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I wasn’t stupid though, which was why I waited sitting on a bench on the East side of the pond in central park. I loved the park, the wide-open space, and just plain people watching. It usually made me happy, but today my nerves jumped in my belly and I felt nauseous.
It wasn’t too warm yet but my temperature rose as I stood and watched him approach. I wasn’t the only one to notice him either. Patrick was well groomed as always, and his suit, perfectly tailored. He was a good-looking man, and but for his recent change in personality, an easy man to get along with.
“Surely I’m not so unpleasant to warrant a frown on that beautiful face.” Patrick reached up and ran a finger across my brow. It took everything in me not to flinch at his touch though.
He watched me carefully, and I felt that he was on his guard with me. Why, I wasn’t going to waste my time trying to figure out. There wasn’t anything I could do to him, other than bring his father’s shady dealings into the light.
“Let’s sit.”
It didn’t take much considering my legs had gone weak with apprehension.
I looked ahead at the pond and felt his eyes on my face so I turned, and asked, “What’s really going on Patrick? Why are you doing this for your father?”
He sat forward, elbows on his knees and dipped his head. Seconds later, he met my gaze. “He’s my father, Evie.”
He looked back at the lake and I couldn’t decide whether or not he was working at getting my defenses down. That made me wonder why? And then he continued, “You wouldn’t know what it’s like to always want your father’s approval, but never to get it. Living in the shadow of having Declan Fitzwilliam as your father isn’t what people presume.”
Stunned. “Patrick, you know my father. You know what he’s like. I love him, and I know he loves me, but he’s been absent more than he’s been present. As a child, I lost count how many times I would call him to tell him of an award that I’d won at school, or that I got all my spellings correct at the Friday test, only to know that when he was saying well done, that he was distracted and hadn’t really heard a word I said. I know what you’re saying isn’t the same, but even though he told me ‘well done’ it wasn’t what I needed to hear.”
I cleared my throat and still felt that something wasn’t quite right. We’d never talked about our parents or our upbringing before and hearing Patrick say about his father, made me feel sorry for the little boy that he once was.
“I didn’t mean to say that.” He sat up and lifted his face to the sun that had appeared from behind a cloud. “I hate how this thing between us has gone off track. I hate how we’re both being pushed and forced to do things that neither of us want.”
“I don’t understand. You texted me asking to meet you to discuss Stryker.” I hesitated and bit my lip as I searched the area for some type of answer. “You’ve never talked to me like this before so I’m confused after the way you’ve treated me.”
“I’m a bastard, Evie, and I’m so fucking tired.” His eyes slid to my face before he continued to stare ahead. “I treated you the way that I did in hope you’d go to your father and get him to step in to stop the whole wedding.” He sighed. “What my father wants, he gets. I’ve never gone against him, Evie, until…” He shook his head. “Even when I know what he wants is wrong. It just isn’t done.”
She wondered what he’d been about to say, but let it go for now, and asked, “So it was your father who wanted the wedding?” I questioned, the frown back on my brow.
“You’re father is a senator, he thinks,” he paused, “it doesn’t matter what he thinks. We have to get married to keep him off our backs and Stryker safe.”
Goose bumps raced across my skin. “Safe?”
“He’ll get rid of Stryker for good if the wedding doesn’t go ahead. That’s why I’m here. He wants the wedding on the weekend to go ahead, and he’s promised if it does, he’ll let Stryker…live.”
My blood chilled listening to him and although I wanted to believe him, it all seemed farfetched. Stupid even. Which was why a chuckle escaped my lips that I covered with my hand.
The look of surprise Patrick gave me caused me to laugh harder.
“I don’t see what there is to laugh about,” he grumbled and proceeded to ignore me for a few more seconds. He then stood in front of me. “Evie, for God’s sake! Pull yourself together.”
Hiccupping to a stop, I wiped at the tears that had now appeared on my lashes. I had to will them away because I refused to cry in front of him.
“I need your agreement before I leave.”
“Agreement to what?” I asked, confused and hurting. A headache was building at the back of my eyes.
“I need to tell my father that the wedding is going ahead on the weekend. I also need you to confirm with your parents, while I’m here, that we still need the minister on Saturday. It doesn’t matter if the rest has been cancelled.”
I opened and closed my mouth before I could get any words out. “I can’t marry you, Patrick…I’m in love with Stryker.”
Patrick got in my space and pulled me up from the bench. “You haven’t been listening. Stryker’s health depends on the weekend. That’s the only choice you get. Stryker’s health. It’s all in your hands.”
My heartbeat raced as
a wave of dizziness hit me. Patrick slid his arm around my waist, holding me against him as my legs went weak.
I pushed free and dropped back down to the bench. My fists clenched at my sides and my instinct was to punch him in the face, which I thought he sensed when he covered my fists with his hands.
