She relented … after I started crying again on her shoulder. But I know better than to think I can hold her back for long.
Sterlings or not, they really don't have a clue what they're up against with her.
"Ms. Hayden? He's waiting for you to answer."
"Dane Sterling and I have never really spoken. I have no need or desire to speak with him now. Also, make sure security knows not to let anyone without a badge onto the elevator besides Vivica Drivel. We need to tighten security for a while."
Her eyes widen, and she nods as I head to my office.
Britt is cheerily grinning, practically bouncing from one foot to another. Today's the big day. It looks like no one filled her in on the drama over the weekend.
They're the ones treating her like a pawn.
She's a hell of a lot tougher than they realize. They see a little girl. I see a woman in front of me.
Okay, so she's giddy like a little girl right now.
I force a smile, refusing to take this moment away from her. This project has lit a fire inside her, and she should be proud. After all, it was her story that inspired it.
"I can't believe today is finally launch day!"
"It'll still have kinks and things, but we have to release now before someone else beats us to it. The one out first is usually the one to be used by the vast majority. Others will have less security measures to ensure the safety of the ones using it."
She nods, still bouncing around.
I've noticed something about Britt. In front of her family and friends, she's stoic. Her face is always straight. She never gives anything away. But in this office? She's a constant range of emotion.
I understand that, because I understand passion. Her passion is here. In this field.
Just like it was for me.
Passion can destroy you too.
Just like it did me.
When I stupidly fell in love with a Sterling.
I just hope they don't spill their bullshit conspiracy theory to her today. I'd like for her to enjoy this moment a little longer before they convince her to hate me and leave.
The app goes live, Britt throws her arms around me in a surprise show of affection. Again, that's not very Britt of her.
I hug her back, feeling my chest start to ache. As much as I want her to enjoy this moment, the physical contact is too much. Why is it that a hug always makes you want to cry uncontrollably when you're hurting?
She doesn't even know I need consoling right now.
She doesn't know I'm battling tears as she releases me.
She doesn't notice when I walk out of the room.
No one does.
As soon as I'm locked in my office, I let the tears fall freely, sobbing as I turn up my music and ignore whoever is knocking. I fall apart like a lost little girl all over again.
Because of a man.
One man brought me to my knees.
Destroyed me.
Shattered me thoroughly.
And I let him.
I'm as bad as my mother.
Chapter 43
DALE
"Shouldn't be hard to drive her out. She hasn't exactly made too many friends," Kode says before popping a piece of bread into his mouth.
I'm barely listening to anything at all as I drink my beer and stare blankly at the table.
"Before we do anything, I need to talk to Britt," Dane says on a sigh. "Maybe there's-"
"There's no explanation," I state with no emotion. "Harley admitted she was fucking with her."
"You were drunk when you confronted her. Maybe she was being sarcastic and you didn't catch on," Dane says seriously, causing my jaw to tic as I glare across the restaurant table at him.
"Trust me. I wasn't misreading the heartless tone she used."
"Raya did the same thing to Kade when he accused her of being a con just because her family is full of them," Corbin points out unhelpfully. "She was tired of defending herself to everyone, and decided she wasn't going down that road with a guy she loved."
I roll my eyes. "Not the same. Harley sure as fuck doesn't love me."
"Are you sure?" Dane asks me again.
"Positive," I say through clenched teeth.
He runs a hand through his hair, messing it up, but before he can say anything, someone slides into the empty chair next to Kode, and a wine bottle and glass joins our table.
My eyes snap up and narrow on Vivica Drivel. She smirks at us, as though she's not the least bit afraid. It's like you mention one Drivel-like Raya Capperton-and another Drivel pops out of the shadows.
Kind of creepy.
"Before you boys break out your pitchforks, I thought I'd offer you some friendly advice."
Dane Bristles.
"Who the fuck are you?" Kode asks, arching an eyebrow.
"I'm the Drivel who will make your life utter hell if you so much as try to make good on that jackass's threat against Harley," she says, smiling sweetly as she stares and winks at me.
She glances around the table, eyeing all of us once before standing up, drinking the last of her wine.
"Feel free to ask my uncle for references if you really think you can take me on. I've heard you boys know him. And thanks for the wine," she says as a tab is set down at our table.
She abandons the empty bottle and glass and walks out as Kode picks up the tab.
"Apparently she just had a ten thousand dollar bottle of wine at our expense," Kode says dryly.
"And that was a definite warning," Maverick grumbles.
Dane is tense as he cracks his neck to the side.
"I'll talk to Britt."
I just stand and walk out, unable to sit here without hitting something or someone.
Kode follows behind me, and we ride in silence to my house where his car is. I expect him to leave-want him to leave-but he follows me in, stepping over the debris in my foyer from the room that no longer exists.
"Need me to get this out of here?" he asks, but I don't answer as I go to my fridge and grab another beer.
He releases a breath as I drop to my couch, staring at the blank TV, wishing I could cut my brain off for just one day.
"You're not really a Sterling until you punch someone or tear your house up over a girl," he says as he grabs his own beer and returns to sit beside me.
"Then here's to being a Sterling," I say bitterly.
He regards me for a second before leaning up and grabbing the remote.
"I want to be alone right now," I tell him.
"I know," he says, flicking the channels like he's searching for something to watch.
Rolling my eyes, I continue drinking my beer.
"Want to know what that hollow spot in your chest is going to do?" he asks idly, but doesn't give me the chance to tell him to shut the hell up. "It's going to get worse. You're going to get worse. Pretty soon, it'll feel like you're empty and aching all over. I think you should talk to Harley."
I snort derisively.
"Why the hell would I do that?" I ask, even though it should be a rhetorical question.
The answer? I fucking wouldn't do that.
"Because I'm good at dealing with bullshitters. I read people too. You're better at reading people-"
"Unless I'm dating them," I interrupt.
"-and never once did I read Harley to be holding a grudge or working on an agenda."
"It's called being fooled. Sucks, doesn't it? This is round two for me." I hold my drink up as if I'm toasting my stupidity.
He turns to face me, giving up the charade of pretending he's interested in the TV.
"Remember when you told me I'd been sucker punched?"
I almost want to sucker punch him right now for bringing that up.
"Don't-"
"You were sucker punched, Dale. Face it. You're in love with her. That's not going away any time soon. Speaking from experience, it's going to fucking kill you if you realize it's you that's wrong and not her."
I laugh humorlessly. "You agreed all weekend that she needs to go. Now you're telling me I love her and need to talk to her."
He purses his lips like he's thinking before he stands up.
"This weekend, Vivica Drivel didn't sit at our table and threaten us."
I smirk. "Scared, cousin?"
His lips twitch before he shakes his head. "No. But Raya said Vivica refused the job when she thought you didn't deserve revenge. Today she threatened all of us."
"Loyal friend," I grumble.
"Loyal to a fault. She refused back then on principle. Threatened us today with contempt. Something to think about."
I don't say anything, and he walks out.
They didn't see how cold Harley was when she turned me away.
My phone lights up with a new message, and I read it.
DANE: Britt is coming over. Be at my house in ten minutes.
I put the phone away, grab my keys, decide I'm too drunk to drive, and call Kode to come back and pick me up.
He does, and we drive to Dane's without discussing Harley again. We end up stopping for gas, which makes it a little over fifteen minutes before we actually get there.
I hear Dane speaking to Britt in the den as we pass through the hallway, but we don't linger or eavesdrop. I don't want to hear, if I'm being honest. This is all my fucking fault.
"She's been using you to get to us. For revenge on something that happened years ago," is what I hear as I head for the patio.
Rain is out there, her arms crossed over her chest as I join her. Kode stays inside, presumably joining Dane.
"This isn't right, Dale," Rain says on a sigh.
"Perfectly aware. It's not fair to Britt or anyone else. Maybe one day I'll realize people have motives to get close to me."