This wasn’t supposed to happen again. Now that it has, I’ve got no idea what comes next.
Chapter Eleven
Mira
“No!” I screech. “This can’t be happening.” I want to cry. I want to scream. I want to do anything but face the reality that another story has been leaked about me. I scroll through my Instagram notifications and I’ve been tagged and mentioned in at least one hundred posts that have been shared about my return to Santa Monica. The worst part? It’s also been announced that I’ve been spending my free time at Tito’s.
Things were finally starting to look up. Granted, my designs were shot down. I slept with Sawyer for the second time, four days ago—and I want to do it again and again. And, there’s the fact that I’m living a lie. Ok, things are not looking up. Things are bad. Very bad. How will Dad ever trust me to help with the business one day, when I can’t even keep my name out of the press for the one week I’ve been back?
Sawyer will see this. I mean, how can he not? Then he’ll start snooping because he doesn't like me—or Mira—who is me. It’s been three days since we watched fireworks together on the beach, then made our fireworks in his bed at the hotel.
Spending another night with him was amazing. Having him stop me from sneaking out first thing in the morning was everything. We lay in bed and talked for hours about life. He gave me hope for my future just by listening. I hate that I like this guy, but I do. He’s real and smart and funny. And I’m living a lie.
Who would do this to me? What would they have to gain?
Then, it hits me. Like a tidal wave smack dab in the face. Niles Tanner. He saw me at Tito's. In fact, he invited himself to my table and when he saw me talking to Sawyer, he questioned it. Oh, no!
Niles is ruthless. If he was behind the sex tape scandal, there is no doubt in my mind that he will go to extreme lengths again just because I won't marry him and initiate a merger of our families’ businesses.
In a huff, I shut down my phone. I'm putting an end to this, once and for all. I'm not the only one with secrets, and if I'm forced to, I'll share anything I can find on Tanner Enterprises. If I remember right, there was an embezzlement case opened about six years ago against Richard Tanner. It was closed, but I'm sure he paid millions to have it swept away. I'm sure I could find something to reopen the case.
I'm walking briskly to the door to leave my dad's office when it cracks open. "Sawyer," I say, when his head pokes in.
"Hey, there. Thought I might find you here. Wanted to talk to you about something. You sure do enjoy hanging out in this office while Mr. Glasson is away."
I smirk, pulling the door all the way open. "What can I say, I like to play CEO. It's always been a dream of mine." It's a lie—one of many I've told this handsome man. The truth is, I'd never want this job. I'd probably murder people, because people piss me off.
"Now that does surprise me. I don't picture you as a CEO." He presses his hands to either side of the door frame with a sly grin on his face. "A cabin in the mountains with a canvas. That's what I see."
It's like he knows me. Even the way he looks at me makes me feel like we've known each other for years. My ease of comfort around Sawyer comes so naturally. It's terrifying. I'm living a complete lie while he's being a perfect gentleman. I had him pegged all wrong. I thought he was a ruthless rookie here at Glasson—a player and a shit-talker. The other side he’s shown me has sucked me in and I want to hold on tightly for the ride we could take together.
Snapping myself out of the daze I've fallen in, I remember what I was doing. "I've got to leave for an hour or so. Do you mind coming back around lunch time so we can talk then?"
His hands drop from the door frame. "Yeah, sure. You seem stressed. Anything I can help with?"
I wish you could. "Thanks, but this is something I have to handle on my own. I'll see you later." I step beside him and press a chaste kiss to his cheek, hoping it wasn't the last time. Niles could out me before I even return. If that happens, I'll never get the chance to see where things could go with me and Sawyer. What am I thinking? I can't live this lie forever. No matter what happens, Sawyer will never talk to me again. Whether it's me shutting him out to keep the truth from him, or if it's the truth that breaks us. It's bound to happen either way.
As I walk to the elevator down the hall, I turn around and give Sawyer one last look before stepping through the open doors.
Tears prick my eyes. I'm not sure if it's because this is all happening again and I'm about to lose any headway I made with my dad, or if it's because I'm getting attached to Sawyer and, deep down, I know I'll have to let him go.
The Tanners live in this huge, luxurious Victorian mansion that is three times the size of my parents’ house. There were four kids growing up in this house and I guess they needed more space. I mean, who needs six bedrooms when you can have eleven? I've never understood why anyone needs that many bedrooms. Even when I do buy a house of my own, it won't be so big that I can't hear my kids running down the hall or smell bacon through the entire house on Sunday mornings.
"Just drop me at the front doors. I should only be a few minutes," I tell Stewart. He does as I ask and I open the door before he has a chance to get out and open it for me. "Be right back," I say, before closing the door and filling my lungs with the fresh mountain air. My parents have a beautiful view of the ocean, while the Tanners have the mountains in their back yard. Honestly, I prefer the solitude this property offers.
I'm walking up to the main doors when I hear the start of an engine, then another and another. Looking to my left, I see a large moving truck pull out from the side entrance, followed by two more. Are the Tanners moving? Hmm. That's strange. I can't imagine they'd leave the place they've called home since their kids were born. Maybe Niles is finally growing up and moving out of his parents’ house. I chuckle inside my head. Yeah right.
Once I'm at the top of the cement staircase, I tap my knuckles to the door and it opens just as I go to knock again. "Good morning. Can I help you?" The butler asks. I can't remember his name for the life of me. I've been here a handful of times and I feel like I should know it.
"Hello. I'm here to see Niles." I know he's here because he posted a TikTok video of him acting like a child in the mirror today. He thinks just because he flexes his muscles that women will come crawling to him. The stupid ones probably do, but that's only because they don't know what a conceited asshole he is.
"Right this way."
I follow behind the butler as I try and remember his name. Lenny? Lyle? "Lester," I spit out.
He looks at me over his shoulder. "Yes, ma’am."
Yep. It's Lester. "You don't remember me, do you?"
"Oh, how could I forget, Ms. Glasson. I used to pick up your hard lemonade glass bottles off the lawn on Saturday mornings."
It's true. Before our families waged war on one another, we were all fairly close. Our parents would attend events together, and sometimes, we'd just come over for dinner for the hell of it. A merger was always the plan. I always thought that they were doing it to push Niles and me together. Once we were together, everything got bad. Very bad. Dad threatened Niles with a knife when he caught his hand up my skirt at Lance's birthday party. I was only seventeen years old, so it was justified.