Belong (Seven Year Itch #3)(19)

“Don’t joke. Tell me the truth.”

She got that look on her face like she wanted to tell me something, but turned away before it could come out. When she lifted her eyes to mine again she had tears in them. I pulled her into my arms, holding her without needing to say anything. I felt her hands coming up around my back. We both needed this, and I wished it never had to end. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this connected to a person, or maybe I could. I think it was ten years ago when we said our goodbyes.

I was falling apart at the seams, trying to keep it together without evading my desperate attempt to hold on to her for a little while longer. I wondered if this would be the last time I ever saw her, and it hurt deep inside, where I kept my failures buried.

Rachel pulled away first, wiping her face and looking in another direction. “I hope you have a good life, Chad. Don’t let anything stand in your way. Take care of that little girl.”

She walked away, leaving me standing in a parking lot full of vehicles, wishing I could go wherever she was headed.





Chapter 10


We hadn’t said a single word to each other since leaving the hall. I’d spent my time getting over Rachel’s early exit by mingling with others who’d come to pay their respects to my grandfather. From afar, I could see Veronica keeping busy, chatting up a storm with some actors and music artists she’d come in contact with in her line of business. I didn’t care what they were discussing, or if she was telling them lies about me. As long as I was far away from her I was content.

It wasn’t until we were dropped at the mansion when I went off the deep end. I sent Harper to play in the back terrarium, where I knew she’d be safe until I could join her. We’d put some of her new books there, and she liked to sit on a small patch of rug and read, surrounded by the pretty flowers.

“What were you thinking, Veronica? How could you embarrass me in front of all those people? You made yourself look desperate.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have allowed your whore to sit with us at church. Do you have any idea how inappropriate that was?”

I ran my hands through my hair and clenched my jaw, trying to keep my composure. “I want you to leave.”

“What?”

“You heard what I said. I want you to go home. Before this happened, you were struggling with our marriage. Don’t forget I saw proof of your infidelities. You need to go home and figure out what you’re doing with your future, because I’m not going through this anymore. I’m done being the nice guy and thinking this can change. If anything, you’ve become someone I can’t stand to be around. I want out.”

“Is this because of her?”

I laughed in her face. “You’ve got to be kidding me. My grandfather died. They were close. Rachel has nothing to do with us. She’s married. I haven’t seen her in ten years, and as much as I’d like to think you can understand what it’s like to lose someone you care about, I know you can’t begin to get it. I invited her to sit with us because it was the kind thing to do. It wasn’t because I was trying to get back in her pants.”

“I’m not leaving you here to destroy what’s left of our marriage. I’m not a fool, Chad.”

“I never said you were a fool, but you are cold-hearted. As far as what’s left of our marriage, well I think you’ve done a pretty good job shredding anything we have left.”

She started to cry. Finally I saw a reaction out of her, because I was beginning to feel like she didn’t have a conscience. “Don’t do this. We have the potential to be great.”

“It’s a fa?ade. You’re not happy. You’re screwing another woman, and you think it’s justifiable. You want everyone to think we’re this perfect power couple. You care more about money than you do anything else.” I waved my hands around. “This house, the property, the money, it means nothing to me, not if it takes my happiness away. The moment you booked that flight to come and be with me you were already seeing money signs. Hell, you probably thought about it at the damn funeral when I was struggling to keep it together. It’s funny how your career involves beauty, but right now you’re the ugliest person I’ve ever seen.”

My words shocked her. She sucked in a breath and ran out of the foyer. For a second I felt bad, but then it went away when I remembered how she’d called Rachel a whore. How she could think that it was appropriate was beyond me.

After standing there for a few minutes to calm my nerves, I headed to the terrarium to find my daughter. When I walked inside I discovered her talking to a doll. She was telling the toy how much she liked being at the mansion. Right away my heart filled with warmth.

She heard me stepping close and looked up with a big smile on her face. “Hi, Daddy.”

I crouched down to sit with her. “Hey, pumpkin. How would you like to stay here with Daddy for a little while?”

“Here with the flowers?”

I tickled her nose as I spoke. “No, silly. Here at the mansion. Mommy needs to go home to take care of business, but I need to stay here. I figured you could keep me company.”

“Okay.”

I tapped her on the top of the head. “Good. I’m going to let Mommy know. Can you stay here a little while longer? I’ll bring us lunch back if you promise to be good.”