“Come on, Clem. It’s fixable. We can fix this,” he says, rubbing her back.
“No, Lando, you don’t understand,” she sobs.
“It’s fine. We’ll fix it. It’s a complicated situation, and Miles is hurting.”
“No.” Clementine pulls back, shrugging his hands off. “No, Lando. I’m not making a mistake. I mean it. We love each other.”
Next to me, Hendricks makes his opinion known with a scoff of disapproval. I don’t know what he’s more pissed at—Clementine or the situation. I can’t imagine keeping this secret has been easy for him.
Being caught between two siblings can’t be a fun place, not that I would know.
On the flip side, he should have told Miles.
Lando runs his hands through his hair. A million thoughts seem to be whirring in his brain, and when he lands on one, he stares at her, hard.
“Are you pregnant?”
Clementine’s eyes fly wide open. “No, I haven’t . . . Nothing’s happened with him. It’s not something we planned, and I truly didn’t know who he was . . . I never allowed myself to be with him because of Miles. I told him no.” She swipes a hand under her nose, finishing with another loud sob. “But if Miles is gonna act this way, then what the fuck have I got to lose?”
“Clementine, think about what you’re doing.”
“I am . . . it’s all I think about,” she snaps. “But why do you all get to be fucking happy and I don’t?”
Lando drops his head with a shake, unable to answer, because, of course, she deserves to be happy. “Clem, before you do anything, you need to fix things with Milo before it drives a wedge in this family.”
Hendricks is the one who replies. “Miles would never allow that. He’s more loyal than any of us.”
Clementine’s head drops, and a fat tear falls onto the hard stone floor, but she doesn’t put up any argument. And I’ve had enough. Whatever this situation is, it’s not my business. My husband is, though.
I step toward the door, following the direction he took off. “I’m going to find Miles.”
I don’t make it out before I’m called back.
“Wait, Ruby.” Clementine stops, and I turn. “I’m sorry. I should never have said . . . you know, what I said.” She looks so uncomfortable that I almost feel sorry for her. “I don’t truly believe them?—”
“Reckless and irresponsible, you mean?” I snap Miles’s words at her, because thatiswhat she means.
From the corner of my eye, I see Lando’s face twist, confirming it’s exactly what he thinks, but Clementine shakes her head.
“No. He’s never needed anyone’s approval to do anything like the rest of us seem to, but whatever he does, he goes all in with his whole heart. Getting married might have been impulsive, but Miles doesn’t truly do anything without thinking things through first. He would never have married you if he didn’t think he could see a future.”
I scoff from above the hole she’s trying to dig herself out of. “Well, that’s a lie, because we’ve always had an end date to this.”
But she’s insistent. “No, you might have but Miles didn’t. In all honesty, none of us have seen Miles as happy as he’s been since you guys returned from America . . .”
I look at Lando, the head of the family, waiting for him to disagree, but all he does is nod in the direction Miles headed.
“You’ll probably find him by the pool, and if he’s not there, follow the side gate through the rose garden, which heads to the stables?—”
“Um . . . okay, good to know. Thanks.” I take a step and pause with my hand on the door. “Clementine, you must know Miles always tells the truth, so why do you think he’s lying about Torres? He was there at the tournament last week, and the reason Miles is so upset about tanking is because Hampshire was the last assessment for handicaps.”
I give her a second to let my words sink in, because everyone knows Miles is expected to go to ten. And everyone in this family—including Clementine—knows how badly he wants it.
Then I leave, jogging in the direction Lando pointed. Rushing down a set of wide stone steps, I peer around. The view of the fields is incredible, with rolling green hills and cows and horses grazing—it’s really quite stunning. But as there’s no sign of Miles, I keep going.
He’s not at the pool either. So I follow the next set of instructions and rush through the gate on the other side, only to find myself walking through a wide tunnel of rose bushes that opens onto a stony path leading me around more roses.
Each path I take leads me to a fork, and I realize I’m going around a maze. My shoulders slump. Not only am I not going to find him, but I’m also going to get completely lost.
