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“That’s the thing, they never divorced. In fact, my father showed up at my mother’s funeral. He tried to reach out to me but I told him it was too little, too late.”
“And that’s it? You haven’t spoken to him since?”
Trey turned to Sage. “Why do you sound so surprised?”
“It’s just that any time your father spoke of you, he always had such glowing reports.”
“He talked about me?” Trey found that hard to believe.
Anxious to turn the spotlight off himself, Trey realized this was his chance to learn more about Sage. “How do you know my father?”
“We initially met when I interned for him during the summer of my junior and senior years of college.”
“You must have made quite an impression on my father.”
She shrugged. “I’m not so sure it was that as much as he thought when he hired me that he would be able to control me.”
Trey smiled. “I’m guessing you set him straight.”
“I did. And he wasn’t too happy about it, but by then there was nothing he could do.” She turned to him. “But he does care about you. Remember those photos of you and your mother? He really did keep them on his desk. A person doesn’t do that unless they care.”
Trey shook his head. “He doesn’t. I can assure you of that. He made it clear when he left.”
Sage reached out and placed her hand over his. “I don’t know what went wrong between your parents, but I’m telling you he never stopped caring about you. Maybe you should talk to him. Hear his side—”
“No.” Trey got to his feet. “That isn’t going to happen.”
“I don’t have to tell you that if you pass up this chance, you might not get another. I lost both of my parents and you lost your mother. This is your chance to get answers.”
Trey turned to her. He didn’t know how things had gotten so turned around. He was supposed to be apologizing for his deception, but somehow they were now delving into his past. And he had to put a stop to it.
“I don’t need answers.” There was absolutely no hesitation in his voice. “I don’t want that man in my life. I’m fine on my own.”
Her gaze studied him for a moment and then there was a glint of sympathy. “Everyone needs somebody.”
The truth poked at his heart, but he refused to acknowledge it. “What about you? I don’t see you going out of your way to draw people into your life.”
“Really? Are you so sure about that?”
He paused. That wasn’t the answer he’d been expecting. Where was she going with it?
He pressed his hand to his sides. “Okay. Who have you let into your life?”
She arched a fine brow. “You, for starters.”
It was true. She had let him in. She’d told him about her past and abo
ut Elsa. She’d shared so much with him and he’d let her down.
“And there are my roommates, Lisa and Ann. Louise, at the office, is like a mother hen. And I’ve gotten to know everyone at the office. We’re like one big, dysfunctional family.”
Everything she’d said was true. Because it wasn’t the traditional sense of a family, he hadn’t recognized it as such. But she was right; she took what she had and made a support system for herself. It was more than he had done. Suddenly he felt so alone in this world—it was a staggering moment—much like what he’d felt at his mother’s funeral.
And when they left Cannes, he knew Sage would return to her makeshift family with their laughter, teasing and closeness. He, on the other hand, would return to San Francisco where he spent hours in solitude working on his newest security software. And when he was at the office, people kept their distance because he was the boss—not a boss like Sage.
And there was his father. His father might mistakenly think Trey’s change of mind about the magazine meant he changed his mind about him, but nothing could be farther from the truth. His father would never again have anything to do with the magazine or QTR International.
If Trey had his way, Sage would stay on as managing editor. But would she agree after what she’d learned?
