Cami _ pushes her empty plate in front of her. She normally doesn’t let her eat sweets this late, but tonight is a special occasion.
“Can I go play now?” she asks. “Of course.”
She bolts from the table, her feet slamming against the wood as she escapes with her dolls.
“She is so pretty.” Iris gives me a warm smile.
Zahra tears the crown off Rowan’s head and places it on her. “Seriously. I see a lot of kids every day, and yours is in the top five.”
I bite back a smile.
“You did this?” Rowan digs his spoon into her second slice of tres leches cake.
“Yeah.” I take some of the dulce de leche glaze.
“It’s good.” Declan closes his eyes as she takes another bite.
For most people, nice is a basic compliment, but since Declan, it’s considered high praise.
” So good.” Iris licks her fork to clean it. My cheeks hurt because I smile so much.
“I told you my girl could bake.” Cal wraps his arm around the back of my chair.
I swear, every time his girl calls me, my heart skips a beat before returning to its normal programming.
“We could definitely have something like this in our stores.” Rowan evaluates the cake on the stand from all angles.
My breath is taken away. “Actually?”
“How much do you charge?” The change in him is instantaneous, as he goes from being a family man to being a businessman.
“Umm…nothing?”
“Hmm.” Declan’s gaze slides from me to his brother. “That?” I blurt out.
“Give me a price”. Rowan carefully places his spoon next to her plate.
“For a cake? “Why?” I look to Cal for help, but he remains distant. If it weren’t for the way her fingers stopped tangling my hair, I wouldn’t think she was actively listening.
Rowan’s eyes connect with mine. “Because I’m interested in buying your recipe.”
“So that?”
“We have been considering expanding our Princess Marianna section of the park, and I want this to be a part of that.”
The room spins around me as I take in everything he says. “Then tell me a price.” She crosses her hands in her lap.
Cal pulls me closer and whispers in my ear, “Tell him you will.” Think about it.” My eyebrows furrow. “But-“
“It will only make me want it more. Trust me.”
This calculating version of Cal is not one I’m used to, and it’s a huge turn-on. Naturally, I listen to it. “I’ll have to call you again.”
Rowan’s lips press together. “I’ll give you a million.” My eyes open. “For a recipe?”
Cal shakes his head ever so slightly.
Rowan stares at him. “Stop influencing her.”
I’ll do it when you stop giving him bad offers. The park makes around twenty million in a single day, and a good chunk of that comes from food and drinks. With the amount of people walking through the golden doors ready to open their wallets and their stomachs, Alana deserves more. And don’t think I forgot how much you spent buying that secret Hawaiian frozen drink recipe.
My mouth opens.
Damn. Where has this business expert Cal been hiding my entire life and when can I fuck him?
Rowan’s eyes shine with admiration. “I thought you weren’t paying attention in meetings.”
“The worst mistake you could have made was underestimating me.” Cal winks at me, making my stomach muscles contract from the wave.
of pleasure that swirls inside me.
Iris raises her wine glass. “For the smartest Kane.”
Declan shoots her a look and Iris ignores him as she takes a sip of her drink.
I give Cal’s hand a squeeze before looking at Rowan. “I need to think about it. That recipe has been in my family for years, and I’m not sure how I would feel about giving it up, especially when I would have no control over the final product.”
Sharing it with Chef Gabriel was one thing, but giving it to the Kanes feels like a risk I’m not too sure about.
“What’s your Number?” Rowan takes out his phone.
“Why? Then you can add her to the group chat too?” Declan’s eyes narrow.
Iris smacks Declan in the back of his head, making his perfectly styled hair go everywhere.
Zahra snorts into her wine glass. “Serves you right.” I recite my number so Rowan can save it. “We’ll be in touch.”
Cal sighs. “Are we done talking business now? I heard Declan got some Cubans to celebrate my thirty-fourth trip around the sun and I’m dying to try them.
And so, the conversation is suspended, although the excitement that grows in my chest at the thought of Rowan buying my prescription does not disappear.
The boys leave the house to go out and smoke the cigarettes Declan bought, leaving us bonding as we drink. Well, Zahra and Iris each drink a glass of wine while I stick to water.
“So, how’s the house renovation going?” Zahra leans back against the couch and tucks her legs under her. She reminds me of Delilah, always trying to bury herself deep into her cushions.
“Good. The contractor has worked hard with his team while we enjoy the park.”
“When is it going to be finished?” Iris takes a sip of the wine from her.
“In fact, we already put it on the market.” My hands squeezing my glass of water.
“You did it?” Iris perks up. “Cal didn’t say anything,” Zahra says.
“Yes. It’s time.” However, no matter how many times I tell myself that, I feel like someone grabbed my heart and squeezed it hard enough to burst the organ.
“You’re not happy about that.” Iris frowns. “No, but I’ll get over it.” I’m sighing.
“Are you sure?” The skin between Zahra’s eyebrows wrinkles. “If that means helping Cal, so be it.”
“What do you mean?” Iris’s eyebrows knit together.
“Cal told me he would go to rehab if we put the house on the market this week, so it was an easy choice. He was already willing to sell it so he could send Cami to private school, so Cal just sped up the timeline a little.”
Iris’s eyes widen. “Did he promise to go to rehab?” “He didn’t tell you?”
“No.” Her eyebrows knit together. “When is he leaving?” “Next week.”
“Next week?” Zahra squeals. She and Iris share a look.
The hairs on my arms stand up because of how strange they are acting. “That?”
“Nothing. It just seems…” Zahra’s voice trails off. “Suddenly,” Iris finishes for her.
“I can’t stand his drinking anymore. He can fix his life or find himself out of mine.” I raise my glass of water in the air.
Whatever nervous energy was building in the air disappears and everyone bursts out laughing.
“I already like you.” Iris’s eyes shine. “Same.” I smile
Zahra raises her glass. “Let’s toast.” “To what?” Asked.
Zahra taps her glass against mine. “To three strong women who refuse to put up with the Kane brothers’ usual nonsense.”
“I can be happy about that.” Iris does the same.
The three of us shared stories about each of the brothers. Between Zahra and Iris, I spend the rest of the next hour laughing and crying until my stomach hurts and my voice becomes hoarse. They both remind me of Violet and Delilah, and I just know that the five of us need to get together someday.
Once Cal is sober, that is.
 |
Iris and Zahra are lying on the couch, their wine glasses as empty as the bottle of expensive white wine on the coffee table. Neither of them moves to go get another one, although they both expressed wanting another glass, so I volunteer to grab one from the wine refrigerator in the kitchen.
I use the bathroom before going to get the bottle. As I grab the corkscrew, Declan’s voice catches my attention.
It takes me a moment to realize that his voice is coming from outside and not inside. The kitchen window is open and the faded smell of cigarettes lingers in the air, making my nose wrinkle.
“I saw you put the lake house on the market,” Declan says in that raspy, no-nonsense voice of his.
“Yes. I doubt it will last more than a few weeks before someone buys it. Cal speaks with confidence.
Stop listening and leave.
The corkscrew trembles in my hand. I’m about to start walking away and giving them privacy, but something Declan says makes my feet stick to the ground.
“I’m surprised you got Alana to humor you.”
That. Him. Shit. Accompany what?
“She was the one who suggested we put the house up for sale earlier,” Cal says. “So, it shouldn’t be long before you receive your share of the inheritance.”
Inheritance? What inheritance?
“About that…” Cal’s voice trails off.
“Here we go,” Rowan grumbles before ice clatters in a glass. I take a step forward to see them better. The three brothers sit in their respective chairs, blowing smoke rings into the sky. While Declan and Rowan have drinks at a side table, Cal just clutches a cigarette in his hand.
“Don’t tell me you’re going back on your part of the will.” Agitation bleeds through Declan’s voice.
The food I ate for dinner sits like a block of lead in my stomach and threatens to rise up my throat.
Cal gives him a look. “I’m not going to back down. I’m just… correcting it.
“Shit.” Rowan sighs towards the sky.
“Amend what?” Declan’s jaw clenches so tightly I can make out the slight twitch from here.
“I fly to Arizona on Friday.” “So that?” “Rehabilitation”.
My chest tightens. I am proud of him for being open and honest about his struggles. He will only help you in the long run if he feels that he can count on those around him to support the process.
“Rehabilitation? Right now? What happened to the plan? Declan snaps.
What plan?
Which he obviously never told you about. The hairs on my arms stand up, pointing upward.
Alana, you are a fool.
Rowan curses under his breath.
“I already spoke with Leo. As long as he sells the house by the end of the summer and I commit to getting sober, then it won’t affect winning my share of the inheritance.”
My lungs feel like they could explode from how hard I breathe. The corkscrew falls from my fingers and lands on the wooden floor with a thud.
Putting the puzzle together is not difficult. In fact, it’s so simple that my eyes are watering because of how stupid I was to not put it all together sooner.
Cal’s willingness to return to Lake Wisteria when he could have left the house with just me in it.
His insistence on selling the house despite my personal feelings, playing with my dreams and love for Cami to get his way.
The way he made me think he wanted to go to rehab when, in reality, he was just getting sober because of some stupid fucking inheritance. Oh, Alana. When you will learn?
I may not have all the details, but I have enough to understand how easily I was taken advantage of. How desperate I was to believe she wanted to get help after she went six years without me or sober. How stupid I must have seemed, willing to put the house on the market early just because I wanted him to get help.
Just another person who lied to get something out of me.
A single tear slips from my eye, but I rush to erase the evidence.
You won’t cry for him.
My stomach turns and I clutch the sink, willing to keep my dinner down. The acid crawls down my throat regardless, and I breathe through my nose to avoid getting sick.
Declan breaks the silence. “What happened to the original plan?” “Change.”
“Then change it again. There’s too much at stake here for you to bet twenty-five billion dollars and your company stock on your sobriety. Declan’s voice comes out flat, as if the topic of getting sober is a chore rather than an accomplishment.
Cal’s eyes roll. “Thank you for the vote of confidence.” “Hey, is everything okay?”
I jump in place at the sound of Iris’s voice. She bends down to pick up the corkscrew I dropped, giving me enough time to recover and put on a happy face.
“Yes. I just couldn’t figure out how to properly uncork the bottle since I don’t drink.” My nervous laughter borders on hysteria, but Iris doesn’t seem to notice since she doesn’t know me.
You should have brought it to us. We could have done that.” She grabs the bottle.
I freeze as a breeze blows through the window, the scent of cigarettes filling the air. I’m afraid that the rapid beating of my heart will betray me with how hard it pounds against my chest.
Iris’s nose twitches. “What is that smell?”
I look around the kitchen, doing my best to try to look confused.
Iris’s gaze lands on the curtain swaying in the breeze. “Ah. Someone left the window open.” She reaches over the sink to close it, only to pause before dragging the panel down.
“All good?” Asked. The blood in my ears makes it impossible to hear much besides my own heartbeat.
His back freezes. “Yeah. I just thought I heard one of them trying to talk shit about us.
This time, my fake laugh comes out more genuine. “As if Declan dared to speak ill of you. It’s safe to say he’s obsessed.
At least one Kane brother is loyal.
She turns around with a smile. “The same can be said about you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Cal so happy in, well… ever.
I try to smile. I try so hard that my eyes shake and my cheeks hurt.
His head tilts. “Are you sure everything is okay?” “Yes. Just fighting the first signs of a migraine.”
A small frown makes his brow furrow. “Oh, no. Do you want some medicine?”
I have some in my bag. Hence the water.” I reach for the glass of water I left abandoned on the counter and leave the kitchen. I am careful to keep my head up despite the unbearable weight that surrounds me and threatens to drown me.
You won’t let it break you.
However, no matter how many times I repeat the phrase, pieces and pieces of my heart break and shatter on the ground, leaving an invisible trace of my despair.
|
As soon as I put Cami to sleep, I close the door to my room and take out my phone.
call for help
The texts appear instantly.
Delilah
Everything is alright?
Violet
What did he do?
I can always count on Violet to point fingers first and ask questions later. Tonight, I need to borrow some of her anger. At least that way I can feel something other than numbness.
Ever since I heard the conversation outside, I’ve been on autopilot. Just going through the motions until I was able to curl into a ball and process the last few months of my life.
I heard some things…
My fingers tremble as I write.
My phone vibrates in my hand due to an incoming video call. “I’m going to kill him,” Violet says furiously.
“What did you hear?” Delilah, the voice of reason, asks.
“Wait.” I walk into my bathroom and turn on the shower to drown out any noise. “I’m not entirely sure what I heard.”
You’re sure. You just don’t want to be.
I slide down the wall and cradled the phone to my chest. The panic grows, so I take a few deep breaths.
“Alana, talk to us.”
“I feel very stupid.” My voice trembles. “You’re not stupid. It is,” Delilah says.
“You don’t even know what happened.” If Cal kept the secret of his inheritance from me, I doubt anyone else is supposed to know.
Why are you still loyal to him?
Because I stupidly fell in love with him despite having every reason not to.
God. How did I put myself in this position again?
The skin around Violet’s eyes softens. “We don’t need all the facts. If it bothers you, then that’s all the information we need.” I rest my head against the wall. “What am I supposed to do? I’m stuck here with him.
“Come home.” Violet’s lips press together in a thin white line. I sob, fighting the tears that threaten to fall. “No. I can’t do that to Cami.
“She would understand,” Delilah offers.
No, he will not. “You know how much I wanted to take this trip.” I don’t have the heart to take it away no matter how much it hurts.
“How can we help?” Delilah’s soft voice eases the pounding in my chest.
“I’m not sure you can. I’m the one who got into this mess.
Not just yourself.
Shit. Cami.
If I hadn’t been so naive, I never would have approached Cal. I could have kept up my defenses instead of letting my heart rule my brain.
Did you seriously not learn anything from the past?
The realization makes me lose the battle against my tears. Some fall, sliding down my cheeks before landing on my dress.
You allow them to form a bond together.
“Alana,” Violet calls.
I look up at the ceiling. My vision blurs with tears, turning off the fluorescent light.
“Look at me.” Violet speaks more firmly this time.
My eyes slide to my phone. “That?” “No matter what happens… none of it is your fault.” It pricks my chest. “It sure feels that way.”
“We will make him pay for what he did. I promise that.
My laugh comes out broken and hollow. “I don’t want revenge. I just want it to go away.
Forever.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”
His use of us excites me for a completely different reason.
You are not alone in this.
Violet and Delilah stay on the phone while I cry. Come tomorrow, I’ll need to pretend none of this happened, so I let myself feel it all tonight. My anger. My sadness. my betrayal _
I may not have it all figured out by the time I stop crying, but I’m sure of one thing: Callahan Kane will regret ever thinking he could take advantage of my kindness and get away with it.
