Hearts Collide (Canyon Cove Book 4) (11 page)

I looked down at the floor. I hated talking about this stuff. I knew they were great things that I did, I knew people didn’t usually help others, but I couldn’t do that.

“You do all these things for people and never expect anything back,” he said. “And after all that paying it forward, that billionaire buys you the car you’ve been drooling over for years,” he said.

I shrugged and turned the doorknob, keeping my back to the door.

“I really don’t want to talk about this,” I said quietly.

“And that’s another thing,” he said. “You do all these things and never expect anything in return. I’ve probably taken advantage of that and I shouldn’t have. You are a much better person than I will ever be.”

I couldn’t stand there listening to him go on and on about me. I didn’t want to hear it. I pushed the door open and entered my apartment. Dennis came in behind me.

“I know you don’t want me around,” he said. “I know I cause more trouble than I’m worth and I’m not easy to deal with. I haven’t said anything to you, but I’m going through a tough time right now. I got RIF’d last week.”

“You were fired?”

“They downsized and I was one of the ones they let go with severance. I knew it was coming,” he said. “I’ve been lucky you’ve been so nice about letting me stay here for so long, but I know I overstayed my welcome. If you could just give me a couple a days, I promise I’ll be out of here and in a new place.”

My lips twitched with all the words I kept to myself instead of saying to Dennis. Our relationship always had a lopsidedness that benefited him. He was egotistical, conniving, and didn't care about anyone but himself, but I never held that against him.

I made excuses for Dennis’s behavior. I made excuses for most people. I believed Dennis was just how he was and there was no changing or fixing his behavior, that was just him.

The way I thought made it hard to stay angry at him. It was like being angry at a puppy who peed on the rug. It was pointless because the puppy didn’t know any better. That’s what I thought of Dennis. And that’s why I always helped him.

I looked over at the couch and thought about my schedule for the next two days. I had to work both those nights and I needed to work on a paper for class. I probably wouldn’t even be home anyway.

“Fine, you can stay,” I said. “But only for two days. If you don’t have an apartment after that, I can tell you about a nice parking spot at the grocery store. I’ll even buy you a tent.”

Chapter Thirteen

Brent

Weeks had gone by since I last saw Jackie. With the Thanksgiving holiday she was busy with classes and even more catering jobs.

I had backed off from showing up where she was to give her a break. Giving her the car was a little too much and with everything she was dealing with, I thought she needed a break. She was confused and I wondered if it had anything to do with her involvement with Dennis.

Reginald told me what he heard at her apartment when he dropped off the car. It took everything in me to not go over there and kick Dennis’s ass. And if I was her boyfriend I would have done that, but I wasn’t, he was.

The reason for his being at her apartment was clear to me. She must have loved him. In some weird, warped way, she had to love him. Why else would she put up with such an abusive person?

If Dennis was good to her, if he treated her well, then I would have backed away and let her be happy with him. But whether he was her boyfriend or not, he didn’t treat her right. I knew I would.

It wasn’t my place to judge her and her situation. I only wanted what was best for her. In time she would see that that was me.

I wanted to see her more. I wanted her to be mine. I wanted to show her what she was really worth. Instead, she was with him.

As I leaned back in my office chair, I thought about our arrangement. I hadn’t pushed it any further because I knew I was falling for her. Each time I saw her, every time we were together, my feelings for her grew.

Originally I thought any time with her would be enough, but it wasn’t. I wanted more. I had to make my move. She needed to know without any doubt how I felt about her. And I needed to know the same.

My private line rang. I tapped the speaker button as I put my feet up on the desk.

“Brent speaking,” I said.

“Brent, it’s Xander Boone. How have you been?”

“I’m good. I saw you’ve had some great acquisitions lately. Good to see the Boone name expanding again.”

“We’re growing slowly, but I’m moving into new markets. Some interesting technologies out there. If you’re interested we should meet for a round of golf.”

“No, that’s more my brother’s thing,” I said. I got the invitation to your Christmas Eve party.”

“That’s great. Hopefully I’ll see you there.”

“You will,” I said as an idea struck me. “Mind if I bring a date?”

“Of course not, the more the merrier.”

“Great. Listen, Xander, I’ll have to call you back. I have a few things I need to take care of. It was good hearing from you.”

“I’ll talk to you soon,” Xander said as he hung up.

The Boone Christmas party was the perfect place to take Jackie on a date. It was someplace she’d be comfortable and familiar with everyone so we could focus on getting to know each other better.

I tapped the button for Marcia.

“Marcia, make reservations at the most romantic restaurant you can think of,” I said.

“How about The Breezes? It’s right on the ocean and has a beautiful view.”

“That sounds perfect,” I said.

“Do you want me to buy it out for the night?”

“No, just make sure we get a nice table away from everyone.”

“Yes, sir. Anything else?”

“If I think of anything I’ll let you know. Thank you.”

I picked up Jackie’s work schedule for the week. I was going to surprise her again. I wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of being with her again.

Chapter Fourteen

Jackie

I set my tray down and pulled out my phone to see if I had any messages.
Why haven’t I heard from Brent?
It had been two weeks since the day he gave me the car. What happened?

I kept playing things over and over in my head. I thought for sure that things would change between us, instead I didn’t see him at all. I didn’t realize how used to running into him I was until he wasn’t around any more.

I missed him.

After loading my tray with champagne flutes I made my way around the wedding reception. It was a Saturday night, a big night for weddings at the Arc Hotel, even in the middle of December.

As the champagne disappeared from my tray, Jayne, one of the other waitresses, came over to me. She matched my pace as we walked through the room.

“Holy shit, you should see the wedding in the next room,” she said.

“Fancy?” I asked.

“You wouldn’t believe it. Apparently they had a beach wedding over the summer and already wanted to renew their vows.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said. “Seems like overkill.”

“A waste of money if you ask me. When you get a chance you should check it out. They have photos from their first wedding outside their event room too. It’s crazy.”

“I think I’ll pass,” I said. “Nothing worse than a beach wedding anyway.”

“Yeah, so
cliché
,” Jayne said.

With my tray empty, I decided to disappear so I could send Brent a quick text. There was no reason why I couldn’t text him. After all, he did say I knew how to reach him.

Jackie:
Missing – one stalker. Any idea where he went?

I waited for what felt like forever for Brent to finally respond.

Brent:
I knew you’d miss me. I just handed over my car to the valet.

Jackie:
Here?

Brent:
Of course. You know how many weddings there are tonight? No best man can handle that amount of women, they’ll need back up. You know I do my best work at weddings.

Jackie:
You’re such a jerk.

Brent:
But you love me anyway.

I stared at the words on my screen. I knew he was just joking around as usual, but it hit home for me. He was right. After all that time of pushing him away, of trying to convince myself that I hated him, I was falling for him.

Jackie:
Where are you?

Brent:
I’m in the hall. I’ll be there soon.

I couldn’t wait to see him. As I stepped into the hall, I saw Brent at the other end. In between us was the other wedding with the photos on display at the entrance.

The loud music thumped as I walked towards Brent. One of the photos caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. I tried to ignore it, but something about it nagged at me.

As I turned to look at the photos, the bride and groom were in my direct line of sight as they cut the cake. The bride’s wavy blonde hair bounced as she giggled, but it was the groom who caught my attention.

I couldn’t take my eyes off him, but I could have looked away and still known what he looked like or how his dark brown hair fell over his left eye whenever he laughed. I would recognize the timbre of his voice or how his brow knitted when he looked at the cake. It was Marc.

My heart stopped and my mouth opened as I gasped for breath. I started to shake as I stood in the hall and watched as the couple smiled and laughed as they fed each other cake. Pain shot through my chest. As the room started to spin, I caught my first full look at the photos. They had a perfect summer day for their beach wedding at sunset.

I can’t do this anymore. I just can’t.

The tears started to fall before I realized I was crying, but they were welcome. I couldn’t see the couple or their ridiculous oversized photos through the blur. Brent rushed over and put his arms around me.

“What happened, Jackie? Are you okay?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

I turned towards him and tried to answer, but my throat tightened each time I attempted words. I nodded my head at him.

Yes, I’m okay, I’m alright. Just something huge flew into my eyes,
I thought as I blinked and wiped at my tears.

But then Brent did the worst thing anyone could do. He hugged me. I couldn’t keep it in anymore. I couldn’t fight back the tears that had been waiting to break past the dam I built up. I clung to the lapels of Brent’s jacket as all those years of stuffed down emotions flooded out of me. I was so consumed by my feelings I didn't realize I was spilling everything out for Brent to hear.

Five Years Ago

“Tomorrow’s the big day,” I said excitedly.

Marc and I walked down the hall side by side. As he walked, he responded to a text with a small smile. He laughed before typing more as his dark hair fell onto his forehead.

Everything was going to be perfect. We had just left the rehearsal dinner we put together for the twenty people coming to our wedding. I felt bad not being able to invite everyone we knew, but having a beach wedding on Avalon Island was so expensive we had to limit the invites.

When Marc and I first started planning the wedding, he told me about a perfect spot on Avalon Island. He said that was where we needed to get married and I agreed. It was a beautiful place. Originally, we wanted to get married as the sun set into the Pacific Ocean, but Marc changed his mind so we were going to have a morning wedding.

Avalon was just off the coast of Canyon Cove, but it was only accessible through boat or helicopter. We took the hour-long boat ride with our closest family and friends to get married and spend the weekend before Marc and I left for our honeymoon.

I waited patiently for Marc to say something. In the months before the wedding, he had become quieter, almost withdrawn. Whenever I asked him if there was something wrong, he said I was being overly sensitive and nothing was wrong with him. But he was on his phone more and sometimes when I went to bed early, I’d wake up and hear him talking in the other room. I didn’t know who he was talking to, but I trusted him.