"You're back."
"Yeah, I just got back. I was just?—"
"Hi," Patrick says, turning to him. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Patrick, and you are?"
"Hunter Waverly."
"Oh, I've heard of you. Aren't you the CEO of?—"
"I have something to do," Hunter says, and turns around and heads right back into the house.
"Well, he's polite," Patrick says, shaking his head. "These billionaires think they're too good for the likes of me. Well, I'llshow 'em. I don't know what you're doing here, Gina. And to be quite honest, I don't really care. But don't question me again, you hear?"
"You know what, Patrick? If I never see you again, it will be too soon." I brush past him hard and head into the house and slam the door behind me. My heart is racing, and my face is flushed. I feel disoriented as I walk down the hallway and head to the kitchen. I need to get a glass of water and figure out why Patrick was here. Did he steal the necklace? But how? As I step into the kitchen, I see Hunter standing there. His eyes are hard as he stares at me.
"What was that about?" he asks.
"What do you mean, what was that about?"
"Why was Patrick—your ex—here?"
"To woo me back," I say, rolling my eyes. He doesn't laugh. He doesn’t think I’m being honest, does he? He can’t really believe that Patrick was here to win me back. "I'm joking. I don't know. I literally just arrived.” I see the disbelief on his face. “You don't believe me."
"I don't know what to believe, Gina," he says. I watch as he stares at his expensive gold Rolex watch and then shakes his head. "Be ready for dinner at six. I'll meet you at the front of the house." And with that, he's gone. I have no idea who else will be at the dinner. Or if anyone will believe us. I can only hope that there are no more surprises coming, as I'm still trying to unweave all the information I've already gathered.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Hunter
I am not sure if this is the best or worst idea I’ve ever had in my life, but there’s a certain level of apprehension that I feel as I wait outside for Gina to come down and meet me for our dinner. I can’t wait to see what she’s wearing and if she will enjoy the evening. I’m likely looking forward to it much more than I should be. The front door opens, and I look up expectantly, hoping to see her face, but I’m surprised to see that my grandfather is standing there.
“Hunter,” he says, heading toward me. His eyes are light as he gazes at me with love. My grandfather has always been slightly standoffish and not fully emotive, but I’ve always known that he loves me and would always be there for me. Though I do not know why he’s outside right now.
“Hi. I’m just waiting on Gina.” Hopefully, he can’t tell how eagerly I’m waiting.
“You’re going through with this, then?” he asks softly, and I wonder what he really thinks of my plan.
“I think it’s for the best, don’t you?” I nod. “She’s agreeable, and it will help keep the press from prying.”
“It could get complicated, though,” he says. “Matters of the heart often become more complex than we expect them to.” He peers off into the distance, and I wonder what he’s thinking about. There are many moments where I feel like I don’t really know my grandfather, but then I suppose we never truly know our parents or grandparents, just the version of us they want us to know.
“It’s not a matter of the heart, Granddad. It’s literally just to protect me and protect the family business from running with stories they know nothing about. Gina knows this isn’t real. She’s under no delusions. She knows that she’s pretending to be my girlfriend.” And sure, we’ve kissed, and I really enjoyed it, but I will not question what that means. Not right now, and maybe never.
He stares at me, considering his words. “She seems like an amiable woman.”
“I know, and she’s doing a good job as your ghostwriter, right?”
“She is. And that’s why I hired her—not for this charade that you’re putting on for the paparazzi.” He shakes his head. “I just don’t want either of you getting hurt, and matters of the heart have a way of leading to disaster.”
“As I said before, this is not a matter of the heart.” I sigh loudly. “Granddad, I’m just not…” I pause. “I’m just not ready for the world to know everything about the last two years of my life.”
He nods, his expression tender as he rubs his palm against his thigh. I can tell that he’s considering his next words thoughtfully. “I fully support you, Hunter. Obviously, you know that. So, do whatever you think is best.”
“I think this is best,” I say. “To the world, she’ll be my girlfriend. That will stop at least some questions.”
“And what if they run stories about the two of you?”
“It’s fine,” I say, shrugging. “It doesn’t matter.”
