Chapter 26
chapter twenty-six
Mia
The room is tense. Rex is sitting on the couch, looking like a scolded child.
Andi sits next to him, looking like she’s lost. Luke’s parents are sitting at the table.
His mother is crying, and his father looks like he’s had the wind taken out of his sails.
Only Bitsy looks solid, staunch, resolute.
Her husband is at the golf course and I wonder what he’ll think when he gets back.
I look over at Luke on the couch. He’s just listened as he’d learned about everything that’s been going on.
Rex has pretty much run the company into the ground, which I think is ironic.
I kind of want to laugh if the situation wasn’t so serious, but I can tell that that would be the absolute worst move to make because the entire family is in crisis control.
I respect the fact that Luke hasn’t laughed in Rex’s face and called him a loser.
If it had been me, I would have let Rex have it, but Luke is better than me.
He’s dignified in his takedown of Rex. Though I suppose he can’t jump up and down and tell his parents off for shutting him out like they had.
I didn’t know one person could fuck something up that badly, but it doesn’t surprise me that Rex has.
Luke speaks calmly as he addresses his family. “This is a shit show,” he says, looking up from some of the folders.
He’s in business mode right now, and it’s interesting to see him as a businessman.
It’s interesting to listen to him talk about numbers and plans.
This is a Luke I’m not familiar with. I’m not in his business world.
I’m not that business-savvy myself, and yet I can see that he excels, that he loves it, that this is his drive.
And I also realize this side of his life really doesn’t have any impact on me and his love for me and our relationship, and I feel slightly guilty and immature that I’ve been holding his job against him because of my own selfish need to want to come first in every situation.
The fact of the matter is, I realize I can’t come first in every single situation. I just want to feel like I have no chance of losing him.
“So, what exactly is it that you want me to do?” Rex says, speaking up, sounding like a petulant kid.
“I need you to step down,” Luke says, running his fingers through his hair and staring at his brother.
“I need you to check your ego. I need you to stop acting like you’re the fucking boss of everything and that you know everything because you obviously don’t.
This is our family company. Our parents rely on the income that we make.
Grandma and Granddad rely upon the pension they receive.
You rely upon it. Your family will rely upon it. ”
Andi looks nervous. “Is there a possibility that you’re going to have no money, Rex?”
“It’s fine, Andi,” he says in a tense tone.
“Because I didn’t sign up for no money and I certainly didn’t sign up for you …” She pauses as Rex gives her a deafening glare. She presses her lips together and stares at me.
I frown slightly because she looks miserable.
She looks absolutely miserable, which is not the way a new bride should be looking.
I don’t say anything though because it’s not my place, and she and I aren’t really friends.
But I’m curious as to what is going on between her and Rex and what the conversation about being pregnant meant.
“You just had to come in and save the day,” Rex says. “You just had to be Batman or Superman or whoever the fuck.”
Luke shakes his head and looks over at me. I blow him a kiss, and he gives me a warm smile. I smile back at him.
I look up and notice that his grandma is staring at me, and there’s a pleading expression on her face, which I find surprising, given the fact that she may have to sell her house and leave the island with no money.
“Look, I can take care of everything,” Luke says.
“I can pay off the outstanding loans, and I can help turn the company around, but”—he pauses—“I’m just really exhausted right now.
Physically, mentally, emotionally. I want to help everyone, but I do not trust Rex to still be in charge of the company. ”
“You just want to be CEO!” Rex screams. “That’s all you’ve ever wanted. You’ve wanted to take my place. You’re probably happy that this has happened.”
“Do not talk to your brother like that,” Mr. Haverbrook says, and I’m shocked because I’ve barely heard the man speak ten words in the time I’ve known him. But I’m not interested in football, so we never really had much to chat about. It’s a pity though.
“What?” even Rex and Luke both say in shocked tones. Neither one of them has ever heard him speaking up for Luke. I think the world is about to end because this is something that I’d never expected to see.
“What are you saying, Dad?” Rex sounds like an unsure kid.
He looks confused and defeated and for a moment, I almost feel sorry for him.
But then I think back to how he’s treated Luke their entire lives.
And how he’s spoken to me. And how he’s treated Andi.
He’s a jerk and he doesn’t deserve my pity.
“I made a mistake. You don’t have a head for business like your brother. I’m sorry, son.”
He looks over at Luke. “I’ve been unfair to you, and I regret it. I’ve noticed that Rex has not been handling this well, and I would love your help turning this around.”
“So, what, you’re just giving him the company now?” Rex says. “Thanks, Dad.”
“No,” Luke says. “We can be co-CEOs. I can help you. I can maybe mentor you, teach you, give you some—”
“You’re going to mentor me?” Rex laughs. “Are you fucking kidding? I would listen to you for advice? You loser.”
“I don’t think he’s the loser, Rex,” I say loudly, then press my lips together because this is maybe not the time and the place for me to get involved.
“It’s up to you, but if you continue running the company the way you have been, there will be no company. You have to see that.”
Rex looks stunned for a couple of moments, but he nods.
“I can’t do this anymore.” He jumps up and storms to the side of the room.
He looks around the room and starts laughing like a hyena.
I wonder if he’s lost it and is finally cracking.
It wouldn’t surprise me. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do this shit.
” He stands there like he’s waiting for someone to console him, but everyone in the room is too shocked to say anything.
“You can’t do what?” Andi jumps up and she’s looking more enraged than I’ve ever seen her in my life.
I almost wish I could take my phone out and livestream.
This is DRAMA and the girls in my friend group would salivate to watch this live.
The thought immediately makes me feel guilty.
I shouldn’t want to share this with anyone.
But man, the room feels like the set of a daytime soap right now.
“What can’t you do, Rex?” She screams and I look over at Luke, who’s expression is as equally shocked as mine is.
His lip twists up at the side and I press my lips together.
“What do you think, Andi?” His sarcastic voice would make me slap him, but she resists. She’s stronger than me, that’s for sure.
“Don’t talk to me like that.”
“Like what?” He sneers.
“It’s off.” She looks over at me and I freeze. Had I caused this? Holy cow, batman, was she going to blame me for this?
“What’s off?”
“The engagement is over, Rex. The wedding is off.” There’s dead silence in the room. You could hear a pin drop if someone happened to be sewing. My jaw drops as she walks over to him and presses her finger into his chest. “You and me are done.”
“This is not happening. Are you kidding me?” Rex leans forward and grabs her hand. “So, what I thought was true, huh? You’re just a gold-digging hoe? You’re leaving because I’m not the CEO now?”
My loud gasp is heard through out the room and Luke inches toward me slowly. I’m glad that he’s coming to my side because standing here alone is making me far too self-aware, even though I’m not even close to being the center of attention in the room.
“No, Rex, I’m leaving you because I caught you fucking Talia in our room last night.” Andi looks around, voice shaking.
I need to text Juniper and tell her the gossip, but there’s no way I can start texting in the middle of this. Everyone would know I was acting like one of the busy bees, plus I didn’t want to miss a second of this.
“What?” Rex looks around as if deciding whether or not to deny it. I think he decides against it because he doesn’t say another word. I for one believe Andi 100%.
“I’m sorry for being so crude, but I can’t take this anymore.
This is the second time, Rex. I can’t take you cheating on me.
I don’t want to marry a man who cheats on me and has no money.
I can’t do it.” A sputter escapes from my lips and I pretend to cough.
“A broke cheat is not the sort of man I want to be with.”
“He was sleeping with Talia?” I blurt out. I can’t stop myself now. This is juicy. I also want to ask if a rich cheat was okay, but I don’t dare. I think I already know the answer to that question any way.
“She said that she was going to have one Haverbrook brother, no matter what it took.” Andi starts crying. “She was my best friend.” She looks at me. ‘She tried to fuck Luke as well, but that didn’t happen, so she went for Rex, the easy Haverbrook brother.”
“I’m not easy.” Rex looks offended. “Plus what do you mean she wanted Luke as well? She wasn’t talking about Luke when I was blowing her back out.”
“Rex Haverbrook, watch your language.” His father finally speaks up, as his mother starts crying. I look over at Bitsy and she looks astounded, but there’s a twinkle in her eyes. I know that even though Rex is her grandson, she’s going to be spreading this story far and wide on Coconut Beach,