Sexy Stranger(54)

She shook her head, her hand still pressed to my chest as she replied to him. "I didn't want you to try to convince me to change my mind," she whispered miserably.

"Change your mind?" Prescott shook his head. "I don't want you back. Your leaving was the best thing that ever happened to me. You set us both free. I realized that two seconds after you left, when I found I felt nothing but surprise and relief. But I can't handle the fallout on my own. You might not love me, Charlotte, but I know you care. Just help me deal with this mess and our families." He raked a hand through his hair and groaned. "Do you have any idea what our mothers are putting me through?"

A single tear slid down her cheek. "I didn't hurt you?"

Prescott shook his head. "My pride was wounded and I was pissed, don't get me wrong, but I don't love you. We weren't right for each other, and never have been. The family pressure was just too strong for me to see that."

"I-" she started, but I sidestepped her and made my way for the barn door.

"Well, I'm glad you guys have worked everything out. Have a good time in New York. And lock up on your way out."

I shoved the door open and scanned my surroundings for anything I could hit, something that might relieve the pressure building inside me, about to blow. Because all that time, Charlotte had been lying to me. All that fucking time.

Fuck, runaways must have been able to smell me from a mile away. First my mother and then Sarah, and now Charlotte too.

"Luke!"

Charlotte shouted to me from the barn door but I was already too far away, and her voice was nearly drowned out by the whipping of the wind.

I had to get back home, needed to try to return my ticket to LA and move on.

A little voice inside me laughed. Move on to what, Luke? The next fucking tumbleweed that rolls into your life and back out of it? 

God, how could I have been so stupid?

Maybe I should have gone back to shake Prescott Billingsley the Sixth's hand. I might have a broken heart, but he might have just saved me from total annihilation.





Chapter Twenty-Nine


Charlotte

The wind whipped my hair over my face as I called for Luke again, but he didn't stop walking. In fact, he didn't even bother to turn around.

Part of me wanted to run the other way. Admit defeat and accept that I'd done this to myself and deserved whatever happened next. But the other part was so damned mad at him that nothing else mattered anymore.

Whatever happened, he needed to hear the truth from my lips. If he still hated me, so be it. At least I could go on and try to piece some semblance of a life together with no regrets.

I took one step forward, then stopped as a big blue truck rolled into the parking area and stopped next to my sedan. Duke climbed from the driver's seat and blinked at me, although he seemed much less surprised to see me than his brother had.

"What's the deal? I heard there was an investor here?" He glanced from me to the other cars and then gave me a confused look. "And where the hell did you come from?"

"It's a long story," I said.

The wind picked up again as Valentina tripped through the door to join me. She stared from Duke to me and back again.

"Oh, sorry, I'll just-" She tried to move, but then stopped. "Wait, you weren't wearing-"

"This is Duke." I nodded toward him. "Luke's twin brother. Luke's gone," I murmured, my throat sticking on the words.

"Hey there," Valentina said with a smile, and wrinkled her nose when Duke tipped the bill of his ball cap toward her. "Charlotte, Prescott says he still wants to talk to you."

"Does it have to be this moment? Surely he realizes I'm a little busy right now?" I asked her, staring in Luke's wake.

"Yes, now would be good, Charlotte." This time it was Prescott who spoke, poking his head out from behind the barn door.

I let out a sigh and turned to face him. "I'm so sorry for what I did to you. It was immature and selfish, and you deserved better. I'm happy to do whatever it takes to clean up the mess with our parents the second I'm done here, okay? I just need a few minutes with Luke. He wasn't part of any of this, and he's got so much going on here, trying to get this business-"

"That's what I wanted to tell you before I got out of your hair," he said with a half smile. "I'm not mad anymore. I think I was just worried, and now that I've seen you . . ." He gestured around with a little laugh. "Now that I've seen you with all this and him, it makes weird sense to me. I get it. Oddly enough, I think you belong here. What I wanted to tell you was that I'd like to invest in the distillery. After you and Luke talk, I'd appreciate it if you would give him my number and ask him to give me a call."