Chapter 13
“And what does happiness look like to you?”
The words reverberated through his head like a ping-pong ball being bounced about in a tumble dryer.
He’d had the vast part of the day to lose himself to his thoughts of what the future could look like.
Now he had to take the first courageous step and tell the one person that mattered.
He took a deep, nerve-steadying breath and laid out his deepest confession.
“I don’t want to go back to the city. The run-around errand boy for Ma.
Facing her disapproval for every minor error that my brother wouldn’t have dreamed of making.
I’m not a replacement for the son she lost. I can’t fill that void in her heart.
You called Ohpaua my pet project. In a way, it was.
It is. Working with you, helping you to turn your business around.
That’s been magical. Why can’t I do that for others, instead of ruining them for the sake of a CEO that doesn’t care? ”
He picked up the glass from his bedside cabinet and took it to the bathroom to fill it with water as he spoke. Having his hands occupied made the words flow easier.
“More than that, though, coming up with the jewellery designs for you to make. It puts my heart and mind at such ease. Working with you to create something that was enlightening. I’m aware that this is going to make me sound ungrateful, but I crave the simple things in life.
A house, a life-mate, and children someday.
Not the pressures of a six-figure salary with no one to enjoy it with. ”
He raised the glass to his tusked mouth and took a sip of the cooling water.
"Happiness is having someone who understands.
Not judges." He continued, venting all the thoughts that had been swirling over the past few days.
"But, I can't just leave Ma to deal with Merloft Corp by herself.
I don't know how I can have both." All his life, he'd been misjudged, held to a standard that he'd be unable to obtain by a mother who didn't care for him and a partner who used him.
“It matters, Breht,” Brierley told him. “Of course, your happiness matters.”
He swallowed when her words cascaded over him.
His throat was tight with the heavy emotions that he gulped down.
Maybe, if he’d been told that a few times in the past he wouldn’t have ruined himself with false promises that things would get better.
Wouldn’t have endured so many arguments with Rosani that ended up with them tearing each other apart.
If his own needs had come into consideration, his relationship with Rosani wouldn’t have gone as far as it had, and he’d have been free much, much sooner.
He carried with him a wellspring of resentment for the lost time, especially now that he’d been given a taste of what real love was.
“I know I said I wanted things to be professional, Breht, but I’d really like to see you again. Before you go back.”
“I’d like that,” he admitted, running his hand over his face. Daring to hope.
“But, not tonight,” she informed him. “I’m really tired after today, and I think we could both do with some time to figure out what it is we both really want from one another.”
In truth, he agreed with her. He’d opened up to her like no one else.
Now, he needed time to mull over his own confessions.
He had boarded on telling her he loved her.
Such a weighty statement needed time to grow; room to breathe lest it is stifled underneath all the other complicated emotions he’d imparted.
He’d spoken his truth to her this evening; that wouldn’t change in the mere hours before seeing her again.
“Maybe you could meet me here for breakfast? I have to check out mid-morning tomorrow,” he explained. They were both morning people; they’d met up most mornings for the past week; there was an additional twist of anticipation for this particular meeting.
“Sounds good,” she replied.
“Goodnight, Brierley.”
He pulled the phone away from his ear and hung up, putting the phone down on the table. As he lay back on the frilly pillows, he mulled over the choices presenting themselves to him. On the horizon was a new dawn, and he had every intention of chasing it.