BRANDON“... How do you feel?”
Pauline takes a sip of water after swallowing a capsule the doctor prescribed for her. It isn’t advisable for her to travel by plane with her wounds, so we have to wait a few more days.
“I feel like I’m dying, Brandon,” she complains, then wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. “But I want to go. I want to leave this place and go home.”
“You can’t leave yet.” I sit on the edge of the bed.
“Are you coming with me?” she says hoarsely.
“Did you call your parents?” I ask instead.
“They said the same thing. But they are more concerned with my engagement to Silvanus than my wellbeing. Dad’s always like that. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t born in that kind of family. Screw all these rules.”
I smile. “I understand. I don’t agree with the rules either.”
“So I told him,” she goes on. “That I wasn’t really pregnant and that I was only lying so that Silvanus would let me go. I’m happy because Dad’s so furious. I like making him angry.” She shakes her head and exhales a deep breath.
“They’ll find out soon anyway.”
“But whatever.” She rolls her eyes. “They asked about you.”
“What did they say?”
“Ever since you showed up in Athens, all they talk about is you. The plans involving you are mostly about business. I’m getting tired of it.” She gives emphasis on the last sentence. “So I guess I just wanted to get this over with and do whatever they wanted so they’d stop nagging me.”
I avert my eyes. “You accepted the marriage.”
“Well. Other than that, I was groomed for it since I was a teenager. Ever since your grandfather acknowledged you. I kind of grew up having that mindset. ‘Ah, so this is the man I’m going to marry.’ Honestly, I kind of like the feeling of having to admire someone. You know it, Brandon. I know you felt it too, and I still do.”
“I did.” Unfortunately, things have changed. “Pauline, I’m not the man for you.”
She chuckles without humor. “But you need my parents’ help.”
“Cruel, isn’t it?” I look at her. “I didn’t want to hurt you, Pauline. But I guess we just have to deal with it.”
“You’re going to marry me?” her voice is almost inaudible.
“It’s too early to say that.”
“You were going to use me,” she says bitterly. I’d be lying to myself if I denied it. “Then you’re right. You’re cruel. It’s because of her, right? You can’t love me again because of Alayna?”
“Let’s not talk about something that’s already obvious.”
“But you were still going to marry me!” She reaches for my arm, crying. “Right? Did you think she’ll wait for you? Do you think she can accept all this? If you’re going to go through all this, that means you don’t love her. If you did, you’d choose her instead of this.”
I pull my hand away and growl, “There are thousands of people employed in my grandfather’s corporations, and all of them have loved ones. ... Their fate is now in my hands. It’s my responsibility. Many are suffering because of all those goddamn rules our families impose on us, and our future generations will have to endure the same situation if I don’t do something.
“And Alfio craved all that power for himself. He wanted to control us all, the Stavros and the Dragoumis family too. Now, can I afford that? No, I can’t. So tell me, Pauline, do I even have time to think of myself? Do I even have time to consider what matters most just because I fell in love with a woman?”
“You sound like a pompous jerk,” she says sourly. “I can’t believe I fell for someone like you.”
“Yes, Pauline, maybe I am, but I’m doing this for myself too, so I can be free. So I can live normally again. With Alayna.”
She shakes her head, unconvinced. “She won’t wait for you, Brandon.”
I shut my eyes briefly. “I guess none of it concerns you, Pauline. Even if we end up signing our names on a paper, it doesn’t give you the right to tell me what to do.”
I spring up and walk out of the room before I hear any other absurdity.
I haven’t spoken to Alayna again. I wish I could explain to her what I’ve told Pauline, but I can’t afford to hurt her more. I wish there were another choice. I just wish I didn’t have to take this path.
“I heard all that. I was going to walk in, but then I felt it was not good timing.” Cary is standing by the hallway when I exit. “So you’ve decided, huh? Good luck with that, man. You’ve just dug your own grave.”
“What are you talking about?” I ignore his jibe and continue to head to our common room.
“You said you were going to marry Pauline.” Cary trails behind me, but I stop and face him. “Anyway, I predicted this would happen.”
I lift a warning finger. “Don’t start, Cary.”
“Your girl’s talking to Stan, asking her some questions you might use later for that case.”
I clench my fist. “Where is she?”
He points out the door to the living room.
I hurry inside, stopping when I find Alayna in front of a camera with Constantine behind it, asking her questions. My cousins and her foster siblings surround her as she speaks. Our gazes lock, but briefly; she faces the camera again. I’ll just wait until she finishes.
It takes another ten minutes to end the interview. I chase after her and grab her wrist. “Let’s talk.”
She looks at me with incredulity, pressing her lips into a thin line, but eventually, she gives in. I pull her into my suite, where I can be alone with her.
“Listen to me. About what happened yesterday...”
She cuts me off. “You’re going to leave me here again.” She’s standing still and trying to seem confident. “I get it, Brandon. I’m already accepting it in my mind.”
“Yes, but I’ll be back. I’ll come back to you. I can promise you that. Please believe me“You promised that last time too, and what happened? You came back a different person.”
“Listen, baby.” I hold her face so she will look at me. “It’s different this time. I have to end this. I can’t live like this anymore. Look at us now; even your family is in danger because of me.”
She wriggles away from my touch and steps back. “But until when? One year? Two years? Or longer? No, you can’t do that to me again, Brandon.”
“I’m taking Jason with me,” I tell her.
“You took Cassius with you, and did that help me? You were ignoring me. You were preventing everyone from saying anything about you.” She exhales in exasperation.
My chest hurts as I look at her face and see her suffer because of me.
“Then I’ll answer your calls, your texts. I’ll keep in touch. I’ll let you know everything that’s going on.”
“Ah.” She nods, crossing her arms. “You will tell me when you’re in front of the altar exchanging vows with Pauline too. Do you realize how absurd you sound right now? Maybe you never really understood me. I can’t wait for you,” she declares, exactly like how Pauline said it.
I move close to her again, and she steps back again. I keep going until she hits the wall. “You will because I want you to and because I’ll come back for you.”
“Or maybe I can’t do this anymore,” she murmurs, her hazel eyes looking directly into mine.
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe the point of this is... it isn’t going to work. I can’t do this anymore, Brandon.”
I scowl. “What?”
“Can’t you see it, Brandon? I love you, and I don’t think I can ever love anyone as much, but I’m afraid of myself.” Her eyes swell, and her cheeks turn rosy. “I ate pills for breakfast, lay in the hospital falling apart, crying for you. I had sleepless nights, never-ending pain, and I even tried to forget....”
“Are you breaking up with me?” My chest now grows tight, and the pressure is suddenly too much.
“I wouldn’t be able to take it this time. I won’t survive this, Brandon. The last time I didn’t, but this time I will lose it, so you have to give this to me.”
“No.” I swallow something that feels like a lump in my throat. “You can’t break up with me now.”
“Don’t you see? It’s too hard for us to make this work. I want to know what to expect.”
“No, no, please.” I finally pull her to me, crushing her body against mine, but she isn’t responding. A strange yet familiar pain is pounding against my chest, piercing through my heart. I groan, trying to endure the discomfort. “Do you know how hard it is for me to leave?”
“Maybe I should be alone for now,” she says, her voice cold. “I need to clear my mind. All this is too much for a day. If you don’t mind.”
I let her leave because she needs it. I can’t calm her anger now.
However, my head starts spinning. I hold on to the wall to keep straight.
I push on my chest to ease the pain, but it’s still there. My eyes turn blurry, and my breath quickens. It’s a feeling I haven’t had since last year. I’m not aware of its cause anymore. Is this my fucking illness or the fear of knowing that Alayna is giving up on me?
ALAYNAI keep my distance from Brandon, but I’m too aware of his presence next door. Not even Casey or Arianna can console me. I just wanted to be alone to think. Then I remember Oliver’s propositionI send a text to Casey the following day to tell Oliver I need to see him. I can’t go out of the room because I’d rather stay with my family and not face Brandon. Casey tells me Oliver is coming. While I wait for him, I watch Jason and Arianna playing with our younger siblings in the living room, which makes me smile.
Oliver then appears at the door and asks me to join him for coffee downstairs. I ask Jason if it’s safe to go out, and my brother assures me that it is since he owns the entire building.
Oliver and I sit across from each other at the coffee shop nursing our lattes.
“You look great,” I tell him. The bruises on his face have slightly faded.
“I look almost normal, thank you.” He chuckles. “What’s up?”
I let a beat pass before I speak. “You were right about everything you said.”
He sniffs his coffee first before drinking it. “And?
I shrug. “I can’t keep hanging around him. We’ll only hold each other back.”
Oliver nods. “He has to go, no matter what. Greece is our home. Whether we like it or not.”
“I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe he’ll come back. God! I don’t want him leaving me anymore, but I have to save myself. I think that’s the right word for it.” Before everything gets worse for me at every level, I know I have to do this. I don’t want to hope again, though I feel empty inside. During conversations like this, I usually cry my eyes out, but oddly, I am just numb. But I’m surprised my stomach can still take the coffee.
“What are you going to do now?” he asks.
“I’d like to hear your proposition.”
“Very well.” He puts down his cup. “I’d like to offer a new place for you and your family so you can live with them again, and a new career. A new start, Alayna—away from all this.”
“That’s exactly what I thought about before, but you and Cassius made a fuss about it,” I joke, although I’m somewhat nervous. If I accept that, then I’ll be cutting off ties with everyone.
“Right. But this time, it’ll be different. I will have to go with you.”
I gape at him. “What?”
“I don’t plan on going back to Greece yet,” he continues.
Or maybe not entirely cutting off ties. It sounds ridiculous, though. “Oliver, if this is because—”
He stops me. “Alayna, don’t get the wrong impression. Cassius said I need therapy, but God, I won’t do that anywhere in New York or in Athens.”
I’m slightly taken aback. He’s probably entering therapy because of his traumatic experience during captivity. “Oh, so Cassius is going with us?”
“No, he’ll go with Brandon again. He’s his doctor, and Brandon needs further psychological support.” He leans back on the chair. “Besides, the new career I’m telling you about involves my participation.”
I blink. Why? How? “I’m not sure I’m following anymore, Ollie.”
“Didn’t you say you want a restaurant? Let’s build it, Alayna.”
My eyes widen. It’s my dream. He remembers it. But gee, of course, he’d remember. I was practically telling him every day.
“You’ll be the head chef, you’ll have your own team, and I’ll take care of the capital. Profit is fifty-fifty. We’ll be partners. Deal?”
“Oh my God, Ollie!” Every hair on my body rises just at the sound of it, in a freaking good way. I rub my arms because I’ve got chills, in a good way too.
He grins. “Yeah, sounds good?”
“It sounds awesome!” I cry.
“Then what’s your answer?” He offers his hand, waiting for a handshake.
I stare at his palm. Now, what would be the reason to decline such an amazing opportunity? Brandon is leaving, and there’s no way I’m going back to his house to work. Eventually, I’ll need a new career. Besides, I’ve always dreamed of this. Even if I try to save a whole lifetime to build a restaurant, I’m not even sure I’d get there.
But if Oliver is with me... the man has so many connections, his skills are world-class, he’s got the money... I’ll absolutely thrive. If I just shake that hand, I’ll have my own restaurant.
I take his hand. “Yes!”