Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
K ellen
Last night with Salem was great. I think we might have turned the corner, and now we’re ready to see if this attraction between us can really be something. I know I want it to be that, but I’m not sure about her.
I finish my shower and contemplate what to say when I see her today. Ronan says women like when you talk to them, so maybe I’ll just do that. It worked last night. It seems too simple, though.
Is it really that easy? I guess we’ll see.
Five minutes later, I’m heading downstairs with butterflies in my stomach at the thought of seeing her this morning. What the hell is wrong with me? I never get nervous around women.
Maybe I’m coming down with something.
When my foot hits the last stair, I hear a familiar voice and those butterflies flitter away, leaving my stomach to twist into a tight knot. What the hell is Matthias doing here? I swear that guy has an innate cockblocking ability.
Isn’t it enough I’m here not causing any problems for the company or him? Does he really have to pay us a visit to check on how we’re doing? That feels like it could have been an email or text, if you ask me.
I listen to hear what he’s saying since I’m sure he isn’t here to see me. I’m still persona non grata to him, I’m sure. I bet if I could be a fly on the wall over at the old house that I’d find out he and Ava are thrilled to have me stuck here.
Out of sight, out of mind.
They just don’t want to accept that I know the truth, even if nobody else does. I know what happened with them and Theo, and I don’t care if every other person in the world thinks it’s okay. I don’t, and that’s not going to change anytime soon.
I creep down the hall toward Salem’s office and hear him talking to her about something, although I can’t quite make out exactly what they’re saying. Maybe if I get close to the door I’ll be able to hear them better.
It doesn’t escape me that this is sad for a grown man to do, but dealing with Matthias has become nothing less than a chore in the past year. I don’t know what’s happened to him. He was never fun, but at least he was a decent guy and a pretty good brother. Yes, he could be a moody ass, but I almost want to think that’s just part of who he is.
Ever since he took over as head of King Industries, though, he’s been insufferable.
I get as near to the office as possible and listen. Five seconds into my eavesdropping, my hands are balled up into tight fists and I have to hold myself back from marching in there and leveling him with a single punch.
“So he’s been good? No more problems? Nathan told me that things were a bit rocky a few weeks ago. I’m sorry I haven’t gotten over here to talk to you earlier. Ava and I have been busy getting ready for the baby, and you’d be surprised at how much that involves. For example, I had no idea there were so many types of strollers.”
Leave it to him to make a big deal out of strollers. And this is the guy my father thought would be the best choice to run the family business. I’d be insulted if I wasn’t so pissed off.
Salem laughs at his lame attempt at a joke and says, “Kellen and I have found some common ground. I’m still working my tail off to get people to see him as I do and you and your brothers do. I feel like we’re very close to turning a corner. I was very thankful when Eleanor came over to visit. It’s good to be reminded that in a sea of people who think he’s a villain, there’s someone like her who thinks he’s such a great person. I wish I could just trot her out and let people interview her about him.”
The two of them laugh, which I sort of understand because the idea of Eleanor talking me up to that bird lady who eviscerated me in that ridiculous interview is funny. If I know her, she would have sliced and diced that journalistic hack the moment she started in with her biased questions.
The world may hate me, but at least I have Eleanor in my corner.
“Yeah, Eleanor is all right,” Matthias says. “She’s always favored Kellen.”
Jesus, is he going to be petty about her too? What a dick.
“Oh, I can tell. She raved about him to me the other day. It was actually really nice to hear her stories about him and all of you. From what she told me, it sounds like you five had great childhoods together.”
She’s right about that. We did. I don’t know when it all fell apart, but I’m pretty sure it had to do with when this brother betrayed Theo.
I look around the doorframe to see Matthias nodding as he says, “Oh, we did have a great time growing up. Our parents would have been lost without Eleanor, to be honest. Five boys so close in age were a lot to handle.”
Well, I can’t disagree with him on that. Mark that down. One thing Matthias and I agree on.
“You know, Kellen told me that Eleanor is family to you all. I think that’s great. She’s a sweet woman.”
“She is. When everyone moved out and it was just me there, we talked about her possibly leaving, but I told her I couldn’t imagine the house without her in it. I probably don’t tell her this enough, but she’s an integral part of our life there. I know Ava feels the same way. She’s family in every way that matters.”
I can’t stop myself from rolling my eyes as soon as he mentions her. How is it fair that the two of them are making their own little love nest at the house while the man she should be with is lying dead in the cold ground? I swear sometimes I want to scream at the world and ask what the hell is wrong with everyone that they’ve forgotten Theo was the one who loved Ava for his entire life, not Matthias.
That’s about all I can take of him today, so I quietly make my way out to the kitchen to grab a soda before heading to my usual perch on the patio. It’s a beautiful, sunny day, so I might be able to get some good tanning time. Why not? There’s nothing else I can do here with him monopolizing Salem’s time with his useless chit chat.
I toss my shirt onto the back of my chaise lounge and lean back to enjoy the sun beating down on me. I figure at this rate, I should look like I’ve spent weeks down in the islands by the time my lockdown here is over.
My mind wanders to the possibility of Salem and me going back to that resort for a little break when the smoke clears and she’s done working her magic on my reputation. I’d like to do that for her since I fucked up so badly the first time we were there. I think she’d like going back together.
I feel myself drifting off when a voice I could genuinely never hear again interrupts my beautiful day. “Is this what you do here? I never thought you were much of a sun worshipper, Kellen.”
What a killjoy.
Opening my eyes, I turn to look up at him standing on my patio wearing a black business suit and tie. Jesus, relax much, dude? Who gets dressed like that if they aren’t in the office?
Then again, I’m sure he’ll be nose to the grindstoning it after this little trip over to see where he’s keeping me imprisoned.
“What do you want, Matthias? I’m here, as you dictated. I’m not causing you or the company any trouble anymore. I’ve effectively been exiled, so what more could you want? Just let me hang out here in my Elba on the Hudson and leave me the hell alone.”
He stares down at me with no emotion in his expression but shakes his head. “A Napoleon reference? Really, Kellen?”
I close my eyes, done with him now. “Fuck off, Matthias. Go back to your love nest with your girlfriend and leave me the hell alone.”
All I hear is silence and then the sound of his black dress shoes tapping against the concrete as he walks away. Good riddance, buddy. Feel free to never bother stopping in again.
Now that he’s gone, I consider heading inside to see if Salem wants to hang out for lunch today, but after my dear brother’s charming visit with me, I’m surly as fuck. Damnit! That son of a bitch ruins everything without even trying.
Maybe I’ll just relax and catch some rays for a while hoping my mood improves. A little vitamin D never hurt.
The sound of footsteps rouses me from my lying in the sun, and I open my eyes to see Ava marching toward me like some kind of soldier on a mission. Fucking great. How much do you want to bet my damn brother mentioned what I said to him and now she’s here to plead their case?
She’s got to be kidding. No wonder she’s so crazy about Matthias. They’re two peas in a very irritating pod.
Before I can even sit up and tell her I’m not interested in whatever she wants to discuss, she starts talking. “I think it’s time we had a talk, Kellen.”
I take a deep breath in through my mouth and slowly let it out through my nose, wishing that by the time I’m ready to say something to her that she goes away. When that doesn’t happen, I turn my head and see she’s much bigger than I thought she’d be by now.
“Ava, I’d say it’s nice to see you again, but since you clearly are spoiling for a fight, I guess that wouldn’t be accurate.”
She stares bullet holes through me for a long moment before snapping, “What the hell is wrong with you? We were friends all our lives. You know me as well as you know your own brothers. Why are you like this with me now?”
God, she really does want to do this. Okay. I guess we’re finally going to clear the air.
Slowly, I swing my legs off my chaise lounge and sit up. “Do you want to sit down? You are pregnant.”
“No. I’d rather stand.”
Fine. She wants to do this standing up. I can work with that.
When I stand up, I tower over her, as I have since I had that growth spurt in seventh grade. Why she’d want to give me that advantage I have no idea.
“So now that we’re both on our feet, what exactly do you want me to say, Ava? That I’m wrong for thinking you betrayed Theo? That I can forgive you for what you did? Well, the answer is no to both.”
Tears fill her eyes, which of course makes me the bad guy immediately. I get she’s probably moody because she’s pregnant, but if she thinks I’m going to hold back this time, she’s crazy.
Her boyfriend stuck me here, and I’m done holding my tongue when it comes to him and her.
“I did not betray anyone. You know that. I know Theo told you what happened. Why do you insist on being cruel to Matthias and me?” she asks in a weepy voice.
“Of course, you did. He loved you. You knew that. You knew the type of person he was, and at the end of the day, he loved you and wanted to be with you.”
My words make her wince, although I don’t know why. Every single one is true. Perhaps the truth hurts.
“Why should I have to wait until the end of the day? Why was it okay that he could go with any girl in the world, but I was supposed to sit around and wait for him to figure out he wanted to be with me?”
I shrug, not knowing the answer to her questions. “All I know is he loved you, and you stabbed him in the back and went with his brother. As for Matthias, well, he’s even worse because Theo was his brother. He knew what he felt for you better than anyone else, but it didn’t matter. Just like with exiling me here, Matthias just took what he wanted, and fuck anyone else’s feelings.”
Ava doesn’t say anything to that and merely hangs her head. I wait for her to speak again, but she doesn’t. When she finally lifts her head, tears roll down her cheeks.
“I loved him, Kellen. I loved him all my life. I tried so hard to be with him because I thought I was supposed to be. You have no idea what I went through. Losing him devastated me. I couldn’t get out of bed for weeks. I didn’t want to go on living. That you think I could be so callous and not care about my best friend for my entire life hurts more than you can know.”
I’m not a completely unfeeling bastard, so I reach out to touch her hand, but she yanks it away. “Don’t!”
“Just tell me this, Ava. How could you go with Matthias knowing Theo loved you?”
“How could you ask me that? You were there all those times when it was Theo, you, and me, and he left me with you to go with some girl. I never said a word. I never complained because I loved him as a friend. If you were honest with yourself, you’d have to admit he didn’t love me romantically. He would have never been able to leave if he did.”
I shake my head at her excuses. “And Matthias would never leave. I guess I see why you decided to settle for him.”
Rage flashes in Ava’s eyes, and a second later, she slaps my face so hard I practically see stars. “I don’t care what you say about me, but don’t you dare disparage Matthias! He was there when your father died and everything had to be handled. He was there when Theo died and all of you were lost. Do you think he has no feelings? He lost his best friend just like I did. I won’t let you say another word against him.”
In shock, I watch her storm away as I rub my cheek. Little Ava has more fire to her than I thought.
Well, this has been a delightful day.
And it doesn’t take long for it to get much worse.
Five minutes later, Salem comes around the house looking like she wants to kill me. Before I can try to tell her what happened, she screams, “What the hell is wrong with you? Have you lost your fucking mind? She’s a pregnant woman, and you make her cry? I’m trying to show the world you’re a good person, and you turn into a fucking monster!”
“I didn’t make her cry. She cried. Don’t pregnant women do that a lot?” I say, desperately trying to salvage any chance that Salem will ever want to speak to me again in a tone that isn’t screaming.
The horror on her face tells me nothing I’ve said so far is helping.
“What is wrong with you? She’s going to give birth to your niece or nephew soon, and you think it’s okay and just something commonplace that she burst into tears when she was talking to you? Have you lost your mind, Kellen?”
I reach out to touch her shoulders, but Salem pushes my hands away. “Don’t touch me. I swear to God, Kellen, I’m trying my damnedest to convince the world you’re not what everything thinks you are, but right now, I can’t imagine having to do that face-to-face with anyone because not a single soul would believe me after this.”
“Salem, I’ve known Ava all my life. We were in the same classes every year in school. She was best friends with my brother Theo.”
Before I can say the rest of what I planned to tell her, she asks, “And this is how you honor his memory? By making his best friend cry?”
“No! That wasn’t my intention at all. I just disagree with her being with Matthias because it was Theo who was in love with her. It wasn’t anything big. Just two people who’ve known one another for their entire lives disagreeing about something.”
For a few moments, Salem looks confused, like she’s trying to process who all the people are in that story. At least she’s not yelling at me.
Finally, she shakes her head. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter what that was. You made her cry, and then you let her leave here without smoothing things over. You’re going to deserve whatever Matthias does to you after that. I’d fully expect him to come over here and knock your head off.”
That’s a definite possibility. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Matthias and I have been pissed at one another for months. Maybe it’ll be good to have an old-fashioned brotherly slugfest like when we were kids. It never failed to make things better back in the day.
Salem spins away from me and storms back into the house, leaving me standing there wondering if I went too far this time. I didn’t want to make Ava cry. I’ve always cared for her. I just don’t think what happened between her and Theo was right.