I’d known he wouldn’t let me go without a fight, because I was really his last hope of getting his hands on his trust fund. He didn’t have enough time to do the whole fake relationship thing with someone else—not if he wanted to make it seem realistic. Especially since he’d be expected to take a break between our “divorce” and the beginning of another relationship. He’d be forced to elope again and, yes, it would definitely look fake.
He reached out and cupped the side of my neck. “I need you, Vienna. I need you to trust me when I say I didn’t break my word. I need you to stay on board. You said you were in this until the end,” he reminded me.
I had, and I’d meant it. But now … now, well, nothing had really changed, had it? Because I did believe he hadn’t broken his word. Which meant he hadn’t really done anything to deserve my anger. I was directing it at the wrong person.
I was also being a little unfair. Whoever sent those pictures wanted to break us up. They could have as easily followed me around and took photos of me that would seem incriminating. If they had, I would have wanted Dane to hear me out. No, I’d have expected that he’d have had the common decency to hear me out. And if I’d properly explained the truth of the photographs but he’d still doubted my word or wanted to walk out on me, I’d have been pissed. Not to mention hurt that he’d think so little of me.
Dane wasn’t angry with me, though. He wasn’t telling me to be rational or to cut him a break. He was being uncharacteristically patient and understanding. And me? I was playing right into the hands of the person who sent the flash drive. They’d wanted to hurt me, and I’d let them have that power. Which was utterly stupid.
But wouldn’t it be just as stupid to stick around when I was clearly in far too deep with him? Wouldn’t it make much more sense to leave now? Or would that just be cowardly?
I’d never thought of myself as a coward. But as I stood there weighing whether or not to walk out on him, which would mean not only breaking my word but leaving the guy in the lurch, I felt somewhat gutless. My mother was the one who ran; who always put her own needs first and didn’t give a shit how her actions affected others.
Dane gently brushed my bangs aside. “When I can prove it was her, I will make Heather pay for this.”
I blinked. “Heather?”
His brows hiked up. “You think it’s a coincidence that I sent incriminating pictures to Thad’s wife—ruining Heather’s relationship with him in the process—and then you’re sent a flash drive on which there are photos of me that appear at first glance to be equally incriminating?”
Actually, I hadn’t made the connection. It would indeed seem like one massive unlikely coincidence. Still … “I can see why you’d think it was her, but this is not Heather’s style. She doesn’t do ‘low-key.’ She’d come to o-Verve and toss printouts of the pictures on my desk. She’d want us both to know how clever she was in finding you out. She’d want to see the hurt on my face; want others in the building to hear that you were screwing around on me.”
“Not if she feared dealing with blowback from me. This way, she got to hurt you without suffering the consequences—she’d prefer that over backing down completely. I’ll bet she’s at her parents’ house right now, expecting you to turn up any second in tears carrying a suitcase full of your things. She wouldn’t want to miss the show. Heather can’t stand the thought of you being happy. She wants to ruin this for you. She tried to convince me to leave you, but it didn’t work, so she decided to try to make you leave me.”
It made sense, and yet I wasn’t sure I agreed Heather was the mastermind. It could have as easily been one of the other people so intent on coming between me and Dane.
I sighed and dropped my head, so fucking tired of people trying to play me in one way or another. And, of course, they were no doubt counting on that, the bastards.
Dane stepped closer and palmed my nape. “I swear to you, Vienna, if you’d asked me where I’d been those nights, I’d have told you. I just didn’t think you cared.”
That made my throat ache all over again. I doubted he thought anyone would care much about what went on in his life, not even his relatives. The Davenports weren’t a family in the truest sense of the word. I’d have cared where he’d been, but I’d given him no reason to assume that, so he wasn’t at fault for thinking differently.
He also wasn’t at fault for someone having sent me that flash drive, and it was time I stopped making Dane pay for their actions. I was better than that. And I wasn’t going to give them what they wanted and walk out on him.
As if sensing my capitulation, he slowly and carefully took the suitcase from my hand. “Let’s take this back up to your room. Yes?”
My shoulders drooping, I lifted my head and nodded. “Okay,” I whispered.
He squeezed my nape and pressed a kiss to my temple. “That’s my girl.”
No, I wasn’t his girl. Which was part of my problem, but that wasn’t his fault either.
Dane shepherded me up the stairs and into my room. He helped me unpack my case, and I wondered if he wanted to ensure that I couldn’t dash out with it the moment his back was turned.
Although I wasn’t feeling all that hungry, I let him talk me into joining him downstairs after I’d changed into my sweats. We mostly ate our dinner in silence, but it wasn’t an awkward silence; wasn’t filled with things left unsaid.
Afterward, he took my hand and said, “Come on.”
I frowned. “Where are we going?”
He didn’t answer. He simply led me outside, past the patio and pool, and over to the wooded area behind it. He tugged me through a slim, easy-to-miss opening in the tall hedges. I felt my mouth drop open as we stepped into a water woodland garden. There was a Japanese-style bridge, pretty waterfall, artfully weathered sculptures, decorative stones, flowering trees, and vividly colorful flowers.
Tucked within the grove of trees, it was cut off from the rest of the lavish landscape, making it feel like a secret pixie garden. It was so cozy and restful and Zen-like. A place where someone even as stoic as Dane could unwind and just shut off for a while.
“This is amazing,” I said.
“Yes, it is.” He tugged me over to a bench that was positioned within a vine-covered arch. He sat down and patted the spot beside him in invitation.
I lowered myself to the bench, finding it surprisingly comfy. I glanced around once more, only then noticing the gnarled, moss-covered tree and the elegant water fountain. “I could sit out here for hours and just … be. Or read.”
“Feel free to come out here whenever you like.” He curled his arm around me and drew me closer, so I rested my head on his shoulder. It wasn’t wise to be close to him like this, but I’d lecture myself about it tomorrow.
He didn’t talk or even pull out his cell phone. He just sat there, silent but so solid. Again, there was nothing awkward about the silence. It was more like we were both just absorbing the peaceful atmosphere around us.
Lulled by the floral, earthy scents and the relaxing tinkle of the small waterfall, it wasn’t long before tiredness settled over me—that emotional rollercoaster ride had taken a lot out of me. Closing my eyelids, I leaned a little more into Dane, knowing and not caring that I’d fall asleep right there. Fingertips danced up and down my arm, surprisingly relaxing, and I soon drifted off.