44. Alice
44
Alice
“ W hat now?” Will says, keeping his arm tightly wound around me.
It might be too much to hope for, but I ask anyway. “You could always tell the truth. You could give the world a chance to forgive and forget.”
Will’s heart thumps into my side. It picks up speed. He hasn’t said a word—but I can feel that he doesn’t like this option. “The world has had fourteen years to forgive my past, Alice. They haven’t done it. There isn’t one press conference or interview where Zoe or I don’t have to answer a question about circus animals or the town of Maple Ridge, New York.” His throat bobs in a gulp. “If I came out about who I am, it would just increase those questions. It would spur old stories and curiosity. I don’t think I can do that.”
I bite my inner cheek. I haven’t lived with the type of scrutiny he’s been under. But I can’t help but think he’s wrong. “Where do I fit in all this, Will?”
“Right here. With me.” His right arm pulls me closer while his left hand cups my cheek. His eyes fix on mine. “Please stay,” he whispers.
“You’re Billy,” I say. He’s been this separate, untouchable thing in my mind. I never imagined myself in love with Billy Baxter.
“I’m still Will.”
“You own this organization. You’re my boss. You are a billionaire , Will! You have money and power and?—”
He cuts me off with a small peck on the lips. “Not nearly as much power as you hold over me.”
“I highly doubt that,” I tell him.
“Don’t.” He scoops a lock of hair behind my ear, that warm gaze encompassing me. “No amount of money, no tragic past, no title or authority can change that. You fit here, next to me.”
My heart patters. I should be more upset with him. But it’s not as if he’s done any of this to be selfish. He hasn’t lied about who he is to gain anything but a semi-normal existence. How can I judge a life, a situation that is so far from my own?
My turn to ask, “Now what?”
“Can we go on like we have been?”
“Hiding our relationship because of a rule you made up?” My brows knit and my head hurts. “Why did you make that up again?”
He clears his throat. “Just another wall of separation. It felt like a good idea at the time.”
I nibble on my lip. “Just another wall I’m tearing down.”
He smirks. “Yes. I can change the rule tomorrow. We don’t have to hide. Though the guys won’t give you any less of a hard time if you’re dating me.”
“I’m not exactly worried about Theo.”
“Yeah.” He breathes out a tired laugh before his brow lowers seriously. “I thought I was going to lose you today.”
“I thought you might too.” I still don’t know how this is going to work. “I’m not sure I can do this,” I tell him. “Secrecy.” I swallow. “Lying… they aren’t skills I’ve been blessed with.”
“Which might be one of my favorite things about you.” His thumb traces beneath my right eye. “But you’ll try?”
I nod, my head in his hands. I feel as though I don’t have a choice. I love him. And this isn’t my secret to share. “I’ll try.”
“ A sking Alice to lie is a bad idea,” Zoe says, just as I step into Will’s office.
“I agree,” I say.
Zoe spins around and Will peers up from his desk, eyes dancing. Already I can see in his face the gift of sharing the truth with someone. I can’t help but wonder what those eyes would say if he came clean with everyone.
Will grins. “Alice.”
“Hi.” I wave to the pair. “You wanted to see me?”
“Yeah, Zoe has legal things she wants to discuss with you.”
I shake my head. “I’m not going to tell anyone,” I say. At least, I don’t plan to. While I disagree with Will’s reasons, I do understand them. I wouldn’t purposely say something he isn’t ready for.
“That’s what I told her,” Will says.
“Yes, because Will isn’t the bad guy here,” Zoe says. “That’s me.”
He glares at her. “I’m not trying to make you the bad guy.”
“If you insist on keeping your secret, then I have to do this. I get to be the villain.” She glares right back.
They almost remind me of siblings.
Will’s jaw clenches. He rounds the large desk he’s standing behind and cups a hand to my cheek. “I have a Zoom meeting with Jet. Feel free to reject anything Zoe asks you to sign.” He presses a kiss to my temple and offers one more glare to Zoe before stepping outside the office door.
“What’s happening?” I ask. Because I don’t have a clue.
“You figured him out.” Zoe smiles at me, motioning to the guest chair in front of Will’s desk. “The better question is, why am I surprised?”
I sit down and Zoe takes a seat behind the desk.
“I was hoping you could talk him into ending the charade altogether,” she says.
“You were?”
Zoe scoffs, scooping back a lock of her short brown hair. “This mask is like a crutch. One he needs to give up.” She sighs. “But since he’s not ready, you’ll need to sign a non-disclosure agreement.”
“Wait—” I lean in toward the desk. “You agree with me? How do we talk him into coming clean? We can figure this out.”
She leans back. “I agree with you, Alice. That doesn’t mean it’s happening. Will’s stubborn. He’s stuck in his mindset. This has worked for him. I’m not sure anyone will be able to talk him out of it.”
“So, what?” I stand because my nervous legs won’t let me sit any longer. “If this continues, we get married. Do I go by Henley or Baxter? We have kids. Do they know? What’s their last name?”
She puffs out a tired breath. “If I were you, I’d keep your own name. With Will, that’ll be a lot less confusing.” Zoe leans back, crossing her arms. “Marriage? You like him that much?”
I hadn’t meant to speak so candidly in front of her. “Maybe. I don’t know.” But I think I do.
She smirks. “You really are a terrible liar.” Zoe slides a folder across Will’s clean desk. “I need you to sign this, Alice.”
“An NDA. Really?” I peer down at the bright yellow folder. Will said I didn’t have to sign anything.
“It’s safer for you and him. I mean, if Will is going to insist on this secret identity.” When I don’t look convinced, she continues. “It outlines what’s clearly off limits. You won’t be held liable unless?—”
“Unless I spill a billion secret beans.” I clench my jaw.
“I was going to say for any unintentional misuse of information.” She opens the folder to a handful of pages—a bright yellow sign here stands out to me. “We’ve only had a few situations like this in the past. But they’ve always come with a payout.”
I shake my head. “Oh no. I’m not taking any of Will’s money.”
“You should. He’s got plenty.”
“I won’t. I wish he didn’t have any money at all. I don’t want it. Any of it.”
“Fine,” Zoe says. “But you’ll sign?”
“It helps Will?”
She holds the pen out toward me. “It does.”