11. Fiona
Chapter 11
Fiona
In the sixty seconds it takes to get to Edgar’s office, I’ve scrounged every ounce of courage I have inside of me and hope it’s enough to get through whatever fresh hell is about to open up. My first thought when Elijah summoned me was to bring Clay. He may be a jerk, but I know he meant what he said in the executive breakroom last week. Nobody has ever protected me from anything, but Clay would. I’m not sure how to handle this foreign concept. Not that it matters in my current situation. That’s okay, though. As nice as his support would be, I don’t need it.
Elijah opens the door and I stride into the small room where Harriet, Edgar’s assistant, sits at her desk. She nods towards Edgar’s open door and I take a fortifying breath as we pass through the threshold. Edgar greets us from his wet bar.
“Thank you for coming,” he says. “Drink?”
Elijah stands next to me and we both shake our heads. He pours two glasses of a dark liquid and hands one to each of us. “You’re going to need it,” he mutters.
We take our drinks and sit on the couch as he settles into the armchair. “I know it is quite unusual for me to call you here like this.”
I swallow the drink in one gulp, setting it on the table as I wince at the burn. Eli sets his full glass on the coffee table.
“I wanted you to hear it from me first, before we went public.”
Elijah remains stock still, his back straight, and I do my best to emulate him.
Before Edgar can speak, my ex-fiancé enters the room. Our eyes meet for the first time in almost eight months and my courage evaporates in an instant. He searches my face, then holds his hand out behind him and Deanna takes it.
Edgar’s lips press together.
“Oops. Are we too early?” Deanna asks.
“What is she doing here?” Elijah grits through his teeth.
They stop next to Edgar’s chair and Andrew wraps his arm around her. She snuggles up to him, resting her left hand on his chest where a fat diamond sits on her ring finger. The blood rushes from my face as I stare at the evidence that proves what I’ve always been too terrified to admit.
Deanna drugged me.
And I finally know why .
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I blurt, and wish the floor would open up as all eyes move to me.
Deanna smirks, but Andrew has the decency to drop his gaze. He tightens his grip on her and my heart squeezes. He never held me like that.
“I’ve brought you here so we can get the awkwardness of this situation behind us.”
“What do you want, Edgar?” Elijah all but snarls.
“I want assurances from both of you that there will be no public outbursts. You’ll accept this union and move on.”
Elijah scoffs, standing to extend his hand to Andrew. “No problem. It’s a good thing you’re a doctor. You’re going to need those skills to remove the knives from your back.”
Andrew shakes his hand, swallowing hard as Deanna glares at Elijah. Edgar’s gaze lands on me and I do everything I can to keep from squirming under his dead eyed scrutiny. The moment my entire world imploded plays on a loop in my head, and I fight back the tears.
“Do I have your assurance, Fiona?”
What’s the purpose of this humiliation? I’m nobody. What could they be so worried about? And then it hits me like a freight train. Deanna was trying to butter me up by saying she didn’t believe in excommunication. It was her subtle way of saying she has the power to reinstate me, as long as I cooperate. Edgar knows what Deanna did to get me out of the picture. I climb to my feet, keeping my fists at my sides as I meet Deanna’s smug gaze.
“You think I won’t go to the police? I have probable cause, and I was smart enough to go to a doctor. They found Rohypnol in my system, and I certainly didn’t put it there.”
Deanna’s smugness disappears and Andrew frowns at her. “What is she talking about?”
“I’m talking about the fact that your new fiancée had me drugged the night of my bachelorette party. How much did you pay Travis, Deanna? How much was ruining my life worth?”
I wince as the statement flies out of my mouth. The worst day of my life was also the best. It freed me from my invisible prison. I’m reminded with horrifying clarity the danger I’m in, surrounded by these powerful people and my confidence falters.
Deanna rolls her eyes and addresses Andrew. “I warned you she’d be desperate to get you back.”
“Your outrageous accusations will only besmirch your good name and ruin your livelihood. Name your price,” Edgar barks, and I flinch.
“Excuse me?”
He stands, buttoning his suit jacket. “You know the authority I have.”
It’s not a question, so I don’t move a muscle.
“If you don’t accept this courtesy, I can make your life uncomfortable. I understand you enjoy your job here. And I know you live with your cousin. It would be a shame for her to lose her house. I hear the wiring in those old bungalows is a major fire hazard.”
My stomach bottoms out and Elijah shifts next to me, moving a few inches closer without touching me. Edgar glances at the movement as his gaze bounces between us, his lips pursed in thought.
“Name your price and we can be done with this.” Edgar waves a dismissive hand.
Elijah rests his hand on my arm and nods. My only way out of this is to shut up and take the hush money. My skin crawls with the wrongness of it all. Deanna wraps her arm around Andrew and pulls him close. His grip tightens as he meets my gaze. There’s hurt there. Hurt I caused because I was stupid enough to trust the viper next to him.
“Andrew, I’m so sorry,” I say, because he never gave me the chance to apologize.
He presses his lips together. “I hope you and Travis are happy.”
I blink a few times. “Ask your fiancée if Travis is happy. She introduced me to him. I haven't seen him since that night.”
Edgar appears bored, resting his chin in his hand as he watches our exchange.
“I don’t want your money, but I promise I won’t say anything.”
His gaze narrows. “It wasn’t a suggestion.”
I swallow hard, then nod. If I go back on my word, they can point to the mysterious deposit in my bank account and claim someone paid me to stir up trouble. “Five hundred thousand.”
Edgar grins like the cat that caught the canary. I suppose he just did. “Was that so hard? I’ll have Harriet cut you a check.”
Elijah takes my elbow and escorts me to the door. I take one last look at Andrew, who looks like he wants to follow me, but Deanna grabs him and pulls him in for a kiss. He melts into it, and I follow Elijah to the exit. No one has ever kissed me like that. I shake my head. What a stupid thing to focus on.
“You did the right thing,” Elijah whispers as we make it into the hall. I nod at him, but squeeze my fists together as my chin quivers.
“Not here,” he says under his breath and I swallow hard and beeline towards the elevators. I have to get out of here. I can’t breathe.
The walls seem to close in, inch by inch, as I wait for the elevator car. The door opens and I step inside, only to be swooped up and pressed against a hard chest. For some odd reason, I’m not surprised it’s Clay. I cling to him as sobs wrack my body. I can’t see, can’t breathe, can’t even stand as Clay holds me together.
“Just breathe. I’ve got you,” he says, holding my head to his chest.
The doors open to the parking garage and he holds me tight against him as we make our way to an SUV. He opens the door and makes sure I’m buckled.
I should ask what the hell he’s doing, but I don’t have the energy to care. If it gets me far away from Deanna and Andrew, I’ll take it. I can’t stop sobbing as he puts the car in gear and we make our way onto the street.
A handkerchief appears in front of me at a red light, and I take it from him as more sobs shake me to my core. I hate being this weak in front of him, but even though he’ll rub the fact I’m a crybaby in my face for the next few months, I appreciate his kindness more than I’d ever admit.
I’m not sure how much time passes, but eventually we stop and I stare out over the ocean. He turns off the car and we sit in silence as I dab at my face. I wait for the insult or the aggravating comment, but they don’t come.
“Are you okay?” he asks. The compassion in his voice causes fresh tears to form, but I sniffle and dab them away.
“Not really,” I whisper.
Surfers with wetsuits pulled down to their waists pass the SUV, heading to their parked cars behind us. The waves crash in the distance and I let their soothing whoosh calm my nerves.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
I wrap my arms around my middle. “Why do you care?”
He sighs. “Look, I know we’re not friends, but I’m not a total douche. Most of the time.”
I can’t help but quirk up my lip at that. “Jury is out on that.”
He smiles and I look away. I’m too off-kilter to deal with the complicated way he makes me feel.
“Thank you for getting me out of there.”
“Did Edgar hurt you?” There’s a dark edge to his voice that makes me pause.
“Not physically, if that’s what you’re asking.”
His shoulders drop, and he heaves another sigh. “Why don’t we try something different? How about for the rest of the night we call a truce?”
“You mean you’ll pretend you don’t hate me? Are you sure you can handle that?”
He frowns and meets my gaze. “I don’t hate you, Fiona.”
The intimacy in his gaze is overwhelming, and I face the ocean again. “I almost believe you.”
He reaches for the push to start button. “Let’s go back to Reilly Tech.”
I slam my hand on his arm. “I can’t go back. Not yet. Please.”
He leans back in his seat and glances at his watch. “It’s Friday.”
I sniffle and nod. “It is.”
“Are you up for an adventure?”
“What kind of adventure?”
“The surprise kind.”
“Only if we do the truce thing.”
He smiles, and it lights up his pretty blue eyes. “Deal.”
He brings his phone to his ear. “Fiona and I are taking the rest of the day off.” He rolls his eyes at whatever Dylan says. “I’ll be fine.” He hangs up and starts the car. Neither of us speaks until he merges onto the I-5 freeway heading south.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask.
“Somewhere fun. You need to loosen up.”
“Don’t tell me what I need,” I snap.
“The truce lasted almost forty minutes. I’m impressed, to be honest.”
I drop my shoulders and heave a sigh.
“Besides, I think you just proved I’m right.” He grins at me and it’s so boyish and carefree my lips curve up on their own accord.
“Atta girl.” He pats my arm and I huff a laugh to cover up the weird thing my stomach just did at his praise.
“Can you please just tell me where we’re going?”
“Why? Are you worried I’m going to dump your body in Mexico?”
I glare at him. “Well, now I am.”
He laughs and I cross my arms. “Relax, Flowers. I’m taking you to San Diego. Please tell me you like country music or this is going to backfire.”
I nod, relaxing my shoulders. “I didn’t take you for a country guy, though.”
He tilts his head. “My taste in music is…eclectic, but rock and heavy metal are more fun to play, so I listen to that the most.”
“Guitar?”
He nods. “And piano, though I haven’t had much time to play.”
“Too busy with work?”
His face falls, and he signals before moving into the passing lane. “You have no idea.”
“Can I ask you a personal question without you shutting down on me?” I shouldn’t push our fragile truce, but my curiosity over the little tidbits he’s given me takes over.
He shrugs. “Shoot your shot.”
“How did your parents die?”
The mood shifts, and he grips the steering wheel. “They were murdered.” His voice is barely above a whisper.
My hand flies to my mouth. After the way he reacted the last time I offered condolences, I think better of it.
“My mom died in a car crash,” I say.
He glances at me, and his grip loosens.
“I was a toddler. My memory of her is fuzzy, but I still remember enough to miss her. She was pure sunshine. My dad married my stepmom a year later, so she’s the only mother figure I had growing up.”
“Did you get along?”
My last memory of my stepmother’s snarling face flashes in my mind. “Not really. She was jealous of the way my father doted on me.”
“Sounds like she was a poor substitute for sunshine.”
“The worst.”
We share a small smile and fall into silence once more. Clay turns on the radio and I get lost in my thoughts. Why did I agree to this strange adventure? The fact he even asked is weird enough, but maybe he’s getting sick of fighting me. And if a truce means more of his kindness and genuine smiles, I want it to last.