Chapter 5
Killian
From the time Celani walks down the stairs in the tight red dress she bought earlier today at the boutique, I know this night is going to be a battle of self-control.
I not only have to try to keep myself in check while she’s looking like a damn goddess, but I also have to deal with her sad excuse for a boyfriend all evening.
I know that whatever he said to her on the phone earlier was disrespectful because that seems to be the only language he fucking speaks. She can hold her own with him, but I just can’t figure out why she even bothers to.
I’m not around them together much because when Crowell comes home from work, my shift with Celani ends.
But I’ve noticed that after the rare times he actually calls her during the day her mood turns sour.
They also don’t seem to go out together unless it involves meeting up with other people from his work.
Every time I start to think of how I would never treat her the way he does if she were mine, I have to remind myself of all the reasons why I will never get that chance, because she absolutely can’t be mine.
Ever.
I sit up front with Asher in the SUV not trusting myself to be in the back with her right now. I need to take time to get my head together and remember why I’m here. Malakai is bringing Pierce to the restaurant straight from his office, so we take off to downtown on our own.
We get to Oaks after a short drive and I get out to help Celani out from the backseat. I grab the umbrella I keep up front to protect her from the drizzle that is starting to trickle from the sky.
She gives me a small smile, but I can tell she is still tense. She has been quiet ever since she told me about the change of plans for the evening. I walk close to her to keep her covered, and spot Malakai’s car parked up the street.
We go straight to the Ma?tre D, and he ushers us back to one of the private dining rooms. Pierce is already there rambling away with his CFO and his wife. Tom and Sara Riley.
I’ve already done a check on the two of them but found no major red flags other than Tom seems to have an apartment in the city where his mistress and a small child live. But that’s none of my concern.
“Celani, there you are,” Pierce greets, pushing back his chair as we walk inside.
“Hello everyone!” Celani greets pleasantly, turning on a forced smile. She glides over to Pierce and he gives her a quick peck on the cheek, before she goes to greet Tom and Sara.
The four of them settle into their seats and I take my stance next to the door, ignoring the curious looks that the Riley’s give me, and the fact that Crowell is acting like I’m not even here.
I’m not a friendly person by any stretch of the imagination, but I at least have manners. I have no clue how he ended up with such a ray of sunshine like Celani. Even his smile and greeting to her tonight felt stale and awkward.
All for show.
A waiter comes in and out of the room taking orders, and bringing food and drinks to the table. I mostly tune out the dull conversations they are having until I hear Sara finally asking Celani a question that peaks my interest.
“Celani, Pierce was telling us that you used to be a nurse at Verona Memorial Hospital before you moved here? Are you looking for a similar position here at Redland General Hospital?” Sara asks.
Celani sets down her glass of wine and goes to respond, but for some reason, Pierce speaks up for her.
“She decided to take a break from nursing to support my career,” he says, giving Celani a tight smile. “She can always go back to it in the future.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Sara chimes, nodding as if he just said something truly amazing. “That is pretty common after you get engaged. I did the same thing with my accounting job once Tom and I were engaged. Then we had the kids so soon after we got married that I decided not to go back.”
Celani shakes her head. “Pierce and I actually aren’t engaged.”
Sara's mouth falls open, “Oh! I’m sorry. I guess I just assumed since you two moved here together..”
Pierce’s fake smile slips for a moment, and I narrow my eyes as he puts an arm over the back of Celani’s chair.
“I’ve asked her, but she’s not quite ready for an engagement,” he says, with a chuckle.
He looks at Celani but she just shifts in her seat and avoids his gaze. She returns to eating her food, obviously not wanting to continue the conversation that is turning uncomfortable.
“Well, everyone decides in their own time,” Tom says, giving Pierce a reassuring smile. “How are things with your rental home?”
Tom gracefully ushers the conversation to another topic, and my eyes stay on Celani. I can tell that she’s had enough of this dinner date, and the stuffy conversations about work, houses, and charity events coming up.
From what I’ve looked up about her I know that she grew up in Verona, the town that her and Pierce moved from. It’s a wealthy suburb about two hours from here, and her father was well known there.
He was a doctor at the hospital where she eventually became a nurse. I’m sure she was used to fancy dinners like this long before she even met Pierce, but I can tell she is bored tonight. Even though she is doing a fairly good job hiding it.
The dinner finally wraps up and I walk with all of them out to the front where they say short goodbyes. I open the back door for Celani and she gives me a small smile and, ‘thank you’, before climbing inside.
I frown when I see Pierce coming back over to us instead of getting into Malakai’s SUV.
“I told Malakai that I would ride with you all. Let’s go,” he tells me, before climbing into the third row with Celani. I see her cutting her eyes at him as I close the back door behind him, and go up to the passenger seat.
Asher raises his chin to me and I give him the go ahead to drive back to their house. We stop at a red light up the street and I hear Pierce’s agitating voice speak up behind us in the back row.
“Why do you look so mad?”
I stiffen when I realize his question is directed at Celani. There’s silence for a moment before Celani’s hushed voice responds.
“Not now, Pierce.”
Pierce huffs, and plows on anyway as the car moves forward.
“What? Is it about me telling the Riley’s how you turned down my proposal?” he prods.
His question is met with silence and I feel my hands folding into fists on my thighs.
Why is he pushing her when she obviously doesn’t want to talk about this here?
“I mean,” he continues, lowering his voice and not giving a damn about her request to stop talking, “you asked me for more time to make up your mind, and I’ve given that to you. But eventually I want more than a rental house, and a ‘maybe’ on an engagement.”
I bite my tongue thinking that he can’t sound like more of an asshole, until he proves me incorrect.
“You know,” he says, his voice rising again and forgetting about her request for privacy. “I’m willing to get married even if you can’t have kids, but I’m not willing to wait forever for you to make up your mind about us, Celani.”
His harsh monologue ends and red flashes in my vision.