“It doesn’t matter
. Now, let’s play the “stay away from Mitchell” for the rest of the night.” She took another sip of champagne and wished it would numb the ache in her chest that made it hard to breathe.
“Let’s mingle,” he
agreed and circulated the room with her.
Grace
made sure they kept their distance from Mitchell who was joined by a fellow businessman, Ray Morgan, a distinguished older gentleman with silver hair and impeccable taste. At some point, Grace and Ray’s eyes met over the crowd. There was no love lost between them. Ray made it very clear the moment she and Mitchell became lovers that she would never be good enough for the man Ray considered his son. Ray’s eyes were cold as they met hers. She didn’t look away. She held his gaze until he was distracted by his wife tapping him on the arm. Grace was grateful that Landon missed the exchange. She didn’t want him to ask more questions she couldn’t answer.
At dinner
Grace was unnerved when Mitchell stared at her despite the fawning women around him. Even Ray tried to distract Mitchell once he realized everyone was noticing his preoccupation with his ex. Grace ignored Ray’s hostile glances. Ray never forgave her for daring to pretend to be a part of New York’s exclusive circles with her background. Landon eyed Mitchell with a confused expression on his face.
“What the hell did you do to him?” Landon murmured in a low undertone.
Grace didn’t look at Mitchell although she played with the idea of throwing her dinner roll across the table at him. “What?”
“Isn’t
he overdoing this a bit much?”
Grace put a hand on
Landon’s arm and swore she felt Mitchell’s focus sharpen. She suppressed the urge to take her hand away. Over the dinner conversation she heard Ray talking hurriedly to Mitchell.
“He’ll get over it,” Grace
said and forced herself to eat.
Landon
took in her composed features and steady hands. “You’re a dangerous woman.”
She blinked. “What?”
“I’ve never seen Mitchell like this and I’ve known him since we were kids. I know Mitchell’s a ruthless bastard but even I’m starting to feel sorry for him.”
“
Why should you feel sorry for him?” she demanded, “He can have anyone he wants!”
“Except you.”
She withdrew her hand from his. “You don’t need to feel sorry for him. I think I stand alone because I’m the only one who walked away.”
Landon
didn’t look convinced but he didn’t push the issue. Dinner ended and more drinks were passed around. There was more business to discuss and sometime after the meal she lost track of Landon. Less than a minute later another tall figure replaced her date. She refused to look up at Mitchell.
Grace tried to lose hers
elf in the crowd with no luck. The groups she squeezed into always made ample room for him. No one in the room would slight Mitchell Price. He was a brilliant businessman that had a hand in everyone’s income. She knew her tactics were pointless- Mitchell introduced her to all of these acquaintances. Grace didn’t let the strain show on her face as he stayed by her side. Most of the women stared at her as if she were out of her mind but they didn’t ask the obvious- why was she so dead set against getting back with a millionaire who obviously wanted her back? Grace ignored Mitchell and nursed another glass of champagne and smiled until her face felt tight. When Grace was on her last nerve with Mitchell she felt her phone vibrate. She excused herself and went onto the balcony and fished her phone out of her clutch.
“Casey?” Grace said into
the phone.
“Hey Grace. I know you’re probably busy but I need help.”
Grace tensed. “Of course. What kind of help? Do you need more money?”
A light, weary laugh.
“I wish money could fix this but… can you come? I know you’re super busy but I really need you here.”
Grace paused, sifting through her schedule for the week. “I can be there Saturday.”
“You can’t come sooner?” Casey’s voice was disappointed.
“Is it
Evie? Should we hire you some help?” Grace paced on the balcony, glad she was alone for the moment so she could focus on her little sister.
“No,” Casey sighed. “I just miss you. And
Evie does too.”
Grace’s chest was tight with emotion. “I miss you guys too.” She thought of her
seven month old niece and shook her head. “Is she standing yet?”
“Sh
e did yesterday.”
Grace bit her lip as disappointment washed through her. She’d wanted to be the
re for that.
“I’ll let you go. I know you’re busy. What time on Saturday can you get here?” Casey pressed.
“Noon.”
“I’ll see you then.”
“Okay. Bye.”
“Grace?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
She sucked in a deep breath to control the tears that threatened. “I love you guys. Tell Evie I’ll be there soon.”
“
I will. See you Saturday.”
Grace crossed her arms over her chest and look
ed out over the city. Fog made New York City appear hazy from the balcony. She was exactly where she always dreamed she would be- in New York with a beautiful condo, money and a successful business. Her days were filled with work, social events, phone calls and emails. When she was with Mitchell she thought her life was perfect until Casey became pregnant and shattered her relationship with Mitchell into a million pieces.
Since she left Mitchell a year ago her life turned upside down
. What she cared about a year ago was nonexistent today. Guilt was responsible for the way Mitchell pursued her- to make right the damage he’d done but she didn’t want him to apologize or repair anything. What was said between them could never be made right and she didn’t want it to. Outsiders like Landon assumed Mitchell was in love with her but she knew better. If Mitchell had come to care for her at all in the two years they’d been together it wouldn’t have taken her a year to stitch together what was left of her heart. Why couldn’t Mitchell just leave her be, she thought savagely. If she bought him out of her business she could cut all ties to him but he refused. She was forced to send him emails, keep him informed of business decisions and sometimes, although it galled her to no end- ask his permission. Before the break up he wasn’t involved in her business at all but when she refused to speak to him he used business as a way of forcing her interact with him. He ceased being a silent partner and now wanted reports on the boutiques- in person. She ran a hand through her hair. She really wanted out of the city, away from Mitchell and the microscope of society. Once she left New York he wouldn’t be reminded of what he’d done and he would move onto someone else.
“Grace?”
She took a deep breath before she turned. “Did you get my email today?” It took an effort to keep her voice even, to look him in the eye.
His mouth tightened. “About buying me out? Not gonna happen.”
“I can pay you double-”
“No.” He approached, towering over her. “What are you doing with him?”
She stiffened. “That’s none of your business.”
“You are my business.”
“Excuse me?” Her voice was strangled. “The only thing between us is the boutique.”
His hand slashed dismissively through the air. “It’ll never be just business between us. All these months of hiding and now you
make your entrance with Landon? Are you trying to make me jealous?”
“You think I brought Landon to make you jealous?” She
said incredulously. “I left you, Mitch. We’re done.”
“You won’t listen-”
“I heard enough from you,” she said, the echo of their past screaming at both of them. The things he said to her were as clear as if he said them yesterday. They were burned into her memory and she was still trying to repair the damage he wrought on her confidence, her worth.
“You won’t let me explain-”
“Explain?” she exploded, throwing up her hands. “Explain what? How much you look down at me because of my background? How you never intended our relationship to go anywhere because of my mother? What is there left to talk about? I think that about covers it.”
His eyes flashed. “I didn’t mean it.”
“Yes. You did.” Her voice was suddenly weary. “Why are you doing this? What we had is gone. You told me what you think of me.” She wasn’t able to hide the pain. How could the things he said a year ago still hurt?
He reached for her but when she jerked away he dropped his hands. “I’m not trying to upset you.”
“Seeing you upsets me,” she whispered and felt her eyes burn with tears but she pushed them back. She wouldn’t cry in front of this man ever again.
“You’ve avoided me for a year. You chose the battlefield, not me.
When I come to company meetings you stay far away from me and make sure you’re surrounded by people. If you would respond to my emails, phone calls or texts we could have settled this a long time ago but you keep running.”
“What
do you expect me to do? Forget the whole thing happened?” She shook her head and tried to realign her thoughts. She didn’t want to go down this road with him. “I want to open a boutique in Texas.”
He considered her in
silence for a moment. “The boutique is doing well here.”
“I know. I wanted to expand and I thought Texas would be a great place to start
.” She wished he would move away. Mitchell had never understood her need for space and was always unconsciously pushing people to do what he wanted.
“You mean you want to be where Casey is.”
She stiffened. “Yes. Casey’s there and I don’t like leaving her alone-”
“Bring her here,” he interrupted.
She ground her teeth at his autocratic command. “Casey got into a lot of trouble when she lived here.” Not to mention she didn’t want Evie raised in a fast paced, dog eat dog city. She wanted to keep Evie innocent as long as possible. It was a luxury few kids had. It was something she and Casey never experienced.
It irked her that she had to have his permission to do this, to do anything. Her success, her business, her contacts and her ability to support Evie
and Casey came from him. She hated it. How many times in the past year had she thought of giving up the boutique, of leaving all her hard work behind and starting over in Texas? It was sheer stubbornness that kept her here, facing Mitchell and fighting him every step of the way but it was taking a toll on her. She wanted to be with Casey and Evie in Texas but she was the breadwinner and opening a new boutique would be a risk she wasn’t sure she could take.
“I want Evie
to grow up with values,” she said.
His jaw tightened. “You think I don’t have values?”
She leaned back against the balcony. “I want Evie to be around normal people who don’t expect her to be perfect. I want her to have a real childhood.”
“You could give her a life many kids never experience. You’ve done well for yourself.”
She slashed a hand through the air and glared at him. “Money doesn’t have anything to do with this. Have you ever been around a baby? They care more about playing with empty water bottles than expensive toys and clothes. I want her to have the childhood Evie and I never had. Simple. Safe. I want her to be in a small city with people that care.”
“So you want me to allow you to open a boutique in
Texas. What about the boutique here in New York?”
“Amy can handle
it. I would travel back every week if I need to.”
“I’ll think on it
.”
She knew he was lying. He wasn’t going to let go of the only hold he had left on her. Beneath his expensive suit he was primitive and barely civilized.
Before it excited her and now it left her cold and wary because she knew what he was capable of if he thought he was being cheated.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he snapped.
She wasn’t sure what he saw on her face when she was filled with such conflicting emotions. “I want you to keep your distance.”
“Not gonna happen.”
She held his gaze for a few seconds before she let her eyes drop. She couldn’t look at him without remembering the sharp slap of his words. Her heart gave a painful throb and the shield she’d been holding onto cracked. “Please, Mitch. Just stop.”
She walked off the balcony and he didn’t follow. Instead of walking into the ballroom she escaped down a hallway. She couldn’t face everybody. Not yet. She leaned back against the wall, eyes closed as she took deep breaths. Her breathing was choppy because sobs wanted to invade her throat but she refused to break down here.
“What the hell are you doing here? Haven’t you done enough?”
The despair coursing through her went into instant boil. Her eyes opened and they were hot with rage and fury. She saw Ray standing in front of her, face twisted with disdain. She propelled herself off the wall and stepped right in front of him, barely resisting the urge to strike him.