Chapter Nine
Corsica
"Why would it be about the money?" I hissed into my phone. "I never thought he had any in the first place."
"Oh, please," Ginny snorted. "You were on board as soon as you saw him head up those VIP stairs in the dance club. You're a sucker for someone well-connected, and the most well-connected usually have money."
"That wasn't why I went home with him," I snapped. I was shut in my guest room, but I went into the bathroom and closed the door just in case.
"Oooh, now we're getting to the good stuff," Ginny said. "So, why did you go home with him in the first place?"
"I-I was mad at Joshua. And you."
"Me?"
"Yes. You were making fun of me for not knowing how to celebrate. You didn't think I could cut loose."
Ginny interrupted, "So you snagged the first hot guy you saw that looked nothing like Joshua and you let him take you home."
"No," I ground my teeth in frustration. "It was more than that. I mean, Joshua was trying to make me leave and he grabbed my arm. Penn stepped in like a white knight. He was going to give me a ride wherever I wanted to go."
"You know it's okay to admit you're attracted to him, right?"
"I am not," I snapped. "He's not my type at all."
"You mean, he doesn't fit the type you decided was the most appropriate. I've seen you two together. He gets your juices flowing, and that's a good thing!" Ginny sighed into the phone.
"Well, he lied," I said flatly. "And that means I'm coming back to Santa Cruz."
"No," Ginny wailed. "You can't! How is that going to look? You find out that he was the sole heir to a ridiculous huge fortune and that he threw it all away due to his own stubbornness, and that's the reason you leave?"
"It's not about the money," I said loud enough to make the bathroom tiles echo. "It's because he lied."
"And you've been the fountain of truth," Ginny snorted.
"There's no fountain of truth," I started to explain, but she cut me off.
"Exactly. You haven't told him anything about your past because you wish it wasn't part of your life. Don't you think that's exactly why he didn't tell you the truth about Xavier Templeton being his father?"
I groaned in frustration. "But that's not it at all. I'm going out there right now to tell him why I'm leaving. You can't just go around lying to people about who you are."
Ginny tried to talk me down off my righteous high ground, but I was too flustered to listen. I had laid awake all night thinking about Penn. My brain swung between empathy and embarrassment, while my traitorous body hummed with desire for him.
Did he think we were a good match because I had nothing? I was going to show him.
I marched down the hallway and found him leaning against the kitchen island, sipping a mug of coffee. The early morning light was dim, and he'd left all the lights off except one small lamp. The soft shadows gave his bare chest even more definition, and all my anger turned to smoldering desire.
"I'm glad you're still here," Penn said.
"For now," I snapped. "I can't believe you lied to me!"
He stood up and poured me a mug of coffee. "You believed whatever you wanted to because you really just wanted to stay in that apartment overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Then you caught the chance to helicopter down to Monterey with Xavier Templeton, and I was just your excuse."
"That's not why I came, and you know it!" I cried. "Oh my God, you made your father lie to me, too. And your mother! That's how badly you didn't want me to know. Why? You want to keep your black sheep image while weaseling your way back into the will?"
"Just like you're only here to rub elbows with the insanely rich." He slapped the coffee mug down on the counter, and it sloshed over.
I circled through the kitchen and grabbed a rag. "Here, sire. I'm not sure you know how to clean up your own messes."
He snatched the rag from my hand and caught my wrist. "Why did you come to Monterey?"
I was caught by the bright embers in his eyes. My chest heaved, but I forced my words to come out even. "You asked me to. Begged me. You didn't want to be alone with your own father, remember? And you had just found out your mother has cancer."
Penn’s fingers loosened around my wrist. "When are you going to tell me about that?" he asked softly. "There's something there. Why are you hiding it?"
I wrenched my wrist free. "I'm sorry. We're busy talking about your lies."
"Whoa, so you admit it; you're lying about something, too."
"I'm not lying," I snapped. "You just don't know me."
Penn leaned in. "Exactly. I wasn't lying either. You just don't know me. So, what are we going to do about that?"
The fight went out of me. "Wait, what?"
"I wasn't lying last night when I said I wanted time alone with you. I want to get to know you better, Corsica," Penn said.
I swayed and found myself leaning against the counter next to him. He reached out and squeezed my fingertips. When I let out a shaky breath and nodded, Penn lifted my fingers to his mouth. I watched his lips graze my knuckles and couldn't think of a thing to say.
"I'm here, but I'll have you know I've been practicing exactly what I want to say to these so-called specialists," Alice swept into the room. "If they can't handle an honest conversation, then we're leaving immediately."
"Exactly," I whispered to Penn.
He smiled and kissed my fingers one more time before he turned to greet his mother. Neither of us got a chance to say another word. Alice Brightwater was determined to make her case for natural medicine even as we helped her into the car.
"Good morning. Looks like everyone's ready to go," Xavier said. He stepped out of his car and strolled across the driveway to join us. "Here, Corsica. Let me open the door for you."
Penn rolled his eyes at his father, winked at me, and then climbed into the car.
When the door was shut behind him, I turned on his father. "You can stop pretending now. I know that Penn's your son."
Xavier's dark eyes were inscrutable. "I was just going to tell you the same thing. I did a background check on you, Corsica."
I stopped, and the driveway spun around me. I put a steadying hand on the car door, but Xavier stopped me from opening it. "I'm not a criminal," I said.
He shook his head. "Not a criminal, but a teenage runaway. I've known people like you. So desperate to get away from the small town and family you thought was a lower-class cage. You've been clawing your way up social ladders ever since, and I'm not going to let you use my son as another step up."
"I didn't run away from a family. I didn't have any family left. Just a drunken father who was so determined to see the bottom of a bottle, he wouldn't let anything get in his way. Once I got knocked around enough to get the message, I took off and never looked back."
I straightened up and Xavier took a step back. "Not everyone's as lucky as Penn. My father drank himself to death just a few months after I got out. Didn't your little background check tell you that?"
I could see Xavier running over the report in his head, struggling to remember the dates he had probably jumped over before. "Your mother passed away that same year?" he asked in a hollow voice.
I crossed my arms hard over my chest. "I didn't run away. I left because I needed to find a job. I needed to support myself."
The hard gleam jumped back into his eyes. "And now you think you've finally hit the jackpot?"
"He's not going to accept your money," I snapped.
Xavier blinked. "Penn?"
"I know he denounced you and his inheritance. And no matter what plans you have to entangle your only son in your empire, it's not going to work. He doesn't want your money. So, no, I don't think I've hit the jackpot."
I stepped forward and jabbed a finger into his impeccable tie. "And even if I did, I wouldn't want your money either. I've earned everything I've gotten since the age of fifteen. And the only illegal thing I ever did to get it was drive out of state on a learner's permit."
"Fifteen?"
"Didn't see that on the background check either?" I snapped. "If I were you, I'd get my money back."
I yanked open the car door and dropped inside. Penn and his mother stopped their own argument at my appearance. The way they both went mute because of me would have made me uncomfortable if only I wasn't so relieved to know they did not overhear what was said outside the car.
The drive to the treatment center was tense.
When the car pulled up to the front doors of the modern facility, Alice frowned. "I'd like to go in alone. I've already let all of you influence me too much."
Penn insisted on walking her inside and left his father and me in a tight silence. I hoped it would continue until he returned, but Xavier cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about the reasons you might have had for running away."
"The neighbors kept talking about calling child services. I'd already been working to pay our bills for over a year. I wasn't a child."
"Your mother?" Xavier asked, but Penn's return to the car stopped him.
"What? What'd I miss?" Penn asked.
I stuck out my chin. "Your father got a background check on me and just accused me of being a gold-digger. After all, what else does a teenage runaway become besides a scheming social climber?"
Penn gaped at me and then at his father. Finally, he focused and glared at his father. "You did a background check on her?"
"For you. I wanted to make sure you hadn't invested too much time in a relationship that wasn't worth it," Xavier said.
Penn squirmed, caught between remembering the long-term romance we were portraying and the fact that he'd just found out I was a runaway. He let out an exasperated breath. "You never told me you ran away."
I ground my teeth. "It's not important. You've left out plenty of important details yourself. No wonder you never wanted me to meet your family."
"I should leave you two alone," Xavier said.
"No," Penn barked. "You're the one that dug all of this up, so you can sit here and be uncomfortable. Why, Corsica? What did you run away from?"
I took a deep breath and tried to find the place to begin, but Alice saved me. She flew down the steps of the treatment center, the wide arms of her dress flapping in the wind.
"Aggressive! That's the word they kept using," she cried as she climbed in the car and locked the doors. "They want to pursue an aggressive treatment. Just the sound of it is wrong. Let's go."
Penn was still angry with his father, but they both exchanged a worried and heartbroken look. Alice was going to refuse treatment.
"No," I said, jumping in with sharp authority. "You're looking at it all wrong. Aggressive means that you have a fighting chance. You have to fight, Alice."
She shook her head and darted her eyes away from Penn's pained expression. "I don't do that. I'm a healer, a pacifist. I don't fight."
"Look," I said. "Your son wants to fight for you. Your family wants to fight for you. You're the only one who can stop them from hurting themselves trying."
Xavier's phone rang. "It's them. What should I say?"
Alice sighed and then reached over to pat Penn's hand. "Tell them I wasn't up to it today and that we should reschedule. Apparently, I'm going to have to prepare myself for battle."
Penn's mother filled the return car ride with a tirade on alternative medicines and the narrow-minded view of Western medicine. It was a relief as no one else had anything to say. Every time I looked at Penn, the whole truth of my past was on my lips. I wanted to tell him everything, but it wasn't the time.
We pulled up outside the Monterey mansion, and I waited for Xavier to help Alice out of the car before I turned on Penn. "Is this actually your house?"
"Corsica?" The tone of his voice stopped me. Penn shifted across the leather seats and gathered me into his arms. "Thank you. I don't know what I would have done if she'd refused treatment. I was so scared."
"I know. I'm sorry." I hugged him tight.
"I don't care why you came along. I'm just glad you're here. You really are saving me," he whispered against my hair.
"I know what it's like." I caught myself in time and snapped my mouth shut.
Penn pulled back but kept his arms around me. "What do you know?"
"Ask your father," I muttered. "I'm sure he's looking further into it."
"Corsica, wait." Penn stopped me from grabbing the door handle. "I didn't ask my father to do a background check on you. I wish he hadn't, and I wish you hadn't told me. I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to get to know you. I want you to be the one who tells me about your life, whatever you're willing to share."
"You deserve to know who you invited into your home," I said.
"I invited you." His brown eyes warmed. "I don't care about all the rest. I'm just glad that you're here."
Xavier made the mistake of returning to the car to get Alice's scarf just as we got out. Penn brushed past him with a hard shoulder. Then, he turned and confronted his father. Toe to toe, it was obvious they were father and son. Both stood over 6'2" tall and challenged each other with identical, hard expressions.
"You had no right to check up on Corsica," Penn snapped.
"You didn't even know her hometown," Xavier said. "How could I let you keep going on so blindly? Especially after you've been together so long. Didn't you ever ask yourself why she kept so much of her life a secret?"
"Not for the reasons you thought," I reminded him.
Penn had his opening, and I thought he was going to take it. It was the perfect time to throw our little charade in his father's face. It was Xavier, after all, who had made Penn feel like he needed a human shield.
"I'm not like you," Penn said. "I'm not in a hurry to figure everyone out. All I know is that I love having Corsica around. I love her in my life. We've been dating for a while now, but I trusted that she would tell me everything when she was ready. You've never trusted anyone in your life."
Xavier caught my shocked look. "You're right. I have trust issues. So, tell me. How did you two meet?"
Penn hooked my hand through his and escorted me up the front steps as he told his father our story. I was surprised when it lasted for more than two steps. "I met Corsica in a nightclub. Actually, I ran into her."
"You tried to claim I ran into you," I added. "But we both know you weren't my type."
"And now, I'm growing on you." Penn squeezed my arm.
I had no idea why it was so important for his parents to believe in our relationship, but I was glad. As complicated as it was, I liked being in Penn's life, too.
"You met at a nightclub. That's supposed to convince me?" Xavier asked.
"She stuck with me," Penn said. "I couldn't help but look for her every night after that. Then, one night, I was in this little karaoke lounge. I was about to leave when she stepped onto the stage."
Xavier hummed under his breath as we went inside. Alice had gone out on the patio facing the ocean and was doing Yoga. He watched her thoughtfully for a moment and then turned to Penn. "So, you're telling me she hooked you with a song?"
"I seem to recall she did the same thing with you," Penn snapped. "Why all this sudden mistrust?"
Xavier sighed heavily. "I've had to face some heavy truths in the past two years, and though it was painful, it opened up the way to a life I thought I would never have again. I just wanted the same for you."
Penn gave a pained laugh. "You let Alice get in your head. I can't believe the two of you are teaming up behind my back to control my life. And all you've done is prove that Corsica and I are more alike than we thought. She ran away when she was young, and so did I."
"You turned your back on your family," Xavier said. "You refused to acknowledge me. Even when I joined A.A. Even when I got sober and wanted to make amends. I thought maybe it was her influence over you."
Penn caught my hand. "Influence. Corsica was a better influence on me just a few days after we met than you've ever been my entire life."
Alice slid the patio door open. "You all look so serious in here. What is going on?"
Xavier opened his mouth to explain, but Penn surprised us all. He dropped down to one knee and kissed the back of my hand. "Corsica Allen. I know these last few days have been a mess and you deserve more romance than this, but I want to prove to you and to my family that it's not your past I care about. I only want your future. Will you marry me?"
I wanted to scream. How could he put me through such a scene? What would this possibly prove to his family? And what would they do when they found out the truth?
Then, I wanted to cry. Penn had said the one thing I had always wanted to hear. He didn't care about my past; he just wanted my future. With Joshua, it had always been a case of correcting me, retraining me, and making sure I kept my more-than-humble beginnings quiet. Penn didn't care about that.
What he cared about was his mother. Alice had brought both hands to her face to hide a huge, delighted smile. It was clear in the bright glow of her eyes that she had always dreamed of seeing her son happily in love. Now, when Penn was scared he might lose her, it was suddenly very important for him to give her what she wanted most.
And our fake engagement would give his mother a reason to fight her cancer with everything she could get.
"Yes. Yes, of course I'll marry you," I whispered.
It was only because I understood. How many days had I scoured the fields around our home to find the daisies my mother wished she could see again? I had driven four hours away and back just to bring her a piece of pie she craved. I would have done anything to make her happy when she was sick, and I couldn't blame Penn for doing the same thing.
"Penn, what are you doing?" Alice shrieked, and we both froze. We thought our dreamy little scene was too transparent until Alice rushed over to us. "You don't even have a ring to give her. Here, darling. Use this."
She pulled a long chain that lay hidden under her myriad other necklaces and beads. On it was a slim band of vibrant diamonds surrounding an emerald cut sapphire the color of the midnight sky.
Penn held it in two fingers. "I can't take this, Mother. I know you use all your jewelry for healing."
Xavier snorted. "That one doesn't have many healing qualities. It belonged to your grandmother. My mother."
Alice tossed her dark hair. "I'll have you know this ring has helped me on more than one occasion. Sapphires are known to help restore the wearer's faith, give spiritual insight, and heal through hope."
"Then you need it more than me," I squeaked.
"No." Alice smiled. "This is all I need. New love, new beginnings–you two are like the fountain of youth for me."
Penn took the ring and slipped it onto my finger. It fit perfectly, and I couldn't look away from its blue depths. I felt a twinge in my heart and worried that Alice was right. I had buried all my faith and hope long ago, under thick layers of practicality. Ambition had kept me insulated and safe for so long that faith felt unfamiliar. And frightening.
What was I doing?
"Excuse me." I ran down the hallway with only enough presence of mind to choose Penn's master suite over the guest room where I had been sleeping. I rushed inside, darted around the massive bed, and dove into the bathroom.
There, I took a few choking breaths before swinging around and locking the door behind me. What was I thinking? It wasn't hope I was feeling, just waves of insanity. There was no other explanation for me accepting Penn's proposal than I was losing my mind.
And the worst part was it had felt so right.
"Corsica? Are you all right? Corsica, let me in. Please." Penn tapped on the bathroom door and rattled the door handle.
"Just give me a minute," I yelped.
It was just a ploy, a helpful fantasy that would inspire his mother to pursue the aggressive cancer treatments. I was a complete idiot to have felt anything else, even for a second, and I needed to get myself under control.
I swiped the ridiculous tears off my cheeks and fanned away the redness. Then, I smoothed down my hair and opened the door. "Sorry. I was just so shocked. I didn't think I could pull it off for much longer."
Penn pushed his way into the bathroom and took my hands. "I shocked myself, too. But, now that I think about it, this is the perfect plan. My mother will be happily distracted with wedding planning while she starts her treatments. And my father will have to get off my back."
"I aim to please," I muttered.
"Thank you!" Penn scooped me up in a hug and swung me around the large bathroom. "You're perfect. Like my very own get-out-of-jail-free card. How can I thank you?"
I turned away so he wouldn't see my face. "How about you let me swim in this giant tub?" I joked.
"Done." Penn leaned over and started to run the water for a bath.
When he dumped lavender oil into the water, I cleared my throat. "I know we're engaged and all, but seeing as it's a total sham, how about a little privacy?"
Penn stood up and grinned. "Whatever you say, dear."
He shut the door behind him. I waited until I was sure he was gone before I sunk to the bottom of the bath and finally let my tears flow.