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I’d crossed my arms while I listened, trying to reel my emotions back in check. I remembered how the media had reacted when Anthony decided to retire early to spend more time with his family. Everything Adrien was saying lined up with what I recalled being reported, as well as what little Alba had mentioned about the internal pushback when Adrien had been promoted.
It lined up, but it didn’t excuse any of it.
“Ria, I spent six months pouring my soul into securing that deal. I lived and breathed it for half a year. They were already a little flighty because of my age, and the lack of confidence surrounding my promotion, but I managed to get them on board anyway. And the Halloween incident—right after Alice texted me… it all… threw me off. I fumbled through dinner that evening, the signing got pushed until the morning because they suddenly needed more time to think, and by then the video had gone viral, and the public reaction was… I think maybe that’s what did it. I don’t know, I’m not sure anymore. But I was just so frustrated that…” He trailed off, shoving a rough hand through his hair for the fifth time that minute. “It’s been a really shitty few years, and this one just pushed me over the edge. I’d done nothing to instigate that attack. And it seemed really fucking unfair that—not only did everybody and their mother seem to think I deserved it—but just as it felt like things were finally starting to go my way, it… I’m sorry, I’m not trying to make excuses, but I really need you to understand where I was operating from.”
My throat felt too tight to speak, so I kept my mouth shut and let him get it all out.
“I knew who you were because of how much Josh talked about you when you dated. He showed us pictures, told us about your plans to go to the same law school, and gloated about your accomplishments like they were linked directly to his own résumé. You couldn’t pay the guy to shut up about your relationship. Even Alice managed to put two and two together, and she was eleven—maybe twelve—back then. I’d seen you around the building at work, so I knew… Honestly, I didn’t need the security cameras to tell me it was you on Halloween. I recognized you right away.”
My muscles tightened when Adrien looped back to Josh. My molars pressed harder together, my nails digging into my palms.
“I wasn’t thinking clearly,” Adrien went on. “In my head, this plan was killing three birds with one stone. I’d finally get my mom to stop trying to set me up with all her friends’ daughters, Josh would absolutely loathe seeing you and I together, and I couldn’t think of a better way to get under your skin than to make you pretend to be in love with me. And I assumed that being blindsided when you ran into Josh at the party wouldn’t be fun for you, either. From how he acted after the breakup, I think it’s safe to assume you didn’t part ways on friendly terms.” The tail end of his statement curled like it wanted to be a question, but when I made no indication of entertaining it, he let out a heavy breath and said, “That’s it. That’s all my cards on the table. Now you know pretty much everything.”
A long stretch of silence followed while I processed, half fuming. If Alba had been the one to catch Mandy and Josh, had she recognized him? Would she have warned me if I’d let her know I was coming here with Adrien?
“Why are you telling me all this now?” I finally asked him. He could have convinced me to stay for the party instead. It was less than thirty-five hours away. He could have continued to play the part until then, and I’d have been just as blindsided as he’d hoped.
“To be honest it took less than two days of us being here for me to yank my head out of my ass. It was like reality slapped me across the face when I saw my family.” Tension squirmed under his skin like he was frustrated with himself. “And then you… I don’t know, it was a clarity thing. I started to realize just how deep you’d managed to get under my skin, and curiosity set in. I wanted to call a truce, but you wouldn’t bite. And one argument led to another… I was going to tell you before the party, whether you stayed long enough to attend it or not. I made that decision on the second day. It occurred to me that I didn’t have the full story of what happened between you two, and knowing him… Like I said, it was a clarity thing. I realized what an asshole move it would be to blindside you with it.”
I chewed the inside of my cheek, observing him as my arms tightened against my chest. “Adrien, your poor mother thinks you’reengaged. She’s fucking beside herself with happiness because of it. How did you imagine this would all end?”
He winced. “I know.”
“You made me think—” I had to cut myself off when my voice broke. After a shaky inhale, I tried again. “We’ve been sleeping together.”
His gaze snapped to mine, sharp and intense. “That has nothing to do with him.”
“Adrien—”
“It hasnothingto do with him, Ria. I swear it. If you don’t believe anything else I’ve told you, I need you to believe that.”
I didn’t. Not for a second.
Suddenly all the dirty talk felt less sexy, more ugly and degrading. None of it had come from a place of desire for him. I felt… used. Hurt. Humiliated. Betrayed.
And the worst part? I kind of understood where he was coming from, which made it significantly more difficult to be angry with him. So I had to stand there and process the hurt and humiliation without being able to hide behind the anger.
“Ria, I—”
I stepped back, turning my cheek away when he tried to touch it. I genuinely couldn’t believe I’d been so stupid.
“Don’t you have another meeting this morning you need to get to?” I took another three steps back, putting more distance between our bodies.
He hesitated. “We’re not done talking. I need you to believe—I wasn’t expecting this with you. I didn’t plan for us to fit like—” He kept cutting himself off, trying to get his thoughts in order. He stopped to shove two hands through his hair and release a breath. “It’s not just physical. Sanchez, I—”
“Adrien, enough.” Did I say I was finding it difficult to be angry with him? The fuckingaudacityof this man.
“I’ll prove it. You just have to give me the chance.”
“No,” I said firmly, “I’m done with this. Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to go to your meeting, and by the time you’re done, I’ll be gone. You and I—whatever fucked up thing this was—are done. We’re even. I don’t owe you shit anymore, and vice versa.”
Two hands through his hair again. They ruffled. “Shit, okay. Here’s the thing. There’s a pretty big storm out East right now. Flights have been getting redirected and delayed all morning.”
“I don’t care. I’ll sleep at a hotel for a night or two.” Big deal. “I just need to get changed and grab my suitcase from the main house. I’ll sneak out the side again.”
Adrien had changed into jeans and a burgundy pullover, but I was still in my silk slip from last night.
His eyes pinched as he winced again. “That’s the other thing. A few of the guests coming in from Toronto rescheduled their flights to get ahead of the storm.”
