Chapter 2 #2
“I need to get away. And I’ve booked a flight.”
“Are you being rational? We haven’t even talked. I’ve been trying to call you all week so we could meet up, Sergio. Why did you give up your seat on the board?” I lower my voice. I will not let him hear how pissed I am.
“I gave up my seat on the board because I can’t focus on business right now.”
“What?” I have to keep my anger in. He’s never focused on business. He does what I say, and that’s how we keep control. I take a deep breath, my hand squeezing the phone so tight I’m nervous it might shatter.
“I have no interest in business anymore. Nor money. It’s the root of all evil. I just want love. And it has broken me. My desires have led me down the path of the blind and broken.”
What the actual fuck is he talking about?
I am seething, but I can’t let him know how pissed I am. Dealing with my emotional, immature brother is like dealing with a little kid or a needy wife. Which is likely why I don’t want any kids or a wife in my life. Ever. Ever ever.
“Sergio, I understand you’re upset, but what do you mean you don’t need money? I spoke to Manny, the accountant, this afternoon, and he told me you made a withdrawal of ten million dollars.”
“Because she needed it to survive. I wanted to show her I would and could give her the world. She was the love of my life, my wonderful, amazing, queen.” He sobs. “But it wasn’t enough.”
“Wait, what? Sergio, what the fuck? You gave it to who?” More deep breaths. “Not the whole ten million?”
“My darling princess. But she still left me. She told me she doesn’t want to be with me.
She’s not going to marry me. She told me I’m not everything she wants.
How could she do this to me? I thought it was fate.
I just don’t know what to do, Sebastian.
I thought this was the one.” His voice cracks.
“My happily ever after. But she said that I wasn’t committed to her, but she was the one who suggested we—”
I take a deep breath. I couldn’t care less about the relationship. “Where are you? I can come and talk to you in person. I can—”
“No. I’m about to board the plane. It leaves in an hour.”
“What do you mean?” I’m the dumb one now.
“I’m going to Thailand. I need to find myself. Figure out what I want to do with my life.”
“That’s not a good idea. We have a huge board meeting coming up and—”
“You know I need to process these things, Sebastian. Just because you don’t fall in love or have relationships doesn’t mean I am the same way. This has touched me deeply.”
“Sergio, I—”
“I’ll be in contact, okay? It’s been a lot. I need to clear my mind. I don’t want to go to a really low place again, and I’m feeling really low right now. She broke my heart.”
I press my lips together, restraining the urge to ask how long they’d been dating, or where he’d met her.
He always thinks I’m judging him, and though I am, I don’t want him to know it.
Especially due to how sensitive he is. I’ve already lost one family member that I love. I don’t want to lose him, too.
“Okay,” I say, rubbing my forehead. “Relaxing in Thailand sounds like a good idea,” I lie. It was the worst idea ever, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. Sergio was the one person I tread on eggshells for. “Go to Thailand, relax, swim, eat some good food… and then get back here next week.”
“I’ll see how I feel.” He hangs up. A low, guttural sound rips through my chest and out of my throat. I am beside myself with anger and annoyance.
“Hey, big boy.” A redhead stops beside me. She’s holding a tray loaded with drinks. “Everything okay?” she asks softly. She’s clearly had work done, too, though not as over-the-top as the blonde. Aside from the lips. The lips look like they might explode at any moment.
“I’m good. Thank you.” I shake my head.
“Well, if you need anything…” She licks her lips. “Anything at all, I’m willing to help.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” I nod slowly and return to the table, grateful to see the blonde is gone. I’m in a bad mood, and my teasing mood is gone.
“Everything okay?” Jack asks as the others continue talking about the stock market.
“Yeah. It was Sergio. He’s had his heart broken, and now he’s on his way to Thailand.” I roll my eyes as I take my seat back in the dark leather chair. “He needs to recover from the pain.” My lips thin as the ridiculous words escape my mouth.
“He’s taking the end of the relationship poorly?” Jack looks concerned, and I’m grateful for the support as he leans forward. “Is he going to be okay? Do you want to leave?”
“I don’t know what’s going on. It’s hard with Sergio.
He’s always over the top with his reactions.
” I sigh. My brother causes me endless anxiety.
He reacts before thinking—sometimes making decisions so poor that I fear for him.
I’m annoyed, too. Whoever this woman is, she’s taken him for ten million and made him so heartbroken that he’s given up his seat on the board.
Which affects the changes I want to make at the company.
Whoever this woman was, she was a conniving gold-digger. Women like her need to learn they can’t take advantage of men and get away with it. I’m convinced that she targeted my brother as a soft touch and is likely somewhere laughing as she spent her stolen money.
I lean back on the leather couch and decide to change the subject. I need to let everything process before I make any decisions about what I’m going to do next, because I am not happy.
“So, Jack, how’s your brother doing?”
“I haven’t spoken to him recently.” Jack shrugs and offers me a wry smile. “But I guess he’s doing well. I think he and his last girlfriend broke up. His choice, though. No running off to Thailand for him.” He makes a face. “She was a cute girl. I feel bad for her.”
“Well, that’s good he’s okay. What about you? It’s been a couple of weeks since we last spoke. Are you seeing anyone?”
“Seeing anyone? Define seeing, please.”
“What is this—the Scripps National Spelling Bee?” I burst out laughing. “Have you taken any women on dates? Met any families? Bought any rings?”
“Not since the last time we saw each other, which was not even six weeks ago. You know I was on a business trip, so no time for fun.” He shakes his head, his blue eyes amused. “How fast do you think I move?”
“I don’t know.” I grin. “Faster than me.”
“What about you, Seb? You seeing anyone?”
“No. I mean, I’ve gone on a couple of dates here and there.
I met a woman for dinner about two weeks ago, but she kept hinting she wanted to go to Hawaii and get a penthouse suite on the beach.
I’m not the sort of guy who takes a woman to Hawaii and gets a suite, you know what I mean?
” I shudder. “The thought of having to spend more than one night in a row with a woman makes me cringe.”
“I know what you mean.” He chuckles as he nods and sips his drink. “So, what about that one girl I met when we golfed last? What was her name?”
“Sapphire? She was in marketing for the Bookmark Group. She ended up being engaged.” I laugh.
“Pity.”
“Not really. She still tried to fuck, but that’s not my style.”
“Wait, while she was engaged?”
“I guess she was hoping to upgrade to a real man,” I say, smirking. “But I’m not about those games. Or that lifestyle. I don’t mess with women in relationships.”
“I know. There’s a reason we’re the Oxford Six; we don’t take seconds or mess around in situations that don’t benefit us.”
“Yes, we are the shit.” I glance around at our tight-knit group of friends.
All of us are thirty-five, all of us billionaires.
All of us are single. All of us are ridiculously good-looking.
All of us have to swat women away like flies.
I love my friends. They are like brothers to me.
Yet sometimes I wonder if we are all happy.
Like truly happy. Sometimes I wonder if this is the pinnacle of the mountain.
We have money. We have friendship. We have power.
Yet none of us have ever had a serious relationship.
And even more than that, none of us are eager to settle down.
I still don’t know if it is a good or bad thing that we’re consummate bachelors—or, as some “in the press” would say, playboys.
Maybe it’s because we’ve always focused so hard on work and making money that settling down has never been a priority.
I know it isn’t for me. With parents like mine, I never want to get married.
I never want to be tied to a woman who could drive me insane—or worse, someone I could drive insane.
I don’t want someone to hate me with a passion like the way my mother hated my father.
I don’t want my life to be an act to the outside world.
I don’t want to have kids just because, but secretly hating and resenting them.
I just want to live a life of peace. I want to come and go as I please.
I don’t want to have to answer to anyone.
I don’t want my every move analyzed and discussed.
I want to wake up in the morning with nothing on my mind other than what I want to have for breakfast and how much money I’m going to make that day.
I like living a life where I have no one to answer to. No one to despise or hate. No one to have to look after. It is easier that way.
Though, if I’m honest with myself, there are days when I wake up in the morning and think about Sergio and the mistakes and fuckups he’s making and how I can help him, and I feel a huge pit of despair.
Sometimes I just want to let it go and let him do whatever he’s going to do. Even if it leads to self-destruction.
But then I think about David. My cousin. My best friend. The first person who’d ever really seen me. Looked out for me. Made me laugh. Took me under his wing. Loved me.