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Hate. It.
Tamping down the urge to call Peter back, I sort through the tangled fears Rose’s vague confessions have stirred up. Combined with his family shit, the trust we’ve worked so carefully to build feels fragile. Threatened by unspoken words and unseen actions.
Every part of my body aches with sadness. I’m devastated to think our hard-earned stability might be on shaky ground. Has Peter forgotten his values once more? With a heavy heart, I decide to go home and lick my wounds. As I’m getting dressed, lost in my thoughts, the sound of the bedroom door opening startles me.
I turn to find Peter holding my favorite coffee and a breakfast sandwich. “I brought breakfast because we need to talk. I’ve done something so horrific you probably won’t forgive me.”
My blood turns to ice. He fucked Rose. Our relationship is over.
“Okay, let’s talk.” I hoist myself up on the counter in his island wearing only bra and panties.
If he’s going to confess some sort of situationship with Rose, he’ll do it while looking at my banging half-naked body.
Peter sets the sandwich and coffee next to me and leans against the tile. “A choice I made in college is coming back to bite me in the ass. I've been honest about my family troubles, but I didn't tell you my role in why that is.”
“Okay…” This is going in a different direction than I anticipated. I’ll hear him out.
Except, I’m not expecting anything near to what he confides. Recounting an incident from his time at the University of Washington, Peter describes how financial desperation led him to forge his father’s signature on a loan application. His words are heavy with the weight of a mistake that has haunted him for years.
“Lance is threatening to expose me if I don’t give in to their demands,” he concludes, a hint of despair in his eyes. “He knows I’m with you. Knows about Jace. Your dad…”
My heart breaks for Peter. Though he’s a billionaire, it wasn’t always the case. Though I'd like to think I'm down to earth, I've lived a privileged life. I've never stressed about money or how to pay for my education, let alone food and housing. I sit in silence for a moment, absorbing the gravity of his confession. The man I've come to know is honorable, hardworking—his revelation doesn’t change what's true. His family dynamics definitely bring complexity to our situation.
Trying not to judge him, I still won't sweep a breach of the core of our relationship—honesty—under the rug. “I’m not about to chastise you for a bad decision you made a long time ago. Lies are a deal breaker, though. When we promised each other to tell the truth. I meant it. Keeping things from me is no longer an option if you want this relationship to continue. It can't happen.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. When we had the talk before London on the beach, I tried to bring it up, but the moment passed.” Peter looks down, a shadow crossing his features. “Doesn't matter. I’m so ashamed of what I did and how it’s impacting my life.”
In this moment, I picture a younger, naiver version of Peter and his determination to make something of himself. “We don’t need to share every little detail of our pasts but with something this significant—like your family blackmailing you—I need to know the truth.”
He doesn’t say anything. Just nods.
“I can’t stress this boundary enough. I won’t stay with someone I can’t trust. Now's your chance. Are there more secrets looming over us?” I hope and pray he’ll say something about Rose. Because if he doesn’t…
Peter’s eyes meet mine. “There’s nothing else, Jordan. I promise. Well, one nuance might give you context about what happened in Vegas.” He takes a big breath. “The main reason I left so abruptly was because my dad discovered I forged his name and he lost his loan because of me. The stress caused his heart attack. I had to leave. There was no choice. I've never felt as shitty about myself as I did in that moment, so I decided I wasn't the right guy for you. Which wasn't the truth but, at the time, I thought you deserved someone who wouldn't sell out his family to bolster himself.”
“Thank you for trusting me, Peter. I'm sorry you carried such a heavy burden.” Upon hearing the raw pain in his voice, my heart aches for him. “What you did was wrong, but it was a long time ago. You’re not the same person anymore.”
He looks at me, hope mingling with trepidation. “You forgive me?”
“I want to, but something weird happened when you were gone. Rose stopped by. She was…apologetic. Insinuated the two of you had a fight.” I jump to the floor and pull on a T-shirt.
Peter’s genuinely confused. “She came to my house?”
“As I said, it was weird. She didn't give details but confessed the two of you had a rough conversation yesterday. She wanted to clear the air.” I cross my arms and wait.
He scrubs his face with his hand. “Yesterday, she was at the office and asked to take over the London project. She was pretty assertive and it pissed me off, if I’m honest.”
“That's it?” I tilt my head and cross my arms. “It seemed more personal.”
“Did she say something physical happened between us? If so, I have a bigger problem to deal with.” Peter is stunned.
Ahhhhhhh. My body sags with a profound sense of relief. “No. She was flustered. I guess I read into it and thought…”
“Wait—you thought I would…?” Peter’s horrified gaze tells me everything.
I'm an idiot. Nothing happened. Ever. I’m sure of it.
I close the gap between us and take his hands in mine. “No. Never mind.” I lean up and kiss him. “I misread the entire situation. Look, here’s the thing. We both have pasts to cloud our judgement. We’ve both made mistakes we’re not proud of. This thing with your family has got to stop. You’ve paid them back tenfold. Now, let's brainstorm and figure out how to deal with Lance and this stupid threat. Together.”
