Breaking Love Full Hearts 2 (37 page)

He looked up to see Simone standing in the doorway watching him. Her eyes glanced over the page. “What are you looking at?”

“A ridiculous lapse in judgement,” he replied, putting the paper into the top drawer of his desk.

He looked back up at her, his face impassive. “I need you to cancel my appointments for the next few days and book me a flight to Boulder for tomorrow. There’s something I need to take care of.” Luc hadn’t told Simone about the house, wanting Megan to be the first one to know. He could see her stiffen at his request.

“Boulder? I thought things were over between you and the American.” There was fear in her eyes as she tried to steady her voice.

“They are. This isn’t about her. Why does that concern you?”

She waved her hand nonchalantly. “It doesn’t. It just seems like you came back from there in a bad temper. I’m thinking maybe I should take a vacation when you get back so I won’t have to be on the receiving end of it.”

Luc fixed her with a cold stare. “Just book the flights. I’ll only be there for one night, and then I need to go to Aspen for two days, then New York for a week. If you choose to take a vacation when I get back, that’s entirely up to you. You have time owed to you, and I will manage without your attitude quite nicely.”

Simone turned on her heel and walked away without answering. Luc felt a pang of guilt at his response to her. He
had
been excessively harsh lately with everyone, especially her. His restlessness and anger were never far from the surface. Rubbing his face with one hand, he stood and went to find her.

She was standing outside on the balcony of the club, having a cigarette. Her arm was folded across her chest protectively and she avoided his gaze as he approached her.

“I’m sorry, Simone. I’ve been in a foul mood for the past few weeks, and it’s not your fault. I’m going through something and have been taking it out on everyone around me.” He lifted her chin slightly with his fingers as he spoke.

Simone’s eyes were brimming with tears. She gave him a little nod but said nothing as he let his hand drop down to his side.

“I apologize. When I get this trip over with, I’ll feel better. And even if I don’t, I promise to be kinder to you.”

“I hope so, Luc.” She touched his arm with her hand as she spoke. “I’m here for you. I’ve always been here for you.”

“I know you have. You’re a good friend and an excellent assistant. I need to show you more appreciation.” Luc’s voice was tender now.

“I hope that I’m much more than just an assistant to you. I’ve been part of your life for over six years now and yet you’ve never let me in. I thought I would have earned your trust by now.”

“You have, Simone. I tell you more than I tell anyone else.”

“And yet you have a secret from me now. Something has been upsetting you for months, and you refuse to speak of it.”

Luc leaned against the railing and folded his arms. “I haven’t wanted to talk about it. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve broken all my rules when it comes to women. I let myself get drawn in much deeper than I ever intended with Megan, and I’ve been having trouble getting over it. I need to go to Boulder to sell a house I bought.”

Simone’s mind was racing, but she managed to appear calm. She dropped her cigarette onto the floor, pivoting her red stiletto over it to extinguish it before speaking again. “You bought her a house? Is that the lapse of judgement you were referring to?”

Luc kept his eyes trained on the wall of the nightclub to avoid her gaze. “I bought it for myself with the intention of moving there. I thought it would convince her that I was serious about making things work with her. When I got to her house to tell her, I saw her with another man. I think it was her ex-husband, but I’m not sure. I left before I found out.” He stared at a little scuff mark on his shoe, feeling thoroughly humiliated to admit this to anyone, least of all Simone.

Simone reached out for him, wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his chest. Although her heart ached to see him so unhappy, she was relieved to find out that he thought Megan had moved on already. She had been right to delete the email. Obviously Megan had never loved Luc if she could throw him over so quickly.

She tilted her head up to face him. “I’m so sorry she hurt you like that, Luc. You must have really loved her to consider leaving everything for her.”

Luc held his arms at his sides, wishing Simone would let go of him but not wanting to hurt her feelings after how he had been acting. “I did. I have never felt that way about anyone before, never been so happy. It didn’t even feel like it would be a sacrifice for me. It felt like it would be a privilege to give it all up so I could be with her. I was going to start a life with her and her son. When you love someone like that, you would do anything for them.”

“I know, Luc. I know from experience.” Simone’s voice broke as she unwrapped her arms from his waist and placed her hands on his chest. “Love can make you do things you never thought yourself capable of, things that make it hard to look in the mirror. Love will force you to accept someone taking you for granted but refuses to let you give up.”

Luc watched Simone’s face as she spoke. He realized for the first time that she was in love with him. Suddenly it all became clear. He had thought she just didn’t like other women in general, but she had been chasing them away from him all these years. He immediately felt caged by her hands on him, and something deep in his gut told him he needed to get away from her. He stood rigid as he stared at her.

“It’s over now, Luc. If you want, I’ll take care of selling the house for you. There’s no need for you to think about it anymore.” Simone took a step back, smiling lovingly at him.

“No.” He shook his head. “Thank you for the offer, but it’s something I must do for myself so that I can finally put this behind me.”

“You go on your trip, Luc, and when you get back I want you to think about who has been here for you, always waiting for you to return, caring for you, expecting nothing from you but always hoping. Always hoping, Luc.”

Simone turned and walked back into the club, hoping that she had given him something to think about.

* * *

Simone had just gotten out of the shower when she heard her buzzer ring. Looking at the clock, she realized it was after 10 p.m. Who could be wanting to come up at this late hour?

She threw on her bathrobe and rushed across her apartment. “Alright, I’m coming!” she snapped at the buzzer.

She hit the receiver button. “Yes?” Her voice did little to hide how annoyed she was by the interruption.

“It’s Luc. I need to come up.”

“Oh, Luc, of course. I just got out of the shower,” she purred as she pushed the button to let him through the front door of her building.

Simone’s heart pounded as she took the towel off her head and quickly combed out her jet-black hair. She covered her lips with gloss and applied some perfume. As she waited, she straightened her robe, making sure the front opened to reveal a little cleavage. Maybe her words had struck a chord with him and he had finally realized how perfect they were for each other. A light knock at the door caused her to draw a deep breath.

Simone swung the door open and leaned against it, giving him her best version of bedroom eyes. “Hey, boss, what brings you here at this late hour?”

Luc’s brows were knit together as he rushed in past her. She closed the door behind him, her heart in her throat. He didn’t look like a man who had romance on his mind. He looked like a man on a mission. And the thought of what his mission might be made her freeze with fear.

He didn’t bother with greetings. “You said you’ve done things you never would have thought you were capable of. What did you mean?”

Simone’s mouth gaped open for a second before she recovered. “I wasn’t referring to anything specific . . . I just meant people in general.”

“No, you said you knew from experience, you’d done things that make it hard for you to look in the mirror. I want to know what you’ve done, Simone.” His tone was harsh and his dark eyes bored into hers. He could see fear, confirming his suspicions.

She shook her head, trying to move away from him. Luc caught her by the arms and held her in place. Simone tried to avoid looking at him but said nothing.

“What things, Simone?!” He was yelling now, gripping her arms tightly.

“Nothing! You’re hurting me!” she cried.

Luc loosened his grip but didn’t let go. His voice was dead calm and his jaw was set as he spoke. “Answer me.”

Simone shook her head. “I haven’t done anything but take care of you. I’ve gotten rid of so much trash for you over the years, you have no idea. Women who wanted nothing but your money, who would have hurt you. I follow behind you and clean up all your mistakes! And instead of thanking me, you come in here to hurt me and yell at me! How dare you!”

Remembering himself, he looked down at his hands, releasing her with a sense of shame. His desperation to be back with Megan had him completely out of control. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I’m doing. Please forgive me.”

He turned and started for the door. As his hand turned the knob, the word
trash
popped into his head. He could picture her sitting at his desk smiling up at him.
Just clearing up some trash for you. . . .

He took a deep breath before slowly turning back to her.
Megan, she was talking about Megan
. His eyes were ice cold and his voice dead calm. “Tell me about the trash, Simone. What trash did you clear up for me on my computer that morning when I was in the shower?”

Simone opened her mouth, then clamped it shut, pursing her lips. Her eyes darted up to the ceiling, then down to the floor.

Luc’s voice was quiet now. He was using every ounce of effort to restrain himself. “If you really love me, you’ll tell me.”

Simone could feel the breath leave her. Her shoulders slumped as she stared down at her feet to avoid his glare. It was over. He would hate her now forever, but she had to do what was right for once.

“I deleted an email from her.” Her voice was tiny, almost inaudible.

Luc stood perfectly still, blinking slowly. “What did it say?”

“It said she was pregnant. She claims it is your child.”

Luc felt his knees go weak for a second as he tried to digest what he had just heard. Pregnant. Megan was going to have his baby. And she had heard nothing from him for these past long weeks since she reached out to him. He stared at Simone, rage surging through him, his mind racing.

She crossed the room to her kitchen table. Her hands shook now as she tried repeatedly to light a cigarette. His silence was deafening. Simone couldn’t bring herself to look at him, but she knew he was simmering with a violent anger, and it terrified her. She heard the door open and glanced up to see his back as he walked out the door. Collapsing onto a chair, she sobbed pitifully.

Luc peeled out of the spot he had parked his car in a few minutes earlier, driving with such speed it was as though he were trying to outrace his own mind. Megan had emailed to tell him he was about to be a father. And she would have thought he had ignored her all this time.

“
Merde!
The text!” Luc shouted as he slammed on the brakes and veered off to the side of the road. He quickly searched his phone, finding their conversation.

“Oh shit, shit, shit!” he groaned when he read his first response.

What’s to think about? I’m afraid I have absolutely no interest in getting involved in that type of mess. Three is always a crowd and never fails to disappoint.

Leaning his head on the steering wheel, he let out a huge puff of air. “Fucking Simone!” he shouted as he sat up and slammed his hand into the wheel. He suddenly wished Simone were a man so he could justify going back over there to beat her senseless. He had never felt this level of rage at a woman before. She had tried to hide the fact that he was going to have a baby from him. She had tried to fuck up his entire life. He would never forgive her. Never.

He called the office manager of Cloud, Lisette. She picked up on the third ring.

“Lisette, it’s Luc. I’m sorry to call you at home at this late hour. I have something of an emergency. Simone is no longer working with us, and I have to leave town for a situation overseas that requires my immediate attention. First thing tomorrow morning, I need you to have two of the bouncers go to Simone’s to pick up the computer and any files she has at her apartment. I want you to go with them. You’ll know what to look for. Get her keys back. She has keys to my apartment and all of the clubs. There will be a letter on my desk when you get to work in the morning informing her that she has been let go. Take that with you. She won’t be surprised. She knows this is coming. Did you catch all of that? I know I went over it fast.”

Lisette sounded positively thrilled when she answered. “I did. I caught every word, Luc. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.”

“I will. Thank you.”

TWENTY-NINE

Boulder—Two Days Later

Megan drove with her window down on her way to the photo shoot. It was a sunny, beautiful morning, and she glanced out at the mountains on her way to Timber Lane. Having just dropped Elliott off at school, she smiled to herself as she took in the sights of her hometown. Boulder was a beautiful place this time of year, nestled in the majesty of the Rocky Mountains under the Colorado sun.

She wore black dress pants with a pin holding them together at her expanding waistline. She was at that awkward stage where her real clothes were too small but she wasn’t big enough for maternity clothes yet. She had covered her little fashion faux pas with a white button-up dress shirt, untucked. Until now, she had managed to keep her pregnancy a secret from everyone except her mom. Soon it would be visible to everyone and she would have to face the barrage of questions, other people’s worries and disapproving looks.

For now, it felt good to have the chance to fall in love with this little person inside her, even though the circumstances were far less than ideal. A feeling of utter loss came over her whenever she thought of Luc. He wanted no part of her life or their baby’s life either. She fluctuated between feeling angry on behalf of their child and relieved to know now what his true limitations were. It would be easier to start out this way rather than have an unwelcome surprise later on. She could grieve this, adjust to it and be over it before she had two mouths to feed.