Page 81 of Avenging Azalea

“Yes, and you must be Fawn.” I was shocked that she knew my name but nodded. “I’m here to see Titus. We need to talk about the wedding. I went to the office, but he’d already left work.”

I opened my mouth to invite her in, but then a petty and vindictive feeling rose inside of me.

“Sorry, he’s not here.”

She looked over at the green Lamborghini parked in the driveway.

“He didn’t take his car. He said he had business with the clubs and then errands. He always takes one of the armored SUVs for that.” I shrugged. “Sorry, you missed him by like twenty minutes.”

“Oh…well, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if I called him to confirm your story,” she said, obviously not believing me, but I was in far too deep to back out now.

I crossed my arms. “Be my guest.”

She pulled out her phone and called Titus. All I could do was stare at her and hope that he went along with the lie. She held the phone out and sneered when it went to voicemail. I sighed with relief. She hung up and looked me up and down. Vera removed her sunglasses, and I was forced to face reality. She was stunning.

Before she could speak, I cut her off.

“You’re really beautiful, and I love your clothing line. I could never afford to wear anything, but I admire your success in a difficult, male-dominated environment. Titus said that France was a real eye-opener and that you’re an incredible businesswoman.”

Her face shifted with each word of praise.

“Thank you, I’ve worked hard. Did Titus really say that?”

I nodded. “He did.” He’d said it to Ronan and not to me, but I left that off. “Do you want me to let him know you stopped by when he gets back?”

She shook her head. “No, that’s okay. Thanks, though.”

“No problem.”

Vera called my name as I turned to walk into the house.

“Fawn?”

She seemed unsure of herself when I looked back, which didn’t go with the rest of the picture she presented. It confused me. How could someone so successful, rich, and beautiful be unsure about anything?

“Do you have any suggestions of how to impress Titus?”

Facing her, I leaned against the door frame.

“Honestly, Titus is…unique. He doesn’t get impressed easily,” I said, and her face fell. “But he loves his dogs, so if you can get over your fear and show that you really want to be in his life as it is, that would go a long way.”

“I’m not sure how to do that.”

“I’m not sure either. I’ve always loved animals, but maybe start with puppies.”

“That’s actually a good idea. Thanks, Fawn.”

“You’re welcome. It was nice meeting you,” I said and stepped inside.

Closing and locking the door, I watched from the window as she got into her car and left. Every second that passed, the guilt pressed in on me.

“Dammit.”

Walking up the stairs, I headed to Titus’s room. His bedroom door was closed. Raising my hand, I knocked.

“Titus?” There was no answer. “Titus?”

This time, I poked my head in and heard the shower running. Before I even realized what I was doing, I’d slipped across his bedroom to the slightly ajar bathroom door.