15. Chapter 15
Veronica
I’m sitting on my bathroom shower floor.
The hot water cascades down my body. After getting finger-fucked by a stranger, Berenice found me, and we went back to her place.
I didn’t want to go home, so I spent the night with her.
I don’t regret going to the club or letting a stranger touch me.
Hell, I’ve let strangers eat me out in a bathroom for fuck’s sake.
It was a transaction. Fulfilling a need.
Last night felt different. When the stranger left me after making me come, that felt a lot like regret on his part, and that makes me feel cheap.
I can still feel his hands on me. When we arrived at Bere’s, I was still so wound up that I barely slept all night.
We were very proud of ourselves for getting away with what we did.
I didn’t expect Miles to check on me. He never does.
He’s just a shadow, present at all times.
After I saw a few missed calls, I lied and sent him a message telling him I’d fallen asleep.
Whether he believed me or not is beside the point.
I simply don’t care. I need to get him out of my life.
I know that my brothers use him in whatever work they do.
That shouldn’t include me anymore. My stomach rumbles.
Shit, when was the last time I ate? I need to be better about eating.
Even though my bed is calling me, I need to eat something and get some work done.
I’m not much of a cook, so cereal it is.
I grab my bowl and walk over to the window to admire my plants and flowers.
My mother doesn’t have a green thumb. I’m pretty sure I inherited that from my grandmother from my dad’s side; she died when I was little.
I don’t remember her, but I heard she was very kind and only saw the best in a person.
I wish I had known her more. I’ve always felt like the odd one out in my family.
“How are my babies doing today?” I ask the orchids, and “What about you?” I ask the plants. “Do you want to hear about my night at the sex club? You know I haven’t felt that sexy in a long time. I really need groceries, don’t I?” If anyone saw me, they’d think I was eccentric.
I try to remember the last time I wore lingerie for someone. It was years ago. Tony and I had been dating for a couple of months, and I wanted to do something special for him. Something I’d never done with anyone.
“I have a surprise for you, but you have to close your eyes and promise not to look. Okay?” I tell him as I peek out of the bathroom door.
His lips lift into a half smile. His smiles never make it to his eyes.
I think it’s because he isn’t happy with me.
I’ve asked him many times if he’s happy.
He assures me he is. That I make him feel good.
I know he’s older than me, but I can be like the other girls he’s dated. I can do what they do.
I look in the mirror; I feel undeniably sexy. I’m wearing a red lace bra and matching panties. I added a garter belt to get him excited, then slip into my red heels. “Are you ready?” I ask him.
“Sweetheart, I’m always ready for you.”
I love it when he calls me that nickname. He told me I’m the only one he’s ever given one to, and that gives me butterflies. Stepping into the bedroom, I see him on the bed, just in his boxers. I watch his eyes roam my body, and I feel a rush.
“Sweetheart.” I see him thinking. “Isn’t that a bit too small for you?”
I feel like I’ve been punched in the stomach.
I want the floor to open up and swallow me whole.
My eyes immediately fill with tears. He moves to the edge of the bed.
“Oh, sweetheart, come here.” He reaches out for me, and I walk over to him.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. But you don’t want me to lie to you, do you? ”
I shake my head. The tears start to roll down my cheeks. “I wanted to do something special for you.”
“You’re so good to me. Maybe you can try to wear this again when you lose some weight?”
“Wh-what?” I cry. “You think I’m fat?” I shout. No one has ever said that out loud to me.
“No, not fat. You’re just full-figured.” He pauses. “I’m so sorry, Veronica. I’m such a piece of shit.” He pushes me away and goes to grab his clothes. “I don’t deserve you.”
I grab his arm. “Tony, no, you aren’t a piece of shit. I shouldn’t have overreacted. I know you didn’t mean it.” I wrap my arms around him. “Don’t go. It was all my fault for overreacting.”
That was the last time I wore red. It’s since become my least favorite color.
It’s the beginning of a new week. I walk straight to Andrew’s office the moment I arrive at Nina’s Hope; I need to show him the properties that I added to our list. I hear him talking to someone as I approach his door.
I didn’t know he had a meeting this early.
Shit, am I late? As I approach the door, I hear my name.
“Veronica, there you are.”
I see Andrew standing behind his desk, and sitting right across from him is Cam. What is he doing here? I haven’t spoken to him in days. I’ve gone out of my way to avoid running into him at our building.
“Veronica, please come in. We’ve been waiting to give you the great news,” Andrew tells me.
“We?” I enter the office. I notice a pile of papers on Andrew’s desk. Are those blueprints? I turn to look at Cam, whose eyes are fixed on the desk. He’s not even looking at me. I can see the excitement in Andrew’s eyes as he hands me the stack of papers.
“What is this?” I ask both men.
Cam looks in my direction. He’s not the one to speak. Andrew answers for him. “It’s the deed to the property.”
At a loss for words, I look at Cam. “You decided to sell it to us?”
“No, I’m donating the property, but with certain stipulations.” He sounds irritated.
Stunned. “You’re giving it to us?”
“With stipulations,” he enunciates.
Am I the only one picking up on his shitty attitude?
“Yes. There are two,” Andrew interrupts.
My eyes are fixed on the dichotomy of the man sitting in front of me. “What are they?” I’m still processing the information.
Andrew is too excited to hold back, and again, he speaks for Cam. But from the looks of Cam, he doesn’t care. “One is that we follow the blueprint he gave us, and two is that you oversee the project. And I couldn’t agree more.”
“Me? Why me?” I whisper, hoping Cam hears me and responds.
“I’m going to inform Serena and Nina.” Andrew grabs his phone and exits the room.
I look at Cam. “Thank you, Mr. Villanueva.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Thank me when the project is complete.
” He stands and extends his hand to me, and I take it.
An agreement. Our hands touch for a second too long; he notices as well because he pulls it away, as if touching me causes him pain.
Then he heads out the door. I don’t know why, but I walk after him.
“Cam.” I shout his name. “Cam.”
He stops so abruptly that I crash into his back. His hard, muscular back. I hold onto his waist so I don’t lose my balance.
“Shit.” He turns to face me. “Are you okay?”
I blink. His face is inches from mine. Examining me for injuries.
It’s a bit over the top. “Y-yes.” I realize that my hands are still on his waist. He takes a step back, away from my grasp.
It’s like he can’t wait to get away from me.
Again. Every time he does that, I resent him more.
Am I that disgusting? How are we supposed to work together if that’s the reaction he has when we are near each other?
“Did you need something?” His tone is cold.
He is so moody. I push past his cold demeanor. “I want to know what made you change your mind. I thought you never planned to get rid of the land?”
There’s a shift in his mood. “It was time I let go of that property. This will help people.” He turns and leaves without saying anything else.
I head back to Andrew’s office and see him looking through the plans Cam left. He motions for me to join him. The playground, the garden, everything I talked about. It’s here.
“You made this happen.” Andrew’s words interrupt my thoughts. “I don’t know how you convinced him. But this is all because of you.”
I feel proud of myself. A feeling that I haven’t had in a very long time. With a sense of determination, I decide to reach out to my brother. It’s time that he and the rest of my family stopped treating me like I’m incapable of living my own life.
My driver pulls up to Kayde Investment, where Gabe is acting CEO while Ian and Serena are away.
I make my way to the top floor and check in with Selma.
She’s Ian’s assistant, but because there is only so much control my brother can give up, he left Selma as the assistant in charge.
I look at the desk across from her and see David, Gabe’s longtime assistant.
“Hello, I’m here to see my brother,” I tell Selma.
“Ms. Kayde, what a pleasure to see you!”
I've known Selma for years; she’s an asset to my brother. She’s not only intelligent and efficient, but she also knows how to deal with his moody behavior. She’s also visited my mother a couple of times, to gossip, no doubt.
“Now, Selma, I’ve told you numerous times to call me Veronica,” I tease.
She lets out a laugh, and I can see we’ve caught the attention of some onlookers. Selma looks around, and the office quiets and resumes work. Damn, she runs this place. I look over at David, whose eyes are glued to this computer screen.
“David, can you please pick up Mr. Kayde’s lunch?
” He nods and does as he’s told. I’m about to decline lunch, but I think twice about it.
Just then, the office door opens, and my brother walks out.
Until recently, he was the fun one, the brother who would understand me the most. Ian processes emotions differently from us.
Gabe has always been the easiest to talk to about my feelings, but that doesn’t mean he shares all of his.
Over the last couple of years, he’s been more closed off.