“Presley,” Adam said, frowning. Nathaniel glanced away, but not before I saw his smile. “We’ll catch up later, Nathaniel. Good seeing you again.” He turned to me as he walked inside. “You’re in such a bad mood today.”
“I’m always in a bad mood.” Around Nathaniel, was what I should’ve added, but I didn’t though. I didn’t like the fact that they were so buddy-buddy. How long had they been cordial like that? I shook my head and looked at the statement on the screen in front of me. It was good.
“I told you, Jill wrote it. She knows us.”
I took a breath and stood up, raising the volume when I saw Adam’s face on the screen. It was stupid to feel nervous about this. I’d read the statement while he was talking to Nathaniel, I’d pushed for it to happen, and now it was. So why did I feel this tightening in my chest? Adam’s hand found mine as the news anchor read the script that told the world my marriage was over. We were officially done. My throat clogged up. I couldn’t remember when we’d last held hands without being in front of a crowd, but I knew this would be the last time. I squeezed his hand when they finished reading it and turned it off, yanking my hand from his when they started talking about speculation of Adam cheating.
“I hate that they said that,” he said.
“It’s the truth.” I met his gaze. “Why wouldn’t they report the truth?”
“It’s my personal life.”
“You’re a public servant. Nothing you do is considered off limits now. You’re a public persona now.”
“That’s bullshit,” he scoffed. “There has to be a line.”
“Well, there isn’t. You should’ve thought about that either before you signed up for the job or before you started fucking other women.” I shrugged. “Either way, it’s done.”
“You realize this means that our divorce is open to discussion,” he pointed out. “You’re okay with that?”
“Obviously not, Adam, but it’s not my place to tell reporters what they can and can’t talk about. Freedom of speech and all that.”
“It’s messed up.” He glanced back at the television’s black screen as if it would be enough to shut them up.
“For me, maybe. You deserve everything they could possible conjure about your personal life.”
“I deserve to get shit from you.” He looked at me, pointing at the television. “Not from them.”
“You are getting shit from me. It’s called divorce papers that I expect you to sign and cooperate with.”
His eyes searched mine. “I just want to do this amicably.”
“I’m glad we agree on something.”
“I’m really sorry,” he said, moving closer. “You didn’t deserve any of that.”
“I know.” I swallowed, licking my lips.
He was going to kiss me, and I would let him because it would be our last. We hadn’t kissed in nearly a year. It was the only reason I could see him and not claw his eyes out. It was the only reason I leaned into him. When our lips met, I expected to feel something more. What I felt was familiarity. It was warm and safe and spread sadness through me. I’d once imagined being kissed by him for the rest of my life. I’d imagined children and grandchildren and trips to Europe. When I pulled away, his eyes were still closed.
“Call me if you need anything.”
“I won’t, but thanks for the offer.” I smiled as he walked toward the door.
“Let me know when I can visit the brewery.” He walked out.
“That I will do.” I followed, walking beside him toward the elevator.
“And I’ll see you at the auction for the foundation,” he said.
“Right.” I sighed heavily. Public appearances were part of our agreement. He wanted the public to see that things even though things hadn’t worked out between us, we were cordial and in turn, he was still worthy of their trust.
“Bradley wants to donate a chunk of change.” He pushed the elevator button and put his hands in his pockets as he looked over at me.
“To the foundation?” I frowned. “It’s not even tax season.”
Adam chuckled. “Not everyone donates based on their tax deductions. It’s a cause he feels close to his heart. The man was one of those kids once upon a time, you know.”
No, I didn’t know. I mean, I knew, but not to the extent that apparently Adam did. I eyed him suspiciously, walking forward and raising an arm when the elevator doors opened and he stepped in. “How do you know so much about him?”
“He went to our wedding, Presley. I’ve spoken to him a few times.” He pushed the button inside the elevator. “Besides, the man has been on every magazine I subscribe to the last two years. He’s a wise addition to your father’s company.”
I dropped my hand and stared at him as the doors closed. Was this what it felt like when Julius Caesar realized what was happening during the Ides of March?
Eleven
Nathaniel
The thing about working in close quarters with someone like Presley Rose was that everything was a power struggle. It may have been a long time since I’d seen her, but I knew how she handled things, which was why I didn’t take offense to her poor attitude or the way she was glaring at me across the table. I’d worked with people in a lot of industries and dealt with a lot of levels of arrogance and hers was the only one I’d willingly put up with. Maybe it was because I’d met her and got used to her irreverence at a young age. Maybe it was because the fire in her eyes made me feel things I rarely felt around others. Truth be told, I probably wouldn’t have had much of an appreciation for her if it weren’t for my friendship with her father. I’d probably still think she was a spoiled brat who was thrust upon me to annoy me, but I knew better. I’d heard of the way she’d left meetings that could have taken her career to another level in order to be by her father’s side. I’d heard the way people in her husband’s circle spoke about her, with upmost respect, as if she were the one with his career in her hands and not the other way around. There was a mystery to her that I hadn’t yet uncovered that, if I was being completely honest with myself, I’d been yearning to uncover since we were in college.
That time had come and gone though. Not only because she was married, but because she was the kind of person who would never jeopardize herself or her relationship, especially for a guy like myself. I was an outsider in her eyes. She may not say it, but we both knew it. She’d always treated me as such, with good reason. Had she let me in before, I would’ve probably crushed her in my attempt to attain more, more, more like I had been since her father took me under his wing. I’d achieved a lot in a short amount of time, but for some reason it didn’t feel like enough. For her. My mother was still asking me when I was going to settle down with a woman and Winston was always telling me to slow down, to not let life pass me by like it had his. The way he said that unsettled me. I continued to stare at Presley. She was talking to Rosa now, but the moment she felt my eyes on her, she met my gaze in a flash, a challenge. I felt myself smile because there was nothing I loved more than that fucking challenge.
Twelve
Presley
I bit the inside of my cheek as my father told the employees about the future of the company. He was cheerful, boastful, as only he could accomplish in a time of crisis. I, on the other hand, felt numb. It was like my entire world was crumbling and I was struggling to stand on the one solid piece of concrete left. How did all of this happen without me even realizing? Had my marriage blinded me? By trying to do right by Adam and helping him with all of his endeavors? I’d been so caught up in Adam I’d obviously forgotten to see to my own, not that it mattered. I’d made my newest endeavor this brewery and I’d see it through. It made my dad happier than I’d ever seen him when I told him my idea and started working on the space. It gave us something to talk about, to bond over. Me coming on board with the company had changed our relationship in a way I wasn’t sure much else could, and for that reason alone I was willing to give this Nathaniel thing a shot. Not that I had been lef
t much of a choice. I looked up from where he was staring at me.
“I hope you’re ready to take all of this on,” I said. “I know you like to have a million projects going at once, but you can’t be the reason this company fails.”
“You think I would’ve invested if that were the case?”
I shrugged in response.
“I just hope you can carry your weight with the brewery. I know you’re not the most equipped to work under pressure.”
My eyes narrowed. Fuck him. I wanted to say that, but wouldn’t just in case any of these people heard me. “I hope you can keep up. As it is, I’m having a hard time thinking about having to lug you around. If I wanted to babysit, I’d have kids.”
“With who?” he scoffed. “Is that what your ex-husband was here to discuss earlier?” He spat the words out in such disgust, that I felt myself cower slightly, even the smile that followed was mean-looking. “Your dad says you don’t make any time to meet new people. Who the hell would you have kids with?”
“My dad said that?” I felt something like betrayal spread through me, coating my cheeks with warmth. I didn’t owe Nathaniel an explanation about my personal life, but the fact that he’d discussed it with my father made me feel low, small, and despite my effort to push the feeling away, it stuck. I grasped for my confidence. “For your information, I have a date in a few days. Would you like to call a conference with my father and discuss it?”
He didn’t smile. Not with his mouth anyway, but I could see the gleam in his eyes as he lifted his glass of water to his lips. It didn’t really matter that I didn’t really have a date.
It’s not like I couldn’t get one, but with the divorce, the brewery, my father’s health, the very last thing I needed was to add a stupid, annoying, needy man to the mix.
Thirteen
I walked into my dad’s place and called out for him as I looked around. Apparently the cleaning ladies had just left. It smelled like clean linen and looked immaculate—the marble floor so glossy, I almost felt bad for stepping on it with my dirty Converse.
“I’ll just be a minute, Pres,” Dad called out.
“Totally fine. I’m early.”
I walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window that covered the entire living room and looked out. Dad had sold his place on Fifth Ave last year and traded it for a Brooklyn apartment. Of course, apartment was a bad choice of word for it. It was more like a penthouse, without the stairs or elevator. He owned the entire upper floor, which normally consisted of four apartments, but after tearing down the doors between them, he’d built his own mini-mansion. After Adam and I separated, I started staying in one of the guest rooms, but moved out a few months ago to one of the downstairs apartments. Much less lavish, much less room, but it gave us both our privacy and I still had a doorman and an elevator, which was more than I could say about a lot of apartments in Brooklyn.
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to rain,” I called out unnecessarily.
He was probably in the shower and couldn’t hear me anyway. Sure enough, he didn’t answer. I turned and walked to the kitchen, but before I made it there, the doorbell rang. Another difference between our apartments. Mine wasn’t big enough to require a doorbell. I looked through the peephole and saw Victor standing on the other side, wearing a polo and jeans. I looked around as I opened the door.
“Where’s Nic?”
“She’s on her way. She had to help Mia with something last minute.” He gave me a hug as he walked inside. “How you feeling today? Did you review the papers I sent?”
“I did, until it started to look like it was written in a different language.”
“I’ll help you.” He chuckled, pulling away and walking toward the kitchen. “I’ll have some Macallan while I’m at it.”
“Of course you will.” I laughed as I walked over to the bar and looked through Dad’s stash of liquor, finding the right bottle. “Is 1926 okay?”
“Is that a trick question?”
“Guess it’s fine.” I served him a glass, served myself some red wine from the bottle Dad and I were sharing the other night, and walked back to the kitchen.
“So, what part did you get up to?”
“I got through most of it. I just don’t know if I like the whole thing about splitting our assets fifty-fifty.”
“Shocker. That’s the part everyone has an issue with.” He took a sip of his drink.
Dad walked out of his room wearing jeans, a Jeter jersey and blue Yankees cap. Basically, everything I was wearing. He gave me a once-over and grinned. “That’s my girl.”
“You took forever.” I gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“The water took an hour to warm up,” he said. “Do you have hot water downstairs?”
“Yeah.”
He frowned, then shook his head. “Hey Victor. I see you went for the pricey stash.”
Victor smiled, raising his glass. “She served it.”
“That’s because she doesn’t know what the hell she’s serving,” Dad said, but he was smiling. The doorbell rang again.
“That’s probably Nicole. I’ll get it.” I hopped off the stool and walked toward the door as Dad and Victor talked about my divorce papers.
When I pulled the door open, it was Nathaniel standing on the other side. My heart bounced into my throat. “Oh. Hey. I wasn’t expecting you.”
“You don’t look through the peephole before opening the door for people?”
“I assumed you were someone else.”
“That’s your problem, princess.” He brought his hand down, brushing up against my neck, and tugged my ponytail. “You assume too much.”
“Stop calling me princess.” I closed the door and followed behind him, taking in the lingering scent his cologne left behind. He looked damn good in his blue Yankees T-shirt and jeans.
He greeted Dad with a hug, and Victor a little stiffly, with a shake of his hand and a serious look on his face. I wondered what his deal was? Had he had a bad experience with him in the past or was he just acting like an asshole because that’s what he did for kicks? He walked toward the bar like if he’d been here a million times. I wondered when. I’d never seen him.
“Apparently Presley thinks the Macallan is a good idea before a game.”
Nathaniel chuckled. “The twenty-six?”
Dad shrugged, lifting his glass. “The one and only.”
“Guess you were due. If not now, when?” Nathaniel said, a twinkle in his eyes.
Dad grinned. I felt like I was missing an inside joke and I didn’t like it. Why did they have inside jokes?
“So, I think her best bet is to settle or buy him out now,” Victor said to Dad when he turned his attention toward him again. “Rather than waiting.”
Nathaniel walked back and stood beside me, on the other side of the kitchen counter.
“Buy out the brewery?” I reached for my glass of wine and took a sip. “I don’t know if he’d go for that. I wouldn’t even know how much to offer. Do I just tell him I’ll pay back the money he spent?”
“You can, or offer a little more as incentive so he won’t come back and argue,” Victor suggested.
“Or you can just dissolve your responsibilities with the foundation,” Dad said.
I set my glass down with a clink. “No way. I built that. I’m not just going to give it to him.”
“He’ll fight you on it if you try to take it,” Victor said. “He’s a politician. The foundation makes him look good. Softens his persona.”
I closed my eyes, tossing my head back. “I can’t with this right now.”
“You know I’m with you every step of the way,” Victor said. “Penn’s a good lawyer though. You’ll be comfortable with him.”
“Thank you. I seriously don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Victor winked. “Aren’t you glad you never have to find out?” The doorbell rang again. This time, Victor stood up. “I’ll get it.”
Dad patted his pockets. “
Let me get my wallet.”
Nathaniel was still standing beside me, quietly sipping his drink. “So, this is your date?”
I blinked up. “What?”
“The lawyer.” He set down his tumbler. “He seems your type.”
“Wealthy and selfish?” I fought a smile.
“Right.”
My eyes fell to the tattoos on his left arm. “Why don’t you have tattoos on your other arm?”
“You’re avoiding my question.” He met my gaze, suddenly seeming to be much closer than he was before.
Footsteps approached. I pushed off the counter in time to see Victor walk back into view with Nicole following closely behind. She smiled wide and picked up her steps when she saw me, throwing her arms around me.
“I’ve missed you so much,” she said against me. “I’m so sorry you’re going through all of this.”
“Thank you, and I’ve missed you too.” I squeezed her harder. “How’s the baby?”
“Not so baby anymore. Mia and Jensen are watching him tonight.” She pulled back. “Tell me about you. How are you?”
“Good. I mean, really. It’s been a long time coming.” I squeezed her hands in assurance, knowing she’d completely understand me. Nicole had gone through a high-profile divorce while Victor was still practicing divorce law. It definitely got messy but in the end they ended up together, and now I couldn’t imagine them without each other. God, I was thankful to have her in my corner. Especially here today.
“Well, if you need anything you know I’m here in a heartbeat.” She smiled.
“I know.”
“I’m sorry, I’m being rude. I’m Nicole.” She turned around, still smiling.
“My wife,” Victor added completely unnecessarily.
“I’m going to need to add that title to my résumé.” She laughed, looking over at Victor briefly before shaking Nathaniel’s hand. “My husband gets a little possessive when he’s had some drinks.”
The Consequence of Falling: New York Times Bestselling Author Page 7