A Prior Engagement (31 page)

“Yes,” she answered the only question she knew deep down she had to. She had to keep control of her emotions and stay strong and steady with him,
for him
. He had worked too hard to have her ruin his life. Tom was clear with his intention for destruction if she returned to William. Even with that weighing on her mind, she also knew Tom would not disapprove of her ending it in person. It made it all more real.

“You didn’t return any of my calls.” His tone held a slight irritation in it.

“What calls?” She sat up and he did the same, but she knew it didn’t matter if he had called. The reality that Tom held all the cards sank in. “I’ve got to go.”

They both stood and as he looked deep into her eyes he saw the love he’d always known. She was lying to him to make it easier for one of them, maybe for both of them. “I just wanted to make sure you’re doing okay and to tell you good-bye.” She turned to start the long walk away from him, a walk she never thought she would have to make.

“I have one final request,” he said, refusing to accept this as the end.

She turned back, not able to face him as she waited for him to finish.

“One last kiss, my love.” He walked closer and she didn’t voice a denial. Her eyes gave her approval for the request and he took her face in his hands, tilted her mouth toward his, and brought their lips together.

The kiss deepened and they lost themselves one last time in each other. As they parted, William looked down at the beautiful girl in front of him with her eyes still closed and knew what they had between them was more real than ever and definitely not over. He smirked with a new conviction as she looked back at him, searching his face in bewilderment.

“Good-bye.” She didn’t look back as she walked away. All she could think of was how her body sold her out. She cursed each disloyal part, starting with her traitorous lips and tongue, hands, and heart. They all fought valiantly over her logical brain and won the battle. She hated that she would remember every element of that kiss for the rest of her life and never again feel the passion they shared.

But for William, it confirmed the thoughts he had started to bury deep down inside. And on that very spot where he still stood, he was re-committed to having a relationship with the beautiful girl because he knew she still loved him, too. So he started on a plan of his own.

Chapter 26

Audrey was easy enough to locate with Walter’s help. William caught up with her one day in the local coffee shop closest to Evie’s building. Audrey turned around with her fresh brew in hand and saw William sitting there waiting for her. At first, she appeared nervous, but he smiled at her and when it reached his eyes, she knew he had come around to help her sister. She joined him at the tiny table and as she removed her sunglasses, he leaned toward her. “I need your help.”

“Anything,” she said. “I should have helped. I didn’t know how. I’m sorry, so sorry, I didn’t.”

“It’s not your fault and I don’t blame you. But I want her back and I think she wants to be with me, too.” He laid out his plan for her and then asked about Evie and how she’s doing.

“She’s been nicer to me. I don’t mean to infer she wasn’t before, but we get along better now. She’s built a fortress around her heart though.”

“Your parents should know what he’s done to her.”

“I tried before. They don’t believe me against him. He’s manipulative. He has them believing I’m just a stupid teenager.”

“Why do they like him so much?” He asked, confused by the allegiance her parents have shown Tom Whitney.

Audrey shook her head seeming to wonder the same thing before she finally spoke. “They’ve known his family a long time. They’re very close with his parents and he’s a good actor. Oh, I don’t know.” She looked down at the coffee in her hands and stopped talking like she was going into a forbidden topic.

William was guessing, but felt like he got a pretty good idea during their brief love affair. “He knows how to put on a charade. He says what they want to hear and does what they approve of. They aren’t aware of the monster he is underneath his polished surface.”

Audrey’s eyes lifted up and met William’s. “Yes. He’s a suck-up.”

William laughed at the term, but “suck-up” was very fitting also. “I have to warn you, Audrey, my plan is a bit conniving.”

“Ooh, I love it even more. Go on.”

“I think it’s going to be a two-stage process. He’s got something on her, or I’m thinking he’s using something to keep her going through with this . . .” William looked out the window and never finished his sentence.

“He’s blackmailing her somehow, but how can I help with that? Tom hates me. He barely tolerates me and I’m her sister. He won’t talk to me. He’s also keeping her on a short leash. She can’t make a move without him there or calling her.”

“We’re not going to bother with him. I’m going straight for her heart.”

As they plotted and planned, William realized he had found his strongest ally in Evie’s sister. And with Audrey’s birthday coming up next week, he found the perfect excuse to get her out from under the monster’s watchful eye. But waiting a week to see her, to talk with her again, would prove the hardest part of the plan by far. He missed Evie and hated that he couldn’t just walk in and take her away from her prison.

He and Audrey exchanged phone numbers and throughout the week they kept each other posted through text messages. William filled the hours working during the day and dreaming of Evie at night. His dreams were filled with him touching her body . . . everywhere. That was something he regretted not doing when he had the chance, but in his heart he knew it was better that they hadn’t.

When Everleigh came back to Tom, he had become more patient with his future bride. He tried to break her by trying his “method” of discipline before, but that drove her away. And upon her return he had even tried sleeping pills in her water to keep her calm during her transition back into his world and back into her proper place. But he didn’t want to keep her unconscious to be with him. He wanted her smart wit and cleverness back for the world to see. Settling on the most basic of threats to convince her of the right choice to make, he threatened the one she loved the most.

He was surprised over the course of the last ten days how well his plan had worked. Everleigh even allowed him to hold her hand at a party once, seeming as if she was falling back in line with his expectations. Socially, she was gracious, funny, and would carry a conversation, so Tom felt he could relax in his efforts with her. He started to believe that maybe she did want this life; maybe she did want him for real this time.

They walked the two blocks back to her home and as they approached her building, he stopped and pulled her to him. “I want you to come over tonight.”

Everleigh looked at him and thought carefully before answering. She knew he wasn’t asking. He never asked for her opinion. He wanted to get off, but she couldn’t stomach the thought. “Not tonight. I need more time.” She looked down at her feet, avoiding his eyes, but made no apologies.

She looked back up at him so earnest and sweet that he knew she would be ready soon and it would be real. He believed she would want to be there instead of him demanding her to be. “Okay. I’ll give you more time.” He kissed her at the door and said his good-bye.

As Everleigh rode the elevator up, she knew she wouldn’t be able to stall much longer, but she couldn’t be with that monster, at least not voluntarily. She hoped being married to him would give her the strength to fulfill her wifely duties a bit easier. Many women had married for purpose over love. She knew she wasn’t the first. Some even developed feelings of love over time, but that would feel like a betrayal to what she and William once were.

Climbing into bed, she remembered how close she and William had come to being together completely. It was her one true regret of her time with him. They both thought they should take it slow because they had forever. They were fools because their forever was never meant to be. Her soul felt rundown and she had lost her will to fight. Her fighting spirit had left with William. One thing she was positive of is that her staying with Tom gave William the opportunity to pursue his dreams just as he was before she crashed his world. She eventually fell asleep on a tear-soaked pillow.

The next day, Everleigh buried herself in the required phone calls necessary to make the Latham Fundraiser a success. She had taken on more tasks to stay busy since she dropped her summer class, and to keep her mind from wandering back to her true love.

By five o’clock, Audrey came into her room holding a bag and a large shoe box. “It’s my birthday, so I get to dress you for tonight.”

Evie lowered her chin and gave her a questioning look. “I’m not even allowed to dress myself now?”

“You betcha. This isn’t an uppity uptown soiree. We’re going to watch a band downtown.” She strode over to the bed unloading the clothes and boots from the box and smiled at her sister. “Remember, it’s my eighteenth birthday, sis. You have to wear this for me. What the birthday girl says goes.”

Evie held the skimpy cut-off jean skirt up and shook her head in disapproval. Audrey gave her a look that left her no option. “Okay, I’ll wear it, but only because it’s your day.”

As they rode through Manhattan, Audrey started chatting about her friends who would be meeting them at the club tonight and Evie tugged at her skirt, uncomfortable with showing this much skin.

Evie was more than happy to celebrate her baby sister’s birthday and had been looking forward to the night all week. It also bothered Tom that she was going out without him which made her enjoy the night even more.

Exiting the cab, Evie followed close behind Audrey. Her little sister fist-bumped the doorman and he let them in without waiting or carding either. That concerned Evie, and she wondered how much partying her sister was doing without her knowledge. But tonight was about her birthday fun and she wasn’t going to be the one to ruin it, so she followed her straight up to the bar. Audrey ordered two shots of tequila and set one of them in front of Evie. Society kids were frequenting the bar scene and stealing drinks at fancy cocktails parties at an early age, so Evie downed it in one go and skipped the accessory lime.

Audrey laughed. “Impressive. I didn’t even know if you’d done a shot before.” She signaled for two more and Audrey excused herself to seek out her friends, taking her shot with her.

Evie turned around with the full shot in hand while leaning against the edge of the bar. That’s when she heard her name, but from an unfamiliar voice. “Evie?”

She turned to see a very large guy smiling at her as he approached. She recognized him, but wasn’t quite sure from where. But it came to her when he introduced himself. “It’s Bobby, I’m William’s best friend. I met you at his parent’s house on Staten Island.”

“Yes, that’s right. Bobby, how are you?”

“I’m great.” He smiled. Her first thought was that was how William would answer that question too. “Weird running into you here. You slumming it downtown?”

“I’m here with my sister. It’s her birthday and she loves this place. I’ve never been here before, but I like it so far.”

“Doing shots?” he asked, pointing at her waiting glass.

“Uh, yeah.” She started to feel embarrassed holding the tequila shot.

“Can I join you?”

Evie nodded and scooted a bit to her left to let him squeeze up to the bar. Once he was served, they shot the drinks together after a quick clink of the glasses. “Tequila, huh? What’s the story?”

She laughed because she handled the alcohol a little smoother than him. “No story.”

“In Mexico, they sip their tequila.” He looked her in the eyes as he spoke, but she looked away. “I’m sorry. Is this awkward or too weird hanging out?”

Her face softened, and she tilted her head smiling back at him. “No. I’m glad to see you again. I really didn’t have a chance to get to know you, but if William . . .” She looked down and then signaled the bartender for another round. “Well, you must be a good person if you two are friends.”

“From what he said, I know you are, too.” He paused then added, “He misses you.”

She couldn’t look at him for fear of falling apart, so she took her glass and tapped it against his and drank the shot. “I wish he didn’t.”

“I don’t know why the two of you aren’t together. I’m sure it’s some fucked up situation that seems impossible, but ultimately I want my friend happy. He deserves it and you happen to be what makes him the happiest. I can also tell how much you like him. You might even love him or some craziness like that, so don’t let some rich wanker mess up something so right—”