DREAM (10 page)

“Gable, Matherson is on the phone and needs to talk to you now.” Gideon’s voice bellows from the other side.

Gable is staring into my eyes and neither of us has moved. His blue eyes have me locked into place.

“Gable.” The pounding continues.

He pulls back and yells. “I’ll be right there.”

We both remain in our positions for another moment, before Gable finally gets up and leaves.

I release the breath I’m holding. What the hell just happened?

Chapter 10

When I go down to breakfast the next morning, I stop at the entrance. There’s a blonde at the breakfast bar and she and Misha are giggling and whispering.

“Mrs. Butler.” Misha quickly rises from the bar stool that she was sitting at. “I didn’t hear you.” She rushes over to the coffee machine to get my coffee.

The blonde turns and gives me a smile. It’s Joy, Gable’s assistant. I’d never seen her at the house before.

“Good morning, Mrs. Butler.”

“Good morning, Joy. How are you?”

“I’m well. Thank you for asking.” I sit next to her. Misha places the coffee in front of me. “Would you like anything else?”

I shake my head. “No, thank you.”

“You don’t look like you feel well.” Joy says. “Are you ill?”

“I didn’t sleep well last night.” That’s an understatement. I take a small sip of the coffee. I spent most of the night sitting on the side of my bed trying to figure out Gable’s and my relationship.

I swear I could write a mini-series about it. I wanted to kiss him last night. I didn’t think I did until he didn’t come back to my room. I heard him in the bathroom and his bedroom, but he never attempted to come over to me.

I tried to process the fact he’d sought me out and followed me when I was at college. He had watched me, but I’d been so caught up with school and myself I didn’t notice. I knew he
stalked
me because he told me, but now it’s all laid out in front of me, I feel different. I’m not as mad as I previously was. Gable thought I was some socialite and he’d been wrong. I think I played a part from time-to-time when I was with Dad, but it’s not me.

I’m here.
 Leo texts me.

“It’s nice to see you again, Joy.”

I tell Leo where to go and say nothing else as he drives me there. I had never been to this apartment complex before, but I know many people who lived here. It’s for the up and coming young entrepreneurs. I knock on the door marked 6C. When the door opens, Larissa’s red hair is in pigtails and blue eyes are bright.

“I have to say out of everyone to call me this morning; I was shocked it was you.”

“I do need your help though.”

She nods and steps to the side to let me in. The apartment is large, but I don’t see it. I want answers that only she can help me.

She points to a pair of chairs set up in the corner. “So, what do you need my help with?”

“Okay, I’m not one to dodge a point, but I think I’m having some type of mental breakdown, and beside my staff, you’ve known me the longest and I know you’ll tell me the truth.” I rush my words out.

“Dream.” Larissa looks concerned. “What is it?”

“I’m asking you a favor. It’s huge and I need your word.”

She nod. I pull a piece of paper out of my purse. “Sign this.”

Larissa looks it over. She furrows her forehead and glances at me. “A non-disclosure agreement?”

I know that Larissa is more loyal to the law and her family and I sure as hell don’t want her to go out running her mouth with what I’m about to talk to her about.

“Please.” I know I’m begging, but it’s serious. I hand her a pen. She thinks for a moment and then signs it, handing it back to me. “Thank you.”

“Now, what’s going on?”

I open my mouth and tell her everything from Gable and my contract, to JE’s troubles, and even last night. I can’t stop the words flowing. It’s as if a dam broke and water is spewing out of it. When I’m done talking, my mouth is dry and my throat hurts a little.

“Wow, that’s a lot to take in.” Her eyes are wide from all the information I’ve thrown at her. “I had heard JE had a little bit of a financial scare, but I didn’t know it had been that bad.”

I nod. “It was.”

“I don’t understand why you told me?”

“Because,” I push my hand through my hair. “I’m in a tailspin of crazy emotions, and I don’t know how to handle it. I mean, I’ve had one hit after another in the past few weeks.”

“It’s understandable. You graduated college thinking you were going to work under your father and learn more of the ropes then he dies and everything falls into your lap. Add in Gable, marriage, and all that entails, I’m surprised you’re not in a straight-jacket at the mental hospital.” Larissa shakes her head. “I know I wouldn’t be able to handle it all.”

We’re silent for a moment as I’m sure she’s thinking all about my drama-filled life and thankful she isn’t having the same breakdown I am.

“I think I like Gable.” I blurt it out. “I’m living in his house, I’m constantly with him, and I’m afraid it’s some type of Stockholm syndrome.”

Larissa laughs. “It’s not that.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I saw you two at the Wall’s Ball. The way you two were looking at each other, those weren’t Stockholm looks.”

I’m confused. “What do you mean?”

“Look.” She stops for a beat and glances away from me and bites her lip. “I know a lot about Gable and he’s not a bad guy, from what I can tell. Granted, he did coerce you into this marriage, but look how he’s treated you. I mean some other guy would have never given you your own room and left you alone. If you understand my meaning?” She gives me a pointed look.

“I do.” Larissa’s right, and I don’t need to be reminded how good Gable has been to me, because I know.

“At the ball,” she smiles. “He couldn’t stay away from you, and he kept touching you the whole night. I watched you two when I stepped away. He stared at you and there was nothing but love, respect, and admiration in his eyes.”

“He’s twenty years older than I am.”

“So? Have you seen the guys our age? I will pick a mature, stable, older man, than some xbox-playing-beer-drinking kid.” Larissa giggles. “You’re lucky. Besides, he doesn’t look old and it’s not like he’s a hundred or anything.”

“True.” I think about Gable’s good looks and even his dimple. “Thank you, Larissa.”

“You’re welcome.” We both stand and hug each other. “I wouldn’t have told anyone if you had asked me not to. I know people assume because of my family I’m running to them with every secret, but I don’t.”

I hang my head in shame. “Sorry.”

Larissa shrugs. “I’m just letting you know.”

“Thank you for everything. You helped a lot.”

She hugs me again and we make our way to the door. “We’ll do lunch soon.”

I nod and head out to Leo and the waiting Lexus.

~~~

Walking into the massive mansion, I look at it differently. Well, a little bit because all I can see is a sea of white. I need to find a way to add some color into this house.

“Dream.” I turn to see Gable and Gideon in the formal living room, playing cards. “Where did you go?”

I walk over to them and sit next to Gable on the couch. Gideon is across from his sitting on the other couch.

“I went to see Larissa Dapont.” I look at Gable’s cards and can’t figure out what games they’re playing.

“Did you have a good time?”

“She was very informative and helped me out a lot.” I tell him truthfully.

“Wait, Dapont? As in DA Dapont?” Gideon stops what he’s doing.

“You met her at the Wall’s Ball and yes, she’s the DA’s daughter.” I explain.

“Hhmm.” Gideon picks up a car from the stack and then lays a card down.

That’s when I notice…the cards are white. There’s no picture or design on them. They’re white. I grab Gable’s hand with the cards in it and turn it slightly to see the back of the cards.

Yep, all white.

“What is it?”

“The cards are fucking white.”

“Does that really shock you?” Gideon asks nonchalantly and picks up another card.

“What is the deal with all the white? And don’t you dare say ‘nothing’. I’ve never had the urge to go to Home Depot, buy six gallons of paint, come home, and just throw it all over the place.”

Gideon laughs. “Please let me know when you do. I will film it all and let the whole world watch Gable lose it.”

I ignore him and continue to stare at Gable.

“I like clean,” he shrugs and throws down the cards.

“Such an understatement.” Gideon rolls his eyes.

“Why won’t you tell me?” Normally, I wouldn’t call him out in front of his brother, but maybe it will help.

“He won’t tell you because he thinks it make him look weak.” Gideon answers for him.

Gable turns away from me. He isn’t going to tell me. I direct my questions to his brother.

“Because you’re clean makes you weak?”

“Gable had a nervous breakdown.” Gideon tells me. “It started after that bitch cheated on him and then our dad died. The doctor gave him medication for it. However, Gable ended having a seizure because of the med. When he woke up, he thought he was dirty and almost scrubbed his skin off before the doctor’s changed his meds. Since then, Gable keeps everything as white and clean as possible. They call it obsessive compulsive disorder. Gable doesn’t have the same urges as he had before because of the new meds. If he wasn’t on it, he would spend hours in the shower scrubbing until he was raw. As long as the house stays white, and he takes his medication, he’s fine.”

My heart is in my throat. I know what OCD is and how bad it is on someone. I’ve heard about it from my dad.

“But the whole house isn’t white.” I remind them. “My room has color and the media room is somewhat beige.”

“I’m okay if it’s white, blacks, and the red tie is the only one I’ve found which doesn’t send me into a fit,” he finally speaks.

“It’s why he doesn’t stay at Mom’s long.” Gideon adds in. “And I bet anything, he was sitting on your couch last night.”

“How did you know?” I gasp.

“Because I was in the hallway and when he came out, he had to change his shirt.” Gideon gives me a pointed look as if I should have known better.

I glance at Gable, but he gets up and leaves the room. My heart hurts for him. He’s in pain. An invisible pain to me, but it is very real to him.

“All of this happened because he’s girlfriend cheated on him?”

Gideon shakes his head. “His therapist thinks it’s more to do with our dad. Dad was constantly dirty from the tire factory. He died a slow, horrible death.” His face drops. “It took a toll on Gable, because he feels that he should have made money faster to save him.”

I gasp as the realization hits me. “That’s why he’s so involved with the environment.”

Gideon nods. “Yep. He wants to save the world and limit factories of that nature in hopes people won’t lose their lives for something like
tires
.”

For some reason, it’s as if a lightbulb goes off, and it all makes sense. I jump up from the couch. “Thank you, Gideon.”

“Hey.” I turn around. “When he gets embarrassed, he goes to his room.” He gives me a sad smile.

“Thank you.” I mean it, too and race up to Gable’s room.

I stand outside his door staring at the crisp whiteness of it. I feel bad for him. I didn’t know it had been a serious problem. I don’t knock in case he doesn’t let me in. I walk right in.

Gable is on the other side of the room gazing out his large picture window. His hands are in his black dress pants and his black dress shirt shines back at me.

“When I started my business, I didn’t start in the environmental side of things. I had gone into security and it took off from there.”

I walk up behind him.

“I had no desire to do anything with the environment.”

“What changed?” I ask, standing beside him, even though I know the answer now.

“After I caught
her
cheating, I left and went to my parents. Dad’s cancer had spread and he could barely breathe. He didn’t want to die in a hospital. Man, he hated hospitals. Mom kept him home because she knew it’s what he wanted. I sat by his bed all night, listening to him gasp what little bit of breath he could.

“I watched him slowly and agonizingly die that night. I don’t know what happened afterward. I only have spots of memory. I remember screaming, punching Gideon in the jaw, and then waking up in this bright, white hospital.

“Gideon and Joy made sure no one knew about my breakdown. The doctors gave me this little green pill and I was fine for about two days until I had the seizure. I don’t remember what happened, but when I woke up, I felt like I was in a filthy mud pit. I could feel the grime and dirt in my pores and on my skin. I scrubbed and scrubbed until Gideon had to come in drag me from the shower.

“The doctors changed my meds again, but I had an awakening. I dove into my office and researched every point of the environmental businesses. I couldn’t get the image of my dad dying out of my head. I didn’t want another family to go through that. It took me almost seven years to get here, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”

He turns to me and I see the pain, real pain, in his eyes. I know he feels vulnerable and exposed, but I want him to know I’m here and that I understand.

“You told my dad the story, didn’t you?”