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Isa recalled saying something similar to Eli the day after she was attacked.
“Are you afraid you’ll screw up? We all screw up.”
“Yeah.” Isa blinked and Chloe came back into focus. “We all screw up.”
“Which reminds me…” Chloe’s supportive smile faded. “I came in because I have bad news.” She grimaced and told Isa the rest. “My dad fell off a ladder and broke his leg and he’s driving my mom up a wall. I promised to fly to Maryland and help her out. I figured I can go to the Crane event tonight, but then I’ll have to be out for a week or so. Is that okay? I’ll totally use my vacation time to do it.”
“No.” Isa shook her head. “No, it’s not okay.”
“It’s not?” Chloe’s frown deepened as a smile spread Isa’s lips.
“I don’t mean you going to Maryland—yes, go. Be with your family. But you can leave tonight if you want to, because I’m going to the Crane event myself.”
Eli had reached out, but he still believed she deserved better than him. Isa knew because she knew him. He was avoiding her to avoid his heart breaking. The same way he’d avoided Benji’s widow.
Isa had delivered the felling blow at Eli’s house and until just now, she was sure she’d been right.
“Going is the right thing to do,” Isa said. She felt a stab of doubt as she surveyed the clothing on the desk in front of her. “Unless this was his way of evening the scales. Of returning what he took from me.”
Chloe’s mouth tightened in consideration.
“Except it’s not all here,” Isa said with a soft laugh.
“No?” Chloe lifted the tissue paper in the box but there was nothing beneath it. “What’s missing?”
“I’m afraid Eli still has my heart.”
Chloe, arms full of tissue paper, grinned.
“I’m not good at ducking out of my own life.”
“I love when you get into Isa-kick-butt mode.” Chloe tossed aside the paper and rubbed her palms together. “Give me something to do. What can I help with? Can I help you shop for shoes for tonight? Do you need jewelry? A dress?”
“Actually…” Isa unfolded the gorgeous, bright red dress. The size was spot-on, the neck high and the back cut low. Either Eli knew her style or had help from someone who did. Isa held the dress to her body and smiled at Chloe. “I already have a dress.”
***
Alex Crane earned a laugh when he made his parting remarks at the fancy-schmancy Royale London dinner. Eli’s turn to speak was coming up soon. He was COO now, and the company needed a face, a presence, to go with the name. He’d finally become the man Crane Hotels needed him to be.
Reese, in the emcee position, greeted the mixed crowd again—the board of directors for Crane Holdings were here, and so were several CEOs from other companies. During cocktails at the opening of the evening, Eli had shaken hands with more people than he could remember.
Now he sat at a table off the corner of the stage, in the shadows, feeling a lot like he did before he’d been COO: Alone. With a fire in the hearth and no company but the ticking clock.
Except he’d changed since then. He had…and he hadn’t. After his dad talked to him on the rooftop, Eli had nearly bolted out the door to run straight to Isa. Later that next day, he’d nearly called her. And every day thereafter, he’d thought of sending a text message.
It’d all resulted in enough inaction to make a man of action sick. His last-minute idea to ship Isa the items he’d ruined while they were together had come in barely enough time to hire a courier to have it delivered. He’d watched his phone for a call or a text since early this morning. The only one he’d received was one from the courier saying he’d delivered it to a woman with long, dark hair at Sable Concierge.
His assumption was that his gift wasn’t well received. He’d known sending it was a risk; he just hadn’t anticipated how much it would hurt when she rejected him again.
“Reese is a natural up there. It’s disgusting,” Tag said, carrying a pair of shot glasses in one hand. He sat at the table next to Eli. Tag never was one for the stage, which blew Eli’s mind since the lastborn Crane was a natural showman. Tag shoved a shot glass in front of Eli. “Thought you could use some fortifying before you go up next.”
“I’m fine,” Eli bit out. Reese was yammering on about the year so far. Blah blah blah.
“What’s up your ass?” Tag asked under his breath, leaning back in the chair he was dwarfing.
“Currently? Every one of my family members.” Eli felt his petulant frown as he recalled what his father had said last week. The reason they’d converged for biweekly dinners was because no one wanted Eli to be alone. Eli was pissed—mostly at himself—but didn’t want to disappoint Tag’s expectations of Eli being both grouchy and brooding.
“Any one family member in particular?”
