I click my phone off and roll on my back; putting my hands behind my head. I’m not going back on my word now. If I do so, she will think she can do whatever she wants without consequence. Tomorrow my mother will be with her most of the day. She will have company, someone to talk to.
Rolling over on my side, shoving the pillow under my chin; I click on her screen again. I fall asleep watching her fingers pull the ends of her soft hair repeatedly. My eyes get heavy and soon I’m out.
When I wake up it’s dark, the city lights are twinkling and I canhear Carlos’ muffled voice talking in the other room. Rolling over, rubbing my face. I grab my phone, looking for the time, but it’s dead. I fell asleep with the feed going.
Finally getting up, I dig in my duffle for some joggers and a t-shirt. Grabbing my charger I plug in my phone on the nightstand. My stomach growls, I need food and some coffee.
When I walked into the living room, Carlos and Sebastian were talking. They each have serious expressions on their faces. I pause briefly and scan the gap between them. Their talking abruptly comes to an end. Sebastian gets up and circles the couch.
His face is angry and pointing at me with his finger in my face. “You’re a fucken asshole. The only reason I’m not beating the shit out of you right now is that father explained some of it to me. The only reason.”
I let out a sigh. “I know.” I walk past him to the phone on the counter. I order my food and a large decanter of coffee. I hang up, sit down in the chair opposite them, and stare out the window. All my life, I have never given a shit about what anyone thinks. Nobody… until she stumbled into my world and fucked it all up.
Sebastian sits down, glaring at me. Carlos just sits in his chair watching me, his fingers curled over his lips, tapping his other hand on the arm of the chair. I don’t want to talk about Isabella. I don’t need to explain my actions. She needs to explain hers if questions need to be answered.
I rub my chest again. This pressure is getting worse. If it doesn’t let up, I’m going to the doctor. I’m too young to have a heart attack. Aren’t I?
Sebastian breaks the silence by telling me about his meeting with dad; he is close to breaking the last firewall. So far, he’s kept track of the money, an estimated $14 million stashed away in the Cayman Islands by Robert. Carlos’s guy has ameeting set up with the lawyer’s son next week sometime. He’s thinking we will be back in Chicago by the time any news rolls in.
Anna hasn’t stopped texting Carlos. She wants to see Isabella, but he swears he’s got her off the ledge of calling the cops. Not that that would work; we own them, so no biggie if she did.
He convinced her to let her have tomorrow with my mother. The dress fitting is on Saturday, so they will have all day together.
There is a knock on the door; I get up to grab my food, tip the guy and roll the cart to my chair. I pour a coffee and suck it back. Sebastian gets up and grabs his cup, adding his cream and sugar. Carlos passes, saying it's too late at night to drink coffee.
Whatever!
I stuff my face with my burger, drink another cup of coffee and settle in the chair. We spend the next hour hammering out the minor details and Carlos and I watch as Sebastian sets up his laptop, bringing up what he’s found so far.
The anger rises as I think of everything Robert has been pulling behind our backs. How did we miss this shithead’s actions? He’s always been a team player, always keeping under the radar, and working his way up with respect.
It has only been in the last couple of years that he has been more demanding, self-promoting his contributions and working his way up the ladder to the second chair. It seems the Mines trustee and his mouth go hand in hand. The closer he’s getting to losing it all, the louder and more mistakes he’s making.
I now see why my father said to keep it quiet; he’s giving him the rope to hang himself.
The boys are packing it up for the night. It is getting late. I giveChristopher a call. The Club is hopping again tonight, and he loves it. If I ever decide to give up club life, I might consider giving it over to him.
Sebastian says goodnight and leaves; Carlos goes to the kitchen, grabs a glass of water and heads past me to his bedroom.
I can’t take the tension between us anymore.
“Just get it over with so we can move on. I can’t take the sullen looks and the silences. Just spit out what you have to say.”
He stops and looks back at me.
“Alex, it’s not my relationship. She is not like your other girls, and no matter how you try to force her into that role, she will always disappoint you, and make you angry.”
He turns fully toward me, his face distraught.
“You need to try to figure out what you want out of this marriage to her. I know she needs to be loved, but you’re not that kind of man.”
I sigh and rub my hand over my chin.
“I know. I’m trying.” Frustrated, I throw my hand in the air looking out the wall of windows. “I don’t do this shit. I don’t know if I can have a vanilla relationship, but I also don’t want to be that guy and fuck around on her.”
I face him once again, and he is smiling at me. “What? What the fuck are you smiling at?”
“There’s still hope yet, brother.” He closes his bedroom door and leaves me blinking at him.
