“No shit. Not one of your most brilliant moves, Marina.” He snorts, shaking his head.
Ah, there’s the old Gage. The one I want to slap across the face for saying such shitty, hurtful things. I stand, slapping my hands against the edge of the desk. “Don’t try and make this all about what I’ve done to you. It’s minor compared to what you’ve done and you know it. You’re the one who bought out my dad and Molina Corp. Why didn’t you tell me? How long were you going to wait? I deserved to know, Gage.”
He glares at me, his green eyes cold. Hard. “You really think I would purposely keep this from you so I could hurt you, Marina? After everything we’ve gone through, everything we’ve experienced this last month? You don’t know me at all, do you?”
I shrug, trying to blow it off. I have no idea what’s real and what’s not anymore. I don’t care how gutted he sounds. As hard as it is for me to realize, I don’t think I can trust him. “I don’t know. It’s only been a month. What could I expect from you?”
It’s Gage’s turn to rush me, coming round the desk so he’s standing in front of me, his hands clasping my upper arms, shaking me as if he can knock some sense into me. “I’m in love with you, damn it. I wanted to show you how I felt by giving you the goddamn deed to this place. I was going to give it to you as a surprise and Ivy was going to redecorate the café. I was putting together an advertising plan and everything. Anything you wanted for this place, I would’ve given you.”
I gape at him, shock rendering me completely still. He was going to give me the deed? As a gift? And have his sister redecorate the café? I can’t . . . oh my God. I’m such a jerk. “Why didn’t you tell me though? You should’ve. My mom took great pleasure in being the first one to deliver the news.”
I’m still so angry at him. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel the same way about him again. His words alone nearly destroyed me.
Now that I know he planned all of this? I don’t know what to think. What to do.
How to react.
“Yeah, I know. I f**ked up. Archer said I should tell you. So did Ivy. But I wanted it to be a surprise. It was a risky move, and look. I really ruined it now.” He laughs, sounding borderline hysterical, and I want to go to him. Comfort him. Tell him everything’s going to be okay.
But I can’t. It still feels like a betrayal, just like me keeping the video of our first sexual encounter feels like a betrayal to him.
Now he talks about his plans in the past tense. Like I ruined my chances to be with him. Work with him.
Love him.
“You’re mad at me, aren’t you.” It’s not a question. He sounds so defeated, my heart is breaking for him. For me. My anger is slowly evaporating, turning more on my mother, which I know is pointless. She’s my mom. I won’t be angry with her forever.
Gage hangs his head, closing his eyes as he breathes deep. “I’m so sorry, Marina. I shouldn’t have done it like this. I made a mistake. I know you can’t trust me, but now I’m starting to wonder if I can’t trust you either.”
“Do you mean because of the video?” I ask him, my voice barely above a whisper. I can’t believe it. He’s that mad about the video?
“Yeah.” He nods, opening his eyes to stare at me. “You should’ve told me.”
“Right back at you,” I automatically say.
We stand in front of each other, the both of us silent, as if we’re waiting for the other to say something. Anything.
But neither of us do.
Finally he turns and leaves without another word. Just strides out of my office like I never existed and walks right out of my life.
Only after he’s gone do I collapse into my chair, resting my head on my desk as I sob into the pile of overdue invoices that still haunt me.
Gage
“YOU’RE STILL GOING through with it.” Archer sounds incredulous.
“I am,” I mutter, watching the company I hired repaint the café walls. “She’s given up on this place, but I won’t.”
Two weeks after our big blowup, she hung the closed sign in the door and shut down Autumn Harvest for good. I was stunned. Marina’s no quitter. I have no idea what’s come over her, and since she refuses to see me, I guess I’ll never find out.
Luckily enough she still talks to Ivy, who keeps me fully informed. She says Marina’s considering going back to school so she can get her master’s degree. But this time, she’d like to travel elsewhere. Maybe go to an East Coast school. Start over with a fresh new life. I know what she’s really referring to. She’d rather start over.
Without me.
I’ve taken over the business completely. Hell, I own it, so I can do whatever I want to it, right? I had new appliances installed, including a new oven, and I consulted Gina as to which I should purchase.
When I got off the phone with her, she called me Smart Boy—and in the same breath, a total dumbass. I’d reached both the pinnacle of approval and the absolute bottom of disappointment, all at once with Aunt Gina.
“It’s going to look pretty damn amazing,” Archer says, glancing around the room, which is still under a massive construction overhaul. “Ivy’s been keeping me posted.”
“How’s she feeling?” We’re both a pair of overprotective males watching out for her and I know she hates it. Yet she likes it too, all at the same time.
“Feeling a little better, not so queasy. The morning sickness is what’s taking her down so hard. Plus she’s so tired.”
“I know. She tried to get me to let her come for this, but I told her no way. I didn’t want her inhaling the fumes,” I say.
“Good call.” Archer exhales loudly before he turns to me. “Have you spoken to her?”
“Who? Ivy?”
“No, jackass. Marina. When was the last time you talked to her?”
“Not since we split.” I shrug, acting like it’s no big deal, but not having her as a part of my life feels like I’m missing a piece of me.
I f**king hate it.
“Seriously? And I thought I was stubborn.” He shakes his head, looking ready to launch into a big ol’ speech, and I brace myself. “Look, you need to go to her and tell her you’re sorry. Ivy goes and sees her all the time and she says she’s miserable.”
“She never tells me that. Ivy acts like Marina’s just fine.”
“Yeah well, I think she’s trying to spare your feelings or worry or whatever. She’s not fine. She’s a wreck and plans on leaving to go to college across the country so she can escape her mother. She misses you. Not that you’re supposed to know that.” Archer points at me.
I keep my expression blank. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Good answer. I just . . . I can’t stand to see the two of you suffer. I know she did wrong and you did wrong.” I never told him exactly what happened, only that Marina kept something very important from me as well. The both of us weren’t perfect in this situation. I probably overreacted, but I’ve been with some bat-shit-crazy women in the past who would’ve probably used a sex tape against me to get whatever they wanted.
Meaning I’ve dated some pretty awful women, women who weren’t worthy of cleaning Marina’s toilet, let alone be in the same league as her.
“You can’t keep this up,” Archer continues when I don’t say anything. “It’s killing you both. You’re a wreck without her. Throwing yourself into your work, fixing up her bakery as some sort of homage to her? I mean, what the hell are you doing?”
“I want to do this. For her, whether she appreciates it or not.”
“Right,” Archer deadpans. “You’re crazy.”
Slowly I nod, knowing I sound crazy, but I’m not changing my mind. “This bakery belongs to Marina. It’s hers, no questions. And if she doesn’t want it, then I fully plan on giving it to Gina. This place needs to stay in the Molina and Knight family. It belongs with them.”
A smile spreads across Archer’s face. “You do have a heart, don’t you?”
“Shut up.” I shove at his shoulder. “Don’t tell anyone. I don’t want it getting out.”
I miss her. My body, my mind, my heart, they all ache without Marina in my life. I refuse to go to her though. Not until I have something to show her. Something that will prove my love to her and let her know without a doubt that I will do anything, and I mean anything for her.
Like revamp her business. From the kitchen to the front end of the store, to the new computer and ordering systems that are going to be installed within the next few days, everything’s state of the art. Top notch.
My girl deserves the absolute best.
“You’re also a sap. You still plan on presenting the bakery to her, right?”
“As long as Ivy’s still bringing Marina to the grand reopening, then yeah. I’m doing it.” No one can say I didn’t go for it with this, now can they?
“She is. Ivy told me. Marina’s thrilled that Ivy’s pregnant,” Archer informs me.
“I bet,” I murmur, not sure what to think. Why does he tell me stuff like this? Only makes me miss her more.
And damn, do I miss her. It’s only been a few weeks but it feels like years. I miss her voice, her smile, the way she yells at me when I make her angry. The whispery little moans that escape her when I make her come. I miss her scent, the way she likes to cook my dinner, how she snuggles up against my back when we sleep together.
I miss everything about her. I want her back in my life.
Within the next two weeks, I’m hoping like crazy I can make it that happen.
Once and for all.
Chapter Fifteen
Two weeks later
Marina
“I DON’T WANT to go,” I moan, hiding my head beneath the pillows. It’s way too early for me to have to deal with this. Ever since Ivy’s become pregnant, she’s been on a tear. She turned into a total bossy little thing who has no problem pushing people into doing stuff they normally would never do.
“Tough shit.” Ivy yanks the sheet off me, making me shriek. Damn, the air is cold. Almost as cold and unfeeling as she is. “We’re going to this all-day spa and we’re going to love it, even if it kills us.”
That she’s forcing me to go to a spa shows how ridiculous I am. I’m the biggest baby ever. Since I shut down the bakery and café, I’ve become a total recluse, barely getting out of my pajamas, let alone going to see anyone. I’d rather wallow in my misery.
“I don’t want to be buffed and pampered,” I whimper as I slide out of bed, shuffling toward my bathroom. Ivy’s already dressed and looks adorable, her growing baby belly so cute everyone wants to touch it, which drives her nuts. She’s not a big fan of complete strangers touching her and asking when the baby is due. I’ve even witnessed her pretending she has no clue what they’re talking about.
That always freaks them out.