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He fixes me with an apologetic smile. “I was glad you called because I’ve been meaning to get in touch.”
Jessica is listening carefully but is thankfully silent for once and he rakes his fingers through his hair and appears upset.
“For some time now, I’ve wanted to clear the air between us. The court case, well, it was never my idea, and I wanted you to hear that from me.”
“What do you mean? Who else would it be?”
I’m confused, and he appears almost sorry for me when he speaks. “I’m sorry, man, it was your father.”
Jessica gasps out loud and my head spins as I roll the words around my tongue. “My father?”
Sam nods. “He came to me and told me you were boasting that you had made billions off an idea that wasn’t all your own. He made out you were greedy, manipulative, and selfish. He told me you had even stolen his job and had him thrown out of his own company because you weren’t content with what you had. That you couldn’t form your own ideas and just stole from others.”
“My father said that.” I can’t process what I’m hearing, and Sam nods miserably.
“He told me we should teach you a lesson. That people like you should be made to pay for their sins and learn that not everything in life will go their way.”
I’m in shock and Jessica moves beside me and rubs my back, whispering, “Are you ok, honey?”
I’m not sure that I am, and she says to Sam, “Why are you telling us this and how do we know you’re telling the truth? This could be part of the revenge plan you have against Robert.”
“I don’t expect you to believe me.” Sam says shamefaced. “I’m not proud of what I did but I was angry. I still am if I’m honest and not for the reasons you think, either.”
“What are those reasons?” Jessica asks for me and Sam sighs. “I lost my best friend, and it hurt, man.”
I stare at him with regret, and he bites his lip and says angrily, “I loved our friendship, and you tossed me away with no regard for my feelings. Even when I moved out, you couldn’t care less. I thought we were better than that, but you obviously didn’t care and just chased the money and the fame and left me behind. It wasn’t about the money for me, it never was. I’m not a fool. I understand I was just a sounding board and never contributed to the actual idea, but to shut me out completely was harsh.”
His words heap a huge dose of reality onto me, and the pain it brings doesn’t make me feel good about myself.
Sam carries on. “I graduated and ended up with a great job as it happens. I’m stationed in Dubai for six months of the year and the rest of the time I spend here in London or travelling. Life is good except for one thing.”
“What?” Jessica sounds intrigued and Sam says in a hollow voice, “I lost my best friend, and I’ve never replaced him.”
I don’t have any words because I’m not an emotional man but after the past few days I’ve discovered emotion is a very good thing and so I surprise myself, as well as the two people standing before me when I say thickly, “I’m sorry, Sam.”
“I don’t understand.” Sam is obviously confused and stepping forward, I extend my hand and say sincerely, “I wasn’t a good friend, and you were the best, if not the only one, I ever had. I became obsessed with my idea and pushed you aside. I’ll admit to that. I’m not proud of it, but I want you to know it was never about you or the money. I suppose I wanted to achieve something on my own. There was this burning need inside me to prove to my family I wasn’t the waste of space they thought I was.”
My childhood was spent trying to live up to the person my parents wanted me to be and to be the person my grandfather demanded and I am beginning to realise I carried around a huge burden of expectation, which I suppose is why my business became so important to me.
I stare at Sam earnestly and say with a catch to my voice, “I’m sorry. If I could rewind time, I would do everything differently. Can you forgive me?”
Sam appears as emotional as I am and as he nods, for some reason we forego the handshake and hug it out instead and for a man with no emotion, I suddenly discover I have rather a lot of it and as two friends reunite, I finally enjoy an inner peace that has been absent for a very long time.
CHAPTER41
JESSICA
Idon’t cry — ever, but I’m crying now because seeing Robert with Sam is the most beautiful thing ever. Friends reunited and putting the past behind them. It’s a moment I will never forget, and it strikes me that in interfering in Robert’s life in the cruellest of ways, his father inadvertently did him the greatest favour. It brought us together and Robert reconnected with the only friend he ever had.
The largest part of me wants to believe that this was David’s plan all along, but having met him, I doubt it. What kind of father sends threatening cards to his son and tries to deflect attention away from him by sending them to himself? It doesn’t make sense, and I’m certain that Robert will have a few words to say to his conniving father.
I leave the two men to talk and head to my room to change. Now I no longer need to flush Sam out, it leaves me with a sinking feeling.It’s over. The crime has been solved and I need to inform Detective Inspector Ranauld and head back to the filing.
My heart aches when I sense change coming. My job has always been the most important thing in my life, but since meeting Robert, my priorities changed. Maybe it’s because we rushed into a relationship so quickly and are operating in a haze of lust. Perhaps spending more time together will reinforce the reason why I prefer to work, but I doubt it. There is something so right about our relationship and other people may not understand and think we are rushing into things. Perhaps we are, but we are both kindred spirits and this is not normal for either of us.
With a heavy heart, I shower and change into my usual skirt and blouse for work and shrug on my jacket before tying my hair back and slipping into my stilettos.
As I grab my bag, I know what I must do, but I’ll miss spending so much time with the man I found in the most unexpected of ways. When I reach the kitchen, I hear laughter and find the two men deep in conversation over a coffee and as they glance up when I head into the room, I note the pained expression in Robert’s eyes when he sees what I’m wearing.
