I’m standing in front of the vacant lot that I’ve been holding on to for over a decade. I’ve received countless offers, but I’ve turned them all down; nothing has felt right. Letting go of it hasn’t felt right. She had a vision for this, and it was taken from her. The fury I live with is always there, simmering underneath my skin, constant and unrelenting since that day.
I can’t help but think of Veronica. The hurt in her eyes. She’s right—I feed into the notion that Veronica Kayde is irresponsible and unreliable, but I’m seeing that there is more to her than meets the eye. She was so passionate about her vision for this place, but I shot her down without hesitation. When I walked into her apartment and saw what she was working on, I was impressed and shocked at the level of commitment and dedication. Still, I was not willing to part with this; I don’t know if I ever will. I hold on to anything and everything that reminds me of Marisol Villanueva. It’s not hard to figure out how she knew it was mine. I hear my phone vibrate and see it’s Rebecca.
“Hello, Becca.”
“Hey, Cam.” She answers without an ounce of professionalism.
“Tell me about Veronica Kayde.”
“Damn,” I hear her mumble. “Well, she’s charismatic, as you know; however, I doubt that’s what you meant.”
I run my hands through my hair, frustrated. It’s been the theme of the day. “Becca, I should sue you for disclosing private information.”
“Don’t Becca me, Cam. You know you aren’t going to sue or fire me. Veronica is smart and would have figured it out. Even you can admit her heart’s in the right place. She emailed me a couple of minutes ago asking for help finding properties.” I know she wants to say it. Just like all the other times. “Cam, you need to do something with that land. It’s been there for years—before I started working for you.” And there it is. “Even Abigail Kayde has offered to buy it, and you declined her offer. Veronica didn’t stand a chance.”
“Becca, you know how much—”
“How much it means to you.” She interrupts me, as she often does, not caring that I hate being interrupted.
“I know how much it means to you, but you can’t keep holding on to it. She wouldn’t want you to.”
I know she’s right. I’ve known that for years, but I still can’t bring myself to sell it. “When did you get so wise?” I ask my friend because I don’t have many. I consider the majority of people in my life to be work associates.
“Oh, I’ve always been wise; you’ve just been too stubborn to realize it.”
And she’s right. I’ve known Becca for years; she’s an easy person to like. The moment she graduated from college and opened her own agency, I hired her on the spot.
“I need to think about it. This is a big decision.”
“I know it is. But you have to stop living in the past.”
I wish it were that simple.
Veronica
Chapter 12
I had no ideaI’d enjoy working so much. Andrew and I are still looking at properties. I didn’t bother trying to talk to Cam after what happened at my apartment. I’m not even bothering to reach out. To be honest, I just don't care anymore; every time I head home, I just pray I don't run into him.
The staff was very welcoming, and it was such a relief. I’m so scared to fuck this up. I don’t want to fail them and the people who are counting on this. Serena is still on vacation, so her communication has been minimal, only the occasional “How’s it going?” I blame my brother for that. He hates not having all her attention.
It’s Friday night, and I decided to invite Berenice to dinner. I’ve had to cancel plans the last couple of weeks, but I feel like a celebration is in order. I hate eating in front of others, and my friend is no exception. Ilook down at my bland salad as she takes a bite of her lasagna. I grab my martini to avoid looking at her mouthwatering meal.
“You need to get laid,” my friend blurts out from across the table. That’s bold coming from her.
“Yeah, well, it’s not that easy. Since I moved into my own place, my brother and cousins haven’t been as overbearing as I thought they would. But I’m sure it’s because I’m living in a building owned by Cam, and they still have Miles babysitting me.”
Her eyes light up, and she practically jumps out of her seat. “Well, what if you could have a night off from being under a microscope?”
She piques my interest. “Oh, what do you have in mind?” My curiosity always gets the best of me. Which doesn’t help keep me out of trouble.
“Well, there’s a very exclusive club that’s hosting a very exclusive party.”
“Oh, how exclusive are we talking?” I set my drink down. “And how do you plan on getting an invite? I can’t just show up. The media will have a field day with that.”
“It’s the sex club where Abel works.” I can see her cheeks turning red. “And I got an invite. I recently met someone there, so I have VIP entry status. Don’t worry, no one will know. It’s a masquerade party, with as few clothes as you can wear.”
“Wait, you went without me?!” I place my hand over my heart, jokingly.
