Chapter 24 #2
“Listen, sweetie, you forget an important detail. I was married to your father. I know a thing or two about you, aside from what I saw with my own eyes. You couldn’t handle school and having a boyfriend. How do you think you can handle someone like Damon?”
“I don’t need to handle Damon.”
“So you’d like to believe. Of course you don’t have to.
His life will suck you in and spit you out like an old piece of chewed gum.
He probably likes that you’re so genuine and inexperienced.
You follow your heart. And not only is that safe for him, but it’s also entertaining.
It’s new to him, too. And it’s also part of…
” She smiles again, making a real effort to get on my nerves.
“Are you telling me he’s interested in me because he wants to rile you up?”
“He is riling me up in case you haven’t noticed. And he absolutely knows how infuriating he can be by showing you so much interest.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“You believe what you want to believe. I can’t stop you.”
“So, in your view, someone can control their feelings toward another person.”
“They absolutely can.’
“You still have feelings for him, or you wouldn’t be here putting all this nonsense in my head, so how is that working out for you?”
She flicks a finger up.
“For one, it's not nonsense. I’m only telling you who this man is.”
“You’re telling me who he is because you hate him.
There’s no honesty in what you’re saying.
You said a lot of stupid shit to my father, and he believed you, although I never could.
He shouldn’t have married you, but no one could stop him.
You ‘weren’t in love’ with Damon before you met my father, and now you’re married to Damon, and you want me to believe that you don’t have feelings for him?
Listen, I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but you need to sort it out, and keep me out of it. I’ve had it with this story.”
I push upright and remove my towel from my shoulders when she runs a curious gaze over my body.
“Sit down, and I’ll give you the entire story, so that you can understand where I’m coming from.”
Reluctantly, I slide into my seat.
“Not having feelings for a man is better than allowing him to ruin you.”
“Is that what happened to you?”
“It’s never happened to me, but I saw it happen to other people.”
“Okay. I doubt you’re telling me all this out of the goodness of your heart. Because you don’t want it to happen to me? Please.”
She softly flicks her hand up.
“I don’t care about you. Besides, I don’t think it will happen to you. You’re too dumb to know it’s happening to you even when it’s happening to you.”
“I take offense in––”
She makes that annoying gesture with her hand again.
“Shut up. You’re a softie, just like your father.
I never understood how people like you weren’t run over by reckless drivers every day of the week.
I’m not saying you are stupid, as in you can’t pass an exam.
All I’m saying is, your view of life is small.
Too small. You’re just like your father.
But even for people like you, there are plenty of opportunities, and one of them was the casino business for your father, and now this man, Damon West, is for you. ”
“What’s your point?”
“The money that I’m getting from your father goes to Damon.”
My eyebrows slide up.
“Why?”
“I owe it to him. Much more than what I’m inheriting, in fact, which makes me believe he’s after getting the rest of it from you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I stole money from him, Lila.”
My mouth falls open.
“Why?”
“Because I could. Because he cheated on me with a cute redhead who made a bet she could steal him from me.”
“That’s not what I’m asking. Why would he want the rest of the money from me?”
“You’re an opportunity he can’t afford to miss. I’m not saying he’s after your money only. All I’m saying is, he will mess with your head, and one way of another he’ll get money out of this. He has no problem claiming my inheritance.”
“Isn’t there something that you can do?”
She chuckles sarcastically.
‘Like what? Go to the police? He forced me to marry him so he can keep an eye on me. It was either that or ending up in a ditch, covered in dirt like a roadkill. I picked the first option.”
My mouth is dry.
“What will happen when he gets his money?”
“He’ll set me free if he doesn’t change his mind.”
“Why would he?”
She shrugs.
“I don’t know. There’s also you. Maybe he has different plans for me, now that you’re part of his life.”
“He won’t divorce you to marry me,” I say. “We’re not in that kind of relationship.”
“You have no idea what kind of relationship you’re in. You know nothing about him.”
My head is spinning.
“I don’t understand. Why are you telling me all this? There’s nothing I can do about it.”
“Yes, you can. Don’t fall for him.”
“Fall for him? No one’s falling for him.”
My chuckle is filled with disbelief, and it quickly dies out before we share a few moments of silence.
She speaks first.
“You don’t know what will happen between the two of you.
I asked him to let you leave with me. By giving you some space, he could figure out what he feels for you, and you could learn more about his intentions.
You already know his answer. He absolutely forbade me to leave with you, so here I am, asking you the same thing.
Tell him that you want to come with me to New York.
You can see each other in the fall. A year from now, he’ll be a free man, and you’ll have your money.
If you think it is wise to trust him with your life and your money, do it.
That’s your business. I gave you a fair warning, but you do what you think works best for you. ”
A few moments pass.
“I still don’t get it. What’s in it for you?”
“Nothing. There’s nothing in it for me. I just don’t want to spend the summer here in the guesthouse, while you two are having an affair. I also don’t want to end up dead because he changes his mind after he gets his money.”
“And you think I can stop him from doing that?”
“I don’t know what you can or can’t do. I think we’ll both be safer if we stay away from him. That’s what I think. Right now, he wants what he wants, and I’m forced to stay here with you. He can’t let me leave. And he doesn’t want you to leave.”
I ponder her words.
I never liked this story, and now I like it even less.
“What happened to the money that you stole?”
She laughs charmingly.
“Nothing. I no longer have it.”
“You think it’s funny?”
“Not in the slightest. I think Damon West owes me way more than what I had stolen from him.”
“You were in love with him.”
“No, I was not. I hated him.”
“Yet you bothered to risk your life to make him feel a pinch of pain. Who’s feeling the pain now?”
She weighs her answer.
“Listen. I know it’s hard for you to understand how other people see life.
You have this fuzzy image of life. All about it is only nuances in your view.
Risks that have never been taken. Dreams that have never been fulfilled.
You’ve always aimed low, Lila. But once in a while even someone like you is lifted off the ground and plays in the big league.
That’s where you are. You look around and don’t understand a damn thing.
You have this man and don’t know what to do with him, and the funny part is that that’s exactly what he likes about you.
There’s no way someone like me can compete with that or the kind of dullness you bring to his life.
I never thought you two would hit it off.
Had I had the slightest suspicion it would happen, I would’ve come up with a plan to keep you away from him.
I just didn’t think he’d fall for your simplistic way of seeing things. ”
She gestures, annoyed, before she goes on.
“It doesn’t matter now. Think about what I’ve asked of you.
I’m serious now. You don’t have to do it for me.
You let him cool off a little. If he wants you, truly wants you, he will do what you’re asking of him.
If not, you’ve got your answer, and you've bitten the bullet, so to speak. If you two stay together, make sure you get a prenup and prepare yourself to live a life of crime. Even though he wouldn’t involve you in his affairs, you will unwillingly witness some of the stuff he’s doing, and when shit hits the fan you’ll become a target just like him.
Don’t say I never warned you. That part is not for the faint of heart.
Just give me an answer before tomorrow night. ”
With that, she finally pushes to her feet and leaves.
The terrace becomes quiet again while I have a feeling that something bad is hovering over me, about to happen.