CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Byron
When I met with Carmen to fill out the paperwork necessary for winning Jess in the auction, it didn’t exactly go well.
“I didn’t realize that you had three million dollars just lying around at your disposal,” Carmen said. I could tell by the look on her face that she still wasn’t over the talk we’d had before I’d left for Virginia.
I glanced up at her, not pausing in filling out the contract that Jess had already signed. Carmen had quickly adapted it from Enzo’s name to mine. “Yes. I do.”
“You did have it, you mean. You don’t now. I hope you didn’t just blow every bit of your savings on that girl.”
My eyebrows rose, and I put my pen down. “What’s on your mind, Carmen?”
She sighed. “I just thought… Well, I thought that if I confessed my feelings to you that you’d want to be with me. You always did before.”
I had to be gentle. I didn’t want to hurt Carmen.
I cared too much about her to let that happen.
I wanted us to be friends for life. It was important to me.
“We’ve been lovers off and on for almost half my life.
I’ll never regret that. And I was in love with you for a long time.
But from the moment I first laid eyes on Jess…
” I shrugged, “I felt something different. Something I never felt with you. I didn’t think that was possible.
And I’m going after her.” I put my hand over hers.
“That doesn’t mean I don’t value your friendship.
You will always mean so much to me. You have to know that. ”
She almost looked like she could cry. I’d never seen Carmen cry.
Not even when her abuela died. She’d been close to Carlos’ mom.
“I thought I’d never want to settle down.
And now I think I might’ve been wrong about that.
But it’s too late. You found someone else.
” She shook her head. “My mom was right. I hate when she’s right. ”
“What do you mean?”
“She told me that one day I’d regret not settling down with you. She was totally right. I do regret it.” She looked up at me with her chocolate brown eyes. “Are you sure, Byron? Jess is the one for you?”
“I’m sure.”
“You just met her,” she protested. “You’ve known her, like six weeks or so.”
“It seems crazy to me, too. But that’s how it happened for my parents. They met, went on two dates, and eloped. They’ve been happy ever since. Maybe it runs in the family.”
“Are you saying you want to marry her?”
“One day,” I nodded. “I just feel it in my heart. It’s so strange.
I’ve had a couple of serious girlfriends.
I tried to make it work with them, but I just couldn’t ever imagine being with them forever.
I thought my feelings for you were holding me back.
” I leaned back in my chair. “But now I don’t believe that’s what it was.
I think Jess was always out there waiting on me. I just had to find her.”
Carmen shook her head. “She’s a lot younger than you are.”
“She is. But I think she’s an old soul. She doesn’t seem as young as she is. Not by a long shot. She’s come through a lot in her life.”
“I’m not trying to bash Jess. I like her. But… it hurts to know I discovered my true feelings for you too late to do anything about it.”
“I’m sorry. It just happened that way. But maybe you’ll realize now that you do want some things from life that you never thought you did. And I believe there’s a man out there waiting for you just like Jess and I were waiting for each other.”
She nodded, biting her lip. She gathered up the paperwork in front of her, looking through it carefully before putting it in an envelope to hand to me. “You don’t have any problem meeting her needs? She wants a townhouse for her mother, a house for herself, and so on. You can afford that?”
“Where did you get the idea I was poor?” I was confused. I’d gone to the same exclusive private school as her brothers. She’d met my family. She had to know we were well off.
“I knew you weren’t poor by any means. I just didn’t know you were this level of wealthy.” She waved her hands over the contract.
I shrugged. “It’s true that my father built his business from the ground up after being an Army Ranger and then an FBI agent. But maybe you don’t know my mother was a Waverly before she got married?”
Carmen blinked. “The DC Waverlys or the Virginia Waverlys?”
“Yes,” I said with a smile. “It’s all the same family. My grandparents left me quite a bit of money.”
“So… wow. I didn’t know that. Does Reynolds know?”
I nodded. “But he’s the only other one besides your parents. So, please keep it under wraps.”
She chuckled. “I hate to tell you, but I think people are going to be asking you some questions after you dropped all that money for Jess.”
“Ah. You’re right. Oh, well. I’ll handle it.”
“I guess your mom’s parents didn’t think too much of her marrying your dad, huh?”
“It’s similar to your parents’ story. I think that’s why our families have always gotten along so well. Your parents do know my mom’s background, by the way. They always have. They’re just very good at keeping secrets.”
“That they are.” She stood up. “Okay. Well. I hope it all works out with you and Jess.”
“Thanks, Carmen.” I hugged her one last time before I picked up the contract. I pretended not to see the tears in her eyes. I knew she wouldn’t want me to acknowledge them. I hadn’t even known Carmen had a sensitive side until lately. I doubted she’d ever show it to me again.
“Oh,” she turned back to me. “I moved everything we got Jess down from Enzo’s to your condo. I just wanted you to know. It’s a lot of stuff since we didn’t know how much she’d be able to go out knowing Skeeter’s somewhere out there.”
“Let me know what I owe y’all.”
She waved her hand. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” She held up a hand then hurried off.
I never thought I’d see the day when Carmen Salazar walked away from me without it making me sad.
Instead? I couldn’t wait to get to Jess.
We had so much to talk about.
***
When I got to the condo, I found Jess sitting at the dining room table looking out over the bay. It was dark, so it was difficult to see much of the water. The boardwalk and city pier were brightly lit, though, so there was a lot to see along those areas and around the edges of the beach.
“Hey,” I said, as she turned to see me. She looked… so damn pretty. Like a princess. And suddenly, I didn’t know what to do with my hands. I felt awkward, strange, like a teenager again.
“Hey.” She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Her eyes were distant, disconnected. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was because of Skeeter. Did she not feel safe with me? Had he hurt her physically and made her scared of men? She hadn’t seemed scared, but you never could tell.
“Jess,” I strode over to her and gathered her up in my arms for a tight hug, “I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”
“I trust you to do that,” she said. “I really do.”
“Then why do you seem so distant? Did I do something wrong?” So much had happened over the last couple of days. From presenting the new plan to my father, to letting Carmen down, to winning Jess in the auction… it was so much. And I was exhausted.
“No. Not wrong.” She turned away from me.
“Are you hungry? Carmen thought of everything. She had a ton of gourmet food delivered. There’s a huge gift basket full of fancy wine and champagne, chocolate truffles, fruits, and all sorts of things.
There are really expensive meats and cheeses in the refrigerator.
” She smiled at me. “They’re the kind I’ve only read about.
There’s ibérico ham from Spain. I’ve never had the chance to eat things like that.
Believe me, they don’t carry that at the Piggly Wiggly in Shitty Wilkins. ”
“No,” I laughed, “I guess they wouldn’t. I am hungry. Are you?”
She nodded. “We could sit here and look out over the ocean, or we could have a picnic in your family room. What do you want to do?”
I wanted to rip her clothes off and take her to bed. But that hadn’t been one of the choices she’d offered up. I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, and things were strangely awkward between us. “Um… anything is fine with me.”
“Okay. Did you want to get comfortable while I set up some nice things for us?”
“If you’re staying dressed up, I will, too. I’ll help you.”
She nodded, another one of those sad smiles on her face. This time I thought I saw the glint of tears in her eyes.
“Hey,” I said gently and lifted her chin so I could see her big, blue eyes better. There were definitely tears about to spill over. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. I know you’ve loved her for years. I shouldn’t be jealous. It’s just… I wanted you for myself. But I won’t stand in the way of what the two of you have.” She pulled away from me and went to the kitchen.
That’s when it hit me. “Oh God, I’m an idiot,” I practically yelled.
She jerked around in surprise to look at me. “What?”
“I’m a goddamn fool. You think I’m in love with Carmen. I’m not. Jess, I’m not at all.”
“But I heard you,” I said, not really believing him. “I heard you tell her that you would love her forever.”
“I did tell her that. But what you didn’t hear was the last thing I said. About how I could only love her like a dear friend. That I had feelings for you, Jess, and I wanted to be with you. That I didn’t want to be with Carmen anymore; not in that way.”
She stared at me slightly open mouthed. “You… aren’t in love with her?”
I shook my head. “Not anymore. Not even a little bit.”
“But she implied you went home to tell your parents that you were in love and wanted to stay in West Bay…”
“I did tell them that.”
She flinched.
“About you. I told them I’m in love with you, baby.”
“Me?” she barely got the word out before some of the tears finally dropped from her eyes.