kids.”
“Is that what he said?”
“It’s what he implied.”
“What did he say, Kallie?” Eris asked.
“He said I could sell my business and live in paradise with him without having to lift a finger if I didn’t want to.”
“That’s not asking you what you think he’s asking you.”
“What?” Kallie asked.
“You think Ash wanted to sell your business so he could keep you cooped up. That’s not what he said. He said you could sell off your business so you could live out your days with him. At his side. He didn’t say anything in that statement about you having kids and being a housewife. Just that he wanted you to live your life alongside him so he could take care of you.”
“Which is the exact definition of what he and James accused me of being.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Eris.”
“Listen to me, Kallie. I’ve done you a great disservice as your friend. I know you’ve gotten this rule from me about never getting too attached to one guy. But I’ve kind of broken all my rules with Jeremy lately, and it’s turning out better than I could’ve ever expected.”
“Did he slaughter your reputation in the media or debase you in front of a massive crowd of people?” Kallie asked.
“No. But it’s not easy for us either. My point is, you think the odds are stacked against you because you’re looking at Ash through the lens of what James wanted from you. You two always fought about whether or not you’d give up your career to be a stay-at-home wife with kids. But Ash didn’t ask you about any of that. All he asked was that you sell off your business to come be with him. To live with him. To explore with him. And that doesn’t make you a gold digger, because he’s offering even though you’re not willingly seeking.”
“But what if I did stay, Eris? What if I stayed and the press found us anyway? Ash wanted to live this kind of life because he hates the press. He hates how he’s treated because of his money. Ash living in Bali isn’t a headliner, but Ash living in Bali because of a supposed gold digger called out on a national forum? That’s a massive headliner. What if they chase us down because of me?”
“Well, we finally dug down to why you didn’t stay,” Eris said. “And it’s a valid reason. So here’s the only rebuttal I’ve got. If you love Ash, you should fight the same way he’s doing to make things work. Do you love him?”
Kallie chugged back the rest of her beer before she settled into the couch.
“I do,” she said. “I love him, Eris.”
“Then fight for him. That man has done nothing but fight his way back into your world ever since he figured out he fucked up. And he has changed you a lot. You’ve become stronger. More confident in who you are. James tore you down for years. Stripped away my best friend and molded her into this almost unrecognizable person. This is the closest I’ve seen you to the Kallie I knew before James came along and tipped your world upside down.”
“You think I made a mistake,” Kallie said.
“I think that if you’re happier here than with Ash, then you made the right decision.”
Shit.
Eris took a couple of slices of pizza with her, then left Kallie to her thoughts. She opened another beer and sipped on it, grimacing at the taste. How Eris could drink this shit was beyond her, but the burning alcohol helped her to focus. Her friend was right. Kallie needed to step up and fight if this was what she wanted. And Kallie wasn’t happier in her apartment. It was simply what was comfortable. James had been comfortable. But that didn’t mean he had been right. Her apartment was comfortable, but that didn’t mean it was right.
Kallie had to call Ash.
But just as her butt left the couch, her doorbell rang.
She set her beer down and walked toward the door. And when she peeked through the peephole, her heart slammed against her chest. She ripped the door open to find none other than James Rathbone standing at her doorstep.
And he was livid.
“What the fuck is this?” he asked.
A piece of paper came crashing into Kallie’s face as her hand tried to catch it.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Kallie asked.
“I’ve been slapped with a fucking defamation lawsuit, and it’s naming you as the complainant.”
Kallie looked down at the piece of paper and furrowed her brow.
“Well I didn’t file a lawsuit against you, not that you don’t fucking deserve it, you worthless piece of shit.”
“Don’t you dare talk to me like that. You deserved every single solitary word that was said on that broadcast. You think I used you, but you used me in return.”
“I’m not going to even respond to that, other than to say that this is typical of you. You can’t have what you want so you meltdown and throw a tantrum about it. I’m glad someone’s suing you. Every piece of garbage you spewed in that interview was false. Those text messages were faked. They were never sent. And you deserve every ounce of embarrassment that comes your way. But I didn't file anything against you, no matter what these documents say. You’re not worth that kind of energy, James Rathbone.”
She could tell he was taken aback by her words. She’d never used such a strong tone with him before. But as she flipped through the file of paperwork that came crashing down into her face, she saw her name on every single document. Who in the hell was suing James on her behalf?
Was that even legal?
“You have no idea who you’re messing with, Kallie. My family has more money than you could ever imagine. We’ll bury you. By the time I’m done figuring this out, your business will be toast. You’ll be driven out of this city. No one will open their doors to you. You’ll be just another pathetic excuse for—”
Kallie reached out and shut the door in his face. She locked the door as James’s fist came down onto it, but she blocked his idiotic threats out of her mind. She was too busy scanning the documents. Looking for any proof as to who could be behind all of it.
What the hell was going on?
Chapter 25
Ash
Ash left his lawyer’s office secure
in the decision he’d made, even if it was a bit scary. He still wasn't sure how this was going to pan out, but he knew he had to do it anyway. All he had to do now was set the remainder of his plans in motion. He walked out to the town car Clyde was driving and climbed into the back seat, then took out his cell phone as he pulled away from the curb. He contacted his public relations firm and talked them through his plan and what they needed to do, then he took a few meetings to secure everything in place. He hopped from location to location, trying to get everything set up to work in his favor.
There was so much to do before the weekend, and he couldn't waste a second of his time.
Ash spent the entire week making the necessary preparations. Slowly but surely, his plan was unfolding. The pieces were fitting into their spots exactly as they needed to, and nothing had hit the news that didn’t need to be there. He spent the entire week running behind people and double-checking his plans in his last-ditch effort to win Kallie over.
Because if this didn’t work, he didn’t have anything else.
Once Ash was secure in the decisions he’d made, he decided to do a little bit of shopping. It was time to get the ball rolling. He ducked into a few shops and ran his hands along designer dresses, feeling the fabric and checking to see if they had any dresses Kallie would enjoy in her size. He went to five dress shops before he found the perfect cocktail dress for her. A mixture of salacious and conservative that always crept into her wardrobe. The high-low design of the skirt would hit Kallie just above her knees while covering the backs of her legs all the way to her midcalf. The deep-red material of the dress would cling to every inch of her curves until the material broke around her chest. Enough room for her luscious bosom to sit in, the sleeveless dress clung tightly around the owner’s neck before opening up to a back that would be showcased before the material around the waist blanketed the backside of the wearer again.
It was a dress that almost looked tailor-made for Kallie, and he bought it for her the second he saw it.
The store gift wrapped it for him and he went ahead and bought the matching shoes. The heels were a little higher than he’d seen Kallie wear, but the saleswoman assured him they were the most comfortable heels anyone could own. But just in case, he bought a matching pair of flats in the same color. The last thing he wanted was to give Kallie any reason to reject his final gift to her.
He set the presents in the back of the car before walking across the street to the jewelry shop. Kallie wouldn’t need a necklace with the high neckline of the dress, but he saw a dainty bracelet and a pair of earrings that went well with the outfit. The dangling pearl earrings were accented with the smallest rubies he’d ever seen cut, and the dainty bracelet had miniature pearls strung on the delicate white gold chain that were separated by the shining red gem. He had the store gift wrap those as well, tying the box off with a red bow that matched the dress he’d purchased for her.
All Ash had to do now was bide his time until the big reveal on Saturday.
He put the jewelry in the trunk of the car along with the dress and the shoes before one last store caught his eye. A lingerie store that had a beautiful black set showcased in their display. But was that appropriate? Would that be too much? The idea of seeing Kallie in that black lacy lingerie made his legs grow weak. But would she appreciate it?
He decided that if he was going to go all-out, he might as well really throw himself into it.
So he walked into the shop, bought the black bra-and-pantie set, had it gift wrapped like the others, then walked out of the store with it.
Ash hoped he’d get to see her in them sometime soon. But even if he didn’t— even if all this backfired—he still hoped she would wear them. A woman like Kallie deserved at least one set of lingerie she felt comfortable and beautiful in, and he hoped to give Kallie just that. The idea of anyone else but him seeing her in them made his heart break, but in the end, this was all he had.
His grand gesture, his gifts, and himself.
And if Kallie didn’t want it, then there was nothing he could do about it.
Once his car pulled back up to his apartment, he grabbed all of the gifts and hauled them upstairs. He picked up the massive gift bag he’d gotten in a store the other day and slowly stacked one on top of the other, making sure she pulled them out in a specific order. First the jewelry, then the shoes, then the dress.
Then, after everything else was opened, there would be the lingerie.
All Ash had to do was call the courier and craft a note.
He sat at his desk for an hour, writing and rewriting his note to her. He didn’t want to do any of it face-to-face. He didn’t want her to feel pressured to give him a specific answer. His grand gestures would be pressure enough for a woman like Kallie. And the pressure he had leaned on her with in Bali only served to make her choose the city over paradise with him. So, he came at everything from a business perspective. Sometimes, breaking the mold was the only way to get a result that was positive.
So Ash had to break the mold he’d sunken into.
For all this time, Ash had been face-to-face with Kallie. Upfront. Close. Personal. He’d talked to her in person and arrived unannounced in an attempt to grow an atmosphere she couldn't run from. Because Kallie was nothing, if not a runner. This time, he intended on working with her personality trait instead of regarding it as something that needed to be changed. That was his mistake. Thinking that her running needed to be combated.
What he had to do was get her to run with him. Not away from him.
And his best chance at that was leaving her to make this decision without the pressure of staring him in the face.
After writing out the perfect note and sealing it in an envelope, he settled it in the bag and called the courier. The big event was tomorrow evening, which gave Kallie more than enough time to decide on whether or not she was going to come. He hoped she would. He prayed she would. But when he handed the bag off to the delivery man and relinquished all control of the situation, he sat on his couch and gazed out the window.
Everything was riding on Saturday’s event and whether or not Kallie would show. Ash had bent over backward to make sure his parents would be there, even though they couldn't stand being in the same room together. The Grant Ballroom at the Four Seasons was the biggest ballroom in San Francisco, but he knew it would be hard for them. Sometimes, just looking at each other caused a spark that ignited a fight that could burn down an entire city block.
But their involvement in his plan was imperative.
Ash drew in a deep breath as he gazed out over the ocean. His lips muttered silent prayers as he pushed them out into the ethers. If there was anything he’d learned during this entire ordeal with the woman he loved, it was that what someone fed into the universe they always got back. And this entire time, Ash had been feeding dominance. Feeding arrogance. Feeding anger and hatred and resentment. He had to change his tactic. He had to draw back his heavy hand. He needed to feed care and compassion and understanding into the universe in order to reap it back. He fed anger, so he reaped anger. He fed resentment, so he got it from the one woman he wanted to have love him.
This was his last shot to get it right.
Everything inside of him wanted to go ask Kallie himself. Everything inside of him wanted to run after that courier, take it from him, and deliver it himself. But that would only heighten her want to run. He couldn't make an independent woman lean on him. He couldn’t force her to come under his wing. He couldn’t make her take his help. She had to make that choice on her own. An independent woman needed the space she required to make the right decisions for her own life. Otherwise, she would step in the opposite direction just to feel like she had some semblance of control over the situation.
That was what Kallie was doing.
And it was because he had been coming on way too strong.
He cursed himself for not seeing it sooner. For being so blinded by his heavy-handed tactics and his want for her. He’d been so m
uted by her presence and overwhelmed by their passion that he hadn’t seen how quickly he was shoving her away. How scared and overwhelmed she had become by his constant pursuance of her. Kallie felt crowded. He knew she did. And putting her on that boat with him in the middle of the ocean didn’t do anything but rip away the few choices she could make for herself.
He put his head in his hands and began to pray out loud.
“I don’t know if you’re there. Or if you exist. But whoever can hear me, I need you to listen.”
He drew in a deep breath through his nose as tears welled in his eyes.
“I love this woman,” he said with a whisper. “I love every part of her. I love her smile. And her grace. And her independence. And her need to always be running. I do. I really, really do. All I want is for her to run with me. That’s it. I just...”
He raked his hands down his face and heaved a heavy sigh. A sigh that made him feel lightheaded and tilted the room on its axis. He sank into his couch, his head falling back into the cushions as he stared at the ceiling.
“If you can hear me, then please ... please help this to work.”
He closed his eyes and felt a tear slip from his cheek. Kallie had to make this decision on her own, but that didn’t mean he wouldn't try everything in his absolute power to help it along. Fuck, he hoped she made the right decision. He hoped she would show up to this function and accept all he wanted to give her.
He really hoped she wouldn’t be pissed off at him.
His phone vibrated in his pocket and he ripped it out. A simple text message from the courier sent his heart thundering against his chest. He opened up his phone and tapped the message, watching it come alive upon his screen.
Package delivered. She took it.
She took it.
Holy shit, she took the package into her house. Kallie had it at that very second. The thought made Ash’s mind swirl. It was completely out of his hands now, and the control freak inside of him screamed. He rose up from the couch and walked over to the window, trying to focus on anything he could. His mind drifted to the ocean. Bali. The sandy beaches. The city lights. The honking of horns. The people walking below him, like ants on the sidewalk.