Chapter 24 - Mara
When Dominic leaves, I’m calm. I’m able to head back to my desk and get some work done until it’s completely dark outside and my eyes are starting to shut on their own. I close my computer down and jump when there’s a knock on the door frame.
I turn to see my father leaning in the opening of the door.
“Hey, Mara,” he says. “You’re working late today.”
“Lots to do,” I respond, sweeping my eyes over my desk to make sure there’s no sign of Dominic. “You guys are quite the slave drivers.”
My dad chuckles and pulls up a chair, leaning on his knees as he groans to sit down. He takes a deep breath and looks at me. I turn in my chair to face him and wait for him to speak. Ever since I got back, I’ve been keeping my distance from my parents. Most days, I don’t know what to say to them anymore.
“Mara, you know I’m proud of you, right? The work that you’ve been doing on the hotel has been exceptional.”
I nod my head, not trusting my voice.
“I’m sorry about your engagement. I thought Vincent was a good one.”
My eyes narrow as I stare at my father. Is this another mind game? Why would he say that when the whole reason Vincent agreed to marry me was some fucked-up business transaction?
“Right,” I finally respond. “Was that before or after you decided to use me as a bargaining chip to build the new hotel?”
My dad’s eyebrows shoot up and he puts his hands on the chair’s armrests. “Is that what you think?”
“Isn’t that what happened?” I spit. Suddenly, all the emotion from the past weeks and months is bubbling up inside me. My failed engagement, the feelings of betrayal and mistrust, the peace that I’ve found with Dominic – it’s all coming to a head.
He shakes his head and makes a noise. “No, no. Mara, that’s not what happened. I would never use you like that.”
“Wouldn’t you? Isn’t that what you were doing with Aiden before Mr. Clarke died? And then you didn’t need me anymore once you acquired the trucking business, so you traded me to the next highest bidder instead.”
I can hear the venom in my voice and I don’t care. My father stares at me as if I’m a stranger, and I stare right back at him. We stay there, motionless. He shakes his head from side to side.
“No, Mara. I never did that. I didn’t even want the trucking business. It was your mother who –”
He stops, looking out towards the hallway and back at me. His mouth drops open and then closes again. He stares at the ground for a few moments and then shakes his head.
“No. That’s not what happened.”
“Isn’t it? Why else did Vincent break up with me the minute the construction of the new hotel was abandoned? Why else did you encourage me to date Aiden and then turn your back on him the moment his father died?”
My father pushes himself up to stand and shakes his head. “Mara…”
“Just go, Dad. I’ve got lots of work to do. I don’t even know why I’m doing this for you, after everything you’ve put me through. I thought maybe I could…” Atone. Make it up to the Clarke brothers. Do something for myself.
I turn my back on my father and start shuffling some papers. I hear him walk out the door and down the hallway. My heart squeezes in my chest. My eyes are prickling but I don’t let myself cry.
It felt good to say it out loud. It felt good to tell him that I knew about their plans – that I wasn’t going to get played again. It felt good to stand up for myself for once. I run my fingers through my hair and exhale.
I close my eyes and lean back in my chair.
What am I doing here? Why am I here?
I could be anywhere. I didn’t need to come back here after Vincent and I broke up. I could have gone to LA, or New York, or anywhere in between. I could have moved to Paris!
Instead, I chose Lang Creek. I chose to start working for my parents. I chose to put myself in this position.
Why?
The question swirls around my mind and I rub my temples. Am I some sort of masochist? I willingly came back here when I knew that they were the ones who put me in that situation with Vincent in the first place.
I finally open my eyes and see one of the first sketches I did. I see Dominic’s changes, and the precise pencil marks that he made to alter the drawings. I pick it up and look at our joint design, and my heart starts to beat a little bit faster.
I have my answer.
I’m here because of him. Maybe I didn’t know it when I came back, but now I know why I’ve stayed. I know why I proposed the hotel renovations, and why I’m doing all this work.
I’m doing it to spend time with Dominic. Maybe it’s me making amends for the accident that led to Mr. Clarke’s death. Or maybe – just maybe – I’ve started falling for Dominic. Maybe I’ve found someone that finally understands and accepts me.
Maybe…
…I’m in love.
I stare at the sketch until the lines start to blur together. Finally, I drop the sheet and push myself off my chair. I take a slow walk to the back of the building and push my bedroom door open. My room is cold and dark, and I collapse into bed.
I’m in love with Dominic Clarke.
The words play on repeat over, and over, and over in my mind. I don’t understand how it has happened. I don’t understand why it’s happened, but it has.
I’m in love.
I stare at the ceiling and feel my heart beating against my ribcage. Now that I’ve admitted it to myself, it seems so much bigger and more real than it did before.
If this is love – real love, I mean – if this is love, then it’s worth fighting for. It’s worth putting up with Aiden’s animosity, and my parents’ disapproval. It’s worth admitting to the whole town that I want to be with Dominic.
If this is love, then I sure as hell hope Dominic feels the same way. I don’t think I can take another heartbreak. I’m letting myself fall for Dominic…
…if it ends badly then I’m not sure I’ll ever be the same.