“Keep up appearances?”he asked.His eyes narrowed, his hands tightening.“Yes, I’m sure that’s exactly what your husband wants to do.You know what he’s going around telling people, right?”
“I can’t do this right now.”Taking his wrists, I pulled his hands from my shoulders.“If that’s all you came here for, you need to go.”
“You know they’re painting him as some hero in the press?Yeah, that husband of yours.”It was amazing how quickly he switched gears, how easy it was for him to slide into anger and resentment.He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone.“Check it out.”
“I’m not interested.”Boy, was that a lie, but I’d be damned if I played along with his game.
“Fine.I’ll read aloud to you.”He cleared his throat, smirking.“The purchase of the Rinaldi brand could not have come at a better time for either of the parties involved.Not only is the hospitality mogul doubling the size of his holdings, but he is now holding down the fort for his new wife and father-in-law.”
I wasn’t sure what annoyed me more.The poor writing or how flat and one-dimensional it made us seem.Rather than choose, I turned my irritation toward the man in front of me.“What do you think you’re doing?”I whispered, backing away from him.I couldn’t hide my disappointment.“You’re going to come here and throw that in my face when I’m waiting for my father to regain consciousness?What is wrong with you?”
His face fell so dramatically I would’ve laughed if the whole situation wasn’t so damn sad.“Don’t shoot the messenger.”
With my arms folded, I said, “Nobody asked you to deliver this message.You’re here to stir shit up, and you need to go now.”
How could he look so surprised?“I’m only trying to be here for you,” he whined.
“If I need you to be here for me, I will ask you.Now go, please.”
It was too late.The elevator doors opened with a ping and out stepped Clay.My heart dropped while Matteo snickered like he was hoping this would happen.It was as if he hadn’t come here to see me at all.
Clay stopped dead in his tracks.His face went blank for a split second before a smirk tugged the corner of his mouth.“You are truly the most transparent asshole I ever set eyes on.”Those eyes were glued to Matteo, who folded his arms and smirked right back.
“Then you haven’t looked in the mirror lately,” he retorted.“Since I was thinking the same thing about you.”
Clay crossed the waiting area in four long strides, coming to a stop inches from Matteo while I quaked inside.“I already warned you about what would happen if you didn’t stop harassing my wife.”
“Yourwife…” Matteo scoffed, “… like we don’t all know what this is about.”
Clay’s blue eyes narrowed dangerously.“Watch yourself.The only thing keeping me from kicking the shit out of you is the lifesaving equipment down the hall.Leave before anybody has to use it on you.”
“Just go,” I muttered to Matteo.“Now.”He did as I told him, glared at Clay one more time then marched to the elevator.Clay watched his every move, only loosening his fists when Matteo was in the elevator and the doors were closed.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to have anything to do with him anymore, not after that.Come to think of it, what had I seen in him in the first place?Sure, I knew it was wrong to make decisions in an agitated state, and my state had never been more agitated.
Maybe it was agitation that helped me see clearly.How long would I have dated Matteo if it hadn’t been for Clay showing up in my life?Weeks, maybe even months.But eventually, he would have worn thin.His lack of ambition, his lack of focus, his complacency.He was more than satisfied living the good life without creating anything of his own.Eventually, I would have gotten tired of that.
The fact was, I had no idea whether I was keeping him around because I wanted him or because I wanted a symbol of control over my life.None of that cooled the anger blazing in my chest.“How many of those little snippets in the press are you directly responsible for?”I asked.Slowly, I turned my head, gratified at the surprise on his face.He was dressed in a blue shirt and dark gray slacks and looked like a million bucks.He could manage it.His father wasn’t unconscious in a bed with tubes and wires everywhere.
“What?What are you talking about?”he asked.“What snippets?”
“The cute little lines about you holding everything together.Did you plant them?Because they reek of you,” I whispered.
“You would interpret it that way, wouldn’t you?”He threw his hands into the air, lacing his fingers on top of his head.“What would you prefer?I postponed the interviews scheduled for this week in favor of being here with you, so Peter found a way to keep us in the public eye until I find time to sit down with the reporters.”
Was that true?Did I even care anymore?“Make sure when you do, you remind them what a fucking hero you are.None of us would be able to handle any of this without you.”
I couldn’t breathe.
I was hyperventilating.
I was falling apart.
“That is enough.”Suddenly, he was in front of me, looming over me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me against his chest.“You are ready to drop.I don’t care what you think about it.I’m taking you home.You’re going to bed.”
“No!”I protested, fighting to get free.“You are not going to tell me what to do.”
“It’s what youneedto do,” he insisted, his mouth close to my ear.“And you’re going to do it.Now stop acting like a child, dammit.”
