Chapter 17
17
The next three days were a blur for Tyler. He’d run through everything they’d said that morning. Wishing he’d told her long ago about Lauren, and the baby that was never his. If he had, maybe she wouldn’t have woken up with him in her place and freaked the fuck out. He knew she felt it, perhaps not everything he did, but something. He was so close to getting her to himself, finally. Now what was he supposed to do? Watch her live out her life from the sidelines, like before? He wasn’t going to live through watching her with another man. After finally being with her, he couldn’t accept the alternative. Even her baby plans didn’t scare him. Truth was, whatever she wanted, he wanted to be the one to give it to her. When they’d forgotten the condom, and she’d told him it was okay, he’d wondered whether she would feel the same if it amounted to getting pregnant. Had practically wished for it, as screwed up as that was. His jealousy of her using someone else’s swimmers had pounded between his ears when she’d first told him. When he’d thought about it later, he’d realised he didn’t care. She wasn’t Lauren. It wouldn’t be a living thing born from deceit. He would love any baby she had, in whatever way she became a mother, because he loved her. Had loved her since the moment they’d met at the Slug, and his tongue had betrayed him by locking up in his damn mouth. He wanted her, not some job in London.
He knew she’d done it for him. He could see it in her eyes, the way she was pushing him away because she wanted him to have his dreams, too. Scared of being left behind again, she’d pushed him first. Only thing was, his dreams were her. He’d love nothing better than to be the father to her kids, any kids she had. If she wanted her own damn football team, he was in. For all of it. To stand side by side with her in the Arms. My dream is you. Plain and simple. His career wasn’t about accolades, or Michelin stars. He didn’t care about his own empire; he just wanted to make people happy with his food. Bring joy to people, just like Amber did to those around her. But she wasn’t listening. She’d barely looked at him since she’d kicked him out of her place. She sent Sharon into the kitchen whenever she could. If she was in his orbit for more than a few minutes, she practically ran away. She looked tired, drawn. He could swear she’d been crying, but he couldn’t get close enough to her to find out. He’d tried to call her, but she didn’t pick up, so he’d changed to texts. She didn’t answer them either, after the first one.
Go to London. I want you to be happy.
Well, he would. If it came to it, he’d take the job. Any job, far from here. He just wanted to do what felt right to himself first. And that meant looking after Amber.
A food-delivery worker was just exiting Bradley’s building, so he slipped inside and headed to Bradley’s floor. To say his piece, once and for all. He wouldn’t leave Hebblestone without making sure that Amber got what she wanted, and this slimeball was nowhere near her .
Striding over to his door, Tyler could hear music playing from inside, and he frowned.
‘Just a minute,’ he heard Bradley say. The music turned down. ‘See babe,’ Bradley said, talking over his shoulder as he opened the door wearing nothing but a black silk robe. ‘Told you they’d bring the spring rolls.’
His stupid blonde face dropped when he looked straight into Tyler’s chest. His head snapped up, a flash of panic plastered on his face. ‘Tyler? I thought you were the delivery guy, sorry.’ He stepped out, shooting a furtive look behind him as he came out into the corridor. ‘I can’t really talk,’ he stammered, trying to shield Tyler’s view inside.
‘Make time,’ Tyler growled. ‘Either you talk to me out here, or I come in and have this conversation with your guest, too.’
Bradley paled further before ducking his head back inside. ‘Won’t be a minute, babe. I’ll be right back.’
The second he closed the apartment door behind him, Tyler slammed him against it.
‘Didn’t take you long to move on, did it?’ Realisation hit him like a truck. ‘Were you cheating on Amber?’
‘No, of course not, I?—’
‘No bullshit,’ Tyler snarled. ‘For once in your miserable life, be a man.’
The snivelling little weasel in his grasp sagged in defeat once he realised Tyler had him well and truly pinned down.
‘She’s my investor.’ He sighed. ‘She took a shine to me.’ His voice dipped to a half whisper, and Tyler released him, nodding down the corridor. When they were out of earshot, Bradley spilled his guts.
‘She liked me, and at first, it was just flirting. She knew I was with Amber, but I might have played things down a little. To make myself seem more available. It just kind of snowballed after that, I guess. I got in too deep, but then I couldn’t pull out. Her father agreed to fund me, and I can’t survive without it. She knew Amber’s plans for the Arms. It was her that went to her father about the place. I couldn’t get out of it. I was stuck.’
‘Huh. You’re a bigger piece of shit than I thought,’ Tyler growled.
He flushed, another nod of his head. ‘I wanted to tell Amber the truth, but I couldn’t do it. I care about her, Amber I mean. I wanted her; she made me better. I just can’t lose everything.’
Tyler’s head was exploding. ‘But why string her along? Are you crazy? You don’t think this will hurt her?’ He jabbed him in the chest. ‘Hebblestone is a small place. She’ll find out, and you’ve humiliated her enough! Why not just break it off? Stop the deal? Be a fucking grown up for once?’
He winced. ‘I’d lose the lot. I’m so close, Tyler, to getting everything.’
Tyler shook his head. ‘I should knock you out right here, right now. You are the worst, Sloane. I thought you were a wanker before, but this?’ He ran his fingers through his hair. ‘You’re messing with people’s lives! Amber and I—’ He stopped himself.
‘Amber and you, what?’ Bradley retorted, puffing out his chest. ‘Oh, come on, Ty. Don’t tell me you didn’t come here to force me to pull out. For her. I saw how you used to look at her when we were together. You practically peed all over her that day I came to talk. Marking your territory, caveman? That’s why you’re really here, right? To be her saviour?’
‘I came here to tell you to pull out, yeah.’ Tyler’s voice was so deep, it shook the corridors. ‘Amber and I, whatever we are, is nothing to do with you. I would never treat her like this. Back out of the Arms, let her have her dream. You fucked this up. It’s time to make it right. ’
He started to walk away, but turned back at the last minute. ‘Oh, and Bradley?’
Bradley was looking like a pathetic wretch now, in his poncy robe. ‘Yeah?’ he whimpered.
‘Come near the Slug, or Amber, and I’ll end you. She doesn’t need to know about you cheating. Ever.’
Brad winced. ‘Yeah, well she might find out anyway. I… er… sort of got engaged.’
Tyler’s lip curled. ‘You deserve each other. I hope her money and her father make you very happy.’ His jaw was clenched so tight, he thought it would crack his face in two. ‘Then you need to tell her herself, Bradley. I mean it. She deserves to hear it from you. Tell her, and then leave her the hell alone.’
When he got downstairs into the street, he punched the wall. Felt the skin on his knuckles split as he wished it was Bradley’s face. Pulling out his phone, he dialled the agency. Left a voicemail telling them he wasn’t taking the London job. Then he hailed a cab and headed home. He needed a drink, and he knew that, when all this came out, he was going to be needed here in Hebblestone. Amber would need him. By her side, if I get my way. Whether she let him be there or not, he wasn’t going anywhere. When Bradley dropped the bomb, he’d be right there to shield her from the damage, as much as he could.