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Kipp gave me a huge hug this morning when I told him what I was planning to do. I think it helped, hearing what he had to say about my past. It let me gain some much-needed perspective. Because Kipp was right.
I was hanging onto the pain of what they did to me. I’m done with that.
Coffee in hand, I head to the table. Cameron and Antoni stop talking the moment I near, and they wait, silent, as I take a seat across from them.
“Thanks for coming,” I say.
Neither quite knows what to make of that. They exchange a brief look before Cameron says, “Of course. Are you finally willing to sell your shares?”
“Yes,” I say, knowing by their mutual wide-eyed shock I’ve managed to surprise them.
“What’s the catch?” Antoni asks.
“There is none,” I say. “I’m going to sell them to you for market value, not a penny under, and you’re never going to contact me again. Not me. Not Kipp. You’re going to leave us alone.”
Antoni and Cameron exchange another glance, the both of them unusually quiet.
“Did you have me followed?” I ask, unable to let my curiosity rest. I told myself I wasn’t going to engage—that I was going to get in, lay out my terms, and get out—but I have to know. “Is that how you knew where I lived?”
“Theo,” Antoni says, using his soothing voice.
“No, don’t you dare act like I’m being irrational. I didn’t tell either of you where I moved to. But you knew. And you knew exactly when to catch Kipp alone. You had someone watching me?”
“Yes,” Antoni admits, voice quiet but not ashamed.
I shake my head. Unbelievable. “I never did anything to either of you,” I hiss. “I was a good brother. A good boyfriend.”
Antoni makes a sound in the back of his throat. “You kept me at arm’s length, Theo. You wouldn’t let me into your life.”
“You mean I wouldn’t give you access to my money,” I counter. He doesn’t deny it. “And that gave you the right to fuck me over?”
Antoni looks away, blinking at the window.
“And you?” I ask my brother.
He shrugs. “It wasn’t personal, Theo. It was business.”
“That—” I have to take a breath so I don’t explode. I’m not an angry person—I’m not. But these two bring it out in me.
I think of Kipp sitting at home, waiting to hear how this meeting went. I think of him telling me how proud of me he is for letting these two men across from me go. I think of his lips as he kissed me a temporary goodbye. And I think of the way he told me he’ll be there for me the moment I get home.
My heartbeat is calmer when I speak. “You made it personal in the worst way. I’ll sell my shares. Lavoie & Lavoie will belong to you. But make no mistake—I’m not doing it for you. This is it. As soon as it’s done, no more contact. You leave me and mine alone, or I will come for you. I’ll tell everyone at the company the truth, whether or not they choose to believe it. And I will make you regret reneging on your word. Got me?”
The both of them nod, and Cameron says, “Deal.”
With that one word, it’s done. My brother doesn’t care about losing me. He just wants the business to be his. He always did. And Antoni? He’s just happy to have someone around to fund his life. He found that someone in Cameron.
I hope they’re happy together.
I call Scott when I leave the coffee shop, a good heaping millions richer yet lighter than I’ve felt in a long time. He picks up as I’m walking to my car.
“Hey, Teddy. What’s up?”
“So, I have this idea,” I tell him. “What would you think about expanding the center?”
Scott makes a curious sound. “I’m listening.”
As I give Scott a shortened rundown of events on the drive home, there’s a feeling of rightness in my gut. No, I never cared about the money, not the way Antoni did. I didn’t care about the prestige, like Cam. But there’s a whole lot of good I can do with the curveball I was thrown. And I’m glad Kipp helped me see that.
