Building Our Love (Griffin Brothers #2) (23 page)

“That’s not
admissible.”

“This is not a court
of law, Mr. Richards, and I would like to see the video. If the
university is willing to go around their rules, I think we need to
see it.” The head guy nods to the person with the DVD controls as I
sink back into my seat. I’m about to relive my own version of hell.

“Chlo, what the
fuck’s going on?” Ryan looks shell-shocked from everything that’s
happened so far. He has no idea how much worse it’s about to get.

“You’ll see, Ry.
You’ll finally see.”

* * *

Ryan

I have no clue what’s going on
right now. Blackmail? Agreements about not touching and public
denials? What the fuck? The girls seem to know but when I looked at
my family and John, they seemed as clueless as I am. All I know is
that I almost killed Adam Richards a few minutes ago, but the girls
took care of him themselves. I’m not making any promises about what
I’ll do after watching this video. The lights are dimmed and then
it begins.

An empty office is on the screen. The door opens and a younger
version of Chloe enters followed by the Andrew and Adam. Mrs.
Richards and their lawyer are already in the room.

Chloe: “Okay. I’m here with you. Now tell me what you meant
about protecting my father and the Griffin family.”

Andrew: “Take a seat here at the table, Chloe, and we’ll
explain everything to you.”

Everyone sits around a round table off to the side of the room.

Andrew: “My family has been taking some hits in the press
about not being able to relate to the masses. We need to show that we
can embrace someone who is not from a wealthy upbringing. The easiest
was to do that is for Adam to date someone from a middle class
upbringing. Someone with an acceptable college major who can be
molded into the perfect society girl. You are that girl, Chloe.”

Chloe jumps out of her chair.

Chloe: “No way. Besides the fact that your son is an asshole,
I am in a committed relationship with someone I love. You’ll need
to find someone else.”

Adam: “Griffin? You’ve been dating him for five years and
there’s no ring on your finger. You’re just an easy lay to him.”

Chloe: “That’s not true. Ryan loves me.”

I squeeze Chloe’s hand, but she
doesn’t squeeze back.

Andrew: “Whether or not Ryan Griffin loves you or doesn’t
is not an issue in this matter, Chloe. You need to sit back down so
that I can show you exactly why you will become my son’s
girlfriend. I told you that your father and the Griffin family
factored into this.”

Chloe sits back down, glaring at him. Andrew opens a folder and
slides a picture to her. Her eyes go wide as she looks back over to
him.

Andrew: “This trash was painted on the side of my building
this week. I know that you recognize Owen Griffin’s work. He is no
longer a minor and if I report this to the police, the damage will
constitute a felony.”

“Motherfucker,” Owen whispers
from the other side of me.

Adam: “You always protected him and his brothers when we were
in middle and high school. You aren’t going to stop now, are you?”

Chloe has gone pale and her eyes are downcast.

Chloe: “What does this have to do with my father?”

Andrew slides another picture from the folder. Chloe looks at
it but doesn’t react.

Andrew: “Your father should have been more discreet in his
affair with Maggie Griffin.”

I hear chairs fall back and I know
that it’s my dad and John getting to their feet. There’s no way
in hell that my mom and John had an affair and so I know it’s
Andrew Richards that they’re looking at.

Chloe: “That picture is from the gathering after my mother’s
funeral. Maggie is comforting my dad. Gary is there, too, but you’ve
cut him out of the picture.”

Andrew: “The press and public may not see it that way. This
picture was taken at a private party so there is no one to refute
it.”

Chloe: “Gary will refute it. He won’t let you spread lies
about his wife and one of his closest friends.”

Andrew: “Yes, he will refute it and then look like a poor,
cuckolded husband. Who would want to do business with a man who can’t
even see what is going on under his own roof?”

Chloe: “Why? Why are you doing this? Why me? There are plenty
of other girls who you could pretend to be Adam’s girlfriend.”

Adam: “But none of them are the great Ryan Griffin’s
girlfriend. Yes, I need a girlfriend that the public will adore, but
I also need a little revenge. Ryan has been handed everything—top
grades, quarterback of the football team, hot girlfriend…”

Chloe recoils as Adam looks her over.

Andrew: “We aren’t completely heartless, my dear. We will
do something for that family you love so much. I know they need the
architect who would rather work for me. Their credibility is at
stake, and I can fire him so he will go back to them. All we need is
three years of you being my son’s girlfriend. In return, Owen
Griffin stays out of jail, your father and Maggie Griffin avoid a
scandal, and the Griffins get the architect that they need.”

Chloe turns to Annette Richards, who has been quiet up until
then.

Chloe: “Please. You can’t expect me to do this. To give up
the man I love. You must be on my side. Help me.”

Annette: “Actually, this was my idea. I don’t see what the
problem is. We are just as rich as the Griffin family, so you aren’t
losing out on any money. My son is much more acceptable than Ryan
Griffin with his construction work.”

Chloe: “Your son is not even a hundredth of the man Ryan is.
Money means nothing to me. I love Ryan. And why three years?”

Andrew: “If you love him, you will protect his mother and
brother, as well as giving them what they need to retain their
credibility. The three years is because we think that Adam’s
reputation will be good enough by the time you two graduate, if you
play along.”

Chloe drops her head into her hands.

Adam: “It’ll be good, Chloe. I haven’t had any complaints
in the bedroom.”

Chloe whips her head up and stands so suddenly that her chair
flips over.

Chloe: “No. If I agree to this, he doesn’t touch me. I mean
it. I want it in writing.”

Adam: “What, like I get fined if I touch your sweet ass.”

I am seriously going to kill Adam
Richards.

Chloe: “No, like I get your family’s company if you touch
me anywhere.”

Andrew: “What? You can’t be serious.”

Chloe: “You don’t trust your son not to touch me? Good,
because I don’t either. But I’ve heard him going on about the
company being his legacy, so that should be enough for him to keep
his hands to himself.”

Annette: “He will have to touch you in public for people to
believe that you are a couple.”

Chloe: “He can hold my hand and kiss me in public. Although,
you should probably do it near a restroom, Adam, as I will be
throwing up afterward. And you can only touch me for the three
years.”

Adam: “If I can’t touch you, then I need an agreement, too.
How about letting me say whatever I want about you when we break up,
and you can’t dispute it publicly. If you do, you are mine for a
night, and I can touch you all I want.”

Chloe: “I will agree to not disputing anything you say about
me publicly.”

Andrew: “See, this isn’t so bad, Chloe.”

Chloe: “Not so bad? Are you fucking kidding me? You’re
making me give up the love of my life to protect his family and mine,
and you think it is not so bad?”

Adam: “You’ll get over him, and he will definitely get over
you. I’ve seen all of those girls trying to catch his eye. He’ll
fuck his way over you in no time at all. While you’re remaining
celibate. You really should cancel the agreement and have some good
times with me.”

Chloe is sobbing openly now and rocking back and forth.

Chloe: “The agreement stands. Is it ready for me to sign?”

The realization of what was just
said hits me hard. Chloe never slept with Adam or anyone else during
the three years that we were apart. While I did what Adam said I
would. I fucked all of those girls to try to get over her. But he was
wrong in thinking that it would work. I never got over her. And all
of us—me and the other people who’ve brought up my random hookups
in front of her—have hurt Chloe more than I could ever imagine. I
saw her pain, but I didn’t think it was warranted because I thought
she had been with Adam. Really been with him. Fuck. When we’re done
with this farce of a meeting, I need to get her alone and talk to
her. I fix my gaze back on the screen.

Adam: “Call Griffin and break up with him now.”

Chloe: “I’ll call him when I’m alone and only after we
all sign the agreement.”

Andrew: “We will sign, and then you will call him in front of
us. I don’t want you telling him about this. I’m warning you,
Chloe. If anyone finds out, I will release all of this to the press
immediately.”

Chloe is resigned as she signs the paperwork that the lawyer
passes to her. She gets up to make several copies after they are
signed. She also goes to the fax machine and sends a copy. Then, she
pulls out her phone, hits a speed dial, and closes her eyes.

Chloe: “Hi, Ry. I need to talk to you…No, everything is not
okay. I need to break up with you. It’s just not working for me
anymore…No. No. It has nothing to do with that…I know you love
me, but I need something else. Thank you for the last five years. I
will always treasure them.”

She hangs up and collapses on the floor as Adam looks on with a
smirk.

Annette: “Now that the unpleasantness is over, we need to go
shopping. Your wardrobe choices are completely unacceptable. I will
be picking your clothes from now on.”

Andrew: “Your school and dorm will be paid for. You will have
an unlimited meal and campus store credit as well. But, you will act
and dress how we tell you to and attend whatever public functions
that we need you to. Pull yourself together before you leave this
room.”

The Richards family and their lawyer leave Chloe curled in a
ball on the ground, crying as they walk out.

The screen goes black.

All hell breaks loose
in the room. My dad and John go for Andrew, while Owen starts beating
the shit out of Adam. I want to join him, but I can’t leave Chloe.
Tears are streaming down her face as she just stares straight ahead.
I keep holding tight to her hand. I hear a slap and look up to see my
mom in front of Annette Newman.

Scott and Luke pull
Owen off of Adam before he can kill him, while four of my friends
hold back my dad and John. Andrew has blood dripping from his mouth
and nose.

“See what I mean?
They have no class. Who would want to work with them?” Andrew
yells.

The head guy at the
table is the one to respond. “The Griffin family has more class
than you will ever have. I’m tempted to hit you myself after what
you did to this girl. No one is going to work with you ever again,
Mr. Richards. I’m sorry that we ever thought this meeting was
necessary, Gary. We’ll leave your family alone now.”

It takes a little while
for everyone to leave. Many stop to talk to my dad and tell him that
they’re sorry for ever believing Andrew Richards. People pass by me
and Chloe, but they just give us sympathetic looks and don’t say
anything. I’m seriously worried about her. She still hasn’t
spoken. I’m about to ask someone to call for a doctor when she
finally talks.

“I just want to be
alone for a few minutes. Can I go into the library?”

“Yes, Chlo. Of
course. I’ll take you there.”

“No, Ryan. I’ll go
alone. The video doesn’t change anything between us. And now I can
tell you that those texts from Adam were him threatening me because
he found out we were together.”

“That bastard. I’ll
kill him.”

“It doesn’t matter.
He has nothing over me now. Maybe he did us a favor. I mean, we
obviously don’t trust each other and it’s better that we realized
it now.”

She gets up and walks
away, taking my heart with her.

Ryan

It takes a few minutes
for everyone to notice that Chloe’s gone. Then they notice that I
look like shit. At least, I think I look like shit. I know I feel
like it.

“Ryan, where’s
Chloe?” my mom asks.

“She wanted to be
alone, so she’s in the library.”

“I know that the
video was hard to watch for us, but it must have been worse for you.
Now you know she always loved you.” Luke leans down and hits my
shoulder.

“She broke up with me
yesterday, so the video doesn’t really matter.”

Yasmin looks at me
curiously. “What do you mean she broke up with you yesterday? You
two have been holding hands all morning.”

“I screwed up and
acted like an ass yesterday, so she broke up with me. Chloe thought
it would better if we pretended until after the meeting today.”

Owen pulls me to my
feet and gets in my face. “So you’re just going to sit here,
sulking like a pussy? Even if she hadn’t done what we now know she
did for all of us, Chloe is fucking amazing, and anyone can tell that
she loves you. I mean, she got on her knees for two weeks straight
for you because she wanted you back, and you aren’t even going to
fight for her?”