17. Gabriella
Gabriella
Present
A s Damien drove us north of the city, I took in his profile. While the last week and a half had been a whirlwind or more accurately, a tornado, there was a sense of contentment in where we landed. We’d fallen from the cyclone into one another’s arms.
The stress I continued to see etched into the lines on his face drew me to him. The man I’d more than once named the devil was fighting his own demons. I reached across the console and squeezed Damien’s thigh. “Have you heard from Marsha?”
His navy gaze came my direction as if my speaking had pulled him from somewhere deep in his thoughts. “She texted earlier. Dad is awake and talking.” He scoffed. “Mom said he’s irritated—even more than usual.”
“That’s good…that he’s awake.”
Damien nodded.
“Did you tell Dani about the bodyguard schedule?”
“Yeah. It may not?—”
“You’ve changed your mind?” I asked.
Damien laid on the horn and spewed a few vulgarities as another car pulled in front of us in a roundabout. Running his hand through his hair, he turned my way. “Fuck, sorry. I’m on edge.”
“You have every right to be. This entire mess with the executive board is ridiculous. I’m meeting with Millie in the morning. I’ll know more about Beta Kappa Phi’s stance on the campaign. Did you talk to Julia?”
“Fuck. No. I can call later.”
Once again, I reached across the console. “You’re not alone. I’m here. I believe in you. You’ve never lied to me. You want your dad to be better. You want what’s best for Sinclair. We’ll get through this together.”
As he turned the car onto my street, Damien laid his hand over mine. “I never meant to lie.”
My heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”
The tendons in his neck pulled taut and his chiseled jaw was rigid.
“Damien.”
“We need to talk. I’ve got a call out to Timothy Evans. He’s with Sinclair legal…if you don’t remember him. He works with Stephen, who is still in Florida with Dad.”
“Is this about the addendum?”
Damien pulled his car into a parking space on the street and shut off the engine. “What kind of alcohol do you have on hand?”
“Mostly wine. I think there’s an old bottle of bourbon my dad left after his last visit.”
Damien reached for my hand. “I fucking love you, Ella. I have since” —he touched the diamond on my fourth finger— “before I bought this ring.”
I lifted my other hand to his scruffy cheek. “I told Mom that when I called. She was shocked that we married, but I told her the truth. I love you. I care about you. I didn’t mention that we’ve agreed to work on our relationship.”
“Rekindle.”
A smile lifted my cheeks. “Rekindle. When I left you, I concentrated on the negative. How you were a workaholic and how it seemed you cared more about Sinclair than you did me.” I placed a finger over his lips as he began to speak. “Damien, that wasn’t your fault. Not totally. I see you differently now. You have every right to be concerned about Derek and about the company, even the coalition. I’m not jealous of that. I want to be a part of it, to share your load.”
Damien’s nostrils flared.
I looked out the side window and back to Damien. “We could go inside.”
As I unlocked the front door to the condo, I had a thought. “You need a key.”
“And you need one to my place. Ours .”
Although we’d spent last night here in my condo, I had the sensation as if Damien was visiting, not staying. Stepping inside we were met by our greeting party—Duchess. She ran toward us and rubbed around my ankles before doing the same to Damien.
“You really are the only other person in the world she likes,” I said as he picked her up from the floor.
“Hello, Duchess.”
The timbre of his deep greeting made me smile.
She responded with a push of her head against his chin.
“I could cook dinner,” I offered, wondering what I had in the refrigerator or freezer that I could make into a meal.
Damien draped his suit coat on the back of one of the chairs at the breakfast bar and began rolling the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows. “Let’s order delivery.”
“I can cook,” I said, slipping out of my heels.
His smile formed. “I’m hoping that tonight we’ll utilize other skills than your culinary ones.”
“Then how about that bourbon or would you like wine?”
“I’ll start with wine in case you kick me out.”
Why would I do that?
Opening the wine refrigerator, I pulled out a partial bottle of chardonnay. “This?” I looked in the refrigerator. “I have others, and I think there’s a cabernet in the cupboard.”
“Cab,” he said, opening the cupboards.
Taking two wine goblets from the cabinet, I sat them on the counter and handed Damien the wine opener. Once the glasses were filled, we each took one as he led me by my other hand to the living room.
“Why would I kick you out?” I finally asked.
After a hearty sip of his wine, Damien sat back. There was something in his expression I couldn’t identify. “Amber came to my office this afternoon.”
I set my glass on the table in front of the sofa. “Is this why you’ve been quiet?”
As he nodded, my stomach twisted.
“Whatever it is, we will make it work.”
He closed his eyes and exhaled. “I can’t even say it.”
“What?”
Standing, Damien paced between the fireplace and the windows that led to my back deck. “It’s so fucking unbelievable. I told you I called Timothy.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Amber and I broke up.”
I nodded.
Damien returned to the sofa. Sitting, he leaned forward with his hands between his spread knees and stared toward the floor. “She wanted to marry. I knew about the addendum, but I didn’t care. I knew she wasn’t my person , my one . You played a recurring role in my dreams. I’m not saying I was waiting for your return; I just knew she wasn’t the one.”
“Why was she in your office?” There was an edge to my voice.
“She told me that she and Darius weren’t married.”
I pulled back. “They lied?”
“According to her, they had the ceremony. They applied for the license, like we did. There’s no wait in Florida, so it takes time to get the permanent license. Their license hit a snag.”
My curiosity was piqued. “A snag? What kind of snag?”
“According to Indiana records, Amber is already married.”
A cold chill scattered over my skin. “Married. Married to who?”
His eyes closed and Adam’s apple bobbed. “Me.”
“What the hell?” I stood, backing away from him. “You’re married? I asked you, and you said you didn’t marry her. You just said you broke up when she wanted to marry.”
Damien was on his feet and coming toward me.
“No.” I lifted my hands. “Don’t touch me. Explain why you lied.”
Oh my God. He lied to me.
I reached for my temples. “I can’t believe this. I’m such a fool.”
“Ella, you’re not a fool. It makes no sense, but I didn’t know we were married.” He opened his eyes wider. “I’ll show you my taxes. I filed single.”
“Your taxes. Your taxes.” I said the phrase louder each time. “How could you be married and not know you’re married? Were you drunk? High? What?”
“Let me explain.”
“You can’t explain this.” I shook my head. “You lied. I asked one thing of you. I asked you not to hurt me.”
“Ella, listen to me.”
My attention went to my left hand. With tears in my eyes, I removed the two rings. “Take these and go. I’ll tell Millie tomorrow that everything was a mistake. If the coalition still wants a campaign, you’ll need someone else.” I crossed my arms over my breasts. “Go.”
“Fuck no.” His volume rose. “I’m not going until I explain what happened.”
Sniffing, I reached for my glass of wine and sat on the sofa. “Fine. Explain, then leave.”
His head wobbled on his neck. “Fuck,” he roared. “I didn’t marry her.”
“Yet you are married.”
“Legally, it seems so.”
A sob bubbled from my chest.
I’d trusted him. I wanted to help him.
Looking at Damien, a rush of memories returned, ones I’d concentrated on when I left. The negative ones. “You are the devil.”
“Fuck, Ella, listen. Over a year ago, Amber and I went to the county clerk’s office for a marriage license. Yes, we both went willingly. We didn’t marry. We got the license. In Indiana, that license is good for sixty days. I knew it was a mistake. I also knew it would save my place as CEO, but my fucking parents...”
I narrowed my eyes. “What about your parents?”
“They have a good marriage. I’ve witnessed it all my life. The night Amber and I got the license, I knew I’d never have that kind of marriage with her. That night, I left her. I left her in her condo with a note. I know that was a shitty way to break up, but I couldn’t continue. Leaving that night, I balled up the license and left it with the note and my key to her place. I fucking drove to Dani’s place in the middle of the night and told her what I’d done.”
“Did you sign the license?” I asked.
“I did, at the clerk’s office. There wasn’t a ceremony. No official. I should have ripped the damn license to shreds, but I never dreamt that she’d find a way to file it.” He lifted his hands to the top of his head and flexed his arms. The seams of his shirt pulled tight over the strain. “She never told me until today.”
I closed my eyes, trying to make sense of what made no sense.
“Our marriage isn’t legal?”
Damien shook his head. “Amber showed me the email she received from the Florida courthouse where she and Darius said their vows. Their license wasn’t approved because?—”
“She’s already married.”
He nodded. “We’ll get the same response.” His eyes pleaded for me to listen. “Believe me. I didn’t know I was married. I don’t think it’s even legal. Fuck, it can’t be. That’s what Timothy said. We’ll get it annulled.”
Married.
He was married.
I slept with a married man.
“Oh my God, I’m the other woman.”
Damien crouched down near my knees and looked up at me. “No, Ella. You are the only woman. This is a mistake. That conniving bitch had the license filed under false pretenses.”
“She never told you?” I asked.
“She tried to call me a few times, and I blew her off. One of the first times I saw her, after the night I left, was in Florida after Dad’s first heart attack.”
“How long have you been married?”
“I’m not sure when she filed the license, but I left her about fifteen months ago.” He stood. “My taxes?—”
“Stop about your taxes.” I stood too. “You should not be on probation. You’ve been married for over a year. She could have gotten you off probation.”
“She didn’t want to help me. I wouldn’t speak to her.”
More and more thoughts were coming to my mind. “Why would she marry Darius if she knew it wouldn’t be legal?”
“She said she thought I’d be jealous. She never expected me to return to the hospital with you. With her plan, when I was upset, she’d tell Darius the truth—that she and I were already married. Then the two of us would live happily ever after.”
“Is that what she said?”
Damien nodded.
He reached for my hands. “Please, Ella, believe me. I had no idea.”