chapter twenty-six
Lily
I KNOCK ON THE DOOR and take a step back, dropping my head so I can study the floor, my shoes. Reaching up, I tuck my hair behind my ear, note my trembling fingers, my fidgety behavior. My heart is racing like I just ran a marathon and I swear my throat is so dry, I probably won’t be able to squeak out a word.
“You’ll be fine.” Max settles a large, warm hand on my shoulder and gives me a reassuring squeeze. He’s standing just behind me, like my own personal shadow, and I want to turn to him and say thank you. Hug and kiss him as a show of my gratitude.
But I remain fixed in place, waiting for the door to open.
I hear the sound of footfalls coming from inside and then the door swings wide open, my sister standing there holding the handle, an inviting smile on her face. “Lily! You’re early.”
“I couldn’t wait any longer,” I tell her. Violet shoots Max a questioning look. “Violet, this is my … friend, Max Coleman.” At least I know his last name now.
“Hello.” She holds her hand out to him and he takes it, giving it a polite shake. My sister has always had impeccable manners. I admire that about her. I admire lots of things about Violet. Rose, too. Have I ever told them? No.
I need to rectify that.
“Nice to meet you,” Max says, his voice gruff, his handshake firm. I see the assessing way Violet studies him and I wonder what she sees. I’ve never introduced a man to my sisters before, though Violet doesn’t know exactly what happened between Max and me. Rose, on the other hand, knows most of it. Does Violet believe me when I call him my friend? Or does she think I’m bringing some random dude that I bang to her apartment?
Not that I’m banging him anymore … another thing I’d like to rectify.
Don’t be stupid. He burned you once …
I really don’t think he’ll burn me again. At least, I hope he won’t.
“Come inside,” Violet invites and we follow her into the apartment, Max shutting and locking the door behind him, always cautious, always safe. I’m starting to appreciate that about him more and more. “You want anything to drink? Water? Coffee? Wine?” Violet asks.
“I’ll take a glass of wine,” I say, hopeful that it will calm my agitated nerves.
“You sure that’s a good idea?” Max asks, his voice low.
I stop and turn to look at him. “I’ll only have one glass,” I say, annoyed.
“I only ask because I don’t want you to give your father any ammunition,” he explains. “I’m trying to watch out for you.”
Nodding, I say nothing else and follow Violet into the kitchen, grateful to see she’s already got a bottle out, and she’s now reaching into the cabinets and pulling out two glasses.
I want to ask Max why he’s being so nice to me. There’s got to be a motive behind all of this. He claims he cares for me, but does he really? It’s hard for me to believe him. It’s hard for me to believe anyone when they say that I matter. I’ve never felt like I mattered.
“Where’s Ryder?” I ask Violet as I stop to stand beside her.
She fills a glass halfway with wine before handing it to me. “In the shower still. Like I said, you’re a little early.”
“Sorry,” I say after I take a sip. The wine is cold and smooth, going down my throat easily. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Never.” Violet smiles. “This way we can talk before Father gets here.”
My stomach drops. I’m so nervous to face him I’m nauseous.
Max walks past the kitchen and enters the living room, going straight to the giant windows that overlook the city. He stands in front of them, his back to us, surveying the land below I guess. I watch him, as does Violet, and she steps closer to me, her voice lowering to almost a whisper.
“Who is he exactly? Why did you bring him? And what did you want to talk about?”
“He’s a … friend. Someone I met in Maui.”
Violet gasps and socks my shoulder with a gentle fist. “Shut. Up. You met a man while on vacation and brought him back here? Hmm. He’s not your usual type, but then again, I wouldn’t really know your usual type since you never bring any of them around to meet us.”
“None of them were worthy enough,” I say with a shrug.
“And this one is?”
“Yes.” I don’t even hesitate with my answer. “And I didn’t bring him home with me. He lives here. Well, he lives in Brooklyn.”
“Really.” Violet takes a drink, still contemplating Max over the rim of her glass. “I need more details.”
“It’s … complicated.” For once, that’s not an excuse. My history with Max really is complicated.
“Someday you’re going to have to tell me everything. Does Rose know?”
“Does Rose know what?”
“About Max?”
“Sort of,” I admit, hating that I can’t tell Violet everything yet. She’s going to be so angry when she discovers what Pilar did. Giving away business secrets, including our perfume line. That’s personal. When Max showed me the other emails between Felicity and Pilar last night, I about burst a blood vessel, I was so angry. I’ve calmed down some, but I know talking about it once more is going to rile me up all over again.
Max was right. I probably shouldn’t be drinking wine.
“Sure, you tell her everything but not me? Whatever.” She’s teasing, but I can tell Violet’s a little hurt.
I turn to face her, grabbing her arm. “I would’ve told you sooner, but everything’s happened so fast and … I’m sorry.”
Violet frowns, covering my hand with her own. “I was just teasing you, Lily. Are you okay?”
“Not really,” I whisper, shaking my head when she opens her mouth to say something else. I can’t answer questions right now. But she needs to know I’m here for her. “But it’ll get better soon, once I tell you everything that’s going on.”
There’s a knock at the door and I hope it’s Rose. I’m not quite ready to face Daddy yet, and I’d prefer to have Max by my side when he enters the apartment. Luckily enough, I hear Rose’s voice greet Violet and I grip the edge of the kitchen counter, taking a big gulp of my wine before I set the glass down.
My nerves still aren’t steady.
“Hey.” I turn to find Max standing there, studying me with a concerned look on his handsome face. He shaved after he took a shower, so his cheeks and jaw are smooth. He’s wearing a dark blue button-down shirt and jeans, and he looks … edible.
I should not be thinking like this. It’s as if I can’t help it.
“Hi.” I offer him a smile and he steps closer to me.
“You all right?”
“No.” I take a deep breath. “But I will be when this is over. Hopefully.”
He touches my shoulder again, his fingers moving to shift my hair away from my neck, and they brush my skin. A shiver steals through me and I close my eyes on an exhale and lick my lips, wishing he would kiss me. We’ve been constantly together for the last twenty-four hours. I spent the night at his apartment, for the love of God, because he wouldn’t let me go home. He didn’t want me alone, too concerned over who could be waiting for me, watching me. He slept on the couch while I slept in his bed and I could smell him on his sheets.
Needless to say, I didn’t get much sleep.
“Lily.” I turn to see Rose standing in the kitchen doorway, her gaze lingering on the wineglass on the counter. “Wow, that looks good, but I can’t drink.” She rubs a hand over her belly.
I go to her and give her a hug. “How are you?”
“The real question is how are you? And is that hunk shaking my husband’s hand your Max?” she whispers close to my ear.
“Yes.” I give her an extra squeeze. “There’s more to this story than what I told you.”
“I can see that, considering the last time you saw Max he was in Maui and stealing your laptop.” Rose withdraws from me and turns to Max, who’s making small talk with Caden. “I’m Rose, Lily’s nosy youngest sister.”
He cracks a smile that takes my breath away and takes her hand. “Max. Nice to meet you.”
She doesn’t let go of his hand. “You’re not here to steal anything from us, are you?”
Oh, God. Why did she go and say that? Even Caden looks uncomfortable, but hello, he’s a former thief, so anytime the word steal pops up, he squirms.
Max’s smile fades, his expression turning sincere. “No. I plan on doing right by Lily from now on.”
Rose studies him, her eyes getting squinty as she finally releases Max’s hand. Pregnancy has really done a number on my baby sister. “Good. Because I’ll rip your balls off if you hurt her again.”
“Rose,” Caden says, his voice stern. I can say nothing because I’m mortified beyond belief.
“Well, it’s true,” Rose says with a shrug as she sends me a look. I don’t think she regrets telling Max that whatsoever.
“I appreciate how protective you are over your sister,” Max says. “And if I did something to betray her again, I’d deserve to get my balls ripped off.”
Rose starts to laugh and pats Max’s chest. “I like you.”
Another knock sounds at the door and we all pause, looking at each other. Ryder suddenly appears, his dark hair damp, his gaze zeroing in on Max before he turns to Violet. “Everything okay?”
“Sounds like Father’s here,” Violet says, her voice soft, her head tipping toward Ryder when he slips his arm around her waist and holds her close.
“I’ll answer it,” Ryder says, pressing a kiss to Violet’s forehead before he releases her and goes to the door.
“Let the good times begin,” Rose says, her voice loaded with false cheer.
“I DON’T—” Daddy swallows and leans forward, studying Max with an intensity I’ve dealt with before. The same kind of intensity that would make me squirm in my seat and eventually confess all my sins. “I don’t want to believe any of this.”
Max doesn’t even flinch, making me admire him all the more. He hands over his iPad to my father. “I understand, sir, but I need you to look at this. There’s your proof.”
The rest of us remain quiet as Daddy reads over the emails from Pilar to Zachary Lawrence, to Felicity Winston from Jayne Cosmetics. Violet is also reading over the emails on her own iPad, after Max just sent her a link to the Dropbox account. I look over at her and see the way Ryder has his arm around her shoulders in a protective gesture, his face full of barely contained rage as he reads over her shoulder.
“Why would she give up such confidential information so easily?” Violet asks, lifting her head to study all of us, her gaze snagging on Max. I’ve let him talk the entire time, an offer he made on our way over to Violet’s that I took him up on. Yes, it makes me feel like a chicken yet again, that I can’t be the one to explain what happened with Pilar. But I knew I wouldn’t be able to explain myself thoroughly enough. I’d get too emotional and Daddy would probably yell at me. Everyone would take sides and it would turn into a huge, ugly mess.
Daddy hasn’t yelled at Max once, and I’m sure that’s because he’s explained everything so thoroughly, so objectively. He told of how he was hired by Pilar, how he followed me to Maui, got to know me, got closer to me, and then stole the laptop. He then proceeded to tell them what happened next, the information he and Levi discovered, how he lied and told Pilar he didn’t have the laptop after all.
And now he’s sharing with everyone exactly what he found in Pilar’s in-boxes. The same information I stumbled upon but didn’t look at closely enough. The plan to sabotage Fleur and leave the company in the dust. I still can’t believe she had the balls to do such a thing.
Well, I can believe it. This is Pilar we’re talking about.
“Once Felicity received the information, she never contacted Pilar again. At least via email,” Max explains. “I don’t know why she gave up the goods so quickly, but it looks like her impulsive actions bit her in the ass.”
Violet—ladylike, perfect Violet—snorts. “Finally the bitch gets what she deserves. At our expense, though.”
“Exactly, and that’s what pisses me off. She ran and blabbed her mouth so easily to the fucking competition. You’d think she’d know better than to fuck with me,” Ryder says, his eyes glimmering with repressed fury.
Unease slithers down my spine. I know I sure as hell wouldn’t mess with Ryder.
Daddy lifts his head, staring at Violet like she’s lost her mind. “She’s been filling my head with your incompetence lately.”
“Who? Pilar?” Violet asks incredulously, and I almost roll my eyes. She’s upset, though, and obviously not thinking clearly.
He makes a noise, resumes his reading on the iPad. “She claims she’s worried about your supposed lack of focus. Thinks you’re too wrapped up in wedding plans.”
“Bitch,” Ryder mutters, shaking his head.
“How dare she,” Violet breathes.
Rose speaks up like she can’t stand it any longer. “You need to fire her, Daddy. Break it off with her and let her go, personally and professionally. She’s trying to ruin us. For all you know, she already has. God knows what Jayne Cosmetics has planned now that they know about our future product line.”
“And the perfume line,” Violet adds.
He says nothing and we all seem to look at each other, silently communicating that we’re in agreement with Rose.
“Violet, I believe if you went to Felicity Winston and told her you know exactly what she received from Pilar, you can get her to back off whatever plans they might have to steal your ideas,” Max suggests.
“Maybe.” Violet clears her throat, her eyes so sad. I feel terrible that I didn’t realize what Pilar had done sooner. We could have stopped all this a couple of weeks ago. “I know Felicity personally but I wouldn’t call her a friend. There’s always been friendly competition between us, but I would’ve never thought she’d do something so low.”
“She may have agreed to take the information, but it was Pilar who offered it up so easily,” Ryder points out. “Don’t forget that.”
“He’s right. I say you approach her carefully, maybe even send her a veiled threat. Nothing too outrageous—we’ll leave that up to Pilar. But you need to let Felicity know you’re on to her plan,” Max says. “If you need any help with offering Felicity proof with the email correspondence between them, I can do that.”
Pride makes my chest fill with emotion. He’s so smart, so competent, so incredibly strong and kind. Look at how easily he wants to help my sister, my entire family. Me.
He’s a good guy. The first real good guy I’ve ever been with.
I don’t want to let him go.
“I would like that, thank you,” Violet says softly.
“What do you want me to do about this?” Daddy asks as he sets the iPad on the coffee table in front of him. He remains leaning forward and rests his elbows on his knees, running his hands through his hair over and over again.
I don’t remember ever seeing him look so distraught. I knew what we had to tell him would end up breaking his heart, but I didn’t think it would break my heart as well. Despite our volatile history, I hate seeing him so upset. I’m tempted to go to him and wrap my arms around his shoulders, reassure him that everything’s going to be all right eventually.
Would he want me to? Or would he tell me to go to hell? I am, after all, the bearer of bad news. I always have been.
“I don’t know if confronting her would be the right approach,” Max starts.
“Why not?” Rose asks, sounding annoyed. “Bitch would deserve it. She knows what she did. That’s why she’s so hell bent on bugging Lily to death for that stupid laptop.”
“I thought about giving her a dummy laptop loaded with false information, plus screenshots of her in-boxes,” Max explains. “But now I’m thinking that would be pointless.”
“Why?” Rose asks again. “I like the idea of her being tricked.”
“Retaliation might not be worth the risk,” Ryder says. I look over at him, our gazes meeting. Here is a man who speaks from ample experience. “When she thinks she’s been wronged, she can become … unhinged. I don’t want her to do anything that might harm any one of you.” His gaze falls on Max. “Even you.”
“Thanks,” Max says wryly.
“I’ll talk to her,” my father says quietly. “It’s the only way. I’ll call her into my office and calmly confront her with the information you’ve given me, Max. She won’t make a scene at Fleur, not after what I have to say. I’ll let her know it’s in her best interest that she give her notice and leave Fleur for good. I’ll even give her a recommendation.”
“Why?” Rose explodes for the third time, leaping to her feet, causing Caden to stand as well and try to calm her down. She shrugs off his hands and strides right up to where our father sits. She’s the epitome of righteous, indignant fury, resting her hands on her hips as she stares down at him. “A recommendation? Are you serious? Why the hell would you even consider that! She gave away company secrets! Confidential information to our direct competition! Giving her a recommendation would be like a reward for all the shitty things she’s done. I can’t let you do that, Daddy. I say we go after her and give her a dose of her own medicine. I’m sick of the way she’s fucked with our lives. She would deserve every single awful thing that might happen to her!”
“Calm down, baby,” Caden says, slipping his arm around Rose’s waist and steering her closer to him. “I don’t like seeing you so worked up.”
She drops her hands from her hips and takes a deep breath, nodding. My heart is beating triple time. I’m just as upset as Rose is and I tell myself to calm down, wishing that Max would wrap me up in his arms and never let me go.
His being here by my side and helping me, helping my entire family, is proof that he cares. That he wants to do right by me. I can’t deny that I’m still hurt over his betrayal but in the end, he kept my laptop and came to me. I can forgive him.
But I want him to ask for that forgiveness. I want him to … grovel a bit. Does my wanting him to grovel make me a bad person? Probably.
“He’s right,” Ryder says grimly. “She’s not worth you getting upset over, Rose. Let your father take care of this by taking away the thing she wants the most.”
“And what’s that?” Max asks as he turns to him.
Ryder smiles, the sight of it almost feral. “Her job.”