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The underlying hurt in his tone was as clear as the flickering neon lights before them. His father’s business failings were the least of the complicated scenario Reid was dealing with. No wonder he dreaded talking to the man.
“You feel betrayed,” she supplied.
“How can I not? Evanson Properties was founded by my grandfather, it employs countless employees all over the globe. The Evanson name has been associated with luxury hotels for nearly a century. My father nearly destroyed all that with a few strokes of his pen. And for what? A midlife crisis?”
“But that’s not all, is it?” she prompted.
“What else?”
Celeste bit the inside of her cheek. There was a chance she was overstepping here. But Reid was staring at her with expectation for an answer. “You also feel betrayed as his son.”
* * *
Something seemed to have dislodged in his chest, some type of tight knot he hadn’t even been aware of. He hadn’t sat down and really discussed the disastrous events of the past couple of years or the hurtful actions of his father with anyone before this. He certainly wasn’t about to burden his mother with any of it, she was a big part of the reason he’d worked so hard to rectify it all.
And his relationship with his closest male friend was far too strained and had been for the past three years. Unloading some of it simply by talking about it with Celeste felt like a bit of the burden being lifted off his shoulders.
You feel betrayed as his son.
He hadn’t been able to come up with a response when she’d uttered those words. Her demeanor told him no response was needed.
Now they were both sitting in the balmy Caribbean air, enjoying a comfortable silence. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d simply sat outside, chatting with someone. Someone who wasn’t afraid to tell him what he needed to hear.
But it was getting late. And Celeste had had quite a day. Uma, Theo and Rinna had bidden them good-night several minutes ago and explained that the light display would turn off soon based on the timer system running it. Looked like the evening was coming to an end. And he’d already said more than he probably should have shared with her. He stood and stretched out his back.
“Guess we should head inside, huh?” Celeste asked.
“Guess so. Here, I’ll help you upstairs to the spare bedroom.”
Even in the relative darkness he could see her grimace. She didn’t like being indebted to anyone. She might have read his thoughts based on her next statement. “I hate that you have to carry me, Reid. And I hate that you felt you needed to jump in after me when I fell.” She inhaled deeply, her chest rising. “I’m not used to being dependent on anyone. It makes me uncomfortable. I’m afraid that’s why I...lashed out...after my fall. I regret that. And I’d like to say I’m sorry for the way I behaved.”
Huh. Reid couldn’t recall the last time someone had directly come clean and apologized to him after making a mistake. Certainly not his father after the countless times he’d jeopardized the family business empire. And certainly not any of the women he’d dated in the recent past after a quarrel or spat. He’d always been the one to take responsibility and accept fault, regardless of whether it was deserved or not.
He checked his thoughts. It was way too late and the day had been way too long to become this pensive.
“Well, if it makes you feel better, you’re probably one of the least dependent people I’ve ever come across,” he told her with absolute sincerity. In fact, based on what she’d told him after the incident with the ATV, she’d made herself responsible not only for herself, but also for those she cared for. He hadn’t known her that well three years ago, certainly hadn’t been aware of the situation with her sister and mother. The knowledge now definitely shed some light on some of the mysteries he’d wondered about when it came to Celeste. In fact, if he’d been a betting man like his father, he would guess Celeste’s family had been the real reason Jack had ultimately got cold feet over marrying her. He wasn’t one to share. And he wasn’t the type to appreciate a woman who came with that kind of baggage. Even a woman like Celeste.
