The Game (Wagered Hearts Series, #3)(25)

I didn't know why I needed to explain this all to her. She'd already agreed to some concessions, but I still wanted her to understand.

"I'm so sorry," she said. She looked shocked. "I had no idea."

"It happened a couple of weeks ago," I said.

"What do you suggest then? I don't know that there's all that much we can do to stop the paparazzi from following your family around," she said.

"I had hoped you'd have some idea," I said.

Emilia sat down behind her desk and thought for a while. I took the seat opposite her and we remained silent, lost in thought until she suddenly spoke.

"I suppose we could end the engagement earlier than planned. I only needed to make it through awards season. We could call it quits after the Oscars. I'll have Arnie release a statement saying we split amicably and remain the best of friends and all that other bullshit," she said. "You'd probably have to lay low for a little while until the press grows bored of you. Maybe I could start seeing someone else too, to take the heat off you."

The idea of Emilia dating another man sent an irrational feeling of jealousy shooting through me.

"No!" I said. She looked up at me, her head cocked in confusion. "I mean, you don't have to go to all that trouble. I think ending the engagement early and releasing the statement would be enough. I'll fly back to England and keep my nose clean until the whole thing blows over. With a little luck, some other scandal will grab the world's attention, and neither of us will be worse for the wear," I explained.

"Okay, I'll agree to those terms," she said, nodding her head.

"Thank you," I said. "I think I'll head back to my hotel now. I appreciate this." I was just about to stand up and rise from my chair when she stopped me.

"Wait. There's something else," she began. She paused and picked up a pen on her desk and fiddled with it before looking back up at me. "I...uh...might need you to go to one more event with me. My dad's birthday is this weekend and I told my mom I'd go. She said they...that is my family...all want to meet you."

"You want me to meet your family?" I repeated blankly.

"Yes," she said a little more forcefully. "I know it wasn't part of our deal, but I figured since I agreed to end it early, that you'd agree to go with me. I'm already going to meet your family at your parent's anniversary party. It's only fair."

I nodded my head, not sure what exactly I was agreeing to. "Fine. I'll be there," I said.

"Thank you," she said, and she looked genuinely grateful.

I walked out of Emilia's with my emotions more confused than ever. While I had gotten what I wanted out of the conversation, I still wasn't completely satisfied. There was still something eating away at me. Instead of focusing on it, I decided to let it go for now. I'd been sleep deprived and needed to shower. And after the emotionally draining conversation with Emilia, I needed some time alone to unwind. All thoughts about meeting her family could wait for another day.








Chapter 12: Rob



A couple of days after flying out to LA, I was already back on the east coast. Buena, New Jersey to be exact. Even though I'd lived between New York and London for the past 10 years, I'd never been to New Jersey.

Emilia was sitting next to me in the car. She'd been unusually quiet ever since our plane had landed hours ago. Every question was met with a one word response, and she fidgeted with her cell phone in her hands, something I knew she did when she was feeling nervous or agitated. I left her to her own thoughts and concentrated on driving.

Since our conversation in Emilia's study, things had been better between us. We had a new found understanding, and she even seemed to be a little more accommodating. We'd gone out to dinner and lunch several times, and more importantly, had been photographed doing so.

"It's over to the left right here," she said, pointing out a modest looking house at the end of a cul de sac.

Emilia jumped out of the car as soon as I put it into park, but I remained seated. My eyes stared at the house in growing wonder. I'd never seen anything so garish and oddly amazing before. Even though it was still early November, the house was already decked out in Christmas decorations. The roof was lit with bright red and green lights, and the front lawn was littered with Christmas themed characters--Santa and his reindeer, a snowman, Mr. Grinch and curiously, a manager replete with baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary, as well as the three wise men.

The front window was taken up with a lamp in the shape of a woman's leg. When Emilia asked me to meet her family, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I could safely say this wasn't it. Maybe my trip to New Jersey would be more interesting than I thought.

I stepped out of the car and walked up the pavement leading to the front door. Emilia had already gone inside, but the door was still left open. I could hear a loud commotion from inside and knocked lightly. No one answered, so I pulled open the screen and walked in.

Emilia was in the living room surrounded by several people that I could only assume were her family. She was embraced in a hug by an older woman with black hair streaked with grey, who I guessed was her mother. There was a striking resemblance between the two, but where Emilia was slim and petite, her mother was not. She was still very beautiful, but her features looked tired and worn after maybe a lifetime of struggle and hard work. I stood back toward the front door unobtrusively, witnessing what I figured was a long awaited family reunion  .