“What? Why didn’t my attorney find that?”
“Because Michael is that much better. Don’t worry. A new one will be signed, but you’ll need to trust me that I’ll protect you no matter what.”
I had no idea what to say. “If we’re confessing our sins, then I need to tell you something. My father recently spent time in Spain. I planned on grilling him about why, although I can guess given what you’ve said about Barchella, but I wasn’t given the opportunity. At this point, even if he did take my call, he’d know why I was asking.”
He studied me as carefully as I’d done with him. “It would seem we can’t trust each other and that disturbs me, but at this point, I need to accept that if your father is going after Barchella, there is nothing I can do but present Elliot Enterprises as the right company for Mr. Lopez and his family to partner with. I won’t try and discredit your father.”
“Which is what you’d intended and with my help.”
“Yes.”
His swift admittance didn’t make the truth any easier, but I could swear I noticed a hint of remorse. “That’s something I knew going into the contract and in truth, didn’t feel the least bit guilty about agreeing to help you. I guess that makes me a terrible daughter.”
“That makes you someone who’s been hurting for years, something I understand more than you know.” The faraway look in his eyes kept my attention.
“I will help ensure the contract with Barchella is signed, but I won’t do so by disparaging my father. I just can’t do that.”
“Understood and I don’t expect you to.”
Really? So much about the man continued to surprise me. Whatever he’d been reflecting on had broken through some barrier. It shouldn’t matter to me. I should hate him for admitting he’d planned on duping me, but I just… I couldn’t.
“As I said before, Christian, I want to trust you, but you’re keeping so many things from me. I’m not suggesting you’re supposed to share everything you’ve done in your past with me, but important things matter. So I won’t be blindsided by them. So I know that what comes out of your mouth is believable.”
“Like what?”
“Like Caroline. The condos you redeveloped with her name. The boat. The pictures on your Instagram. Of Caroline. I don’t know who she was to you, but I do know she was very important. She changed who you are and I’m not certain for the better. I know. It’s not fair of me to invade your privacy or your past. I just… Maybe for a million crazy reasons I want to know you better.”
As I’d expected, he stood and I could tell he was shutting me down. It was thoughtless of me to ask him to delve into the past. Maybe I was hoping that for some crazy reason something about our fake relationship could be salvaged.
I twisted the ring on my finger, wishing things could be different.
Suddenly, he was right in front of me, taking the beer bottle from my hand. “You will need to trust me, Vanessa. Once. That’s all I ask and if after that you can’t, then I’ll allow you to decide how you want to handle our… alliance. Fair enough?” When he offered me his hand, I debated taking it.
How silly of me.
Maybe he had lied and played me early on, but he was a different man. Or maybe not different, just himself for the first time in years. I accepted his gesture, allowing him to pull me to my feet.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“It’s best we just go there. Okay?”
I nodded and he removed his sunglasses so I could see his eyes. There was so much pain in both that I had no idea what to say. “Okay. I can do that.”
He remained so quiet during the drive that I felt even more uncomfortable than I had any time before. He was deep in thought, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. He’d taken a sports car that I’d yet to ride in, but there was no joy in whatever trip he was taking.
After about thirty minutes, he pulled off the highway. This was a part of the suburbs of Miami I’d never been to.
A sign caught me so off guard, I sat forward in my seat. “What is this?” I knew what it was. The question was rhetorical, my emotions caught in my throat.
He slowly turned his head, the sunglasses once again keeping me from seeing his eyes. Yet I felt the emotion this time. I sensed the deep agony and it coursed through me as if it were my own.
As he weaved through the path, the emotions became even heavier. When he pulled to a stop alongside a curb, I couldn’t look at him. Even my hands were shaking from the heightened emotions.
“Will you come with me?” he asked.
“Of course.” This wasn’t my place, but the fact he wanted to share something so painful grabbed at my heart. My stomach remained in knots as I climbed out and I honestly wasn’t certain I could provide him with any support.
He waited until I walked around the car, the man staring off into space.
