“Then it’s a good thing something stopped you. Now, you want to tell me about him?” Mom asked.
“Him who?” I played innocent.
“Don’t play dumb with me, child. I recognized the happy tone in your voice when you first called. And Sydney may have let a few details slip about that handsome young man who rescued you,” Mom teased.
“He’s wonderful, Mom,” I said on a wistful sigh.
She chuckled in my ear. “I expect to meet this man in a different capacity very soon.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied.
We talked for a few more minutes before I hung up.
After we’d eaten and stopped by my apartment so I could put on my own clothes, we headed to the police station. When I’d called Detective Greene to let him know my memories had returned and to tell him what Cade had told me about his dealings with Tony Casteel, the detective asked me to come in for a lineup.
Now, I stood on one side of a glass wall, fidgeting and trying not to have a panic attack.
Detective Patterson stepped close to my side. “Don’t worry, they can’t see you. All you have to do is look at each man when they enter the room and let us know if any of them look familiar. OK?”
I nodded. Trystan wasn’t allowed to come with me because he’d already identified the guy. They were worried he might tell me which number to pick.
As each man stepped forward, then turned sideways, I examined them closely. None of them looked especially friendly. But when number five moved up, my heart stopped. “It’s him. Number five,” I whispered.
“Thank you,” Detective Greene said and ushered me out to where Trystan waited. “We’re going to book him and hope he gives up his partner. Still, be vigilant. We’ll keep you posted.”
Though that was the scariest thing, it felt like another weight was lifted off my shoulders.
34
Trystan
I held Willa’s hand tightly in mine when we walked out of the police station. My gaze darted around, looking for trouble in every face we met on our way to the subway. I was so focused on that, I didn’t notice Willa squeezing my hand until she finally stopped walking.
“Are you OK?” she asked when I turned to face her.
“Yeah, just trying to be vigilant like the detective said.”
She nodded in understanding. “Why don’t we go to your place? I threw a change of clothes in my purse earlier.”
That explained the bigger handbag. “I think you’d be safer at your place. You at least have a locked lobby and security cameras. Not to mention your neighborhood is simply safer than mine.”
“But I don’t want to be away from you,” she said with a cute pout on her lips.
“I didn’t say you’d be on your own. I just got you back; I’m not about to let you go, princess,” I whispered in her ear before planting a kiss on the sensitive spot right below her earlobe. “We’ll swing by my place so I can grab some stuff. On the way to your apartment, we’ll pick up dinner and surprise Sydney. Sound like a plan?”
She nodded and followed me to a cab waiting down the block.
When Willa and I walked into her apartment later, Syd seemed surprised to see us. She pulled Willa into a tight hug. I dropped my duffel bag by the door and then made my way into the kitchen to put down the red and white take out bags.
“You OK?” Syd whispered.
Willa nodded. “Sorry I didn’t call you back yesterday.”
“Don’t worry about it. I figured you were with Trystan, making up for lost time and making things right.” She winked at me over Willa’s shoulder.
When she let go of Willa, we moved to the couch. I sat next to Willa, her leg pressed against mine.
Willa had said it was fine for me to stay, but I owed it to her friend and roommate to check with her. “Sydney, will it cramp your style if I stay here with Willa for a bit? We were at the police station earlier where Willa was able to identify one of her attackers. But the other one is still out there. I felt like your building was more secure than mine.” I hated that I doubted my ability to protect Willa.
Syd’s eyes widened at the information. “Of course, it’s fine. As long as you promise to not keep me up with your wild, passionate humping. Not all of us are getting some,” Syd teased.
Willa blushed a deep red.
“I’ll keep her quiet,” I said with a wink. “You good with that, princess?” I squeezed Willa’s knee.
She gave me the tiniest nod before burying her face in my chest.
Syd saved Willa from further embarrassment by asking, “Did I see you bring in bags from Napoli’s?” She rubbed her palms together.
“Yeah. Caprese salads, fried ravioli and Tony’s special meatballs for us all to share. Then chicken parm for Trystan, tortellini with alfredo sauce for you and spaghetti for me,” Willa answered, ticking off our food offerings on her fingers.
“What about dessert?” Syd asked, licking her lips.
“Mini cannolis, of course,” Willa answered with a chuckle.
“What the heck are we waiting for then? Let’s eat,” Syd hopped up from the chair and scampered into the kitchen.
Willa quickly followed, unpacking the bags while Syd got out plates and silverware. I went to the fridge and grabbed the pitcher of lemonade. As Willa dished up the food onto our respective plates, I poured us all drinks.
We moved our dinner party into the living room where Syd used the remote to flip through the channels, searching for something for us to watch.
Willa convinced her to start the next episode of Vampire Diaries for me to watch. We ate until we were stuffed, and then Willa fell asleep with her head in my lap. Syd glanced over at us when she shut the TV off.
“Night,” she whispered as she headed to her room.
I gently scooped Willa up and carried her to bed. When I laid her on the bed, she immediately snuggled down into her pillow. I undressed with a smirk. I was pretty sure Syd didn’t have to worry about hearing anything other than snoring from Willa’s room tonight. Tenderly, I eased Willa out of some of her clothes, so she’d be comfortable, then snuggled under the blankets with her.
The alarm on my phone woke me before the sun the next morning. Trying to be as quiet as possible, I got ready for work. I hated to leave Willa, but it was my day to open the shop, and Willa had insisted I not disrupt my life because of what was going on in hers.
So, I kissed a sleepy Willa goodbye and went to work. There were a lot of jobs on the schedule for the day. And though I lost myself in the tasks, I called every couple of hours to check on Willa. I knew I was being ridiculous, but I just needed to reassure myself she was OK.
Before lunch, Mack showed up to see me. “Trystan, I’ve been trying to get in touch with you.”
I slumped in shame and regret over what he must think of me after going out on a limb for us. “I’m sorry. Things have been kinda busy the past couple of days.”
He waved off my excuse. “Please tell me why I had to hear in the radio interview I arranged for you guys that Tryst Disrupted wouldn’t be signing with Matthews’ Melodies. I thought everything with our offer was to your liking.”
With a heavy sigh, I leaned against the fender of the car I’d been working on. “You were great, Mack, and we appreciate everything you tried to do for us. I just had a … conflict of interest,” I finally said.
His eyebrow lifted in question, so I felt compelled to explain further. “When you first came and heard us at Mind Meld, you said you loved our original stuff and couldn’t wait to hear more. At that time, we didn’t have more. I’d tried and failed for months to write new music, but it just wasn’t coming. I know I should’ve been honest with you then, but we were so excited about finally getting a chance … Anyway, fast forward several days. We were at Mind Meld again, and I met the most amazing woman.”
Mack chuckled. “It always comes back to a woman, doesn’t it?”
I couldn’t help the smile that lifted my lips as I pictured meeting Wil
la. “See, this girl, she was special. She was at the bar trying to drown her sorrows over catching her fiancé cheating that very afternoon. At first, I was all too happy to be the man who helped her forget. But we wound up having this unexpected connection, and lyrics started flowing in my mind. My muse was back. What started out as a one-night stand turned into something neither of us expected. The next morning though, she was mugged and hit her head.” I paused to swallow the emotion lodged in my throat.
“When she came to in the hospital, she didn’t know who I was. And what was worse, she forgot that her fiancé had cheated on her. I had to watch while their plans to marry moved on as scheduled. At first, I had no idea about the connection, but when we came for the meeting with the other executives at the label, imagine my surprise when I saw Cade Matthews sitting at the head of the table. Willa Larkin was the woman I’d met and fallen for. Cade was aware that I knew his secret, and he promised us a lucrative contract so long as I kept my mouth shut and stayed away from Willa.” I paused to take a deep breath.
Understanding spread over Mack’s features.
“It took me a little bit to work up my nerve to give up on the band’s dreams. But I had to take a chance on love. I’m sorry to have wasted your time,” I finished my explanation.
“I appreciate your honesty. When I came here today, I definitely didn’t expect to hear this. And I want to be honest with you about something since it might affect your decision. The label’s board is holding an emergency meeting later today to decide what to do about Cade. I hope you and the guys will hold off on making a final decision until after we determine the next steps for the label,” Mack said anxiously.
I shook his hand. “Then I look forward to hearing from you soon, Mack.”
35
Willa
♪ Lover by Taylor Swift
I woke to find a note on the pillow next to me.
Princess,
You’ve made me the happiest man in existence. I can’t wait to come home to you. I’m making a meal out of you as soon as I see you.
Trystan
With a smile on my face that would make The Joker jealous, I headed to the shower. In the bathroom, I undressed and examined my bruises. The worst of them was finally starting to fade to an ugly, yellow color. It wasn’t nearly as tender anymore. Thank goodness.
I stepped into the shower and twisted the lever to near scalding. The water heated with me beneath the spray. I’d been preparing for months to start a new chapter in my life. And I still was doing that, just not the chapter I’d planned on. But I had a feeling this next one was going to be even better than what I’d ever imagined for myself. I lathered up my hair with shampoo and inhaled the floral scent.
When I was finished, I stepped out and began fixing my hair and makeup. Now that my memories were back, I felt restored. I just had to take care of one thing before I could be done with all that nonsense.
Dressed in designer jeans and a blouse Syd had created, I headed down to the street and unlocked my car. I maneuvered into the flow of traffic that would take me uptown. I didn’t bother to text Syd or Trystan about my plans. I wanted to close this chapter of my life on my own.
In the parking garage, I passed the hot pink Beetle again. My stomach heaved as I recalled the first time I’d seen it. It was parked in my spot the day I caught Cade and Bridgette in the guest bedroom of the apartment. Sitting up straight, I forced steel into my spine. I refused to waste anymore tears on Cade or what he’d done.
Once I parked, I marched with purpose to the elevator. My heartrate picked up when I caught sight of a sketchy guy hovering near the elevator. The older man who lived on Cade’s floor approached at the same time.
“Mr. Samuels, how are you today?” I called out to him.
When he paused to speak to me, I rushed past the shady character leaning against the wall, breathing a sigh of relief when I made it to where Mr. Samuels stood.
“Doing very well,” Mr. Samuels responded.
“Willa,” the sketchy guy called from behind me.
I froze but didn’t turn around. Purposeful footsteps echoed on the pavement as the guy closed the distance between us.
“Willa,” he called again from much closer.
“Yes,” I croaked and pivoted to face him.
“Can you give this to Cade please?” He handed me an envelope with Cade’s name scrawled across the front.
I tucked it under my arm quickly and climbed into the elevator without uttering a word.
“How was the wedding, dear?” Mr. Samuels asked as we rode up to the penthouse floor.
“There wasn’t one,” I informed him.
“Sorry to hear that. I know you would’ve made a beautiful bride.” He patted my shoulder.
“Thank you.” When the elevator stopped a few minutes later to let us off at the top, I told him, “Take care of yourself.”
“You too.” He shuffled out the door and in the opposite direction as me.
Outside Cade’s door, I took a deep breath. I lifted my fist and knocked. It didn’t seem right to use my key. His car was in the garage, so I knew he was here. I knocked again. Eventually, the door opened.
Cade stood in front of me, a shell of the handsome, confident man I’d always known. His dirty blond hair actually looked dirty. Stubble peppered his jaw. The T-shirt he wore was wrinkled and stained. His nose was bruised and swollen.
“Willa,” he breathed out, relief washing over his face. “You came back. I’m so glad you changed your mind.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me inside.
I shook off his touch. “I haven’t changed my mind. I’m just back to get my things.” My words erased the hope that had lit up his face.
♪ Could’ve Been by Tiffany
His shoulders slumped, and he sagged against the entryway wall.
“A guy in the parking garage asked me to give this to you.” I held out the envelope toward him. Our fingers brushed when he took it from me. There were no sparks or anything on my end. Just sadness. “I’m going to go get the last of my things.”
I walked down the hallway to the master bedroom. The place had once held so much promise and imaginings for my future. Now it was just one more piece of my past. I grabbed my largest rolling suitcase out of the closet and placed it on the bench at the foot of the bed. As I started to fill it with clothes from the closet, Cade sank down on the mattress.
“The board voted me out yesterday.” He sounded so dejected.
I paused in my packing. A small bit of my heart ached for him. “That must have been tough.”
“Yeah. They tried to get Lila to come back, but she refused. Mack is going to run things for now.” He gripped a handful of hair and yanked.
“I’m sure they’ll figure something out. Matthews’ Melodies has been an institution in the music industry for ages.” Swiveling, I marched back into the closet and grabbed an armful of hangers.
“The police have been in touch too. They’re going to charge me with embezzlement. Mom and Dad have agreed to hire me an attorney.” He flopped back on the bed.
Though I had no lingering love for him, I still remembered when this man used to be my world. “How did you get here?” I asked quietly as I sat on the foot of the bed, needing to understand.
“Honestly, I have no idea. It started when I went to Vegas with some of the guys a while back. I won big at the casino and got addicted. I volunteered for every meeting that came up in Vegas after that. I wasn’t so lucky on the following trips. I got deeper and deeper into the hole. So, I borrowed money from a company account. I’d planned to pay it back as soon as I got back on a winning streak. But then some stuff came up at the label. And if I didn’t get the money put back right away, someone would’ve discovered it missing. I knew from rumors that Tony Casteel had provided loans on the sly to some businessmen. I reached out. With the money I borrowed from him, I paid back the company account and bet on a football game. I won. I figured my luck had turned around.” He shrugged. “It ha
dn’t. I’ll spare you the rest of the specifics. I’ve had highs and lows. But I couldn’t keep up with Tony’s payment plan. We struck a new deal concerning your family’s racehorses. But then I couldn’t deliver on that …” His eyes begged me for forgiveness.
I nodded in sympathy.
“I hate that I let my parents down and hurt the company my grandpa built. But I’m most sorry about betraying you and breaking your heart. That was the lowest moment of my life.” He sat up, his shoulder brushing mine. “I meant it when I told you that night that I didn’t love Bridgette. It was never about love. It was because she had no expectations of me. She just wanted me. She didn’t care that my moral compass was obviously broken. It was nice to be with her and know I wasn’t disappointing her.”
“I never acted disappointed in you. I had no idea I needed to be,” I scoffed, my sympathy evaporating.
“You’re right. It was more that I knew you’d be disappointed if you knew the truth. So, I carried the weight of that around all the time. It’s not your fault. It was all mine.”
“Did you ever love me?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“How can you ask that? Of course, I did. I still do,” he said emphatically.
His declaration made something in me snap. Before I could consider my actions, my hand shot out and slapped his cheek. “Don’t you dare claim that you still love me. I can’t say I’m an expert on love, but what you did … it’s not how you treat someone you love.”
Red blossomed along his jaw. “I deserve that … and so much worse.”
“You’re right. You actually allowed me to believe that I was the kind of person who could cheat on someone I had committed myself to, someone I loved. You are despicable. I can’t believe I was so blind to what you were capable of.” Shaking my head, I stood up, ready to be done with this whole scenario. “Anyway, I hope things work out for you and you get your life back on track,” I offered and went back to get the last few things out of the closet.
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