Chapter 15
Adam
Things were going great until they weren’t. I had managed to sweep my growing feelings for Beth under the rug. I was too damn good at hiding my emotions, which only led to me suffering in silence. After our rendezvous in my office three months ago, we’d fallen into a new arrangement. I had Beth in my bed every night.
We were working with our new relationship just fine for a while until a couple of weeks ago. Out of nowhere, she started acting like the old Beth...freezing me out. Not that I was any better. Coward that I am, I’d started trying to pull away from the more emotional stuff. We pretty much went back to avoiding each other for the most part...except when the sun went down and we met in the bedroom to create pure magic. Our relationship was more complicated than ever.
I studied Beth from under my lashes where she sat across the table. She was in an animated conversation with my brother. The prodigal son had finally returned. Watching the two of them made me want to murder someone, preferably Nate. My brother and I had always been competitive over just about everything. I thought I’d won the ultimate victory when I gained control of Thorne Holdings. That felt like nothing now that I saw the way Beth lit up and smiled under his attention. Gone was her pensive aura and that lingering frown that had been present for weeks.
I wanted to tackle Nate and pummel him out of jealousy. She never smiled like that at me . She wasn’t that at ease with me . I continued watching them through a haze of fury. I’d never experience such envy in my life.
“Nathaniel, you’re just as charming as I remember,” Beth giggled.
What the fuck ? Since when did Beth giggle like some schoolgirl? I held on to my fork so tightly, my knuckles turned white.
“And you’ve grown into a beautiful woman. When I left you were what seventeen?”
“There about. Welcome back, by the way.”
I couldn’t stop visualizing the hug I’d had to watch them share. Nate had held on to her a little too long if you ask me.
“Thanks,” Nate said, grinning.
He was gazing at Beth with too much damn affection. They weren’t even that close when we were kids. Nate was years ahead of us and we all hung with different crowds. Where was this camaraderie coming from? I was sure he was just flirting with Beth to rub me the wrong way. It was working, jealousy was eating me up inside.
“I’m planning to stick around for a while.”
Nate’s eyes swung to mine and I glowered.
Our mother gasped and clapped her hands.
“Oh, Nate, that sounds wonderful!”
“Great, you can tell me all about your adventures,” Beth smiled. “You have to tell me about South Africa and Dubai. Those are at the top of my travel list.”
The wine glass almost shattered in my hand. If she wanted to go anywhere in the world, I had a private jet she could use. I could tell her about the countries on her list. There was no need for Nate to be her travel advisor.
Hanging on to my temper by a thread, I asked, “Why exactly are you sticking around, Nate? Denver wasn’t good enough for you for the last ten years. What’s changed?”
The relaxed atmosphere seeped away as the silence stretched across the dining table. Our parents gave us warning glances while Beth pursed her lips and turned her attention to pushing food around her plate. Everyone would blame me for ruining dinner but I didn’t care. Nate sent me a cold stare, which I returned.
“Don’t worry little brother, I’m not here to fight for your precious company. I know that’s what you’re thinking. I’m successful in my own right.”
“Didn’t take you for a braggart.”
“ Boys ,” Martha warned, sending me another warning glare. That pissed me off some more. Because Nate just came back, I had to tiptoe around his feelings?
“I’m not bragging. I’m just putting your mind at ease. I have no need for anything of yours. Besides, I’m not a Thorne.”
Mom’s gasp echoed in the dining room and Nate had the decency to appear repentant. He grimaced and sent Mom an apologetic glance. There was a small groan from Dad, and Beth glanced at all of us with a frown. She hadn’t been let in on a lot of Thorne secrets, including the one that Nate and I were half brothers. That too had been swept under the rug to maintain public appearance.
“Please, excuse me.” My mother shot up, nearly toppling her chair.
Nate called after, “Mom, wait.”
Her heels clicked on the hardwood as she scurried away. Beth pushed her chair back and threw her napkin down. She glanced at me questioningly. “Uh...should I go after her?”
“Someone should.” I didn’t want her witnessing the angry words that were about to be tossed around anyway. She gave me another confused look and went after Mom.
No one spoke again until Beth disappeared.
“Nice going, Nate. Throwing your paternity in Mom’s face was a dick move.”
“I didn’t mean any harm to her.” Angry green eyes threw daggers at me. “I had to remind you why I don’t want anything to do with your precious family business.”
“Nathaniel, you are family,” Henry pointed out, shoving a hand through his thinning gray hair.
“Sure, that’s why you treated me like scum for most of my childhood.”
“You can’t blame me for being angry at first. I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t handle things in the best way but I’ve tried to make amends more times than I can count.”
“He’s always been too wrapped up in himself to realize,” I muttered. “Dad tried to include you in everything and you know it.”
Nate sat back, folded his arms, and eyed us with cool amusement. He’d always been a cold bastard, nothing like me. If we didn’t have a resemblance to our mother, I’d think we weren’t related at all.
“Come on, we all know that at the end of the day, everything was meant for you, Golden Boy.”
“Ah, so your assholish ways toward this family has always been about jealousy.”
“There’s no bigger asshole here than you. You’ve always been a spoiled, condescending―”
“Enough!” Henry roared. He stood up. “Since you’re sticking around Nate, perhaps when we all calm down, we can talk.”
Dad glared at me when I snorted. When we tried to act like a normal family, it never ended well. Having a civilized family chat was laughable. Dad sighed and walked away, leaving the two of us.
I didn’t hate my brother―he was still my blood―but I couldn’t stand the sulky, selfish ass. He was all cold and emotionless... except when he was flirting with Beth. That thought made me send him a loathing glare.
“Now that it’s just the two of us, do you want to tell me what you’re really doing back in Denver?”
Nate’s smug smile grated on my nerves. “I just bought out Steele Enterprise. It makes sense that I stay close to my new acquisition.”
He was the anonymous buyer of one of my target companies? I was making moves to add it to my growing empire and had been shocked to discover it had been snatched from my grasp.
Jaws clenched in an effort to hide my surprise and grudging respect, I spat out, “Well, it would seem you’re not the failure I thought you to be.”
Nate played with the stem of his glass, wearing an arrogant smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s funny how you and Henry assumed I’d come running back begging for a cut of the family business. Instead, I launched out and created an empire to rival yours.”
“Congratulations. What’s funny is that you kept the Thorne name.” It was a low blow. He’d been raised as a Thorne. It wasn’t his fault it was discovered later on that Henry wasn’t his biological father.
“Might as well,” he shrugged. “It’ll make for much more interesting competition between us, don’t you think?” He pushed his chair back and stood up. “I’ll be seeing you around. Oh, and tell Beth it was really good to see her and we’ll catch up over lunch sometime.”
Just the sound of Beth’s name made me see red. “You’ll stay the fuck away from her, that’s what you’ll do.” I was on my feet, ready to plant my fist in his face.
Shock registered on Nate’s face. “Wait, are you two really a thing?”
“We’re married!” I threw my hands out in frustration. “So, yeah, that does make us a thing .”
“Huh, here I assumed the whole thing was just another Thorne PR stunt.” His lips quirked upward. “I know how you all operate and Beth is much too sweet for the likes of you.”
Hot, raging fury nearly consumed me. He’d hit too close to the truth and I wanted to punch him.
“Maybe you shouldn’t make assumptions,” I bit out. “Stay away from Beth.” My newfound possessiveness and jealous nature couldn’t handle the thought of her anywhere near my brother.
Amusement flickered across his face as he hummed, “I never thought I’d see the day.” He sauntered off with a sickeningly satisfied grin.
“ What day?” I roared at his back, feeling like I was a kid again, frustrated, and wanting to kick my older brother in the shin.
“Later bro,” he drawled and I kicked the foot of the table since Nate was out of reach. I bore holes into his back as he walked away.
“Ever the asshole,” I hissed.
“That’s how I know you two are related,” came the teasing voice behind me.
Beth stepped back when I spun around. I could imagine how unwelcoming my expression was. “I was kidding.”
Working to soften my expression, I said, “I know.”
Lacing her fingers together, she nibbled her lower lip. “Your mom said she’ll see us when we stop by again. She seemed really upset, so did your dad.”
“It’s...a long story. I’m sorry you had to witness that.” Maybe that was a part of the reason why I never got close enough to anyone. I didn’t want them to see my sad family condition.
“No need to apologize.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and glanced at the dining table. It was already being cleared by staff. “I feel like I’m intruding.”
“Let’s get out of here.”
We walked out of Thorne mansion―well, I stormed out and Beth jogged to keep up. In my anger, I at least remembered to be a gentleman and opened her door when we reached the car.
We drove in silence and I was glad to be left alone with my thoughts. I did catch Beth stealing glances at me every now and then, but she didn’t say a word―not until we pulled into the underground parking lot of my building.
“Are you okay, Adam?”
“Fine.”
“You still look upset.”
“I said I’m fine,” I snapped and instantly regretted it. Beth had nothing to do with my family drama. “I’m sorry,” I sighed. “I’ll be fine. Really.”
“I think you should cut your brother some slack. He just returned home. You two should make amends for whatever happened between you two.”
My anger barged in again. “Nothing happened between us. Nate just chooses to be difficult.”
“Still, you could have been more welcoming.”
“You seem to be a big fan of Nate. I guess that’s why you spent all of dinner flirting with him right in my face.”
Beth unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to me. “ Flirting ? I was not flirting with your brother.”
“What do you call all the giggling and eyelash batting and hugging ?” The jealousy dripped from my words but I was beyond caring.
She shook her head. “You forget that I’ve known Nate since childhood, just as I’ve known you.”
“You two have never been so friendly before.”
“Yet, he’s always been a lot nicer to me than you have,” she snapped.
“Maybe you should have married him for convenience.”
I didn't know how we’d gotten there. An argument hadn’t been my intention. I wanted to hit my head against the steering wheel as Beth stared straight ahead. “I hurt your feelings again. I’m s―”
“You didn’t.”
“Liar.”
“I’m not going to argue with you. I just wanted to offer an ear...in case you wanted to talk about what happened at dinner.”
Gritting my teeth, I sighed, “Henry isn’t Nate’s biological father. My mother had an affair before we were both born and passed him off as my dad’s. The big secret came out years later in one of their stupid arguments. Good times. I’m done talking about it.” I could see Beth gawking at me from my periphery. “Sorry, you offered your shoulder to cry on?”
“I thought I was supposed to be the sarcastic one,” she grumbled. “You know what? I am sorry I offered a shoulder. I should have known you’d regress to being a jerk because you don’t know how to deal with your emotions.”
“And you’ve regressed to being your old snooty self so, we’re even.”
“Why would you say that?” She gasped.
“You’ve been looking down your pretty little nose at me like you used to. For what reason, I don’t know. Don’t think I haven’t noticed, the looks and how you go out of your way to avoid me. The only time you say a word to me is when you’re in my bed moaning in my ear.”
The blanket of silence along with the rising tension felt almost explosive. One wrong word and either I or Beth would go off like a bomb for sure. Yet, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.
Turning to her, I taunted, “Tell me Beth, why the sudden change of behavior in the last two weeks? Is the sex not good enough anymore?”
I braced myself for her angry words or maybe a slap to the face. Neither came. I was taken aback by the sadness in her eyes when she looked at me. “You know, Adam, you make it easy for me to hate you sometimes, but I can’t anymore.”
Beth opened the door and marched to the elevator, leaving me baffled. God, I was an idiot. Why couldn’t I just share my ridiculous family drama, tell her how I felt about her, and set myself free?
My pent up frustration about everything caused me to stupidly hurt her feelings, and I couldn’t even run after her and apologize. The second the elevator door closed, I restarted the car and sped out of the lot. I needed to blow off some steam and get a little liquid courage before I set things right with Beth.