Chapter 10

CHAPTERTEN

“Any news?”Pops demanded.

Trey pressed the cellphone to his ear trying to drown out the sound of SpongeBob on the television. The only other people in the surgical waiting area were a mom and her two young sons. The mom was frantically texting while Patrick and Mr. Krabs babysat her kids.

He’d called his grandfather as soon as London had been taken back to surgery. Mainly because Pops was the only person he knew who could help track down Kim.

“Not yet.” Trey rubbed the back of his neck. “It hasn’t been an hour yet. They said it could take as long as ninety minutes. Or more if there are complications.” His mouth went dry at the thought.

“Kim and Chuck are on their way. There are storms brewing up in Canada, but hopefully they can get out tonight. Olivia sent her plane to get her.”

Olivia.

Trey had been a total dick about the woman. Hell, he’d been a dick about a lot of things, apparently. His grandfather’s impromptu marriage being the least of them.

Two of his best friends had found their soulmates recently and the team still made it to the playoffs. Trey had been more gracious to teammates about marriage than he had to his own grandfather. He still didn’t understand why Pops needed to tie himself to someone so late in life, but now that he knew the woman wasn’t a gold digger, the least he could do was eat crow and wish his grandfather well.

“Yeah, you know, if I didn’t say it the other day, congratulations, Pops. Your new wife seems like a nice lady. I’m looking forward to getting to know her better.” Or course, he wouldn’t get too attached to the woman. Given the Van Horn track record for successful marriages, he had no idea how long Olivia would be in the picture.

His grandfather harrumphed. “I wouldn’t have married her if she wasn’t nice.”

“The real question is why did she agree to be leg-shackled to a grumpy old fart like you?”

“No,” Pops replied. “The real question is how were you and London in the same place when she collapsed?”

“I told you. I’m chairing the gala for the Growlers. London handles the PR.” That part wasn’t a lie. “We were at a meeting. She looked like crap. I brought her here. And you know the rest.”

“Hmm,” was all Pops said.

His grandfather was like a bloodhound on the trail when he sensed there was more to a story. He’d have a difficult time getting more out of Trey, though. Mostly because Trey wasn’t sure if he knew the real story. He thought he knew the story once. London’s medically induced revelations blew everything he believed for the past decade to smithereens. For someone so smart, he’d been unbelievably dumb.

He rubbed at his chest hoping to alleviate the hurt he felt there.

“Hey, Pops,” he asked. “Whatever happened to the woman who was caretaker of the Lake Geneva property when I was in college?”

Pops made some grumbling noises. “The only female caretaker we had here was Kellianne. If I recall, your father let her go some years back.”

“Jay did? Why?”

“I don’t remember exactly. Kim would know. She and your father were still married then, I believe. I know both women butted heads from the get-go. Why are you asking about her?”

Because she royally fucked up my life.

“Nothing in particular,” he fibbed. “Being back at the lake brought back memories, that’s all.”

Victor poked his head into the waiting room and motioned for Trey.

“Hey, Pops, I think she’s out of surgery. I’ll text you shortly.”

Trey sprinted out into the hallway where Dr. Chang was waiting.

“Everything went as expected. The appendix was still intact, and I was able to remove it cleanly. Her fever is still higher than I would like, however.”

A wave of dread rolled through Trey’s gut.

“I’m confident the antibiotics will take care of that in a few hours,” the doctor continued. “She’s a little restless coming out of anesthesia so we’ll keep her in a post-op room tonight where we can monitor her more closely. Not to worry though. She’ll be good to go home in the morning.”

Was this guy for real?

Of course Trey was worried. Hadn’t the doctor just said her fever was high? And what if the antibiotics didn’t work? What then, he wanted to ask, but the doctor was already on the elevator.

“Relax.” Victor clapped Trey on the shoulder. “All of that’s normal. She’s going to be fine. Come on, you can peek in on her and see for yourself.”

The scene that greeted Trey did not reassure him.

Not one bit.

“She’s been coming in and out of anesthesia for the past twenty minutes,” the nurse at London’s bedside explained. “Maybe you can help?”

She waved Trey into the room. The monitors were beeping relentlessly again. The nurse untangled the IV tube from the wires connected to the heart monitor. Trey stared down at London, pale and listless, her hair forming a corona around her head.

He had never felt more helpless in his life.

“What can I do?” he whispered.

“Talk to her.” The nurse pushed a chair up to the bed. “Let her know you’re here for her.”

Given how they left things before she was wheeled into the OR, he wasn’t sure she’d be glad he had stuck around. He sank down onto the chair. “London, Pops got hold of your mom. She’s on her way.”

London groaned.

“See that? It’s already working,” the nurse said. “Keep talking. I’ll be right back.”

He blew out a ragged breath. “Hey, Lon, you need to wake up. Otherwise, your mom is going to freak out when she gets here.”

Just like I am.

He reached for her hand, alarmed at how clammy and feverish it felt. Without giving it a thought, he brought her fingers to his mouth and brushed his lips over each one.

“Come on, London,” he pleaded. “You’re scaring me. Wake up so you can chew me out about what an ass I am. Lord knows I deserve it.”

The nurse came back. Trey felt like an epic failure. Not only had London not woken up, she appeared even more lifeless than before.

“I’m no help,” he murmured in disgust. “I’m going to go back upstairs and text her family.”

He laid her hand back on the bed. As soon as he released her fingers, however, alarm bells rang out within the room.

“Don’t. Move.” The nurse gestured to London’s hand while she did something with the monitors.

Trey wrapped his fingers around London’s again and the alarms quieted.

“Not helping, huh?” The nurse arched an eyebrow at him. “She knows you’re here. Stay right there. It won’t be long before she wakes up.”

She disappeared out into the hall again, leaving Trey alone with his racing heart and a sleeping beauty. With his free hand, he brushed a lock of her hair from her damp forehead.

“You weren’t my first kiss,” he whispered. “But you were the last kiss that took my breath away. The only one that did that, for what it’s worth. Being with you made me want things. Things I never expected. Things I haven’t felt or wanted with anyone since.”

Sighing heavily, he wrapped both hands around hers.

“You’re right to call me a robot. I had to become one. It’s the only way I know how to live my life. Growing up with loads of money sounds awesome, but it doesn’t mean life is perfect. Not when your life is played out in the tabloids. It always felt like my parents cared more about hurting the other one than about loving me. I was constantly caught in the middle.” His chuckle lacked humor. “Still am to this day.”

He glanced toward the open door wishing he could get up and close them both in the little room. But he didn’t dare let go of her hand.

“When I was eleven, I was sent to a boarding school in Connecticut. I was so relieved to be out of range from the paparazzi and around kids my age. I guess I thought it would be fun.” His throat grew tight at the painful memories. “I’d spent the first ten years of my life eating junk food to cope with my loneliness. I arrived at school a chubby kid with the unfortunate name of Lars. I’m sure you can imagine what they did with that. I swear even some of the staff called me Lard.

“I endured it for two years before Pops rode to the rescue. He enrolled me in a Chicago prep school as Trey Van Horn since I am Lars the third. Luckily the summer before school started, I had a huge growth spurt. I picked up a football about the same time. All I wanted to do was show those assholes from boarding school that they were wrong to mess with me.”

He kissed the palm of her hand.

“But then something happened. I got really good at the game. So good, my dad and mom noticed. They bragged about me to their friends. They were actually proud of me. I decided then and there to be the best there ever was at the game. That meant keeping close control over my body and the other elements of my life.”

London moaned softly as she drew in a breath.

“Hey. Please wake up. I need to know you’re okay.”

He made an aggravated sound when she didn’t respond.

“They always say be careful what you ask for, right?” he continued. “Well, that summer we met, I was hiding out at Pops’ place. I’d gotten my wish. Everyone noticed me. And everyone seemed to want a piece of me. The pressure of being the best college quarterback was crushing. But then there you were. This gorgeous diversion. You didn’t seem to know who I was. Or care. I was the real me when I was with you and I don’t think I’d ever been that guy before.”

Or since.

“I couldn’t get enough of you. Whenever we were together, the weight of my future felt lighter. It wasn’t lost on me that I created that future. But suddenly it wasn’t enough to be the best. I didn’t care if my parents noticed me. The only person I wanted to see me was you. And you did. You saw everything with that camera of yours. And you still smiled at me anyway. I hate that you never knew that you made me feel whole for the first time in my life.” He swallowed around the lump on his throat. “I hate that I messed it all up. All because I can’t trust myself to believe in the fairy tale.”

Trey took a bite of warm chocolate chip cookie. It had been years since he’d allowed himself to indulge in anything sugary, but he’d sooner slice off his arms than hurt London’s feelings.

“I don’t think anyone’s ever baked me cookies before,” he said, helping himself to another one because, damn, they were delicious.

London paused with a cookie midway to her mouth. “Your mom never made you cookies?”

He swallowed a hollow laugh at her shocked expression. Trey doubted his mother knew how to turn on an oven much less bake anything from scratch. “My mom is not very domestic.”

“Oh my gosh, that didn’t come out the way I meant it.” She looked out over the lake as dusk began to fall. The reflections from the lights in the boathouse illuminated the water, casting her face in shadows. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that. There are many ways for a mom to show her love besides baking cookies.”

Her abundance of compassion was one of the many things that made her so adorable. And so rare. London accepted people for who they were, without judgment. That she would defend Trey’s mom, who she’d never met, made his chest ache.

“Any kid would be lucky to have you as their mom.” He hadn’t realized he’d said the words out loud until she ducked her head to hide her blush. But now that they were out there, he wondered about her dreams beyond film school. “Or maybe you don’t want to be saddled down with kids.” He was surprised how much he didn’t want that to be true. “You won’t be able to be a globetrotting documentary filmmaker with kids in tow.”

“Who says I can’t?” She challenged, wearing a grin that radiated confidence.

Trey tucked an arm behind his head and rested back on the chaise. “Ah, ha. You want the fairy tale.”

London carefully lifted her camera from around her neck and placed it in its case. “Not every woman dreams of a prince coming along to sweep her off her feet. To make her life complete and uncomplicated. My mom certainly didn’t have that. But her life is pretty fulfilling anyway.” She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them. “My ‘fairy tale’ as you call it, is pretty simple really. To be with someone who supports my dreams. Who picks me up when I fall. Who loves me as I am. All the same things I’d do in return. That’s all I need.”

His throat was suddenly painfully tight. Trey’s mother was constantly chasing her “great love story.” The man who would put her first over everything else in life. Given his father’s tales of woe about his ex-wives, Trey was pretty certain all women were selfish like that. Yet, here was an uncomplicated woman who wanted to partner with someone simply to love and be loved. Almost as if she was a unicorn among females.

“And you?” she surprised him by asking. “What’s your fairy tale?”

Trey didn’t dare tell her he didn’t believe in them. Not even the simple one she dreamed of. In twenty years of life, he’d borne witness to the complications of love and fairy tales gone horribly wrong. Enough to know both were for dreamers and out of reach.

Still, the weight of her gaze had him wishing he were programmed differently. Wishing he could give her everything she hoped for. Wishing he could be that guy.

He skimmed a finger along the bare skin beneath her shorts before taking hold of her wrist and tugging her down next to him.

“I’d rather live in the moment,” he murmured against her neck, hoping to distract her.

She tasted like fresh air and vanilla. Trey groaned when she pressed her body up against him. Her lips found his in the darkness, almost as if she’d traveled the landscape of his body her entire life. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she angled her mouth over his. Thoughts of fairy tales and what could be evaporated with the heat of their passion. Along with Trey’s surprising unease about not being able to be the man she deserved.

* * *

“You’re here.”

London’s craggy voice startled Trey from sleep. His neck and his back immediately began complaining about a night spent in the stiff chair. It took him several tries before his gritty eyes could withstand the glaring fluorescent lights. But the most painful sensation of all was London’s hand no longer wrapped in his.

“Oh, honey,” Kim cried as she rushed to her daughter. “I’ve never been happier to see your face.”

Mother and daughter hugged while Chuck patted London’s leg. He glanced over at Trey and mouthed “thank you.”

Trey nodded at the man, suddenly feeling out of place. Stifling a groan, he slowly got to his feet. “I’ll leave you all to it,” he murmured.

If either woman heard, they didn’t acknowledge him. With every step, Trey felt the gulf between him and London widening again. He could swear his breath rattled in his hollow chest.

“Trey!

He’d just reached the hallway when Kim came bounding out after him. She immediately threw her arms around his neck.

“Thank you,” she said into his shoulder. “Thank you for looking out for her.”

Her expression of gratitude caught him off guard. “Uh, no problem. All in the name of family, right,” he replied, trying to keep from sounding curt.

Kim stepped back and eyed him warily. “The nurse said she can go home later today. I’m sure she’d like to thank you once she’s a little more like herself.”

Little do you know, lady.

He glanced back into the room. Chuck was regaling London with some story from their trip. She managed a smile for her stepfather. Trey’s chest rattled once more. He’d never be gifted with one of those lopsided grins again.

You don’t deserve one.

“I’ve got a flight to Miami in a couple of hours,” he heard himself saying. “My mother is expecting me.”

“Oh, of course.” Kim took a step back.

“London will be fine now.”

“Will she?”

Trey’s gaze snapped from London to her mother. “What is that supposed to mean?”

How was it that he just noticed mother and daughter shared the same stubborn chin?

“It means that the last time you left her, it was years before she was ‘fine.’”

“I don’t know what she told you, but⁠—”

Kim held up her palm. “She didn’t tell me anything. She still hasn’t. But having been through something similar, the signs were easily recognizable. Not to mention the fact we live in a small town where people know everyone else’s business.”

He squared his shoulders, refusing to comment.

“Look,” she continued. “I’m not selfish enough not to realize that my crazy wrong turn with your dad knocked London off her axis. But I don’t believe my rash decision was the only reason she gave up on her dream.”

A cold dread settled over him. He knew what was coming next and he didn’t want to hear it. No way, no how. Try as he might, though, he couldn’t get his feet to move.

“You ghosted her. Not only did she walk away from the life she dreamed of, but it nearly broke her.” She waved a hand at him. “Go. Enjoy Palm Beach. I’m incredibly grateful for everything you did for her last night. But please don’t toy with my daughter again.”

Kim headed back into London’s room, closing the door firmly behind her. Trey swore violently, not caring who heard him. There was no way of turning back the clock a decade. Even if by some miracle he could, he wasn’t sure that guy who’d fallen in love with London that summer still existed.

One thing he knew for sure? He couldn’t give London the fairy tale. He couldn’t love her the way she deserved to be loved. It wasn’t in the Van Horn DNA.

But he could support her dream. He could pick her up and give her back what she lost when he left her waiting in his grandfather’s boathouse. Luckily, he had a good idea where to start.