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“And you will tell David I’ll spend the weekend with him,” I continued just as the car came to a stop.
I didn't wait for my father to say anything. I got out of the car and walked into the house and directed the housekeeper to show me to my room. Father didn't stop me.
Once there, I asked her where the laundry was. I intended to wear my own clothes this weekend with David. She insisted on doing it for me. As I opened my bag, I found Liam’s shirt. Emotions welled up in me. I brought the shirt to my face and then held the scent of him, remembering our last night together. I wish I would have told him how I really felt about him. He had meant more to me than he'd ever know.
David would never be the love of my life. That spot was already taken. But I could make the best of this if he could.
After I handed all my clothes over with the exception of Liam’s shirt, Valentina walked in.
“I'm leaving him,” she announced.
And so the game was afoot. I may have walked in as her enemy but now I was her only ally. We sat in my room and planned her exit.
My father was going down, and this was just the first step.
Father may have granted my wish for more autonomy, but he never acknowledged it. I moved freely around the house and was delivered to David’s house Friday night on time.
I wore my jeans and sweater. The bag I carried was mine. If I played this right, I would never be under my father’s watchful eyes again.
Ten
Liam
Having Natalie so close and not talking to her was rough. I’d wanted to obliterate the sadness in her eyes and see her beautiful smile again. Only I'd had to bide my time. And when it came, I was ready.
Natalie came alone this time, but I wasn't the one to greet her. David was there to greet her and give her a tour as I stayed in the security office, watching like some kind of stalker. If it wasn't my job as security, I would have felt like a creep.
“You have a beautiful house,” Natalie said.
I didn't like the look in her eyes. She didn't look unhappy to see him given the situation she was in. Was I losing her?
“Legend has it that it was a saloon back in the day,” he told her as he’d told me on my first day. I bet he had repeated the story a hundred times in his life.
“Oh really?” she said.
They continued their small talk as they toured the house. It was when he told her his plans for the weekend, I perked up.
“I thought I'd take you to my place in the city, just in case your father has plans to show up.”
She giggled and I liked the sound. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Before we head out, I have something to show you.” He took her to the third floor to the family residence. He stopped at one of the doors up there. “When you’re here, this is your room.” He wasn’t treating her like a guest.
The word ‘room’ didn’t really cover it. It was a suite of rooms, a bedroom, sitting room, dressing room with a walk-in closet and a large bathroom. I knew because I’d checked it out after David told me about it.
“This is too much,” she said, as I’d expected.
David only grinned as he learned more about the woman I’d claimed as mine. He gave her the mini-tour that ended in her closet.
“You didn’t,” I heard her say as there wasn’t a camera in there, the bathroom, or the bedroom. The view I had was from the hallway into the room where the door was open.
“I wanted to give you options in case your father was picking your wardrobe. You weren’t a fan.”
I imagined she blushed. I’d seen it so many times, it was easy to drum up a picture in my mind. She would be surprised he’d made the extra effort to buy her clothes.
She laughed. “This time I brought my own clothes. Will what I’m wearing not work for where we are going?”
“You can wear what you like. I’m only offering you choices. I had to guess your size. You are free to try things on. I have a few things to do before we go.”
I heard footsteps, she called after him. He was barely in view. I watched him turn.
“Thank you,” she said, out of my view.
Whatever he said was too soft to hear.
A few minutes later, he stepped into the security room I was in. “What do you think?” he asked.
I really hoped he wasn’t asking me what I thought about her though that is exactly what he was doing. “What do you mean?”
