Chapter eight
ELIAS
I fix up my shirt collar in the mirror as the elevator goes up. The glass panel on one side shows a view of the city below as I ascend to the top floor of my father's company. My nerves are already on high end because I'm not too sure of what to expect.
My mother called me earlier today, telling me that he requested to see me. I almost scoffed at the way he didn't even have the decency to reach out himself.
With a confident stride, I walk down the hallway towards the big double doors of his office, and take a deep breath before knocking and twisting the knob.
"Hey, dad." I keep my voice casual as I walk in, but my body turns rigid the second I see the look in his eyes.
It's distant, unreadable and ruthless. He's standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, hands behind his back.
Immediately, I know that something's off.
That I'm not here for just a casual meeting.
"Good to see you. Sit down." He briefly gestures to the leather couch. "I wanted a word."
I settle down, letting my eyes drift out to the skyline. It's been a while since I was here. Almost two months.
"Your mother said you're all set for graduation," he says, and for a second, I'm hoping that he'll also bring up the game.
He doesn't.
"Yeah. It is." I nod slightly. I never liked talking about anything regarding college with him. I always felt like he expected too much.
He simply nods, leaving it at that, but I'm still trying to figure out why he called me in today. There's a long pause before he exhales, steady and all business, just like always.
"You're wondering why you're here. I'll tell you," he starts. "Our business is expanding, but we've hit a difficult stretch. Our numbers are down, and we're operating at a loss."
My brows knit. A loss? "Since when?"
"Since the last three months. We've been quiet about it because I had much faith that it would correct itself."
"But it hasn't." I finish for him.
He nods but takes no time to dwell. My eyes follow him as he walks around his desk, then leans on the edge of it. "I didn't want you distracted during your finals, Elias. You've already got football, and with graduation coming up, I thought it would be best not to mention it."
"So why now?" I ask, and a lump forms in my chest. Simply by the tone of his voice, I can recognize that he hasn't told me something yet.
"Your college years are over, and so are your other intermittent activities—"
"Intermittent activities?" I cut in with a scoff of disbelief. I get on my feet again and tilt my head. "Dad, football is far from that. It's what I want. You keep acting like it's some hobby I'll outgrow."
"You will outgrow it because it's not a future. This company is." He deadpans. My jaw ticks, but he continues before I can even argue. "We've taken on new partners. The Zhang family. Shanghai-based. They're investing, and we gave them forty percent."
I stiffen, and my brain racks for answers. Forty percent? "Wait. Mom's shares?" I ask, knowing that he owns the rest.
"It was rushed, and very much necessary. We had to make moves before things collapsed," he says firmly.
"Okay," I say slowly, still feeling like I'm not getting the whole picture. "So what does this have to do with me?"
"There's something else."
"What?" My heart races for some reason, and I can't tear my gaze away from him. I'm already pissed off that this is all coming down on me. The fact that he's expecting me to take over without even caring if I want it or not.
Cameron is a lucky bastard. He avoided all this shit with leaving as soon as he turned eighteen, and it all boiled down to me when I clearly don't want to and he knows it.
"We came to another agreement." Dad pauses. "An engagement between you... and their daughter, Ruby."
I stare at him, unblinking. I think my mind stops working for a good minute as the silence stretches out. But then storm rises behind my eyes. My face pales, rage and heartbreak swirling just beneath the surface.
Engagement?
No. No. No.
"What?" I feel like I'm suddenly losing my voice. I take a few steps toward the window, my breathing shallow. It's like if I don't get air soon, I'll explode.
"You can't be serious. Tell me you're not serious." I turn to him, but there's nothing on his expression that would tell me he feels apolgetic, or even a tad bit sympathetic. He simply shrugs, as if I mean nothing.
"It's temporary. Just until the deal finalizes."
"How long?" I demand.
"Six months. You'll be helping secure the company's future. Your future, Elias."
"You want me to get married to a stranger? For a business deal?"
"You'll be the majority owner once this stabilizes. That's everything we've worked for," he says nonchalantly, and from the way he's talking, I already know I'm screwed. This is final.
My hands are clenched into fists on my sides, and I'm damn near trembling with anger. I'm panting from it.
He steps closer then and places a hand on my shoulder. I shrug it off instantly.
"You mean everything you've worked for."
"And everything you'll inherit."
I back away, disgusted, voice raw. "Football was supposed to be my choice. My way out of all this—"
"And football doesn't pay bills when your career ends at twenty eight with a torn ligament," he says, shutting me down again, but I'm too fucking angry to even say more anyway. If I do, I'll regret it, because all I can possibly think about right now is cursing him out.
"We're doing this for the family, Elias." He tries to calm me down, but I'm nothing but that. He's being unreasonable and wants to justify his actions. He's practically toying with my life right now.
"No. You're doing it for control. And don't you dare put this on mom, because if she really agreed, then I don't know either of you at all."
There's another long pause. His face is unreadable and he simply ignores what I said.
"Ruby arrives on Friday. I want you to pick her up from the airport," he says, as if I'm supposed to know who she is and act like this is normal. "And before you protest, you will go through with this. I think you're smart enough to do what needs to be done."
??????
The emptiness in the air is unavoidable that night. It crawls under my skin, cold and constant. I can't take a minute to close my eyes. I'm restless, tossing around in bed like an impatient kid before vacation.
Yet it's not from excitement.
It's all just dread and anxiety.
So I go to the only person that I know would comfort me.
Maybe it's selfish of me to do so. Cruel, even... but I can't help it. I go anyway.
When she opens the door, my heart squeezes in my chest. Her long hair is down, loose over her shoulders, and she's in her sweats and a tank top. No bra under.
God, she's beautiful.
And she doesn't even try to be.
"Hey," she says softly and lets me in. "I have some dinner left. Do you want to eat?"
I just shake my head and sink down on the couch as soon as she steps aside to let me in. I told myself that I'll act like I usually do. Normal. But I can't. And she notices immediately.
"What's wrong?" Sierra asks, sitting down beside me.
"Nothing. Just... a bad day, I guess," I exhale slowly and rub both hands over my face. I'll leave her out of this. I have to.
"Come here." I reach for her, and in a second, she's on my lap. I wrap my arms around her tightly, breathing in her vanilla scent. "I just want to hold you."
I know that we're not anything. I know that we're only shortening each others time, but sometimes I wish it could be something more.
Maybe it could have been if I knew how to rebel against my father. But it's too late for any compromises now.
"You sure there's nothing else?" Sierra asks, brushing her hands through my hair and I close my eyes, savoring the feeling. The back of my head hits the couch, and I hum, bringing her in for a kiss.
I need to forget. Even if just for a moment.
I don't want to think about today. Right now, all I want is to hold her close. I know I'll lose her, but at this point with the way things are going, she's better off without knowing how I really feel.
Our tongues meet, and I relax into the kiss, the crease between my brows vanishing. My thoughts go quiet, and I pour all of my desperation into it.
But I know what needs to be done.
I need to let her go.
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