Chapter 28
Elliot
Confessions of the Wicked Witch of the West
“Anything else I can get you right now?” Sally asks as she sets down two glasses of water where I wait in the back room of Blossom Brews for Tori to show up.
The last time I was here was the night Dilynne and I talked about our arrangement. I laugh to myself, thinking of how far we’ve come since then, myself especially.
“Is something funny?” Tori says as she approaches me, pulling me from my internal thoughts.
“Still debatable,” I reply as she takes a seat on the opposite side of the booth.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming in here, but it sure as hell wasn’t you laughing.”
“You have a lot of nerve even having an ounce of an attitude sitting across from me right now, Tori.”
She whips her long blond hair over her shoulder and straightens her spine. “Fine. You’re right.” Blowing out a breath, she continues, “Sorry, I’m just…nervous.”
“Not sure why. You’re the one that’s been wanting to talk to me for the past six weeks.”
“Yeah, and now you initiated this conversation, so I’m not sure what to expect.” Shrugging, she reaches up and tucks her hair behind her ear.
“I want to know everything,” I start, leaning back in the booth and resting my arm along the back of it, settling in for what I’m sure is going to be a long conversation. “From how we met, to the entirety of our relationship, and what happened on the day of our wedding.”
She nods slowly. “Okay.”
“And I want the fucking truth, Tori. Not some sugarcoated version.”
“I promise, I’m going to tell you everything.”
“Let’s hope so. Now start talking.”
She inhales deeply and then folds her hands together on the table in front of her.
“Us meeting wasn’t an accident. It was arranged by your dad.
” I remain passive in my expression, but inside, I’m already fuming.
“I crossed paths with him in Nashville and he recognized me from when we were in high school together. He started asking me what brought me to Nashville and if I knew you, and he thought we would be a good fit for one another.”
“Why was he in Nashville?” I mutter more to myself, trying to wrack my brain for when my father would have made that trip but coming up blank. But Tori answers.
“I don’t know. Anyway, he said that you were going to be there the following week for a conference and that I should try to talk to you.” Her eyes dip down to her hands. “I had just broken up with my boyfriend, and figured, why not? I always thought you were cute back then, so…”
“Okay, so you knew I was going to be in Nashville, so our meeting was premeditated…”
“Yes, but our conversation was authentic, Elliot. I promise. And the night we spent together, when I admitted how much I regretted the things I did when I was younger…that was all true.”
I clear my throat from the irritation resting there. “Okay, then what?”
“Well, we started dating, right? And when you took me to your parents’ house for dinner about a month later, your dad pulled me aside and mentioned that he looked into me.”
My brows draw together. “How?”
“My entire life, Elliot. My finances, my driving record, everything. And let’s just say that I have a lot of debt—student loans, credit cards, you name it.
” I nod because I already know all of this.
“And he told me, in no uncertain terms, that if I could get you to marry me, that would all go away.”
Click. One piece of the puzzle has been found.
“So, he bribed you with money to get you to convince me to marry you…”
Tears build in her eyes. “I’m not proud of my decision, Elliot. I hope you can believe that.”
“Funny, I’m not even sure I can believe what you’re telling me right now, Tori, because you’ve done nothing but lie to me since we met, but…”
“Not everything between us was a lie.” She tries to reach for my hand, but I pull away.
“Just keep talking.”
She sighs. “So, I started bringing up marriage and kids, right? Trying to get you to agree that that’s where we were headed. And when we got engaged, I felt a sliver of relief that everything was going to work out, until my ex started coming back into the picture.”
“Wait.” Narrowing my eyes at her, I continue, “Your ex was your boss, wasn’t it?”
She nods. “Yes. My boss at the talent agency who I’d broken things off with just before we met,” she explains.
“Trust me, it made working together the opposite of fun. But when he found out I was getting married and I had talked about leaving the agency, he started pursuing me again, begging me for a second chance.”
“That’s why he was always calling you, wasn’t it? And asking you to work late?”
“Yes, but I also needed the money, Elliot. It wasn’t like I could say no…”
“You could have gotten another job, Tori. Or told me what was going on. I—I would have helped you before we even got married.”
“I didn’t want you to think any less of me,” she says as tears start to slide down her face. “I was already so ashamed of what I was doing to you, the last thing I wanted was any sympathy. I—I’m a terrible person, Elliot. I’ve made so many fucking mistakes in my life…”
“So why did you go back to him, Tori?”
She brushes a tear away from her cheek. “Because the closer that we got to the wedding, the more I realized that you didn’t deserve what I was doing to you, or what your father had planned.”
For a moment, I’m almost remorseful for her. But it’s short-lived. “Did he ever tell you how he was going to make your debt go away?”
She shakes her head. “No, just that once we got married, there would be plenty of money to make my life easier.”
Okay, so she didn’t know about the will—at least, that’s what she’s claiming.
“And on the day of the wedding, Barry showed up at Hart Winery, begging me not to go through with the marriage. I figured I was better off leaving you at the altar and never going through with the wedding than marrying you for the wrong reasons.”
Memories assault me from all angles, loaded with anger I thought I had moved past. “You fucking destroyed me that day, Tori,” I grate out, fighting to keep my composure. “I was so fucking heartbroken, so betrayed. You played your part perfectly and I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.”
Her eyes find the table. “I know.”
“So here’s what I don’t understand…why did you come back?”
She clears her throat and lifts her gaze to mine again.
“Well, your father called me a few months ago, asking if I would want another chance with you. He must have gotten wind somehow that Barry and I broke up again when I found out that he had opened two credit cards in my name without me knowing and racked up over $100,000 in debt.” She scoffs.
“I guess I deserved it for believing he wanted me for real, so I finally quit the company and was working as a waitress while I tried to figure out how I was going to get out of this mess. And when your dad asked if I would be willing to try to get you back, I figured it was the best way to solve my problems quickly, so I agreed.”
“Did it ever occur to you that it was strange for a grown man to be essentially hiring a woman to deceive his son?” I ask, my jaw clenched tight.
“Yes, but…” More tears fall from her eyes.
“I’m just trying to survive, Elliot. I know how fucked up that sounds, but after Barry, after the debt, after everything fell apart, I—I wasn’t thinking clearly.
I was desperate and your father knew it.
” More tears build in her eyes, but I remain silent.
“I’m just trying to fix my life and when I was with you?
It truly was the happiest I had been, lying excluded.
You loved me in a way I never knew was possible. ”
“I thought I did,” I say. “Turns out, I was just blinded by a good actress.”
She tries to reach for me again, but I lean back. “You have to admit that things between us were good, Elliot. You always took care of me, both mentally and physically.”
“I know I treated you well, Tori. And at the time, I believed our relationship was solid. But even without the lies, we weren’t really partners.
I know that now.” I lean closer to her over the table and say, “You and I were a lie, and that’s all there is to it.
I’ve moved past it, thank God, and can look back with clear eyes now. ”
“So you’re saying that this thing between you and Dilynne is real?” she asks with an arch of her brow. “Because I’m sorry, Elliot, but I find it really hard to believe that you two went from hating each other’s guts to engaged in a year.”
“I don’t owe you any fucking explanation of mine and Dilynne’s relationship.
Just know that she’s a million times more of a partner to me than you ever were.
She wouldn’t lie to me. In fact, she was there to pick up the pieces that you left broken and told me the truth about you that I should have believed in the first place. ”
She sits there studying me for a minute before she finally declares, “You really love her, don’t you?”
Clearing my throat, I say, “She’s my fiancée.” I don’t elaborate further because Dilynne deserves to hear those words before anyone else. I mean, I basically told Henley that’s how I feel, but that’s only so he knows how serious I am about her. I don’t owe that explanation to Tori though.
Tori shakes her head. “No, Elliot. You love her in a way you never loved me. I convinced you to love me, told you what you wanted to hear, and played a part, right? But with Dilynne?” Her head falls to the side.
“You look at her in a way you never looked at me and I think that’s when I realized there would never be a second chance for us. ”
How can Tori see what I feel so clearly? That with Dilynne, it is different. Everything with her is different.
“And when did you finally realize that?”
“At the winery. I was watching you and her…”
“I am in awe of her, Tori. She’s the kind of woman I’ve always been looking for and she’s been right under my nose this entire time.”
“Then I guess I’m happy for you.”
“You know, you were a bitch back then to Dilynne too, Tori, and I defended you. Tried to get my friends to give you a chance because we all make mistakes. But you need help,” I say, letting out a year’s worth of thoughts at once.
“Besides paying off your debt, I think you need to take a hard look at yourself and learn how to be a decent human being. Maybe if you fix that part of yourself first, the rest will work itself out.”
Her brows lift. “Jesus, Elliot. Tell me how you really feel, why don’t you?”
“Oh, I can keep going if you’d like me to.”
“No, I think that’s enough. But just so you know, your father is the one who brought me back. I didn’t think it was a good idea, but he was adamant you would forgive me and I figured leaving Nashville was probably for the best.”
“The only reason he thought that is because my dad has cheated on my mom several times and she’s always looked the other way. But I am not my father, Tori.”
“I know you aren’t, Elliot.”
“In fact, I think it might be best if you quit the practice this week while I’m in California with Dilynne.”
“I can’t quit, Elliot…”
“Oh, yes, you can. In fact, if you don’t, then I’ll make sure to report you to the authorities for conspiracy to commit fraud.”
Her eyes widen. “Elliot…”
“This is the option I’m giving you to avoid jail, Tori. I suggest that you take it.”
Her bottom lip trembles but she nods reluctantly. “Fine. I mean, I should be grateful, but what do I tell your dad?”
“Tell him that you realized you and I had no chance at a future and you’re ready to move on with your life.”
She nods. “Okay, but I hope you figure out just exactly what he’s up to because if there’s one thing I’ve learned about him in the past year and a half, it’s that he can be quite manipulative in order to get what he wants.”
Yeah, no shit, Tori. Fortunately for me, I already know what he wants and need to figure out a way to put a stop to it, stat.