Chapter 38
thirty-eight
WEST
“What the hell is happening?” I mutter, seeing the woman I’d bleed for and the man who wants me to bleed to death sitting on either side of my coffee table, a pack of Barbie cards on the surface.
I don’t know whether to be relieved or furious. She’s alive. She looks beautiful and untouched. But I need her far, far away from him.
“Are those Ayda’s cards?” Hudson asks, sounding confused. But I can barely hear him over the rush of blood in my head at the thought of her getting hurt.
“Get out of my house, Marchetti,” I say, striding toward him. Eden looks up, and my gut twists when her eyes lock with mine. She’s not wearing makeup, there are shadows beneath her eyes, yet it’s like looking into the sun.
“We’re busy here, West.” Vin says. “Your girl made me an offer.”
“What offer?” I look at Eden again. She won’t meet my gaze this time. “Eden? What offer?” I can’t breathe at the thought of her getting mixed up in my mess. She’s too good for that.
“It’s simple.” Vin smiles. “We’re playing for your future. If I win, you lose everything. The resort. Your girl. All of it.” He says it slowly, like he’s enjoying the effect it has on me.
“And when I win, Vin walks away with nothing,” Eden says, her jaw set stubbornly.
“Just stop,” I tell her. “You don’t need to do this.” Panic rushes through me.
“But I do.” She sets her eyes on me again. I feel like I can see into her soul. The thought of her losing. Of her crying and broken, because of me.
I can’t do this. I’m going to hyperventilate.
Vin gives her a patronizing smile. “Are we playing cards here or should I leave?”
“We’re playing.” Eden won’t look at me now. Her eyes are locked on Vin.
“Then let’s go.”
They cut, and Eden wins. The ghost of a smile flickers across her lips, but she says nothing as she deals them both two cards, Vin scooping his up with the eagerness of a starved man.
“Eden,” I say again, sharper this time. “Don’t do this, baby. Talk to me.”
And I know it sounds ironic, because I never talk to her.
I should have. I know that. But whatever happens, I don’t want it like this.
She doesn’t deserve to be part of my mess.
She doesn’t need to stare down the ultimate cheater.
And if she loses, Christ, it’ll shatter her.
The way her father shattered her when he gambled it all away.
She doesn’t even glance my way. She looks at her cards, her face unreadable. Nausea pulls at my stomach.
The flop comes down. Queen and nine of hearts, plus the eight of clubs.
Vin leans back, smirking.
Hudson bristles. “This is insane. Eden, you’re not doing this.”
“I second that,” Asher snaps, running a hand through his hair. “Call it now. Walk away.”
Christ, I think I love them both.
“Both of you shut the fuck up,” Vin says, without even looking at them. His eyes are locked on Eden. “It’s her choice. Let her play.”
He thinks he has the winning hand. My throat burns. “Eden—”
She finally speaks, her voice calm and low. “Check.”
Vin’s smirk falters, only for a second, and I swear I feel the room tighten around us.
“Jesus Christ,” Asher mutters, dragging a hand over his face. “I can’t watch this.” He turns and walks away, staring out of the window, his shoulders stiff. I look over at Bennett, who’s as pale as a sheet, watching the scene play out in front of him.
His eyes meet mine. He looks scared. And from where he is, he can see Eden’s hand. I want to know what it is. To read her cards the way she reads everything else. Especially me.
And I know for sure I’m not worth her tears. “You can have the resort,” I say, my voice cracking.
“Shut up,” Vin says. “The earlier offer is rescinded.” He looks at his men. “The next time that asshole talks, he leaves. Forcibly if necessary.”
“Yes, boss.” The one on the right taps his hip, like he’s reminding me he’s carrying.
Every muscle in my body tightens, I’m ready to fight. To go to war. But all I can do is stand here and watch my wife play against my enemy.
Eden flips the next card from the top of the deck with her elegant fingers and flicks it onto the table. The ace of spades. One more card joining the three already face up that could change everything about the hand.
“Raise,” Vin says lazily. “I’m feeling lucky today.”
Hudson mutters a curse under his breath, pacing the room like a wild animal. But I stay stock still. Watching her. The way her hand stays steady as she holds her cards. The way her chin lifts a little higher each time Vin tries to knock her down.
God, she’s everything. Everything I’ve been too much of a coward to hold onto. She deserves somebody unbroken, someone better. And yet here she is, gambling for me like I’m worth it.
Ready to face her childhood pain head on, when I keep avoiding mine.
“Call,” Eden says softly. Her voice doesn’t shake. Neither do her hands.
Vin chuckles, like he’s already won.
The whole room is silent as she turns the next card.
Queen of clubs. Vin’s grin stretches. He thinks he’s got her cornered.
But I can see her. The way her lips press together, calm and sure. The way her eyes stay locked on him, not the cards, like she’s been waiting for this exact moment.
My chest aches. Christ, I love her. She’s fire and steel and the one good thing I’ll never deserve. And here she is, carrying the weight of my sins on her shoulders.
If she loses, it’ll destroy her. Not because of the resort, or Marchetti. But because it’ll feel like her father all over again. And I swear to God, I won’t let that happen. I’ll burn everything down before I let her get hurt again.
Her eyes meet mine for the briefest of moments. I try to hold her gaze, to show her that I’d break every rule that was ever made for her.
And then Vin slaps his hand down, turning to meet my eyes with a victory gaze. I feel like I’m about to throw up. Two of clubs and eight of hearts.
“Jesus,” Hudson mutters. Because it’s done. Along with the two queens he has a hell of a win. A hand like that doesn’t happen often. And not much can beat it.
But Eden doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t blink. She lays down her cards with steady fingers. A Queen of spades followed by the nine of diamonds. “Full house beats two pairs,” she says softly, her voice cutting through the air like a blade
For a heartbeat, silence reigns. Vin’s smirk freezes on his face, his thick, ring-adorned hand resting on the pile like he can will the win.
A laugh of disbelief escapes from Hudson’s mouth. Bennett’s shoulders sag in relief. And when Asher turns around, I see his eyes are wet. The bastard is actually crying.
But me? My heart feels like it’s about to explode. Love. Pride. Fear. Relief. It all surges at once, until I don’t know whether to fall to my knees or drag her into my arms and never let go.
I can see the tremor in her body now, the exhaustion in her eyes. She looks straight at Vin. “Get out of my house and leave my family alone.” She stands up, lifting her brow. She’s exhausted but ready to keep on fighting if she has to.
He glares, but something in her tone makes him obey. He scowls at Bennett, then storms past the bodyguards.
I take a step toward her, ready to tell her everything. How proud I am, how much I love her, how I’ll spend the rest of my life proving she belongs with me. “Jesus, Eden…”
But instead of walking into my arms, where I need her, where I want her, she ignores me and looks at Bennett.
“Can you drive me to Autumn’s place?” she asks him. “And grab my bag from my room. It’s already packed.”
The silence that follows is suffocating. Hudson frowns, like we’ve just solved one problem only to find another. Asher stares at the floor. Bennett nods, then shoots me an apologetic look before he goes and does exactly as she asked.
Good. She needs somebody on her side.
And when she walks to the front hall, waving off her brothers, completely ignoring me, it’s all I can do to keep standing. Because I’m hollowed out. Breaking.
Realizing that I’ve almost certainly lost the best thing that’s happened to me, and it’s all my own fault for not talking to her. Again.
She walks out of the door, her head high. And I’ve no idea how I’ll get through this.
EDEN
Neither of us say a word as Bennett drives the short distance across the island to Autumn and Parker’s home. I assume Parker will follow soon, but I don’t know. All I do know is that we’re in West’s car, and I assume he gave the keys to Bennett, which makes me feel even worse than I already did.
Somehow, I manage to hold it together until I see Autumn waiting for me in the doorway of the lighthouse, likely Parker called her and told her I was on my way.
As soon as Bennett stops, I manage to mutter out a thanks before I grapple at the door handle and yank it open, running as fast as I can into my sister’s open arms.
And then I sob. Hard enough to make her neck damp and my body feel weak. All the anger, frustration, and most of all the hurt comes out, as she rubs my back and murmurs sweet words in my ear.
It’s only when I get control of my breathing that I realize Bennett is still here. Right behind me.
“Uh, why does the lighthouse look so… glitzy?” he asks.
I look up. I hadn’t even noticed the décor. There’s a huge silver banner across the doorway, saying ‘Let’s Go Girls’ and inside the door is what looks like a giant inflatable penis with West’s face on it.
West’s gorgeous, beautiful face. Oh my God. “You decorated for my bachelorette,” I whisper. I’d forgotten all about it. Between the mayhem and fear, everything else was pushed out of my mind.
“It doesn’t matter,” she tells me. “I was going to take it all down. I already called and canceled everything else.”
More tears squeeze out of my eyes. “But you worked so hard…”
“So did West, by the looks of it,” Bennett says, his eyes wide as he stares at the penis inflatable.
I turn to look at him. Sweet, lovely, almost ex-con Bennett. Who risked his family for mine. I hug him tight, because I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but this boy-man and I have an unbreakable bond.
“Thank you. For everything,” I tell him.
“No,” he says, his voice sounding deeper than I remember it being. “Thank you. For letting me be part of something.”
“Why are you two acting like you’ll never see each other again?” Autumn asks. “Neither of you are going anywhere.”
Bennett and I exchange a glance. We don’t know that for sure. I don’t know anything right now. With one win at poker, everything feels up in the air again.
It feels the same as losing, if I’m honest. And I hate it.
“So, ah, I’d better get West’s car back before I end up with another grand theft auto charge,” Bennett says, stuffing his hands into his pockets and turning to walk to the Aston Martin.
“Another?” Autumn mouths at me.
I shrug. What he did in the past doesn’t matter now.
“Bennett,” I say, right as he reaches the car.
“Yup?”
“Please look after him. He needs somebody he can trust.”
He looks at me for a long minute, then smiles. “Funny, that’s exactly what he said about you.”
The engine starts, and Autumn leads me inside, kicking aside some balloons. “I got the pastries. I was at Mylene’s when Parker called and said you were coming here.”
“I’m not hungry. But thanks.”
I sit down at the kitchen island and lower my head into my hands. And then I think about him again. The way he looked when I walked away. The absolute pure devastation on his face.
“You should talk to him,” Autumn murmurs. I shake my head, my face still against my palms.
“Why not?” she asks. “I know you love him. You just sacrificed everything for him.”
“Because love doesn’t matter if he keeps hiding everything from me. It’s not just this. It was Leona, Selena. Everything. I can’t keep hurting like this. I just can’t.” My voice breaks, and Autumn lays her hand against my back.
“Do you know how long it took Parker to tell me about his childhood?” she asks me.
“How long?”
“Way too long. And before he did, he walked away from me. Said he didn’t want to taint me or some crap like that. Whatever.” She shrugs. “I made him pay for it.”
My chest hitches. “I bet you did.”
“West…” she trails off. “I guess we all thought we knew him but we didn’t, not really.
He has this veneer of everything being okay.
I guess he had to with how he grew up. Like a shield to protect himself, especially after Leona.
But he let it down. For you. Not all of it.
Who would at the snap of a finger? Somewhere in him is still that little boy who feels unworthy and unloved.
But he still did drop it just a little.”
“And then he put it back up again,” I whisper. “I felt so alone.”
“I know you did. But you know what? He’s a human, like the rest of us. He makes mistakes. He has to learn. Each time, he let’s it down a little more.” She leans in to hug me. “And the person he did it for? That was you.”
My stomach twinges, because there’s truth in her words. He trusted me enough to show me who he really is. Not the shiny easy-go-lucky laid back man everyone else sees.
He was grumpy for me, and nobody else. And weirdly, I loved him for it.
And then I pushed him away. The way his family always did. I abandoned him.
“I’m not ready to think rationally,” I tell her. “It still hurts too much.”
She squeezes me one last time, then pulls back, cupping my cheeks like she used to when we were kids. “There’s no rush,” she tells me, and it’s what I need to hear. “You don’t need to decide what to do next until you’re ready.”
“When did you get so wise?” I ask her.
“Since I decided to become somebody’s mom.” She rubs her stomach. “Apparently you have to talk sense and stuff.”
I smile through my tears.
“Come on,” she says. “I have a lot of penis bath bombs and nobody to give them to. I’ll run you a bath, you can get some sleep, then later we’ll watch a chick flick and scream at the screen.”
“I’m sure Parker will be delighted.”
“If it’s Nora Ephron, he’s there. And he’ll even bring the munchies,” she promises. She slides her hand around my shoulders, leading me to the master bathroom, with the best jacuzzi in the world.
And later that night, when we watch Sally Albright fall for Harry Burns, Parker wedged between Autumn and me with a bowl of popcorn in his lap, I let myself lean into his shoulder.
But it’s the wrong shoulder. On the wrong man.
And the sweater that I’m trying to quietly cry into is completely the wrong one.
And I don’t know how I’ll ever get over West Abbott.