Chapter 21 - Simon
“She needs our help!” Talia huffs into the phone, keeping her voice low.
“Talia, what the fuck are you talking about. Lindsey is a liar and a manipulator. You can’t trust a word she says!”
Talia is furious with me. She’s been insistent during the whole conversation.
“Well, Blair and I are helping her whether you will or not. We won’t leave her alone in this. You do whatever you need to do. We’re helping her!”
“Blair is there too!” I shout, furious that Talia put Blair in that situation. Why would she put her in danger like that!? But the line has gone dead. Talia has hung up on me.
I’m so angry my hands are shaking as I run downstairs to grab my car keys.
I know which safe house she’s at because Talia already begged me to come through to them.
She doesn’t know Lindsey the way I do. That woman is dangerous. For all I know, it’s a trap she’s set to get Blair, and now Talia, too, away from me so Jaco can get to them.
“Fuck!” I shout in anger as I drive out of the estate, skidding into the road, needing to get to them before something terrible happens.
It takes me eighteen minutes to reach the safe house, but it feels like an eternity.
I punch in the code to unlock the door and storm inside, slamming it behind me.
“Lindsey!” I shout her name in anger.
Out of nowhere, Talia is standing in front of me, blocking my path.
“You’d better calm down before you say a single word!” she says in quiet rage.
“Where is she?” I demand.
“She’s sitting with Blair, but I swear if you came here to fight, then you need to leave,” she warns me. I clench my jaw, keeping my voice low and calm despite the anger inside me. “I’m calm,” I say, sounding convincing.
Talia takes a heavy breath and steps aside to let me pass.
Lindsey is sitting on the sofa in the living room, almost cuddled up against Blair.
The anger spikes deeper, but I push it aside and walk over to them, sitting on the chair right in front of them. I gesture with a tilt of my chin for Blair to move away. Thankfully, she does. Standing up, she says, “I’ll make us some tea.”
Blair grabs Talia’s hand and pulls her along with her as they leave the room.
Somehow, I know they don’t go far, though. They are still listening, watching me, and making sure I don’t do anything they disapprove of.
I need to find out what the hell Lindsey said to them to trick them.
My eyes lock onto Lindsey’s, and I cock my head to the side.
“So,” I say coldly.
“I’m so sorry about this, Simon,” she blurts out, her voice shaking. “I didn’t know they were going to call you,” she mutters nervously.
I narrow my eyes. “Or did you want them to call me because this is a trap?” I mutter under my breath.
Her eyes widen. Her lip’s part and she looks horrified.
“No, oh no, please don’t think that. If my being here puts anyone in danger, then I’ll leave right away,” she says as a tear slips from her eyes and rolls down her cheek.
She brushes it away with the back of her hand and takes a deep breath.
“I don’t… I didn’t… I don’t want anyone else to get hurt just for helping me.
I should go before he realizes I’m missing,” she says, standing up.
“Sit down,” I growl.
She flinches at the tone of my voice and sits down again.
Something is off. something in the way she moves. Something in her looks weak and broken.
“You better tell me what the fuck is going on, Lindsey. And if one lie slips from your lips, I swear, I will deal with you myself,” I demand.
She nods. Swallowing hard.
She glances nervously in the direction from which the girls left.
“Don’t look for them. Look at me.”
She nods again and presses her lips together. “They um… they said they could help me.” Her eyes drift to her hands, twisting in her lap as anxiety flows through her
“Help you with what?”
“You know, I have never forgiven myself for losing you. I know it was my fault, Simon. And I know how much it hurt you. It was cruel of me, and in all honesty, it was the biggest mistake of my life.”
“I don’t want to hear about the past,” I snap, thinking she’s trying to distract me.
“No, please, let me say this. It’s important.”
My jaw clenches in annoyance, but I nod, allowing her to go on.
“I made that mistake, and within a few weeks, I knew how bad it was. Jaco was… he was so convincing. He really made me believe that he loved me more than anyone in the world possibly could. He… he swept me off my feet and blinded me in so many ways. I was… I was caught up in it. It felt like a fairy tale. But that feeling only lasted a while before I saw who he really was. At first, it started with a random nasty comment that caught me off guard. I would explain it away, telling myself he is tired, he’s had a long day.
I would try harder to show him that I loved him and that I was there for him, but the nastiness got worse. ”
She speaks, and I listen.
I watch her body language and read her expression.
I listen to the tone of her voice and how she’s embarrassed that tears escape as she tells me some of the things he has said and done to her to belittle her and make her feel worthless.
And my heart breaks for her.
I know she betrayed me. I know she left me. But the consequences of her choices hardly seem fair. She’s terrified of Jaco. Trapped with him. A prisoner of his threats and his power.
“Lindsey, I had no idea,” I sigh, reaching out and gently taking her hand. “Talia and Blair were right to bring you here. And I will help you,” I reassure her.
Her body slumps with relief, and her tears fall freely.
“You will?” she murmurs, her eyes locked onto mine. “Even after what I did to you?”
I nod. “Of course I will. We all make mistakes. I can see your regret. And what Jaco is doing to you… It’s not right.”
She wraps her fingers tighter around mine.
“I never stopped loving you, Simon. I’ve always dreamed that we could have another chance. I truly believe that we were meant to be together forever. I still do. I still think that’s possible if you…”
I gently pull my hand out of hers and shake my head.
“I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I will help you. I won’t leave you alone in this, but I don’t love you, Lindsey.”
“You did once… maybe you can again?” she whispers, looking heartbroken.
“I’m sorry, Lindsey. I don’t even know if it was love back then. I have to be honest with you about this. Nothing will ever happen between you and me again. I’m not even the same person I was when I was with you,” I say thoughtfully.
The truth is that Lindsey doesn’t even flick in comparison to Blair.
I haven’t fully processed what this all means, but Blair… Blair is something so special, so unique… she’s everything to me.
Lindsey bites at her lower lip and looks away from me. “I understand,” she says quietly. “And thank you for still being willing to help me. It means the world.”
Standing up, I gesture for Talia and Blair to come back into the room and stop hiding behind the wall right outside the door. They walk in sheepishly. “You’ll help her?” Blair asks.
I nod, turning to my sister. “I’ll start making plans right away, but she’ll need to stay here, hidden for one night, two at the most.”
“I’ve already arranged a security guard to stand guard outside the property, incognito,” Talia says.
“Good. I’ll move as fast as I can.” Turning to Lindsey, I say, “I’m going to set you up far away from this city.
Far away from where Jaco or anyone in the Marcas family can ever find you.
I’ll have my guys create a new identity for you, passports, documents, and open a bank account.
I’ll purchase a house for you so you can feel safe and make a new home for yourself.
I’ll put enough money in your account that you can start again.
It’ll be enough to get you back on your feet and living your new life. ”
“You’ll do all of that for me?” she whispers.
“You understand you can never come back here, though?” I ask.
She scoffs, knotting her brows. “I want to leave this city and never look back. It’s something I’ve dreamed of the entire time I’ve been with Jaco—an escape. A way out. I assure you, the last thing I want is to come back here once I’m safe.”
Satisfied with her answer, I turn to Blair, holding my hand out to her. “Can I drive you home?” I ask.
She smiles warmly and nods at me. “Yes,” she says, wrapping her fingers tightly around mine.
After checking with Talia, we leave the two girls in the safe house. I have a lot to do to get Lindsey out of here as quickly as possible. But more importantly. I want to talk to Blair.
I wait until we are back at home and Blair is settled in the living room next to me on the sofa with a cold gin and tonic in her hands. I sip my vodka and let my eyes drift over her beautiful face.
So much has happened in such a short time.
I already have my men working on Lindsey’s escape and setting up her new life.
Blair feels my eyes on her and glances at me with her head tilted to the side. “What is it?” she asks nervously.
“Why did you meet her behind my back?” I say, looking directly at her to read her expression.
She stiffens and sits up straighter, immediately defensive.
“You think you have to carry all the burdens alone, but it isn’t how things work.
And some of what happened was my fault, too.
I came into your life, and I messed up some things.
You were just trying to keep me safe, and then I distracted you, and now you’re in trouble.
I had to help, Simon. Please understand I wasn’t trying to make more trouble, but I really wanted to help you because… ”
I take her hand, a light chuckle spilling from my lips. “Wait, take a breath. You’re panicking, and I’m not angry at all.”
“You’re not?” she stammers, scrunching her nose up in that cute way she does.
“No. It means a lot to me that you would do that for me. I don’t want you in danger, Blair.
But you went out there with the intention of helping me…
and you actually ended up helping Lindsey.
You let go of how she treated you in the past. You let go of the nasty things she said to you.
You didn’t even care that she and I have a history. You still chose to help her.”
“Anyone would have made the same choice,” she says carefully.
I laugh, a little louder this time. “That is not true. Not at all. I owe you a thanks.” I say. “You made me see things differently.”
She shifts on the sofa, turning her body toward me. “How so?” she asks with curiosity.
“I’ve been so fixated on revenge. I let that anger rule every choice I made.
It was quiet, controlled anger, but in reality, it was controlling me nonetheless.
You do things so differently. You don’t want revenge on your stepbrother.
You don’t want to get back at him. And when you were face-to-face with Lindsey, your choice of compassion over vengeance, and in the end, it saved her life. ”
Blair smiles awkwardly, her cheeks flushing pink. “It…it wasn’t that big of a deal,” she mutters.
“It is to Lindsey. Her entire life is about to change, and it’s because of you.”
She bites the inside of her cheek, smiling a little wider.
“Blair,” I say her name gently.
“Mm?” she looks up at me.
“There’s something else,” I say.
“What is it?” she asks, a little worried.
“When I was talking to Lindsey, she spoke about wanting another chance with me. How she believed we were always meant to be together, that we could still be happy…”
“I heard…sorry I was eavesdropping,” she admits.
“That’s okay, I knew you two were there listening,” I chuckle. “The thing is, when she said those things, I came to understand something about myself.” I pause, setting my drink down on the coffee table, then taking hers from her hand and setting it next to mine.
“I realized that what I thought was love in the past has never actually been love. Love is so much deeper, so much more intense than I ever could have imagined. And the only reason I know that is because… because I fell in love with you, Blair.”
Her mouth drops open in shock, and I reach out and trace my fingers over her jaw, chuckling at her expression.
“Is that… good surprise …or bad surprise. I swear I know you love me too. I can feel it when you kiss me. I can see it when you look at me.”
She narrows her eyes, and a cheeky smile covers her lips. “You know I love you?” she says with a little mischief in her voice.
“I do. I’m not blind,” I insist.
Her grin grows even wider.
“And if…if I don’t?” she asks, shifting closer to me.
“Well…” I scoff. “That might be a problem,” I say with fake warning in my voice.
She climbs into my lap and presses her hands against my chest, fiddling with my buttons. “What kind of a problem?” she asks, her eyes glittering.
I slip my arms around her waist and pull her closer to me.
“I’d have to kidnap you for real. I’d have to chain you to my bed and keep you there until you understood what a mistake it was not to fall in love with me. It would take time and dedication, but I would do it,” I nod slowly.
“Chained to your bed?” She stifles a giggle. “Actually… I think maybe I don’t love you,” she says, hardly able to hide how beautiful her smile is.
I pull her even closer, whispering against her ear, “So you like the idea of being chained to my bed?” I ask, my body pulsing with desire.
“I like that idea, and I like the idea of you being in love with me… because I love you too. I love you so much it scares me.”
My heart clenches in my chest. Hearing her say the words is like the sky cracking open and releasing the wildest storm I’ve ever seen.
“You love me,” I whisper in relief and awe.
“Yes, but I prefer if you pretend you didn’t hear that… and go back to whatever the threat was about what happens if I don’t love you,” she whispers seductively.
I lift her in my arms and carry her to my room.
“I think I need to show you…” I say, as we go up the stairs.
I can’t stop smiling. My heart is exploding.
I have never been happier in my life.