“Welcome home!” I greet with a broad smile when Brandon steps into his penthouse. Behind him is Oliver, accompanied by a gorgeous honey-blonde-haired woman, I assumed, his fiancée, and Cassius who looks as stylish as ever. However, I am much more delighted when Casey appears.
“Case!” I scream.
“Alayna!” Her eyes widen, drops her suitcase, and runs towards me. She squeezes me against her. “Oh my God, it’s really you! I’ve missed you goddamn much.”
I sob on her shoulder. “You’re here!”
“Of course, I wouldn’t miss this vacation Brandon offered me as soon as he called two days ago!” She releases me but holds my face and stares at me. “You still look so anxious. Damn, are you still getting enough sleep?”
“Of course I am!” I chuckle.
“You better be. I’m so worried about you!” Casey shakes her head. “I heard about it, you know. How are you?”
“I’m fine. Especially when you’re all here now.” I look at everyone’s faces. My gaze stops at Brandon who’s watching us with a blank expression. God, it’s difficult to look at him right now. I have a feeling where our conversation is going to lead. My heart is pounding pretty loud against my ribcage, as though I’ll sink into the ground at any moment. I’ve decided to talk to him about Drake, but I’m about to freak out.
“Arianna,” Casey greets my sister beside me with a brief hug too.
“Case.” My sister grins. “How’s the flight?”
Casey grunts. “Oh, it’s a pain. You know why.” She then glances at Cassius who’s also looking in our direction then whispers, “Hey, Oliver asked me about Arianna and Cassius.”
“Oh, please don’t start,” Arianna complains.
I laugh, ignoring A’s protest. “Ollie knows?”
“He knows, but I didn’t tell him,” Casey says, looking at Arianna. “I don’t know how he found out, but Ollie’s been teasing Cassius about it.”
“Maybe Cassius told him?” I presume.
“No!” Arianna denies immediately. “That’s impossible. He hates me.”
“Cassius doesn’t hate,” Casey states. “He’s just shy.”
I frown. “Cassius is shy? No way. I don’t find him shy—”
“Case!” Cassius calls, interrupting me. I glance at him and he instantly looks away.
“What?!” his sister complains, then snorts. She pats my arm. “Hey, what about J? Where’s he?”
“He’s at home with Mom. He’s helping her with something,” I say, then frown. “Aha! I know what this is about!” I chuckle in realization. “What is this? A new team-up? Casey and Jason, Arianna and Cassius?”
“Shh! Stop,” A chastises. “As you can see, the boys are the problem here.”
I click my tongue. “Why? I see nothing wrong with that?”
“Cass will think that something’s wrong if I don’t go to him now. Whatever the hell he wants. But hey, you two! I wish you could stay here tonight,” Casey says, then walks toward Cassius, yelling, “What is it?”
“Oh, boyfriend’s coming here,” A informs as Brandon approaches us.
“Good evening, ladies,” he greets in his low, cultured voice that gets me all the time.
“Good evening, Brandon,” my sister greets back. “Laynie and I cooked dinner. I’m just going to the kitchen to prepare.” She winks at me and heads toward the kitchen.
“Hey.” I bite my lower lip. As always, he’s breathtaking, and the only man who makes my skin prickle and my inner thighs itch.
Brandon instantly cups my face and stares into my eyes. His expression is still passive. “You are one stubborn woman, aren’t you, mm?” he murmurs. “I told you one simple thing, and you don’t listen.”
“John.” I clear my throat. “He told you.”
He breathes. “Yes.”
The time we spoke, he left me alone in the morning, leaving me only a single sentence. I don’t know what he is thinking now after I told him a fragment of my past. I am more concerned about what he will do after telling him everything.
“Then, it’s a good thing that John was there,” I say truthfully. “It made me feel safe.”
“Really? Is that what you really think?” His eyes narrow, and his tone changes into something interrogative.
“What do you mean?”
“We both know that’s not everything, Alayna.” He stops touching me and steps back. He slips his hand in his pockets.
“Yes, and I admit to that. Look, if you’re still holding on to what I told you the last time—”
“If you like, I’ll give you a space to figure this out,” he suggests, cutting me off. “You’re going to talk to your ex, and let’s see what happens.”
I scowl. “What?” I almost shout, and the noise volumes down. Everyone’s attention is suddenly on me. “Sorry, I, um, I was slightly stunned. Can we talk about this later?”
A beat passes. “Sure. Fine.”
“Guys?” I call out. “Arianna and I prepared dinner.”
“No, thank you, I already ate,” the gorgeous woman with Oliver says casually and crosses her arms. “Where’s my room?”
“Daphne!” Ollie scolds.
“What? This isn’t a part of the deal, right?” she utters out. “I’m not obligated to eat with people I don’t even know.”
I blink. Oh, wow. She’s uptight. And by ‘people she doesn’t know’“Daphne,” Brandon speaks. “It’s upstairs. Left-wing. Third door.”
“Good. Thanks, Brandon.” She flashes a forced grin, then heads to the stairs, dropping her luggage to the floor.
Oliver shuts his eyes, then presses his nose bridge. My jaw drops. I wanted to ask what was going on, but I kept the question to myself.
“What a brat,” Casey comments when she’s out of sight. “Ollie, you’ve just dug your own grave. Good luck with that.”
“You’re not helping.” Ollie groans.
“Guys?” I call out again. “Shall we?”
“Of course,” Ollie responds. “I’ve missed your cooking.”
I observe everyone’s faces. Cassius is too quiet and so unusual of him. Oliver’s got relationship problems, and Brandon is still mad at me.
What an awkward night.Arianna has already set the table when we come to the kitchen. We prepared a full course of French dinner tonight since I assumed everyone wanted something else. I’ve always cooked Italian in the restaurant, and I’d always love to try something new.
Brandon quietly sits at the head of the table, and I settle on his right side, so I’ll be close to the prep area and if he wants me to get something else.
I ask Arianna to sit with me because I don’t wish to be more awkward, and having her here and Casey makes me feel less anxious.
We silently start putting food on our plates and then begin the feast. In the next few minutes, the only noise I can hear is the utensils clinking and our breaths. It also doesn’t help the tension with Arianna since she sits across from Cassius, so I opened up a subject.
“Guys, um, how’s the dinner?” I ask.
“Delicious as always.” Ollie smiles at me as he chews, then takes another bite. “And you’ve improved even more.”
“We made seventeen percent more of our monthly proceeds in the restaurant, Ollie,” I inform proudly. “And more patrons for us.”
“Wow.” He nods, then he swallows. “You’re nailing it. Looks like you’re getting close to our initial goal. Guys, you should visit La Mia Cucina before you leave Seattle. Our staff makes excellent food too, especially Dennis.” Ollie looks at me, pointing out his fork. “What a versatile man. I admire his cooking.”
“Is he better than Ollie?” Casey jokes.
I laugh. “Dennis is better than me in experience, so they’re kind of on the same level. He’s supposed to be my senior, but he doesn’t like the head chef position. He was our sous-chef in Venice.”
“He will be the head chef soon.” Ollie forks another piece of his food. “We’re getting so close to our goal, he won’t have a choice.”
“Our goal is to reach fifty percent, Ollie. We still have a long way to go,” I remind him.
“What goal?” Arianna asks.
“That we’ll build the New York branch,” Ollie answers. “Alayna will run it and leave the first and main branch to Dennis.”
“That’s great!” Casey exclaims, clapping her hands. “You better hurry, Alayna. You’re literally living oceans away from us, and I’ve missed cooking with you!”
I chuckle. “It’s not that bad here. The market is good, and Mom and the kids like it here.”
“Casey, I already offered another branch to New York, but she refused,” Brandon finally speaks.
“Really? Why did you refuse?” Casey inquires.
“She likes to be here. There’s probably something else here she can’t leave,” he presses on meaningfully.
I look at him. “Brandon, it’s not like that. I want to do it with my own capabilities and stop relying on people. I initially depended on Ollie’s help, but I want to succeed on my own from here.”
He drops his utensils at the sides of his plate. “And you can accept help from anyone else except me.”
I frown hard. I don’t think I like where he’s leading this anymore. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means exactly as I said it,” he implies in sarcasm.
“Whoa, guys! What is going on?” Ollie interjects, looking back and forth between Brandon and me.
Brandon springs up instead. “Come with me.” He exits out of the dining room.
Damn. How unreasonable can he get? I hate not being able to finish up food. However, I don’t want everyone seeing us arguing at the dinner table either, so it’s better to just follow him for now.
“I’m still eating that up later,” I request to anyone at the table, then follow after Brandon.
I go straight to his bedroom, and I come in without knocking. I find Brandon untying his neckties in his walk-in closet, then starts unbuttoning his dress shirt. I stalk over him and touch his hands.
“May I?”
He gazes at me intently, hesitating, but eventually nods.
I start unbuttoning his shirt. “It’s not that there’s something I can’t leave here either. I know what you’re trying to tell me.”
“Do you?”
I keep my fingers slow. “Yes, it’s about my past. Look, I don’t know how John explained things to you about the other night with Drake, but what eyes can see is not everything.”
“Is John lying then? Is he lying when he told me that fucker’s men tried to force you? Did you not understand when I told you not to stay late, and you still did?”
“Hey.” I undo that last button. “They didn’t harm me, okay? I know you’re just worried, but I’m fine.”
“But what if John isn’t there?” he points out. “What could’ve happened to you?”
“That’s why I’m thankful he was there.”
He hurls out a sigh of frustration. “What does he want, Alayna?” he asks tightly, as if pleading, finally showing his emotion. “What do you“I want you.” I glide my hand on his chest, almost sobbing. “Please, believe me!”
“Then why do you still let him bother you?” He cups my shoulders. “What do you feel exactly? Do I need to worry? Where I’m supposed to stand in your life, Alayna? At least, give me a clear explanation.”
“I want you to stand where you’re always at, Brandon. Beside me.”
“Then why do I feel so distant from you?” His eyes flash with disappointment. “I’m going to ask you again, and this is the last time. Do you still love him?”
“No, and even if you ask me many times, my answer will still be the same.”
He nods and releases me. His eyes looked the same way the other night—the night when he told me he couldn’t look at my face. “But you’re concerned.”
I don’t know. Am I? Drake is the devil, and I can’t possibly be concerned about him.
“Because if you’re not, everything about your past with him or who the fuck he was to you, wouldn’t matter,” Brandon adds. “But it does, right, Alayna?”
Am I unintentionally concerned? Why? Drake Mallory hurt me, so I’m not supposed to be bothered about someone who caused my insanity.
“Are you concerned? Do you still care?” Brandon asks softly this time, and how he sounds pinched my heart.
I fall to my knees and bury my face in my palms. “I don’t want to!”
“There…”I look up at his face. “Then are you saying you don’t believe me anymore?”
“I want to believe you more than anything. However, I can’t help this nagging feeling inside me right now,” he says sorely. He holds on to the closet and shuts his eyes hard.
“I was going to tell you about it tonight,” I give in. I can’t have him get the wrong idea anymore.
“What else can you possibly say?” he says forcibly.
“Something I never told anyone. Something only himBrandon’s expression somehow brightens. “When have I not?”