~ Rhett

 

It had never been easier to throw myself into my work. I didn’t want to think, I didn’t want to brood, and I didn’t want to drink myself into a coma. Luckily for me, there was always something to do at the firm, and I threw myself into my tasks with great gusto.

Alright, perhaps ‘gusto’ was a strong term.

It wasn’t enthusiasm that drove me, but rather a mindless determination to avoid remembering the events of the past few weeks. As long as I kept pushing myself, there wouldn’t be a moment to reminisce, and eventually, I’d forget the whole affair entirely. At least, that’s what I told myself.

After sleeping in the office for four days, I was beginning to realize I was fighting a losing battle.

“Rhett, go home.”

It was the fifth time Cynthia had uttered the words in the last twelve hours, and I merely glared at her over the top of my computer. Last time I checked, I was her boss, not the other way around. “I’m working, Cynthia.”

“No, you’re sitting there and slowly killing yourself,” she argued sternly. “If I have to come in one more morning to see you’ve pulled an all-nighter I’ll call the men in white coats to take you away. You need some rest.”

 

What I needed was relative.  Sleep would be nice, but sleeping meant dreaming, and I already knew who I would dream of.

“Rhett, please.” Cynthia’s tone had softened from dictatorial to low and pleading. The contrast had me jerking to attention almost instantly. I couldn’t recall Cynthia ever begging me for anything. Concern was there, etched, raw and open, on her face, and it was almost enough to make me fold

The alternative, however, far too much for me to tackle at that particular juncture. 

“I’ll be fine, Cynthia.” I lowered my tone to match hers, even managing a small, apologetic smile. “Really.”

She didn’t answer me. Instead, her frown only deepened before she turned to leave my office, closing the door quietly behind her. I glanced at the clock, wincing to see it was close to eleven in the morning. I needed a shower and something to eat, but I wanted to put in a few more hours first. As long as my head was full of projections, figures and clients, it wouldn’t be full of Cecily.

Around one, another knock came on my door. Much as I valued Cynthia, I was going to have to send her home for the day if she kept interrupting me. “What is it?” I barked at the door, hoping I could cow her back to her desk.

When the door swung open, however, I was surprised to see Tony standing there, his expression disapproving. “Rhett, what the hell is going on here? I’ve been trying to reach you for a few days. I get a call from Cynthia and she’s nearly hysterical - says you won’t leave your office. Trying to work yourself to death, man?”

In reply, I merely glared at the dark-haired man before going back to my typing. By that point, my fingers were almost numb, but the pain gave me something to concentrate on. “I’m busy. It’s in my job description, Tony.”

“You make your job description,” the attorney groused, letting himself into the office and shutting the door behind him. “And you’ve never worked like this.”

“Well, I am now.”

At my flat tone, Tony’s gaze narrowed. “Does this have to do with Cece?”

I stiffened, setting my jaw as I fixed Tony with a death stare. “Don’t start, ok?”

Groaning, he closed the distance between us to lean over the edge of my desk and look me in the eye. “Look, if you won’t talk to me, will you at least come out and eat something? When’s the last time you had a decent meal?”

As if on cue, my stomach rumbled loudly. Tony grinned triumphantly. “See? Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

I should have said no. My office had become my sanctuary and I was very reluctant to leave it. But I was starving...and it seemed like forever since I’d seen the light of day. With extreme reticence, I pushed back from my desk. “Fine.”

As I moved past Tony to grab my coat, he grimaced theatrically. “Christ, you stink.” I punched him in the shoulder hard enough to hurt my already sore wrist and he grunted as I led the way from the office.

Within a half hour, we were seated at my favorite downtown steakhouse. A quick walk past a mirror revealed that I was, indeed, at least half as disheveled as Tony insisted I was, so I had a new suit brought to me at the restaurant and washed up as best I could in the restroom. By the time I emerged, Tony was halfway through his second martini and a glossy publication rested atop my salad plate. I immediately scowled. “What’s that?”

Tony merely gestured towards the seat opposite him. “Why don’t you have a seat and find out.”

But I didn’t have to sit. As soon as I rounded the table, I could read the magazine title, and I picked it up to toss onto the floor next to the table. “What do you want me to do with that?” I inquired irritably, doing my best to ignore the crumpled copy of The Burner.

“Read it. What did you think?” Tony returned with equal intensity.

“Why the hell would I do that?”

Tony sighed. “Have you even glanced at the article?”

Despite the fact that the damned thing had grabbed quite a few news headlines in the past few days, I’d done my very best to avoid it - and the reporters that seem to flock wherever I went.  “Nope.”

Tony frowned. “No curiosity at all?”

I’d given him the basic rundown of what happened and I was in no mood to discuss it anymore. “Not a shred. Do you have any idea how many tabloid articles get published about me everyday?”

Tony reached down past me to retrieve the magazine. “This isn’t a tabloid article, Rhett.”

“It’s in a tabloid,” I shot back sharply. “That’s the textbook definition of a tabloid article.”

“Don’t be a dick, Rhett,” Tony replied offhandedly, barely affected by my rage. “I’m telling you, a tabloid article wouldn’t be getting this much press. It’s been on the news. They want Cecily on national TV. Morning shows. If you’d just-”

“If you’d just shut up,” I snarled, snatching a menu from the middle of the table. “Then we could eat in peace.”

Of all the people I had ever cowed with my temper, Tony was one of the only ones to stand steadfast in the face of blind rage. He’d seen me hungover out of my mind in college, seen me pining after one girl after another, and he’d seen me through the ups and downs of establishing my company. But I’d never seen him look at me like was looking at me now.

Almost as if he pitied me.

“Rhett...Cecily isn’t your parents. You don’t have to rush to forget her.”

I was up in an instant, tossing my napkin down on the table. “You know what? I’ve lost my appetite.”

I was fully aware that storming out of the restaurant like a spoiled child was neither helping my image or my disposition, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. I was being an asshole to my best friend, who was taking it like a champ, but I couldn’t even appreciate that.

I was seriously fucked up.

Of course, to add insult to injury, there was a throng of reporters outside the restaurant. One of waiters must have tipped them off. The moment I caught sight of them, I turned down a nearby alley and ducked through the back of a bakery. It was a route I’d taken my fair share of times on the run from the media, and Eddie, the owner, merely nodded at me as I slipped through his kitchen.

After emerging from the bakery, I immediately hailed a cab back to the penthouse. It wasn’t until I arrived that I remembered that all Cecily’s things were still there. She had never shown up to retrieve them, so I’d just closed the door to the guest room she stayed in and pretended it was boarded off.

If Tony came to visit, he’d tell me I was being an idiot, and I didn’t think I could disagree with him. Cece was only one woman. There would be other women. The pain was fresh now, but it would fade. This wasn’t the end of the world.

Even if it felt like it.

I shed my clothing piece by piece on the way to the master suite, stepping into the shower to turn the hot water on blast. As the spray washed away the grime from the past few days, I found my mind drifting towards the forbidden. The night before Cece left, we’d been in this shower together. I’d picked her up and made love to her against the cold tile, loving the way my name spilled from her lips like a prayer.

The love I had for her when we were kids was different, sure, but just as strong. Then, I had admired her independence, her integrity, and her beauty. Now...well, I thought I admired the same things. She led me to believe that it wasn’t about money, fame or success. It was all about second chances.

All at once, my shower couldn’t end soon enough.

I barely spared time to grab a towel before I was racing for my office to bring up the article I had so studiously avoided for the past few days. When I found the link, I hesitated for only the barest moment before clicking on it.

I must have read the damned thing ten times.

It was long for something from the pages of a gossip rag- almost four full pages. But the story wasn’t filled with the nitty gritty details of Cece and my sexual exploits, or even the day to day trappings of my life as a high roller. Instead, it read almost like a confessional - starting with how skeptical Cece had always been of romance in general. She wrote that if love couldn’t be as pure and innocent as it had in her childhood, then she didn’t want to have anything to do with it. Sex held no appeal, and pretending to be interested in someone who only wanted one thing had never entertained her.

But that had all changed when we were thrown together. I devoured every word of how Cece’s reticence to face her past had faded to curiosity, and then full-blown desire. How she had realized that she had never really relinquished her feelings as completely as she thought she had...and how easy it was to fall in love with me all over again.

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but chief among them is that I let ambition, even for the briefest moment, overtake something far more powerful. This could have been a tale of lust, intrigue and satisfaction. It could have been a scandal for the ages. But it was an awakening. One that I’ll always be grateful for, even as I accept the loss that comes with it.

As I read the last paragraph one final time, I felt the hollow emptiness that had filled my chest for the past few days slowly begin to fill.

Cece had been telling the truth. She had been trying to throw the material away -and the realization that I had so callously accused her of anything otherwise was like a sudden punch in the gut. Cece might be ambitious, but she had never been cruel. She was tempted, and had risen above that temptation.

And I had chased her away for it.

Taking a deep breath, I leaned back in my chair. I needed some time to collect my thoughts. After working for more than four days straight, I was exhausted - and in no fit state to say what needed to be said.  I would get a good night’s sleep, and then, I would go see Cece.

 

This time, when I claimed, her, I wouldn’t let her go. Not for anything.

 

The next morning, Cynthia seemed relieved when I called out of work. I hardly had the heart to tell her that there would be little rest involved. I had quite the elaborate set of plans in place.

Around eight in the morning, I left the penthouse and set out for the address I had obtained from Cece’s employer. According to him, she’d been fired for failing to meet the requirements of their reporters. All I could think was that Cece’s talents would be far better served somewhere else - and I intended to tell her so the moment I saw her.

Her apartment was in a modest but well-kept neighborhood on the edge of town, and I all but sprinted up the three flights of stairs to her door before knocking brusquely.

The door opened almost immediately, startling the hell out of me - but it wasn’t Cece who answered.

“Jeb.” I scowled. “You’re still in town.”

Jen stepped from the apartment, looking far more casual than he had the last time I’d seen him, in sweatpants and a t-shirt. “I am.” He met my gaze evenly, his tone confident. “Can I help you with something, Rhett?”

My frown only deepened. “I’m here to speak with your sister, not you.”

“Cece?” Jeb could feign all the surprise he wanted. I’d come to Cecily’s apartment - it was obvious who I was looking for. “She’s not here.”

Immediately, my gaze narrowed suspiciously as Jeb continued. “I’m watching the apartment for her. She’s lined up for a new job in Cali at a TV studio. I helped her get it.” He grinned triumphantly. “She’s headed over there to make some arrangements before making the move.”

“You’re joking.” The words came out low and hollow, which only seemed to heighten Jeb’s glee.

“Nope. Producer’s a friend of mine. He was thrilled to have her on board. You know she’s blown up since writing that article on you.”

I could have throttled him, but somehow, I refrained, doing the best I could to absorb the information. So Cece was moving to California - all the way to the west coast. I supposed I should be happy for her. No TV station in their right mind would shuffle her out of the limelight. She’d make a brilliant consultant or reporter.

So why was I suddenly so fucking miserable?

I straightened my spine, taking a few steps backward. I’d missed her. I’d missed her, and now she was beyond my reach.

The hollow feeling was suddenly back again in full force. It threatened to crush me into the concrete below me, and I clutched the railing of the staircase to steady myself. “Look, Jeb...I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye.” With Jebediah as my only connection to Cece now, the only way I could speak to her is if he gave her a message. “But when Cece comes back, will you just tell her that I stopped by? That I’d like to speak with her.”

I knew I was asking for the last favor Jeb would grant, and the impossibility of my situation was only solidified when he answered me, every syllable dripping with conceit.

“Sure, pal. I’ll let her know.”

I barely remembered leaving the complex, but somehow, I made it across the street to a diner. There was a small to-do when the hostess realized who I was, but she promised not to make a fuss before seating me in a quiet corner where I could be alone to brood.

I wasn’t hungry, but I ordered coffee and toyed with the mug’s handle until the brew inside grew cold. I’d spent most of my life in love with Cecily Warner, and now she was gone. On to bigger and better things. Surely, whatever Cece pursued, she’d be brilliant at...but she’d be doing it without me.

And that would take a while to sit well.

I called Cynthia to take a few days off work. I needed to head down to Savannah and take a few days at the manor. There, no one but Mason could disturb me, and I’d have the solitude I needed to come to terms with what I needed to do.

Eventually, I paid for my coffee, leaving a generous tip for the waitress’ discretion. As I stepped from the diner, however, my eyes widened to the size of saucers. Cece was less than forty feet down the road, ducking into a taxi with Jeb’s help. So, she hadn’t left after all!

I immediately broke into a run, chasing after the car, but it pulled away before I could get close. Whirling on a smirking Jeb, I gave into my temper. My punch drove him back a good five feet and blood gushed from his nose as he shrieked. “What the fuck, Rhett!?” His demand came muffled from beneath a bloodied hand.

“She was here!” I bellowed in accusation. “She was still here and you lied. What the hell is your problem? Why are you so dead set against me being with her!?”

His dark eyes met mine as he straightened, wiping crimson droplets from his face. “You don’t deserve her! You’ve never deserved her! You couldn’t be honest with her when we were kids and now, you kick her out when she’s trying to make things right? She told me what happened, man.” Raising a hand, he jabbed a finger in my direction. “You might think I’m out of my mind, but I care about my sister. She doesn’t need the drama or aggravation that you bring. She doesn’t need to be treated like a bauble on your arm. She deserves kindness, devotion, and a real chance at happiness - and I haven’t met a guy who can even begin to provide that for her.”

For a moment, I was shocked speechless. When Jeb showed at my office, incensed, demanding to know if I’d been seeing Cece, I’d been too wrapped up in her to even entertain his concern. Certainly, it was wild, overprotective, and a little misplaced...but deep down, under all that crazy intensity, he did care about her.

That much was suddenly painfully obvious.

“Jeb,” I started, wishing I hadn’t been so impulsive. I’d probably broken the poor bastard’s nose.  “I’m sorry. Look...I know you don’t want to hear this, but I love Cece. I’ve always loved her.” Jeb started to shake his head but I forged on blindly. “Yeah, my life is crazy. There will be a lot of drama and a shit ton of the unexpected, but I can’t see myself sharing it with anyone else. She makes me a better man, Jeb. She helps make everything better. Think what you want of me, but surely you can understand that. I need her.”

Jebediah stared at me for so long I thought he might simply walk away. Then, he merely reached into the pocket of his sweatpants to pull out a mass of napkins, which he promptly held to his dripping nose. He sank down onto the curb before gazing up at me warily.

“You’d better hurry the hell up if you want to catch her.”