Page 56 of Reckless Love

Stephen

Bags of groceries sit at my feet, and I take out more items for my parents’ fridge. Today’s a day off, and I’ve been using it to catch up on everything I’ve been relying too much on Vanessa to do for my parents. Mindless errands aren’t helping with how my thoughts continue to spin, replaying every moment of my conversation with Ava almost a week ago. At least at work, I’m too busy to dwell on her visit to my apartment, which loops around and around in great detail right before I try to sleep, my brain overanalyzing every aspect of our interaction.

I watched her cry in her car on the security cameras, and it took all my willpower not to go to her, to drag her into my arms, to comfort her, to tell her I didn’t mean any of it.

But I did mean it.

At least some of it.

Whether it’s fair or not, her marrying Raul is a betrayal. Her having his child is an even bigger betrayal. Before the other night, I couldn’t pinpoint how I felt, but that’s it. Betrayed.

I wanted those things. I would have done all sorts of legal and illegal things to play those roles in her life, and she laughed at me when I dared to suggest it.

She can’t rewrite history, and if she keeps trying to do that, I won’t be able to believe anything she says. You say what you mean, and you mean what you say—that’s my motto.

Granted, Ava’s temper always got the best of her. But the conversation with her the night I left was different. Whether it was because I was fed up with our push-pull or she wholeheartedly meant to reject me, I don’t know. I’ve tried to interrogate my memory, but our conversation was so clouded by hurt that I just can’t be sure.

She didn’t want me the way I wanted her, and she can’t rewrite history now because she’s unhappy.

On the counter, my phone rings. I glance at it, and when I see it’s Owen, I hit answer and speakerphone. “Problem?” I ask.

“New job for you,” he says. “I’m working from home today. Pop by when you can.”

“Just finishing up some things for my parents, and then I’ll be over.”

“Thanks,” Owen says, and then he’s gone.

There was an edge to his voice that makes me put the groceries away at a faster rate, eager to find out the details of this job that can’t wait until I’m back at work tomorrow.

Owen meets me at the door, and then he glances at his watch. “Figured it was important, did you?”

“Your tone said it was.”

“You can read my tone now, can you?”

“Always could. Isn’t that why I was so valuable to you from the start?”

Owen’s lips quirk into an almost smile as he leads me through the house to his office. I take the chair on the other side of his wide desk as he circles it to slump into the leather chair behind it.

“And you’ve got news you think I won’t like,” I say.

Owen nods and picks up a pen to tap it against the desk. “The Nile employees voted to strike. Did your sister mention it?”

“No,” I admit. We’ve been ships passing in the night, and now that I think about it, she’s kept all our communications centered on Mom and Dad since I worked for the Santos family. I made Vanessa as safe as I could with a security detail and the cameras, and then I let her live her life.

“Raul Santos has specifically asked that you not have any part in their detail.”

I press my back into the chair and grip the armrests.

“You told me no lines had been crossed.”

I’m not sure that is what I said, but his overall point is valid. “It’s possible Mr. Santos’s perception is different.” God knows if our situations were reversed and I’d found out my wife was visiting another man’s family, going to his home in the dead of night, I’d know exactly what the intention was, even if the execution was sloppy. “I suspect he’s trying to keep her away from me more than me away from her.” Which shouldn’t send a zing of pride down my spine, but it does. Even with all his money, he can’t satisfy her like I always could.

“Right,” Owen says, and that one word holds exasperation and understanding.

“Who can we pull for her detail? Call people back to the island?”

“No one. The places we have people can’t be short-staffed right now. Of course we’ll take his personal preferences into consideration, but that just means we’ll have green staff on his detail, slightly more experienced staff on her detail, and our aces like Kiara on the boy’s.”