Burning Up (29 page)

Frank shook his head and tried to catch his breath. “It’s okay, Layla. I knew it was a long shot. I just wanted to see him one last time, to tell him I’m sorry and that I love him. I knew he would never forgive me. I don’t deserve it.”

Marching over to Ollie, I shoved him on the chest forcefully. “This is your final chance, Oliver Green. Closure, a final goodbye. Do you really want it to be like this?”

Something in him seemed to change, and for a moment I saw tears in his beautiful brown eyes. Turning to Frank, Ollie walked over, took his hand and held it in his in a halfhearted handshake.

“I won’t forgive you. I can’t tell you I love you because it would be a lie. But for whatever little time you have left, you can at least live with the knowledge that I don’t hate you. I don’t feel anything for you. Goodbye, Dad. Thank you for the guitar.”

Grasping Ollie’s hand firmly, Frank sniffed through his tears. “Goodbye, Son. I’m proud of the man you’ve become.”

Turning on his heel, Ollie reached for my hand and clutched it, entwining our fingers as he knocked on the iron door. He never looked back. We walked hand in hand along the hallway, out of the building, and back to the car. He was deadly silent. As I opened the driver’s side door, Ollie still had his hand clasped in mine. Spinning me around, he gazed at me.

“Thank you.”

He leaned closer and placed a sweet and gentle kiss on my cheek before releasing my hand and tossing his guitar in the trunk. I stood, frozen, for a moment with my fingertips pressed to my cheek. I could still feel the warmth of his lips and the cool of his lip ring on my skin. It made me both hot and cold at the same time. I burned with out of control desire. I wanted to take all of his pain and wash it away. But most of all, I wanted
him
. My blood ran cold as I thought of the hurt and devastation I had caused him myself. He’d already had a lifetime of rejection, abandonment, and heartache. And there I was, topping the pile of assholes. Nice move, Layla. I had a lot of making up to do, and I was determined, one way or another. I would pick up the pieces of the shattered heart I had broken. I just hoped it wasn’t beyond repair, because one thing was for sure, I was not over Ollie.

In the weeks following our roadside confrontation, Ollie and I hardly saw, spoke, or even acknowledged each other. I wasn’t sure if he was avoiding me, or if I was avoiding him. But I missed him. Amy and Mel had begged me to come to the bar on countless occasions, but I wasn’t in the mood for uncomfortable silences and stolen glances across a table. I’d spent almost a month sitting in my house, staring at the TV and ignoring the countless messages accumulating on my new phone. Thankfully, the phone company swallowed my explanation that it had been stolen at a bar. A replacement was sent right away, but it also came with my same phone number which means the moment I switched it on, I was presented with over fifty calls, voice messages, and texts. Jared was desperate to see and speak with me, but I was still reeling from everything that happened. And to make it worse, someone in the media had gotten a hold of the damn Alicia story, and Jared was now the focus of a very public paternity scandal. My heart had almost shattered into a thousand pieces the day that newspaper landed on our doorstep. He’d sent me messages to warn me, but it didn’t prepare me at all for the circus that was unfolding.

Sitting on the couch, I sighed deeply as I read the latest news article. A picture of Jared in his favorite grey suit and dark shades was in the center of the page, and the article itself accused him of irresponsible behavior. Speculation was now also circling about my role in this mess. As I read further and further, my jaw began to clench as anger brewed and simmered in my veins.

The article read:

“Mrs. Felix claims her relationship with Garrett was horribly severed after his ex-flame, Layla Jennings, came to New York in pursuit of reconciliation with the property tycoon. Mrs. Felix confirms that she was already expecting the child and that Garrett was fully aware when he ended the relationship to rekindle and reconnect with his old flame. Jennings was believed to also have been aware of the pregnancy and at a social event, was seen to be noticeably riled when Mrs. Felix approached Garrett regarding the matter of care and access to the child. Garrett, who refuses to comment on the matter, is said to be discussing his options with top legal staff, and Mrs. Felix is also seeking legal counsel. Mr. Felix was unavailable for comment but is believed to be understandably angered at the revelations. Unable to have children themselves, Felix previously blamed their infertility for the breakup of his marriage but recently was heard to have admitted it was his wife’s relationship and infidelity with Garrett that broke the camel’s back. The once fond friends and business associates have been in a heated and brutal rivalry since it was revealed that Mrs. Felix had been having an affair with Garrett for a considerable amount of time. Garrett, after being jilted by his lover, then liquidized and withdrew funding from many of Felix’s major businesses leaving him in a dire financial situation. It can only be assumed that these new revelations will only reinforce the animosity between the two men further.”

Slamming the paper on the cushion of the couch, I fumed, stomped, and paced back and forth. It was a good thing I was alone in the house, otherwise I may have appeared to be a little unhinged. Deciding I needed to get out of my head and away from the same four walls, I pulled on my sneakers and grabbed my car keys. I figured a drive and a little shopping would do me good. What I didn’t expect was to find myself standing outside the coffee shop instead of pulverizing my emergency credit card. Taking a deep breath, I pushed my way through the large glass doors. The place was relatively empty, and I was relieved to see that Kate was not behind the counter. I still hadn’t spoken to her since I found out about her one night stand with Ollie. It wasn’t that I blamed her, or even that I hated her; I was just … hurt. Ollie wasn’t my property, that was true, but it just wasn’t something you do. You don’t sleep with a friend’s ex. It’s like a cardinal girl code sin. I’d known that the two of them had sexual chemistry after his birthday party, but I didn’t expect to feel so insanely jealous!

Ordering a large latte, I sat down at a corner table and began scrolling through the endless messages, reading each one over and over. My heart was heavy, and the sharp pain of our last encounter was still lingering. Jared and I had something special; well, I thought we did. But now all I felt was empty, cold, and angry. He’d lied, hidden, and kept things from me, and that, to me, was the worst kind of betrayal. You can’t love someone so deeply yet share nothing of yourself. You also can’t practically collar, low jack, and monitor their every movement. It’s not right. Jared had become more like my body guard or a damn cop watching everything I did. Who I was with, where I was going, and since I’d walked out, I’d finally been able to breathe for the first time in months. Jared was slowly suffocating me, we just hadn’t realized it. The texts and emails professing his devotion, innocence, and undying love were failing to move me anymore. The words felt empty. I didn’t trust him anymore and his broken promises were finally taking their toll. He’d promised to give me honesty. He’d promised to ease up on his stalking, and he’d promised to never hurt me again. He’d failed.

The dinging of the bell over the door caught my attention, and as I glanced up from my drink, my eyes fell on a tall, golden-haired, blue-eyed god among men.

His eyes met mine, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. My heart skipped a beat, and my pulse raced. Damn him for having that effect on me! His eyebrow raised, he strode over to me, and pulled out a seat. I stood and moved to leave, but grabbing my wrist, he pulled me back to the table with a gentle tug.

“Please. Just five minutes?” he pleaded.

Closing my eyes and taking a deep and calming breath, I nodded before taking my seat across from him.

“Five minutes. Though I’m sure I can sum everything up in less than one,” I sniped.

“Layla, don’t be like that. I just want to talk. You’ve been avoiding and diverting my calls for weeks, and I’m going crazy! I haven’t been able to eat, sleep, or think straight since you left. I can’t believe that you think I would cheat on you with Alicia.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think you cheated. I don’t even believe that the damn kid is yours. Alicia is a scheming and money grabbing harlot, and I wouldn’t put it past her to pull this kind of shit.”

Sighing with relief, Jared leaned back in his chair. “Then what the hell is the problem?”

Leaning forward against the table, I gripped the edge and spoke in a harsh but quiet tone. I didn’t want an audience and with the media watching him, I didn’t want the attention.

“The problem? The problem is you still can’t be honest with me! You should have told me about Alicia. You should have been honest with me from the damn start, but you weren’t.”

He shook his head slowly and stared at me with determination. “I was trying to protect you to keep you safe. I had no choice. Do you have any idea how dangerous her ex-husband is? He’s fucking deranged, Layla. He followed us to Europe! He was there. He was also at Arthur’s function. He’s been watching us.”

I swallowed hard as fear crept up on me.

“I think he called me,” I whispered.

Jared’s eyes scanned mine and a look of worry was painted across his face.

“When? What did he say?”

I shrugged. “Before we left for London. He didn’t say anything. I can’t even be sure it was him. It was just someone breathing down the phone. I figured it was some pervert or someone trying to scare me.”

Pulling out his cell, Jared dialed. “Peter? He’s got Layla’s cell phone number. I want a blocker put in place immediately. Anything suspicious, report it.”

As he hung up, I gave him an exasperated look. “Even now, you just can’t stop can you? I’m not your child. I don’t need protecting. Damn it, Jared. How can I make you understand? I wanted us to be more than just lovers who fuck and fight all the time. I wanted to be friends, but you can’t stop being my parent!”

Reaching across the table, I took my hand in his and gripped it tightly. 

“I was trying to stop you from being dragged into a mess that has nothing to do with you.”

Cutting him off, I yelled in his face. “Nothing to do with me? Are you serious? I was your girlfriend. Have you seen this morning’s paper? They’re accusing me of stealing you away from poor, pregnant Alicia! I’m being painted as the home-wrecking bitch!”

Letting go of my hand, he growled in frustration. “Layla, calm down. It’s a tabloid, and tomorrow it will be lining kitty litter trays. It’ll be exactly what it is right now, covered in shit. You know the truth.”

I snorted a laugh. “Do I?”

He raised an eyebrow at me, and I confess, I almost melted as the stern and dominant tones of his voice carried through the air. “Don’t do that, Layla. It insults your intelligence. You know I wasn’t with Alicia. I was distraught and still trying to get over you.”

Maintaining my composure as he stared at me with a burning intensity, I shook my head. “And what about when we first broke up, Jared? Can you honestly tell me you never slept with her? How can I ever believe you? You hide everything from me and lie to me all the time. You know my every move, breath, hell you probably know my social security number. But I know
nothing
about you!”

“You know everything you need to know,” he said defensively.

“Which is absolutely nothing! I may know your name, your business, and what turns your screws, but I still have no idea who you are one minute to the next! Jared the businessman. Jared the playboy and socialite. Jared the sex-pert, and Jared the damn stalker is all I know!”

“I love you! That’s all you need to know.”

I groaned and rolled my eyes in frustration.

“It isn’t enough!”

A loud cough caught my attention, and looking around, I noticed people were beginning to stare. I let out a long breath and closed my eyes, trying to calm myself.

“I’m going to therapy.”

Opening my eyes, I stared at him in surprise.

“I’ve been seeing a shrink since I got back to L.A. I knew if I stood any chance of winning you back, I had to do something. So, I called a shrink, and I’ve been having sessions twice a week.”

I blinked several times as my mind came to terms with what I was hearing. Jared Garrett had taken someone else’s advice! I could see the hope in his eyes, and I knew what he was thinking. I needed to tell him straight, and I needed to do it now.

“Seeing a shrink won’t fix us, Jared.”

Nodding slowly, he hung his head and stared at the table.

“I know that. I don’t expect you to come running back to me, Layla. But you have to know I’m trying to make this work. I’m trying to change. I want to be with you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”

I shook my head in despair. “See, right there. That is why it won’t fix us. You can’t do it for us or me. You have to want to change for you. Jared, I never asked you to change who you are, I just wanted you to let me be who I am and to stop trying to control everything … including me. You never trust me.”

His eyebrow furrowed and suddenly I saw a look that I recognized immediately. Irritation.

“Layla, you hardly give me reason to trust you either. Secret birthday gifts to ex-lovers. Disappearing in cities you don’t know where anything can happen to you. Flying thousands of miles alone, where again, anything could have happened to you. You have no care for your safety or my damn sanity. Felix tried to rape you. He attacked you, and he’s been following you and I around Europe! Do you not see the danger? You want to be treated as an adult, yet you continue to need looking after and scolding like an irresponsible and defiant child! I love you, Layla, and I will not sit back or stand by and watch you get hurt. I won’t apologize for that.”

He sounded like a broken record. Pushing out my chair, I looked at him with exasperation. “Then we really have nothing left to talk about. You won’t stop acting like a stalker, and I won’t be able to trust you when you keep things from me.”

Rolling his eyes, Jared raked his fingers through his hair. “You are so damn infuriating and hypocritical. You think I don’t know about Green?”

I wondered what the hell he believed he had discovered and worried about what he actually had discovered.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Jared.”

He gave a sarcastic laugh. “I know you love him. You can deny it, but we both know it’s true. It’s why you sent him a gift.”

I scowled at him. “It was a birthday present.”

“Layla, a personalized music book is not just a birthday present! And if it was so fucking innocent, why did you keep it from me?”

“Because it was nothing. It was just a gift.”

Looking across the room briefly and then back to me, he raised an eyebrow.

“Are you fucking him, yet?”

Anger was building inside me. “I am not even going to dignify that with an answer!”

I stood abruptly and moved to leave, but he caught my hand in his.

“Don’t run away, Layla. We need to talk.”

I snatched my hand from his and slapped him hard around the face. The sound echoed around the shop and we were now very much the center of attention.  My face flushed with embarrassment. Clutching my hand, Jared stood and began dragging me toward the counter and through to the back where the office was.