Rumor Mill, page 14
Outside in the common area, I could hear Alec and his partner in crime screaming about pudding. A thunder of running feet greeted their chaos, and soon the monotone of a counselor overruled the argument.
“Nobody is getting pudding,” the counselor said calmly. “Now it’s almost time for bed. Where is your brother?”
“He left,” Alec’s voice responded.
“Right,” the counselor said. “I’m warning you, if you can’t calm down, there will be no more refrigerator privileges tonight.”
“Dammit,” the woman cursed after the footsteps faded away. “You owe me a pudding.”
“I’ll give you two tomorrow,” Alec promised before stepping inside the conference room and shutting the door.
The light was off, but there was a big bay window that allowed the streetlights from outside to flood the room. I could see clearly that Alec was alone and fairly pleased with himself. Standing up, I straightened my suit jacket.
“How do I get out of here now?” I asked.
“You don’t,” he said with a grin. “You’re trapped.”
I gave him an incredulous stare, shocked that he would be so cavalier about my freedom.
“Relax,” Alec said, pulling out a chair. “Just tell them you got lost.”
I settled down. Hopefully I wouldn’t get into too much trouble when it was time to leave. I needed to talk to Alec, and this seemed like the only viable way to do it. He was practically radiating energy. I’d never seen him like that before. Usually he was morose, at the best of times he was manic. This was something different entirely.
“You look good,” I said, understanding the observation significantly.
“Thanks,” he replied. “I feel good. This place has worked wonders.”
“Is that why you’re so eager to break the rules?”
“You’re the one who came up here five minutes before lights out,” he shot back. “You had to have a good reason.”
“I do,” I said. “Teddy and I got in a fight.”
“What happened?” He laced his fingers together, leaning forward like a therapist.
“It was my fault,” I began. “I pushed her too far. I just feel like she’s making a big mistake. Not just for me, but also for her.”
“How so?”
“She wants to give up on the lawsuit. Not contest it and let Nikki win,” I explained. “That move would cost her a fortune that she doesn’t have and put a mark on her record that she’ll never be able to erase.”
“Did you explain all that to her?” Alec asked.
“Not in so many words,” I muttered. “It was more like I drew a line in the sand and dared her to cross it.”
“And she didn’t respond well to that?” he guessed.
“No,” I agreed. “There’s something else.”
Alec opened his eyes wide, patiently waiting for me to get to the point.
“You know about the missing severance money?”
“Of course.”
“Well, I decided to go after Nick Pierce, since he’s responsible. I guess I thought that if I couldn’t straighten out this Nikki bullshit, then I could at least get justice for the rest of the laid-off employees.” I began to pace. This conundrum was eating up my soul, turning me inside out, and consuming most of my energy. I couldn’t sit still, but I didn’t feel like there was anything else I could do to ward off the frustration.
“How did that go?” Alec asked.
“I went poking around and I found out that Retro wasn’t the first shady business Nick was involved in.”
Alec kicked a seat away from the table, gesturing for me to sit down. I sat, but not willingly. Of the two of us, the one with the major drinking problem was the most focused. I was a wreck while he had the presence of a guru on a mountaintop. It was strange, to say the least.
“What did you find?” Alec said after I took a seat.
“I found proof of another business that went sideways,” I said. “But it’s nothing I can take to court.”
“Is it at least something that could force his hand?” Alec asked.
“Maybe,” I allowed. “He called me to say that he heard I was looking into him.”
“How did that go?”
“He told me to back off. He said he would counter sue if I brought any charges against him.” I sighed, looking down at the table. “I also investigated whether Retro had the funds to make the payments again, and we don’t. Not without risking the entire company.”
Alec paused for a moment, digesting everything I had said. His serene face twisted up in empathetic pain. “Damn,” he finally whispered.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“I don’t know if there’s anything I can do,” Alec said, straightening up in his chair. “I mean, those are both really serious problems.”
I laughed. Bless his little alcoholic heart, he was trying to help me from inside the treatment center. “I got this,” I promised him.
“Really?”
“Yeah,” I assured him. “I just needed someone to talk to.”
“Okay. Well, let me know how things turn out.”
“What about you? You seem to be doing really well.” I turned the tables and gave him the floor.
“Yeah, this place is pretty cool,” Alec agreed. “I’m going to sign up for another three weeks as soon as my first tour of duty is over. I’m not ready to go back to the real world.”
I flinched, knowing that the treatment center wasn’t cheap, and that Alec didn’t have the necessary funds to support it. That mean that Mom and Dad would likely foot the bill. If I hadn’t overstayed my welcome, I could have stopped by the reception desk and offered to pay. As it was, I suspected that the receptionist was gone for the evening. I would have to come back later or conduct the business over the phone.
“I’m glad it’s helping you” was all I said.
I stood up to leave, but Alec raised a hand. I settled back down again, listening to his next request. “I was wondering if you would bring Teddy by here. I’d like to apologize to her.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“She’s important to you,” Alec argued. “I don’t want her to think that your family is a mess.”
“But you are a mess.”
“Yeah, but I’m sober now,” Alec said. “And I really screwed things up. So if she’s willing to talk to me, I’d appreciate that.”
I leaned back in the chair, considering Alec’s request. Teddy and I were on shaky ground, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to add Alec to the mix. We had to repair things between us first before worrying about Alec’s faux pas. But I couldn’t stare my brother in the face and deny him something that was clearly important to him.
“I’ll talk to her,” I relented.
“Thanks, man,” Alec said quickly. “I think things are going to work out between the two of you. I’ve got a feeling.”
“I hope you’re right,” I said softly. “Because as it stands, I’m not sure if we have much of a future.”
“Maybe try telling her exactly what you told me,” Alec suggested. “Without all the drama.”
I laughed. I wasn’t used to being accused of drama, but Alec was right. Teddy and I were butting heads, and it was partially my fault. I needed to slow down and take her considerations seriously.
“I think she’s just scared,” I said thoughtfully.
“It doesn’t seem like her,” Alec responded. “She’s a fighter. I’m surprised that she just wants to roll over.”
“It’s just a new experience for her,” I allowed.
“Be careful, brother,” Alec replied, watching me as I stood up. “She’s a keeper.”
I straightened my jacket, prepared to leave. “I know.”
Walking out through the common area, I found the lights low. There were still a few residents lounging around, so I could tell that lights-out hadn’t been called yet. There was one guard near the door, playing with his phone. He stood up as I approached, seeming more confused than angry.
“I got lost,” I said, following Alec’s advice.
The guard frowned but swiped his card and allowed me to leave. It seemed that guests overstaying their welcome wasn’t entirely unprecedented. Going back to my car, I felt a little bit better than I had upon arrival. At least I’d managed to unburden myself. Alec was right: There was very little he could do to actually help. But just knowing that someone had my back worked wonders for my mood.
Climbing into the driver’s seat, I peeled out of the parking lot. It was a long drive home, and I had a lot to think about.
Chapter 22
Theodora
I WAITED FOR ALMOST an hour in Brad’s driveway. All that time, I wondered if I should just go home. Maybe he was somewhere else for the night. Maybe at his parents’ house or on a business trip. He hadn’t mentioned anything to me, but it was possible that something had come up, and he’d had to drop everything.
I read the news on my phone for the first fifteen minutes, but that got depressing. No matter what was going on in my own life, other people had it much worse. There were house fires and burglaries; there were celebrities with botched plastic surgeries; and there were starving children in other places on the globe. I should have been happy to have escaped any and all of those tragedies, but reading about other people’s misery just made me sad.
I switched over to a video game and played that until I got bored and stepped out of the car. Brad’s motion sensor light switched on, blocking out the moon and the stars. I leaned up against the hood of my car, hoping that he would arrive any minute.
When I was just about ready to call it quits and head home, I spotted a pair of headlights at the end of the driveway. My heart thrilled, and I had to force it to remain quiet. After everything that happened between us, I was still happy to see my boyfriend.
He pulled up right behind me and switched his lights off. Getting out of the car, he walked over to me. I could tell he was tired just from the way he held himself. It was late at night, and I assumed he’d had a long day.
We hugged briefly, and even kissed each other on the mouth. There was no passion to it, but the familiarity of the gesture soothed my anxiety. Brad pressed the button on his key fob, and his Corvette chirped.
“Would you like to come in?” he asked.
“Yes, please,” I responded, following him up to the front door.
“I didn’t expect a visit,” he said.
For some reasons, the words left me hollow. It was as if I should have made an appointment or let him know that I was stopping by. I thought we were past all that, and with his offhand comment, he proved that I was mistaken. I quelled the rebellion that began in my heart, telling myself that our relationship was still young. I didn’t have a key to his place, and he didn’t have a key to mine. So maybe I should have given him a heads-up that I was waiting to talk to him. It just felt very formal at a time I was hoping to connect on a deeper level.
“Long day?” I guessed.
Brad switched the foyer light on and carefully removed his jacket. I was feeling chilled from the evening air and took a moment to rub my biceps. His back was turned, so he didn’t see me do it. He was treating this visit less like a good thing and more like another obligation to contend with before he could finally relax.
“It’s been a long day,” he finally replied, heading toward the kitchen.
I took my own jacket off and hung it by the door. With no other course of action open to me, I followed him. He reached for a bottle of wine from the mini fridge located beneath the counter. I didn’t stop him. I wasn’t sure I wanted a drink, but it didn’t seem polite to interrupt him, so I simply watched as he filled two glasses halfway.
I wondered where he had been but didn’t want to ask. I was afraid that would come across as jealous, and that wasn’t how I felt. He was his own person with his own schedule, and I respected that. I just wanted to be with him, and even though it was strained, it was better than nothing.
“How long have you been waiting?” he asked, taking a gulp.
“Not long,” I lied. “I went to see Corey.”
“How’s he?” Brad asked.
“He’s doing well,” I replied. “Same as before. He said you stopped by.”
“I did,” Brad confessed. “I like your brother.”
“Thanks,” I said, beaming with pride. It was the first compliment he had given me that night, and while it wasn’t directly related to me, I was happy to accept it. “Were you visiting your brother?”
He spared a grim smile, meeting my eyes for the first time. “It was past visiting hours, so I snuck in.”
“How did you do that?” I asked.
“He created a diversion, and I slipped into a conference room,” Brad replied.
I laughed. It felt good to reconnect, even if it was over something as inconsequential as breaking the rehab center’s rules. Reaching for my glass, I took a sip of the wine. As always, it was of the highest caliber. I suspected that Brad didn’t own any bargain basement wine. He probably prided himself on having vintage years.
“I spoke with Andrew Burke,” I began, treading into dangerous waters.
“Mm-hmm,” Brad answered, looking away again.
“He’s my lawyer,” I continued.
“I know who he is,” Brad said. I wasn’t sure if that was jealousy I heard embedded within the dismissive remark. If it was, there was no cause for it. There was nothing romantic going on between me and Andrew, although we had been spending some time together recently.
“He told me that if I don’t fight the lawsuit, it could look bad for you.”
Brad didn’t answer me, and I wasn’t sure how to react. I didn’t want to keep pushing, but I felt like this was important information I was sharing. I’d had the entire drive and an hour in the driveway to think about it. I kept coming back to the fact that the only way I was going to be able to move past the drama was to put down my sword.
Brad shook his head, sensing my next statement before I made it. I opened my mouth to confirm that I was indeed going forward with my plan to drop the fight. But something about the way all his muscles tensed told me to hold off.
“You do what you have to do,” Brad said. “I’m going to do what I have to do.”
I supposed that was the best compromise we were going to come up with for the moment. At the risk of starting another fight, I pressed my lips shut. I wasn’t sure why I wanted to see him. When I drove over there, it seemed so urgent. But standing in his kitchen with nothing left to say, I felt lost.
“I’m going after Pierce,” Brad said after a long pause.
“Really?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He finished off his glass and poured himself another. “He’s the one who stole the money in the first place. He’s responsible for this whole mess. I checked to see if Retro had the funds to reimburse all the employees for the severance checks I promised, and it doesn’t look like we do. So maybe I can recoup some money from Pierce and make this all right again.”
“But how long is that going to take?” I asked.
There was a plaintive tone to my question that I didn’t like. Brad was doing the right thing by attempting to get the money back. It just seemed like he was piling on lawsuit after lawsuit with no end in sight. That wasn’t fair to us, and it wasn’t fair to him.
Brad shrugged.
“It feels like you’re going to be buried in lawsuits,” I complained.
“What do you want me to do, Teddy?” he asked, his frustration unmistakable.
I turned away, desperately searching for an anchor. I wanted to put the whole conflict behind me, not only for my benefit, but also for Nikki and Brad. I couldn’t see the sense in drawing it all out. There wasn’t going to be any viable resolution after dragging our dirty laundry through the courts. It seemed so meaningless, but I was having trouble communicating my observations. Brad seemed to think it was all business as usual. Maybe it was. If that was the case, I was in way over my head.
“I don’t know,” I said finally. “It just feels like too much.”
“My lawsuit with Pierce doesn’t affect you,” he said. “You don’t have to do anything. You don’t even have to listen to my side if you don’t want to.”
“Of course I want to hear your side,” I pleaded. “I just don’t want it to drag out. Isn’t one lawsuit enough?”
He laughed, and it was not altogether a friendly sound. “Teddy,” he responded with a sigh, putting the cork back in the wine bottle and replacing it in the fridge. “This is what money looks like.”
I frowned, not following. “What do you mean?”
“There are always lawsuits,” he said rationally.
“Always?” I gulped. I wasn’t sure if I could survive one, let alone a constant stream of petty accusations.
“The court case and our relationship are two separate things,” he said, gesturing toward the living room.
I took my wine glass and followed him over to the sofa. Sitting on the opposite side, I faced him. At least our surroundings were slightly more comfortable. I had been amazed by the opulence of his residence when we’d first started dating. Now I wasn’t so sure. The luxury came with a hefty price tag if he was right about the ongoing lawsuits. It really didn’t seem to bother him, but for me, it was an insult that I couldn’t shake.
“It just doesn’t feel that way,” I lamented.
“Do you feel like I’m choosing the lawsuit over you?” he asked quietly.
I opened my mouth to respond and then shut it quickly. That was a dangerous accusation, and one that I would have to consider carefully before responding. In some ways, it did feel like he had chosen his lifestyle over me. I couldn’t imagine why he was so nonchalant about being sued for millions. It was an upheaval that rocked my entire world to its foundations.
I really wished he would follow my lead and drop the whole thing. By paying Nikki off, we could move away from the trauma and back into a place where everyone got along. I didn’t want to admit it, but he was right. I did feel like he was choosing the lawsuit over me.
