Chasing Forever (11 page)

Chapter 15

Toby

For the past five hours since we got back, I had been working on my laptop
, emailing and making appointments for potential clients. The second I got back to England, I would have to look for office space, hire an assistant, and start from there. Obviously, that was the easiest part. The essential, rigorous part of doing business was done behind closed doors, negotiating deals, doing vast research, studying market trends and emerging markets. It was basically readying to deal big, volatile risky investments, banking on the fact that my choices and strategies would pay off—and most did. This was my comfort zone. One of my abilities that I excelled in—taking calculated risks, analyzing data and trends in a shifting global market.

Stifling a yawn, I stretched my arms before folding my hands behind my head, closing my eyes as I took deep breaths. This
had been my mechanism for ages when I was under stress and pressure. Then again, my life was always the same, barely without pressure and obligations.

Getting up from the worktable, I decided to order in for dinner since Amelia was still fast asleep in the spare bedroom, barely squeaking a sound. I strolled over to her bedroom and opened the door as quietly as I could.
She remained in the same position she had been when I’d checked on her two hours ago. Containing a sigh, I decided against waking her up and silently shut her door when the sound of the buzzer chiming made me immediately tense.

Obviously
, it couldn’t be room service since all I had done was think about ordering less than a few minutes ago. The only person I could think of was Amelia’s mother, Costanza. Walking towards the main entry hall, I was on the defense when I opened the door with no trace of surprise when I found out who it was.

“Mother, now’s not the time to pester me. You can come back some other time.” I was about to shut the door when she fumed and pushed it against me before she came barging in inside like she ought to be, confidently striding in her typical regal-like stance.

My nostrils flared as I slam the door shut, following where the person who bore me waited with impatience. The woman who most people would say I looked like, but that was where our compatibility ended.

Consciously brushing the strand that fell off her coifed hair, she darted me a drastic glare, huffing like a lioness ready to pounce on her cub for misbehavior. “You will fix everything. Costanza is going to be here shortly and I expect you to graciously apologize for your rude behavior. You will do this
, son, or I’m going to raise hell.”

“Raise all the
hell you like; I will not oblige any of your demands. I am done dealing with your nonsense,” I uttered in a sharp, crystal clear voice. “You still haven’t gotten that into your stubborn head? I. Said. I. Am. Done.”

“Why are you yelling?”
a voice behind me asked.

I spun around and found Amelia frowning before her eyes travelled
to find my mother.
“Evelyn?
What brings you here in Spain?”
Scanning her face, I looked for a sign that she’d had anything to do with my mother’s unsurprising visit. I didn’t find any. She was stunned, just as I was.

My mother started to move, brushing past me to get to Amelia, giving her a hug and pompous
, cheek-to-cheek air kisses. “What do you think? Saving both our families from humiliation and embarrassment. I’d rather not be the subject of the gossipmongers for the summer.”

Her voice irked me to no end. Of course, she’d think about herself more than anyone. Gossip during summertime would reduce the invites for garden parties and galas.
It would be a total tragedy for her, I knew.

“There’s nothing to save. Everything is filed; my lawyers are only waiting for her signature. The rest is done.”

My mother’s cold eyes matched mine, measuring how she could try to beat me, however there was nothing left to fight. I was through with it all. Nothing more. I had to hand it to her, though, she didn’t back down on our eye-standoff; Amelia broke our concentration by speaking.

“I’m signing.” She cleared her throat before speaking again
, “Before you leave, I’ll sign the papers.”

My mother’s expression was…
priceless. “No, child, you will do no such thing!” she gasped with horror.

A
s much as I would like to lavish on this little triumph, before my mother no less, I was more focused on Amelia, hoping that she was serious about this. This meant everything to me. “Are you sure? I mean, if you need extra spousal support, that won’t be a problem.”

She shook her head, wrapping one arm around her stomach and the other holding the lapels of the robe. “I have more than enough.”

Right after that statement, my mother went beyond ballistic. She stressed the situation and how the humiliation would ruin everyone. She even called Amelia’s mother to hurry up so she could help convince us about the divorce. However, after a quick word from her daughter had her turning around to go back home, leaving my very own mother in utter mayhem.

It took my mother a good fifteen minutes worth of screeching colorful names and lecturing about social commitments and wealth before she finally left us in peace and silence, quaking the room with the harsh slam of the door in her wake.

Arms against my chest, I pressed my lips together, speechless.
That
was the person who had given birth to me. This was beyond hysterical. “That was rude of my mother. I apologize,” I uttered in pure disbelief as I stared at the door, praying that she’d surely decided to leave the hotel instead of some dramatic exit before she came back with the finale.

“She needs to let you go
, too…”

The old Amelia would’ve sided with her, screaming profanities and uncaring about
anyone else but themselves. Yet, this new version of her remained pragmatic, siding with me for the very first time.

She kept silent for a bit, casually walking towards the back of the sofa, fingers caressing the texture before she thought out loud, “She doesn’t love you
. I think she loves the idea of you and what she aspires you to be. I think it’s because she hasn’t accomplished much in life. She gave birth at such a young age and never really found herself… It made her this way. She wants to live through you, becoming something bigger, someone much more important that people could look up to,” she whispered as if the idea had just dawned on her as well. “When she talks about you, it’s as if you’re the only hope she has. I felt bad about that… but my selfishness paved a much bigger opportunity for me, so I took advantage of the situation.”

My entire mind and body tensed as I listened to her speak. Her revelation out of nowhere
had staggered me. She had never uttered a damn, bloody thing about
basically anything about my life
, my family or much of anything unless it involved her or Lucy.

“Blake Knightly…”

Fuck. What did the bastard do now? I noticed that her throat bobbed, as if having a tough time remembering what had happened.

“I’ve been in love with him…
even before he realized I existed,” she started to say with a soft sob. “The first time I saw him, he was in Rome visiting his aunt and uncle. My parents and I were invited to this lavish gathering they had, but we never got the opportunity to be introduced—he was busy with this group of people, mostly women—” she wiped a single tear that fell before smiling sadly.

“Even from afar
, I knew he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. That whole night, I kept glancing at him, hoping he’d notice me, but he was too busy. I went home with a sad heart, but I knew it probably wasn’t the right time anyway. I believe in soul mates, and my heart chose him.

“
A year after that happened, I found him again in Marbella, socializing amongst my friends and family because he was planning on opening a casino and needed everyone’s support and approval. But of course, for me, it was entirely different. I really thought he and I had a chance. Everything was perfect—beautiful—just like I imagined it would be. But it wasn’t a fairytale because Sienna came in the picture and ruined everything for me.”

Delusion at its best
, I sadly thought before stating my opinion. “Sienna has always been in the picture, but she was in a relationship with Kyle, and Blake, being the man that he is, respected that and chose to be friends with her instead. It was only a matter of time until he did something. Before things progressed between them, he was already in love with her. I’m almost hundred percent positive he was even in love with her when he was with you.”

“My life’s a tragedy, Toby…” she started to break as tears streamed
down her face, “and I don’t think it can ever be fixed.”

“It’s never too late to fix
anything. You’re still young, and with the baby on the way, you can start afresh—a new life in every sense of the word.” As I moved towards her, she held out her hand, stopping me from trying to comfort her.

“I started seeing this married guy, thinking stupid things that would make him come back to me
. I’m sorry for using you, too. I wanted him to hurt because he loves you, but nothing worked. Nothing…” She shook her head, gazing up to me with tears and quivering lips.

“I paid someone to produce a fake testing for the baby. I hate not knowing who the father is
, but I couldn’t blame anyone except me. I made such a fool of myself.” She tapped her palm against her chest. “Look at me now. It’s tragic, isn’t it?” A heartbreaking smile came to her lips.
“I only ever fell in love…”

Haunted
would be the precise word I would have used to describe her at that moment. One revelation after the other; how had she kept this up for so long? Sure, I had believed she was pining for Knightly and wanted a taste of revenge, however I’d had no notion how deeply rooted her feelings were to him until now. What did one tell the other when both persons involved were utterly and tragically hopeless?

“Amelia—”

“I’m exhausted, Toby.”

As
was I. More than I would admit. “I know you are. I do know that.” I motioned my head towards the dining area, hoping that I could entice her to eat something because she hadn’t had anything since the fruits and cream this morning. “Let me order dinner and we can discuss how to build your new life. Hell, we can even consider the thought of relocating you to a different country if it would make you feel better.”

“
The last supper.
”

I nodded. “Yep.”

“Before a brand new life.”

At least she was riding on the idea. That was a splendid thing.

“Anything in particular you fancy getting a taste of?”

“Get me everything on the menu. I want
a tiny piece of everything. I want to savor every morsel,” she enthusiastically supplied as she strode towards the hall. “I’m going for a shower. I’ll be right back.”

“Sure. I’ll do the same.”

Twenty or so minutes later, freshly showered and shaven, the six-cart entourage to our gluttony arrived with flowers and a butler equipped to serve when ready.

A vast selection of tapas, cheeses, three dishes of paella—seafood, chicken and pork—Castilian-style beef rack, chorizo filled with spices, desserts
, and other dishes I had not had the pleasure of being acquainted with, filled the entire opulent rectangular dining table. All forty-two inches of it.

I was all for casual
ly eating, but Amelia absolutely devoured her food like she had been starved, like a famished bear that had woken up from months of hibernation. Brushing off her behavior as if I wasn’t in complete amazement, I diverted my attention to discussing where and what she fancied to do after the baby was born.

She was forthcoming with her thoughts, even mentioning that she played with the idea of opening a business or working again because she
had enjoyed working before Blake Knightly had come into the picture. With the baby due in a few months’ time, I advised that she rest and experience motherhood first. Then, when she was ready to challenge herself with work and being a mother, she could go right on ahead.

It was strange
, yet we discussed about the baby not being mine in a normal manner. Strange at best, but definitely reassuring that her attitude shift could be permanent. I even went out of my comfort zone and offered to be there for her in any case if the father turned out to be the unnamed, married man she had been involved with. It was a massive promise to make, but somehow seeing that tiny peanut on the screen earlier today had touched a place in my heart.

Right after dinner, she informed me that she
had decided to go home and rest. So here I was, waiting out in the living room as she changed into her clothes, hoping that this amiable communication would never alter.

Amelia came out ten minutes later, dressed in a loose
, soft cotton dress that her maid, Delia, had brought. Apparently, she’d made the call after showering and before she’d come out to eat dinner with me.

“Thank you—for being here.” She seemed shy all of a sudden, quite unusual again coming from her.