Chapter 17
Paisley
S howered with freshly styled hair and a clean pair of wide-leg linen pants and a relaxed-fitting tank top, I make my way back down the stairs in search of my friends to tell them my exciting news.
“Girls, I need your help,” I announce as I stroll back through the kitchen. “Wild Magnolia is about to be put on the market. But Stella said she would sell it to me first if I can come up with the money.” I grin from ear to ear, the perfect performer.
Their faces light up with excitement for me. “Are you serious? That would be perfect for you,” Gisele gushes. She’s all about living your dreams, and I love her for it.
I take one of the pastries from the kitchen table and tear it in two, leaning against the kitchen counter. “I so badly want to buy it. Imagine what I could do if that place was mine. All the ideas I’ve had over the years I could bring to life.” I shove the fresh pastry in my mouth and moan. I needed sustenance, and this buttery croissant is to die for. “Good choice, girls,” I say holding up the pastry.
“How much do you need for the deposit?” Emerson asks, her business brain ticking over the idea already.
“I’m thinking about twenty for what she’s asking,” I say, feeling the weight of the decision pressing down on me. This is huge for me, but if not now, then when? I don’t have any other responsibilities, so why not throw all I have at a business I know will work? “I still need to visit the bank and see if they’ll give me the loan, but Beckett thinks I have a good chance since the business is already turning a decent profit, and we don’t have any competition,” I explain, trying to sound more confident than I feel.
“How much have you got?” Emerson asks, her brow furrowing with concern.
“About seventeen in the bank saved for a rainy day.”
“So, you’re close. Could your dad help you out?” Gisele asks, her voice tinged with hopefulness, but I couldn’t bring myself to entertain the idea.
None of them know how bad my relationship is with my father; it would kill this town to know what kind of a man he really is. I haven’t seen him since Emerson’s daddy’s funeral, for good reason. “Not likely, I already know what he would say. If you took that internship in Paris your mother set up for you, your life would be so different. You would have a decent paying job, a house of your own. Blah, blah, blah . Something to that effect, anyway.”
Gisele looks horrified. But her father’s not much different from what she’s told me. “Harsh.”
“Nothing I ever did was good enough for him, so why would this idea of mine be any different?” I sigh, wishing I had a normal family.
“What about Parker? He would help you out,” asks Mae hopeful.
“Yeah, maybe. I know this sounds silly, but I want to be able to do it by myself. Parker has helped me out so many times before. This time I want to be able to stand on my own two feet.”
“I get it. Well, if we think of anything, we will let you know.”
The front door opens and in strolls Brody with Noah by his side. I freeze, not sure what to do. It was bad enough when we were in the same room before he made me see stars. Now it’s downright impossible. My heart kicks up a beat as he passes me, taking a chair beside Emerson, turning it around the wrong way and spreading his legs as he sits back down casually.
Brody kisses Gisele then throws Sunday’s paper down in the center of the table. “This time it’s good news. Well, mostly.” He looks back at me with a fierce glare that tells me I have done something else to piss him off. But I’m used to it with Brody. There is no love lost between us. He thinks I get his little sister and now his girlfriend into trouble. He should know they both have minds of their own.
“Noah, no way, you’re running for mayor!” Mae exclaims, reading over the article on the front page. I glance over her shoulder to find an image of both Beckett and Noah on the front page of The Bay newspaper with the heading Your next mayor? You decide . I guess the cat’s out of the bag. Would have been nice of Beckett to let me know this was all getting announced today, so I could have prepared myself.
“I’m so excited for you.” Gisele hugs him warmly. And I know I shouldn’t be so catty, Gisele is super nice to everyone, but I hate how close the two of them are.
He smiles proudly, that cocky grin that reaches his damn dimples. “I wasn’t expecting it to be front page news, but yeah, the mayor’s office twisted my arm. Couldn’t hurt to throw my hat in the ring.” He takes off his cap and runs a hand through his hair. His smile lights up his face, and my heart melts a little because he’s just so dang gorgeous. And for a second, I get a little lost staring at him.
“This is perfect for you. Everyone in this town already adores you, you’re a shoo-in,” Emerson congratulates him.
I scoff at Emerson’s comment. Everyone’s gaze is directed toward me. “What? Not everyone thinks the sun shines out his ass,” I grumble, knowing the girls are going to be pissed when they realize I’m on the opposition’s team. But this is Noah’s fault, not mine.
Noah stands and closes the gap between us, meeting my gaze with an intensity I can’t handle in my fragile state. “And I guess that’s why you’ve sided with Beckett Prescott,” he says, unimpressed. The warmth he held for me this morning is nowhere to be seen.
Part of me loves that I have gotten under his skin. A smile tugs at my lips as he looks me over intensely. “Someone has to make sure you don’t win,” I sass back, folding my arms protectively across my chest.
His anger builds as he becomes increasingly furious with me for joining camp Beckett. Well, good. This is war, buddy, and it’s easier if he hates me back. “Can I talk to you out the back for a second?” he says through clenched teeth.
“Paisley, no, you can’t work with him.” Emerson sounds disturbed at the thought, but I can’t take my eyes away from Noah.
“This is why she had dinner with him,” Mae says to her, finally understanding.
“Make it fast,” I snap back, my attention still on Noah. I’ll deal with the girls later.
Noah makes his way out through the kitchen, and I follow him, closing the back door so the others can’t hear our conversation. He turns to me. “Do you really hate me so much that you’re going to side with the fucking Prescotts?”
I shrug, unaffected by his anger toward me. “Why? Everyone makes them out to be so terrible, but what’s the worst they have done?”
His eyes go wide. “What haven’t they done? They spent the best part of last year trying to ruin the Alexander family business, for a start. Emerson is one of your best friends. Do you really want to hurt her just to get back at me?”
“That wasn’t the Prescotts, that was Annabele Grace Turner and whoever was leaking intel from the hotel,” I correct him, a little smugger than I should be about it. I hate that Annabele and the paper just as much as they all do.
“They let it happen,” he seethes, more furious than he’s ever been with me. I’ve really hit a nerve siding with Beckett. This idea was genius.
“Why do you care so much what I do?” I sass back, enjoying his discomfort.
He glares at me, anger radiating off him as he closes the gap between us. “You need to listen to me. The Prescotts are dangerous. You can’t work with them.”
I meet his stare with just as much intensity. I don’t need him telling me what I can and can’t do. “I’m not scared of the Prescotts,” I huff. Now who’s being dramatic.
“This is a huge opportunity for me to get my life back on track. Do you really hate me so much that you want to take it from me? I thought after last night we might actually be able to move on from the past and…”
I swallow the lump in my throat. He ruined the friendship we had three years ago. I’m not doing this to him, he did it back then. He can’t turn this around on me now. “This isn’t even about you. A job opportunity came up, and I took it because I needed the extra cash so I can buy the flower shop.”
He stares me down. “If it’s money you need, I will give it to you. Just tell me how much.”
I scoff at his suggestion. The last thing I want, or need, is the money he earned by leaving me behind. “What are you afraid of, anyway? Apparently, everyone in this town loves you. What could little old me do to change that?” I bat my lashes, trying to be cute, but there’s a sarcastic edge to my voice. I hate that they all love him so much. It’s not fair. If they knew the truth, if they knew how much he hurt me, they would side with me.
“That’s right. I’m not afraid of one little girl with way too much sass.” His hand comes to my chin, and he forces my eyes to meet his. “A little friendly competition is always the best foreplay, baby. You might think last night was the end of us, but you’re dead wrong. I’m not giving up, you’re mine, Paisley.” I swallow the lump in my throat. His eyes render me momentarily unable to move or think or do anything but stare back, lost in the past. I’m his? “Do your worst, Paisley Whittaker,” he says, but it’s a warning. One I don’t entirely understand.
My heart hammers out of control. Why does he have this effect on me? Whenever we’re this close, my hate for him vanishes and all I want to do is kiss his full lips. I want him to take me back to that place where I felt safe and I knew what I wanted. Him. But so much has happened since then, and even I know it’s not possible. He destroyed any notion of that.
I shove him in the chest hard so he’s forced to back off. “I intend to. Don’t go thinking this will be a cake walk. This is war, and I intend to win,” I spit back, not caring that all my friends are already on his side. I can do this without them. I have to. Because I can’t let him have something else he doesn’t deserve. I march for the back door, needing to get as far away from him as possible. I’m not his. I could have been if he stayed, but he didn’t.
“Bring it on, baby.” He confidently cracks his knuckles and smirks at me, challenging me.
As I go to open the door to escape him, Parker appears in the opening. And he doesn’t look pleased with me either. Well, join the club, Brother. “Is it true?” he asks, looking between us, trying to read the situation.
“Noah’s running for mayor,” I snip, not needing my brother’s involvement in my fight. Hopefully that will keep him preoccupied with his friend.
“And Paisley’s sided with the Prescotts,” Noah seethes from behind me, knowing he’s throwing me under the bus with my brother. He hates the Prescotts. “She went for dinner with Beckett last night and now she’s his campaign manager.”
Parker’s angry eyes meet mine. “What the hell, Paisley? You’re not working with him.”
“That’s what I tried to tell her, but she won’t listen to me. Maybe you can talk some sense into her.”
I roll my eyes, so over this whole thing. Why does every man in my life think he can control me? “I don’t need a lecture from you as well,” I huff, storming past Parker and straight up the stairs, stomping my feet as I go. I need to get away from the lot of them. Maybe I underestimated how difficult it would be working with Beckett, but I’m not going to back down now just because all my closest friends are pissed with me. Beckett deserves a chance just as much as their beloved Noah Harrington.
Lying on my bed, I cuddle my pillow to my face, trying to block out the world. I’m tired and annoyed. There is a small knock at my door, and Parker pops his head in. “Can I come in?” he asks softly.
“As long as you’re not going to have a go at me as well,” I huff, not in the mood.
“I’m not, I just want to talk to you, Paisley.”
“Okay then.” I throw the pillow off and sit up as he comes to the edge of my bed and sits beside me. He looks worried, and I feel bad. I don’t want to worry him.
“Pais. Talk to me, what’s going on with you?”
I shrug, feeling suddenly too emotional to talk. Things haven’t been the same between us since Parker got home. He’s different. Something happened to him in the Army, and he won’t talk to me about it. But it’s obvious he’s not the same boy who left this town full of dreams and ambition. “It’s just a job, Parker. I need the money. Beckett made me an offer too good to be true, and I took him up on it. If it wasn’t me helping him, he would find someone else.”
“He should. You’re not helping him. The Prescotts are money-hungry, manipulative assholes who will destroy you just to get what they want. You have to understand this is a bad idea. They’re dangerous.”
I glance at him; he said he wouldn’t give me a lecture. “You don’t get to make that call.”
“If it’s money you need then let me help you out. I have some savings.”
I roll my eyes. “You sound like Noah.”
“Well he’s right,” he snaps, getting really irritated with me. “Noah cares about you. Maybe you should take what he said on board. I don’t know what’s going on with the two of you, but he’s a good person who will do anything to keep you safe. The Prescotts will not.”
His words cut deep, because he thinks he knows Noah, but he doesn’t. There is no way Beckett could possibly hurt me the way Noah did. “Parker, I don’t expect you to understand why I need to do this, but maybe it’s more than just the money. Maybe I’m sick of being the town gossip and I want to make something of myself. I want this town to take me seriously. I’m more than the girl they all see me as.” Tears well in my eyes as I say the words, and I drop my head so my brother can’t see my pain. It’s too much to admit the truth.
He wraps his arm around me, pulling me close to him. “Don’t you worry about what people say. You can be whatever you want to be. You’re incredible, Paisley. You don’t need to prove anything to these people.”
“I need to prove it to myself,” I admit, the words truer than even I knew until I uttered them out loud. “Maybe I don’t need to prove anything to other people. But right now, I feel like I’m failing at life, and I need this.”
He smiles at me kindly. “I understand. I just want you to be happy, Sis. And safe. If you need to do this, do it. But if Beckett crosses the line, you swear to me, I will be the first to know, and I won’t be held accountable for my actions. I don’t trust him for a second and you shouldn’t either.”
I give him a gentle smile. I love my brother, he’s a good person, and I wonder how he turned out that way growing up under our father’s rule. “Look at you getting all protective over me.” I nudge his arm.
His handsome face hardens. “I’m serious, Paisley.”
“I know. I can handle Beckett. And if I can’t, you will be the first to know.” I’m stronger than he thinks, but he doesn’t know what I had to endure after he left for the Army. He still sees me as a little girl who needs to be taken care of. I’m not. I can do this. I dealt with our father, I can deal with Beckett.