Second Chance Mine, page 14
I grabbed the letterman jacket, chucking it in the closet, making a mental note to throw it away.
“Hey,” Cade greeted, walking in. He didn’t notice a thing with Hayley walking in behind him.
I nodded at them, walking toward my room, trying to play it off like he didn’t just catch us with my tongue down her throat. This may have been the first time he caught us in the act, but it wouldn’t be the last.
If anything…
It was only the beginning.
Twenty-Two
Paige
Now
“Is someone coming for dinner?” I questioned, watching Miss April set Adrian’s dining room table with four place settings.
She glanced up at me. “Mr. Drake didn’t tell you he’s having company over tonight?”
“No, he didn’t.”
The last three days flew by after the altercation in Adrian’s office. Since we walked through the doors of his penthouse later that night, we hadn’t left. I was going stir crazy behind these walls. I wasn’t used to staying put in one place for long. Not having the liberty to do what I wanted was starting to affect my state of mind.
The truth was, I was scared.
And I was relying further on the man who broke my heart and just wanted me to forget about it. Seeing Adrian consumed with my life being in danger wasn’t something I could overlook anymore. At first, I thought it was all for show. A way to get me back into his bed.
However, as the days carried on, I couldn’t help but notice it wasn’t just about having sex with me. It was more than that. So much deeper than I imagined.
The way he looked at me.
Spoke to me.
Made me feel.
It was all beginning to leave a lasting impression. It felt real. He felt real. His ability to still read me like a book was there. Breathing new life into me. Simply reminding me of the love we once shared.
Or at least I thought it was love.
It had been for me.
I wasn’t playing games. I loved him. I thought I was over him. Now I was beginning to wonder how I’d ever live without him again. Being stuck together wasn’t helping my resolve by any means. Every time I walked into his bedroom, the framed photo on his nightstand haunted me.
Why that picture? Of all the ones we took together?”
He hadn’t disclosed the reason, no matter how many times I asked him why that photo of us.
The thought alone made me roll my eyes. I had all the time in the world to think. That was the problem. It didn’t matter how I tried distracting myself with some of my favorite books, Adrian was always there.
Lurking.
At that point, the never-ending questions were simply piling on top of one another.
Despite not wanting to sleep in his bed, I did. Even though he had guards at the door twenty-four, seven, I was terrified to sleep alone. Especially after what occurred in his office.
I kept reliving the fear I felt, waking up from nightmares. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before. I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel. I guess up until the glass shattered all around us in his office, it didn’t feel as dangerous as it did now.
My stalker was nowhere to be found and my life was truly in danger. It was a living, breathing nightmare. One that didn’t seem like I’d be waking up from anytime soon.
I was hanging on by a thread, my nerves on ease, just waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was obvious his threats were coming in faster and more violent.
What was next?
I longed to walk outside, stepping into the warm sun. Without having to worry about getting killed or taken.
I missed my old life.
Belle.
My apartment.
There was no peace in my world and it wreaked havoc all around me. As much as I wanted to go back to my old life, I couldn’t help but contemplate him not being part it.
It was one never ending thought mixed into the following. I couldn’t keep up with them anymore.
Through my anxiety, I found myself walking into Adrian’s office, asking, “You’re expecting company?”
With his stare still glued to the paperwork in front of him, he replied, “We’re having company.”
“We’re?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Care to elaborate?”
The doorbell rang.
“I don’t have to. Go answer the door and you’ll find out.”
“You’re going to let me answer the door?” I questioned, surprised. You won’t even let me go get the mail.”
“I know who’s here and they’re no threat to you.”
“What about you?”
His stare connected with me. “I’m not a threat to you either, Paige. The sooner you realize that. The easier our future will be.”
I hid back a smile. “I meant are you coming?”
He winked at me. “I’d love to come.”
“Adrian.” I smiled. “You know what I meant.”
“Do you?”
“Are you exiting your office anytime soon to join us?”
“I’ll be a couple of minutes behind you. I just have to finish this document.”
He checked the monitor on his desk that had all the security cameras in place in his building.
“Miss April led them to the living room. Go be a good host. I’ll be there in a minute”
“Them? I don’t know any of your friends.”
“You sure about that?”
I thought about it for a moment. “Do you even have friends?”
“Friends is a term I use loosely if you must know. But you know you’ll always be my best friend.”
Swoon. Stupid heart.
“What, Cherry?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face.”
“And what is my face telling you?”
“That you want to sleep in my arms tonight.”
I shook my head. “I think you’re confusing my thoughts with yours.”
“Paige, go tend to our guests and stop flirting with me.”
My mouth dropped open. “I’m not flirting with you.”
He leaned back into his chair. “You walk around my penthouse in your skimpy little outfits, just baiting me to pay attention to you.”
I looked down at my outfit. “This is a nice dress.”
“It’s a shirt you wear as a damn dress.”
“I have a tiny torso.”
“You have a tiny everything. Especially that tight little pussy of yours.”
“Oh my God!”
He smiled.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying our banter.
“Now take your tiny pussy and go greet our guests. Belle is waiting for you.”
“Belle?” I exclaimed. “You invited Tristian and Belle for dinner?”
He nodded.
“Ah!” My feet moved on their own, hurrying into the living room. I screamed when I saw her, “This is the best day ever!”
We ran to each other, hugging tightly.
“I can’t believe you’re here!” I was beyond happy with his surprise.
“Me too,” she agreed. “I’ve missed you so much.”
I pulled away, taking a good look at her. “Look at your belly. You look so freaking adorable. How does pregnancy look this good on you?”
Tristian chimed in, “I plan on keeping her that way for a while.”
I chuckled and she playfully slapped him on the chest.
“Where’s your boss?” he questioned.
“In his office, being an asshole to someone.”
Belle smirked, understanding my retort far too well.
I swear Tristian and Adrian were cut from the same cord. The little time I worked with him at their office after they got married, he was as alpha as Adrian. No wonder they were friends.
Adrian strode into the room, looking every bit the man of the house. For the next few hours, we ate dinner and caught up. It felt natural, easy, as if we’d done this hundreds of times before, the double dating. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together, I knew this was probably part of his intent on having them over for dinner.
His plan worked like a charm.
Adrian looked good in my world.
And I wanted him to stay there.
“You’re staring at him,” Belle muttered under breath for only me to hear.
I must have made a tormented expression because she loudly questioned, “Paige, can I have a tour of the penthouse?”
I smiled. I loved her. “Adrian, is that all right?”
“I already told you, Paige. What’s mine is yours.”
I smirked, and we excused ourselves. Once we were alone and out of sight in Adrian’s bedroom, I nodded to the couches in the corner of his suite for us to sit on.
“Spill. Tell me everything and don’t you dare leave anything out.”
I profoundly sighed, basically falling onto the sofa with her.
“I don’t know where to start.”
“Okay, I’ll do it for you. There’s more going on between the two of you other than you just being his EA, isn’t there?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Which one? The sexual tension or the unrequited love?”
“Wow. No sugarcoating, huh?”
She shrugged. “I can’t help it. It’s in my nature.”
“It’s why you’re one of the best businesswomen in the world.”
“You’re trying to butter me up. This is bad.”
“You could say that.”
“Paige, you’re keeping me in suspense here. I could go into labor.”
I chuckled. “You’re still a few months away.”
“I know but do it for the baby.”
“Does that card work on Tristian?”
“Every time.”
We laughed.
“Fine. I’ll confess, but before I get into any of that, you have to promise you’re not going to get mad?”
“I don’t like this introduction.”
“I know, but it’s all I got.”
“Okay.” She reluctantly sighed. “I promise.”
“I’m just going to come right out and say it.”
“You’re scaring me. Are you in trouble?”
“Well… I sort of have a stalker.”
“You what?” she shouted a little too loudly.
“Shhh! I think they heard you across town.”
“You have a stalker?!”
I grabbed her hands. “Keep your voice down!”
“Paige, what the fuck?”
“I know. I know. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I didn’t want you to worry about me. You had so much of your own drama going on with Tristian. You didn’t have to take mine on too.”
She stared at me flabbergasted. “That’s what best friends do.”
“Don’t make me feel worse than I already do, Belle.”
“How long has this been going on?”
“Umm…”
“Paige,” she sternly stressed. “How long?”
“Over a year.”
“A year?!”
I raised my hands in a surrendering gesture. “You promised you wouldn’t get mad.”
“I take back my promise. I’m livid.”
“That’s not how promises work. You can’t take it back.”
“You need to start explaining before I murder you for not telling me in the first place.”
“You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I am on your side, but that doesn’t mean I’m not furious I’m only just now hearing about this. I can’t believe you hid this from me.”
“I just… I didn’t… I know.” I squeezed her hands, placing them on my lap. “I’m so sorry. I won’t keep anything from you again.”
“I’m assuming Adrian is aware.”
“More than aware. He’s completely taken control of my life.”
“Well… I could think of worse things. How do you two know each other anyway?”
I bowed my head, feeling ashamed as I shared…
“He was my best friend’s brother.”
Twenty-Three
Paige
“Was?”
“Yeah, we’re not best friends anymore. We haven’t been in a very long time. I haven’t seen him in ten years and up until I saw Adrian in your kitchen, I hadn’t seen him either.”
“What happened?”
“So much.”
“And you haven’t moved passed it?”
“I can’t. It’s staring me in the face every time Adrian looks at me.”
“You mean his love for you?”
“Adrian doesn’t love me.”
“Are you blind? I could see his love for you from the minute he saw you in my kitchen.”
“I don’t…you just don’t know Adrian. He’s…complicated.”
“What about your stalker? What’s happened there?”
“We can’t figure out who it is.”
“How bad is it?”
“Bad enough to where I’m scared all hours of the day.”
“Oh, Paige… Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It wasn’t that bad up until Adrian came back into my life. He obviously doesn’t like that.”
“He? It’s a man then?”
“Adrian’s convinced it is.”
“Do you have any leads on who it could be?”
“Not one.”
“Jesus, Paige. What about a PI or a—”
“Already done.”
“So the guards at your door? That’s for you?”
I nodded.
“Have you been living here?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow. You haven’t told me anything.”
“I know, but I didn’t know how to say it. I barely understand it myself. Sometimes in the middle of the night, I wake up in a panic, sitting straight up on the mattress. Only to be slapped in the face with the illusion of a man who isn’t in there.”
“Your stalker?”
“No.”
“Oh…”
“Yeah.”
“Do you love him?”
“No.”
“No?”
“I don’t know.”
“I see.”
“I don’t think you do. He broke my heart, and I can’t forgive him.”
“So you’re punishing him?”
“No. Wait.” I glanced up in the air. “Am I?”
“Sounds like you’re punishing him. Maybe you need to figure that out. But in the meantime, you might as well try to accept that he’s in your life until your contract is up. You need to find some middle ground. Maybe try getting to know him again. Become friends. The best relationships stem from strong friendships.”
“What about Cade?”
“The brother, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I thought you said he hasn’t been in your life for a decade?”
“He hasn’t.”
“Then maybe this is the best time to have Adrian in yours?”
“Right…”
“You need to give him a chance and stop pushing him away. Look at everything he’s doing for you. You can’t continue on this way, it’s not healthy. You’re only digging yourself into an early grave, and I’m talking emotionally.”
I inhaled a ragged breath, knowing she was right. “I don’t know if I believe in love anymore, Belle.”
She peered around her phone, her gaze catching the framed picture on his nightstand.
“Is that his brother?”
“Yeah.”
“The Drake blood makes some handsome men.”
“I know.”
“Do you know anything about Cade?”
“He married his college sweetheart, and they have two kids.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“He named his baby girl after me. It’s her birthday next week.”
“Sounds like he hasn’t forgotten about you either.”
“That’s what Adrian says.”
“Maybe you should start listening to him.”
“You don’t know what you’re asking.”
“I know more than anyone knows what you’re going through.”
Her and Tristian managed to find their way back to each other, despite the odds against them.
“From an outsider looking in, just staring at the photo… There’s a lot of history there, Paige.”
“Maybe Adrian came back into your life for more than just protecting you against this stalker.”
I shook my head. “He doesn’t love me.”
“How do you know?”
I thought back on that day. The evening everything between us came to a head. Over ten years, and it still haunted me.
Cade’s hurt.
Adrian’s words.
My heart…
I lost both of the men who ever meant anything to me. All in one shot. I couldn’t forgive Adrian. It was too hard.
Not when he looked me right in the face.
“He told me he didn’t love me.”
Adrian
“Shit, man.” Adrian shook his head with wide eyes.
We were in my office, and I just finished catching him up on everything. Trying to see if he had any suggestions on where to go from here.
“Does she have any enemies? Ex boyfriends?”
“Not any that are psychopaths.”
“What about ex bosses? A fight with a former girlfriend? Done anything to piss someone off?”
“None that want her dead.”
“You think that’s what they’re after?”
“I’m not sure, but I’m not going to sit around and find out. I want this motherfucker in jail or dead and I’d prefer the latter.”
“Fair enough. I can only imagine what you’re going through. I’m so sorry, Adrian. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know. But it sounds like you’ve covered all your grounds. I mean…” He paused. “Have you reached out to your brother?”
“What do you mean?”
“Does he know about what happening to Paige?”
“No. He has no idea that she’s back in my life.”
I could tell just by the look on his face he was going to say something I didn’t want to hear.
“I hate to break it to you, man, but you’re going to have to involve him. If they were as close as you’re saying they were, he’s probably going to know a hell of a lot more than you do about her.”
