The Wager: A Billionaire Romance (20 page)

"Lily, I don't know why he did the things he did. I can't explain it, only he can. If you won't agree to see him, maybe you can read what he has to say."

"What the hell are you talking about, Mel?" I asked

"He's written you a letter. I forwarded it to you a few days ago. You should have gotten it by now. You don't have to read it if you don't want to, but it's there if you decide to. For my part," she added, "I'd want to know. I'd want an explanation."

"You're a real busybody, you know that, Mel?" I said exasperated. "I don't even know what to say right now."

"I'm sorry, Lily. I know this is a tough time for you and the last thing I want to do is add to that, but I really think you should hear or read what he has to say. I've always thought there was something special between you two. And don't feel like you have to read the letter immediately. Do it at your own pace," she added uneasily, while I continued to remain silent on the phone.

"Listen, I've got to go now," I finally said. "I've got to head out for a bit."

I hung up the phone, my head beginning to throb at all that I had heard. When did my life become such a sideshow? I wondered. In the course of a little over a month, my peaceful ordered existence had been turned upside down and I was just scrambling to pick up the pieces. I pulled myself off my bed and slipped on my sneakers and jacket. Fresh air was what I needed. It was feeling stagnant and cramped in the house.

I headed down the stairs and was just about to slip out the front door when I doubled back and headed towards the living room. There, lying on the coffee table was a weeks worth of mail and on the very top was the letter Mel had forwarded me. I picked it up and slipped it into my purse and headed out.

My heart was pounding in my chest like I'd run a marathon. There was nothing I wanted more than to rip open the envelope and devour the contents of that letter but I held back. I didn't know what I would find or if I was even ready to read it yet. Instead, I got in my dad's truck and started the engine and drove.

***

After fifteen minutes of mindless driving around, I had finally decided to go to the grocery store to pick up some supplies for home. I needed something to take my mind off the letter and besides, we were low on just about everything since neither my mother nor I had even thought about shopping.

Driving around my hometown, it felt like nothing had changed. The people were all the same, the stores were all the same. It was hard to be back here since so many things brought back bitter memories. I pulled up to the parking spot at our local Starford's and got out. It was cold and wet outside and I pulled up the hood on my coat and sprinted towards the entrance.

The grocery store was surprisingly packed for a Tuesday night. I guess when there's nothing else to do in this little town, the local supermarket was the hotspot. It was so different from New York. I'd always thought of myself as a homebody, but being here where the most exciting thing to happen is the change in weather, I realized how much I'd missed New York and the big city.

Even my quiet nights at home in my apartment were more exciting than what was going on now. Part of that might have been the fact that at least in New York, I had friends and people that cared about me. Here, all I had was my mother, and she wasn't in any condition to do anything but grieve.

It was hard to stop thinking about what Mel had told me. I kept coming back to the same thing over and over again: Roman loved me. Could I believe it? Would it change anything? I still didn't know the answer to that. I was so confused. Nothing made any sense and I was giving myself another headache just trying to sort through it all.

I thought about reading his letter. It was so tempting just pull it out and get it over with. What could he possibly say that would make what he did okay? Mel seemed to think he was sincere. She had even taken up his cause, which actually said a lot. If there was one thing I could say about Mel it was that she was loyal to a fault.

She also thought she knew what was best for me. In this case, she thought that I should give Roman another chance, but I didn't think I was even ready to consider the possibility. I kept going over the same arguments in my head, not paying attention to my surroundings.

Suddenly I heard my name called. Actually, it was the nickname I'd been branded with in school--
troll face
. Slowly I turned around to see the hated face of one of my tormentors all those years ago--Pauline Fontana. She even had the temerity to oink at me. She was wearing the green polo shirt and black cap of an employee and looked like she had aged 20 years in the last six.

"Oh my God, it really is the troll face," she said, giving me the once over. "I thought I recognized your dumb ass."

My body tensed and I cringed inwardly as I felt the heat flush up my face. I got angry with myself for still feeling that fear and dread I'd felt all those years ago. I was an adult now, a grown woman who owned her own business. Why did I still let this person affect me?

"Hey Todd, get over here," she said waving to another man in the same uniform as her. "Look who decided to show her ugly face back in town."

I stopped breathing for a second. I had tried not to think about Todd or Pauline or any one in their group for years and now it was all rushing back at me. The boy who stood me up for prom came sauntering over with a pompous grin on his face.

"Holy shit! It
is
you," he said.

"Well, aren't you going to say hi, Troll? What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Pauline taunted. She turned to look at Todd and continued, "She's just as stupid as she was in school. Can't even string two words together."

"Maybe she's in shock," Todd said. "You heard about her old man, right," he said, ignoring me. "Got run over by a car."

They both looked at each other and started to laugh. My shock and fear soon turned to anger, as their laughter sent my blood boiling. It was one thing to pick on me and call me names, but to go after my father, a man who never hurt anyone and who was one of the kindest men who lived, well that was too much. I'd spent too long being afraid and backing down. Enough was enough. I was not the same girl I was six years ago, and I damn well wouldn't stand around and let them continue to bully me or my family.

"What's wrong with you people? Haven't you grown up yet? Is your life so miserable you still need to take your anger out on me?" I asked.

"What the fuck did you just say to me, Troll? You're the loser and you'll always be one. Don't forget it."

"I'm not the one still living in my mother's basement working the same job I had in high school," I said hotly.

They both looked like they'd been slapped in the face. The shock was evident as they continued to stare at me, with mouths hanging open and eyes widened. I could pinpoint when that shock soon turned to something more dangerous. Their eyes narrowed and their mouths pinched into a sneer.

"Fucking Troll thinks she's hot shit now," Pauline said to Todd. "I'm going to remind you what a worthless little piece of shit you really are when I kick your ass."

"You might want to rethink that," I heard a voice say behind me.

It was a voice I hadn't heard in weeks, but one I couldn't forget. I turned around quickly and had to suck in a gasp at the sight before me. Roman was standing there tall and broad shouldered and as handsome as I've ever seen him. His hair was a little longer than I remembered, but still thick and wavy. He wore a navy blue overcoat over a pair of faded blue jeans. I cursed myself for where my thoughts immediately went. Why did he have to be so good looking? And why did he still have such a power over me?

I turned back around to face Pauline and Todd, trying to gain some semblance of calm but failing miserably. There were so many questions running through my mind. What the hell was Roman doing here? How did he find me?

"What the fuck are you going to do about it?" Todd asked, recalling my attention.

"I'm going to report you to your manager. I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate their employees threatening a customer," Roman said coolly with a hint of steel in his voice.

Pauline and Todd narrowed their eyes at Roman before backing down. They shot me one last angry glare before turning around and walking away. Once they had left, the silence filled the air between us.

"Lily?" Roman said softly. I could feel his hand reach out to me before he pulled it back.

"I didn't need your help," I snapped, walking away from him.

I heard his footsteps follow behind me, catching up to me with his long strides.

"Wait, I need to talk to you," he said.

"We have nothing to say to each other," I said.

"We have everything to say to each other."

I was stopped in the cereal aisle trying to ignore him, but failing again. Finally I turned to look at him and crossed my arms.

"Fine, speak," I demanded.

He released a heavy sigh and ran his hand through his hair. I hated the way my stomach lurched watching him do that.

"Did...uh...did you read my letter?" he asked nervously.

"No."

"Oh. Do you think we could talk somewhere more private?" he asked. "Can we go get a coffee or something?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," I said.

"Please, Lily." He looked so lost and vulnerable, I felt a little bit of my hard shell cracking.

"All right, but just coffee. You can meet me at Lucy's Diner in ten minutes. It's just down the road, about half a mile on the left," I said. "You can't miss it."

"Great, I'll see you there," he said. He looked at me a moment longer like he still had something to say, but then thought better of it and turned to go.

I let out a deep breath once he was out of sight. What the hell was I getting myself into? I knew it was a very bad idea to be alone with Roman, but I'd already agreed, so there was no turning back now. All I had to do was listen to what he had to say and then leave. I had to steel my heart against him. He was too good of an actor and I was still way too vulnerable around him.

Chapter Fourteen: Roman

The diner wasn't hard to find. The large flashing neon lights were like a beacon. I pulled my car into the gravel parking lot and waited for Lily to arrive. It had been over a week since I had written that letter. Mel said she was still working on Lily, but I was growing impatient. Just knowing she was up here alone, dealing with her father's death on top of what I'd done was too much for me. I needed to see her and make sure she was okay.

When I arrived at her parent's house, her mother had answered the door. The poor woman looked like she'd been through hell. Her eyes were red and puffy and she had a listlessness about her that was profoundly sad. Even though I felt sorry for her, my thoughts turned immediately towards Lily. I wondered how she was faring.

"She's not here right now," she said when I asked about Lily.

"Do you know when she'll be back?" I asked.

"I'm not sure."

Her mother invited me in to wait for her which I accepted. I felt a little uncomfortable at first, but Lily's mother, Marion was gracious even in the face of her tragedy. We spoke about Lily for a while, but I kept checking my watch, distractedly. There was no way I could concentrate on anything, and I left Lily's house feeling frustrated and disappointed.

All the way up, I'd planned in my head what I would say to her, but I'd been thwarted immediately. I got into my car and sat there for a while wondering what to do. There was no telling where she'd gone or when she'd even be back and the thought of sitting outside in the car for hours didn't appeal to me. I decided then that I'd head on over to the local supermarket to pick up some supplies. My trip up to Maine had been hasty so I hadn't packed the necessities.

I never expected to see Lily there when I walked into the supermarket. My body froze at the sight of her familiar form. Her back was turned towards me and she stood very still as she looked to be in conversation with two employees. When I saw the scowls on their faces, I immediately made my way over to them.

I overheard the last bit the woman had said about kicking Lily's ass. My instincts took over at that point. I'd never felt such anger after hearing that woman's words. I had no idea what had transpired, but the fact that one of them had threatened Lily was enough for me to speak up.

I hadn't intended to make my presence known to Lily that way, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't stand back while these two continued to torment her. Once they had left, Lily turned to face me and the anger and hurt in her eyes nearly did me in. I couldn't give up, though. I'd come this far, I needed to make her understand.

Her car finally pulled into the diner and she parked at the spot next to mine and I got out of my car. She looked a little surprised to see me step out, probably thinking I'd already be in the restaurant. We walked into the diner together in silence. I hated this awkwardness between us but it was all my own fault. We were seated immediately and waited until the waitress left to finally look at each other.