CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Thatcher
“Will I always be the love of your life?” she asked.
I paused. I had thought so. But what if I was wrong?
The silence had stretched on too long, and I could practically feel her anger burning behind me.
“That’s… complicated.”
“What do you mean?” She sounded deeply offended.
I couldn’t do this anymore. At least not tonight. I had to get away from her and think. “Listen, I’m going to need you to get ready and go, Mads.”
Her mouth dropped open in surprise. “Oh. Are we not spending the night…”
“No.” I cut her off, already reaching for more clothes to put on. “I’m going home.”
“Oh. Well, I can let myself out.”
I turned to look at her. Was she fucking serious? “Madison. I’m not leaving you inside the executive suites of a multi-billion-dollar company to just… what? Hang out? There is no reason whatsoever for you to want to be up here alone.”
This combined with her not wanting me to wear a condom were major red flags. What the hell was she up to?
She tried to pout. It had worked many times before on me. But tonight it was just pissing me off. “I’m just tired. I thought I could just sleep in here and then…”
“No. That’s not going to happen.”
“I can’t believe you’re making me leave after our beautiful night together.”
“Madison. I’m tired and ready to go home. I’ll have to see you tomorrow.”
“I don’t think I’ll be back for a couple of days, actually,” she huffed, clearly trying to make me back down.
“Then I’ll see you when you get back.”
I walked her to my office door. She walked off with her head held high.
I waited a few moments before calling down to the front desk in the lobby to make sure she left.
“Hello. Did Ms. Welles leave the building?”
“Yes, sir, she did.”
“I need to know that you saw her walk out the doors.” I knew the doors would lock behind her at this time of night. She wouldn’t be able to get back in unless someone let her in.
“I saw her leave through the front lobby doors.”
“Great. Please be sure no one lets her back in for any reason, and could you call me if she tries?” The way she’d tried to stay without me being there had all my alarm bells ringing.
“No problem, Mr. Caldwell. And just to let you know, Mrs. Caldwell left, too.”
I stopped pacing the floor and stood stock still in the middle of my office. “What?”
“Mrs. Caldwell, sir.” For one horrible moment, I thought he’d been talking about Carrie. But she had never come to my office so late. She hardly ever came at all anymore. I was sure he must be talking about Mom.
“Okay, thank you.” I wondered what my mother had been doing here so late. She had been here much more often during the new ad campaign, but I’d never thought she was here past normal business hours.
I’d have to ask her about it the next time I saw her.
For now, I was glad to have some time to myself to think about things. Was Madison up to something? Or was I being paranoid?
I remembered that Carrie had called me a few times earlier. I listened to my texts and voicemails as I headed north up I-75.
Carrie’s voice filled the car.
Are you almost here, Thatcher? I need to leave for the club in about twenty minutes. I really wanted us to arrive together.
A cold chill crawled up my spine. “Fuck!” I slammed my hands on the steering wheel. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. How could I get the date wrong? Why didn’t I ask her to verify when the ball was?”
This was bad. This was very bad. It was one thing to be home late for dinner. Missing the biggest social event of the year in Indigo Falls after she’d spent months planning it? That was so much worse. Everyone in Indigo Falls would have seen her there alone and wondered where the hell I was.
“Shit.” I didn’t even want to know what her parents and friends thought of me right now.
Knowing I’d missed the ball to take Madison out and that I’d then almost slept with her was even more gut wrenching. I couldn’t believe I’d let Carrie down in such horrible ways.
I hadn’t just let her down. I’d betrayed her.
I drove into the neighborhood way too fast but ignored the judging eyes of the security guard at the impressive stone front gates. There was someone there at all times, even if I thought that was overkill for quiet, little Indigo Falls.
I zipped to the back of the neighborhood and pulled into the driveway.
Her car wasn’t here. I wasn’t exactly shocked by that, but it still upset me.
Tonight, of all nights, I wanted to see her.
I wanted to hug her and admit how badly I’d screwed up.
I wanted to tell her I’d never meant to embarrass her by not showing up for the Orchid Ball.
But I wasn’t going to get that chance. She’d made things pretty clear. She was giving me until after the ball and maybe the launch party next week before she made a decision about our marriage.
Now, I was almost positive what that decision would be. I’d been on extremely thin ice before not showing up tonight. Now? I didn’t see a way that she’d forgive me.
The ironic thing was that just as I was starting to doubt my real feelings for Madison, Carrie was more than likely done with me.
I left voice mail after voice mail, text after text, but I got nothing in return. I knew it served me right.
I got online and ordered a huge bouquet of blue, pink, and purple hydrangeas in a beautiful large silver vase, a massive box of her favorite Godiva chocolates, and a spa basket assortment of her favorite products from Jo Malone.
I had them all rush delivered to her parents’ house, and they would hopefully arrive the next day.
It hadn’t taken me long to order; I’d known her favorites, thank goodness. The hardest part was knowing what to write. How many different ways could you say, ‘I’m an idiot?’