Chapter 33

Thirty-Three

Regan

I pulled into a parking spot at Sweet Haven and stepped out, the scent of coffee already hitting me. The cafe's warm, inviting atmosphere was a harsh difference to the chill of the morning. I had chosen black flowing pants and a cute long-sleeve top, opting to skip the jacket for the sake of looking professional—though the cool air made me second-guess that decision.

My phone pinged, and I pulled it out to see two texts from Rook already. I thought he had been mad at me, with how he left today, but he had been quick to text me earlier and was still texting.

Rook

Are you there yet?

And did you drive yourself?

Regan

I did. And I just got here. What is going on that you are freaking out?

Rook

I'm not freaking out.

Regan

You are, too.

He didn't respond, and that only made me worry, but I didn't have time to think about it more. Instead, I rolled back my shoulders and headed inside. The scent of freshly baked pastries filled the air with the rich scent of coffee. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, casting a warm glow on the wooden tables and cushioned chairs.

My dad had never asked me for any type of meeting outside of the house or anywhere, honestly. Even when he asked me into his office, it wasn't to talk about anything besides where I needed to go for the week. This had to be it. I had spent a year of my life waiting for the moment he would give me a chance, and as much as I wanted it before, for the first time, I actually felt ready. I didn't want to hide away, and I knew I could handle the people that came along with the business.

My dad had been right before. I thought I was waiting around to take care of him, but I was also waiting around for my life to come to me instead of me going to it.

But I wasn't doing that anymore. I had gone after Rook and handled every single thing he showed me. If I could handle all the terrible things Rook did and the people that went along with it, I could handle my dad's business.

I almost laughed as I pulled the door open. The men my dad worked with were starting to seem like teddy bears compared to the guys Rook was dealing with.

I made it to the host stand, and they pointed to a table in the corner. I saw my dad first, my stomach dropping as I looked at the man across from him.

Elliot sat on the other side, laughing as my dad spoke to a woman next to him.

Bile rose in my throat as my confidence wavered with each step. I came in here thinking my dad and I would finally get a chance to talk about my future with his company, but I knew that wasn't the case now. There was no reason for Elliot to be here that would be good for me.

Was he trying to get me back, and this was some weird way to force me into it? Or maybe he was here to tell my dad about Rook and me, even though I didn't know if he knew about us. He might. The people at the party we'd thrown at the house were mutual friends, but Elliot hadn't been around much, and I wasn't sure if any of them had even talked to him lately.

I slid into the open seat next to Elliot, not hiding the curl of my lip as he looked over at me.

"Hey, Regan," he said, the cocky smile on his face making me want to punch it off of him. I had almost forgotten what he had done to me.

The entire encounter with Rook had ended up being good for me, but Elliot didn't know that. He left me alone to be killed after walking me down that dangerous road.

My eyebrows furrowed, wondering why I had been so na?ve not to ask before. I had been so wrapped up in Rook, I had nearly forgotten about it.

"Morning, Regan," my dad said.

"Yeah, morning," I mumbled. The woman next to him gave me a tight smile, and I looked her over without a word. She was dressed up in business style clothes, the button up jacket not doing much to hide the breasts spilling out. I couldn't figure out if she was here for my dad to work with or something else.

I pulled out my phone. I didn't care if it was rude to text at the table. The bombardment of bringing Elliot and the random woman across from me felt worse.

Regan

What reason would Elliot have had to walk me down that road?

Rook

To get you killed? Push you off a bridge? The options are limited.

Regan

Is there a pretty overlook there?

Rook

I wish you could hear how hard I'm laughing. No, Rebel. Nothing pretty down there unless you want to see a dead body.

Is he bothering you? I can go find him.

Regan

Bothering me? Yes. But he's sitting right next to me, so there's no need to go find him.

"Regan, are you here to text or are you here to have a discussion?" my dad asked, his voice booming just enough to scold me.

"To talk, of course. I'm just a little confused why Elliot is here, and who this woman is?"

" This woman ," he said through gritted teeth, "is named Candy, and she is now my fiancé, so please, call her by her name."

"Candy?" I turned to look at Elliot. "As in your mother, Candy?"

He smirked. "Looks like we are related now."

My mouth had dropped open, and I wasn't sure how to close it. "And your fiancé ? You didn't think that it was important enough to even let me know you were dating someone, let alone proposing?"

My stomach churned as my eyes jumped to each one of them.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't think you would handle me dating your ex-boyfriend's mother very well, and it seems I was right."

"I thought we were closer than that!" I yelled.

"Really? Because Elliot says you've been dating someone new and you haven't said a word about him. Isn't that the same thing?"

My mouth finally snapped shut. He did have me on that one. I hadn't wanted to talk to him about Rook until I knew more about him at first, and then when I did learn more about him, I worried that my dad would know him and his reputation. I planned on introducing them at some point, but it hadn't felt like the right time yet.

"Well, based on the lack of a smartass response, I think you are understanding of that, at least."

"Couldn't we have talked about this in private first?" I asked, looking from Candy to Elliot. My phone buzzed over and over in my hand, and I knew Rook had to be pissed about my last text.

"I didn't have time for that," he said. "And I needed to talk to you before Elliot and I take off for a few days."

"Take off where?"

"We have a meeting in Chicago with a new…client."

"You and Elliot?" I asked, not sure if I could handle that he would take Elliot to a business meeting. "Am I going, too?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "For what? Did you need something in Chicago?"

"No, but if you are taking Elliot to a business meeting, couldn't I go, too?"

"I don't see why you would need to go to that."

"Because I have been asking for months, months , to help you with your company more, and now you immediately take Elliot without hesitation?"

Elliot looked at me and then my dad, his face scrunching before he gave a small laugh. "Why would you need to help with the business?" Elliot asked. "I'll be taking over most things with the business, and I don't see what you being there would help. There's no need to confuse people on who is in charge."

My heart dropped and my stomach flipped, wishing I had heard Elliot wrong. "Did he just say that he is taking over the business?" I asked my dad.

"He is. At least, he is going to show me he can, for now. Nothing is promised until you show me how you handle yourself."

Elliot had known I wanted this business. We talked about it a few times, and he knew why I came back after college. Now this?

My hand tightened around the knife and fork, trying hard not to stab it into the table. "I've wasted a year of my life. I gave up my dreams to come home and be with you. I've asked over and over to help with your company, to take it over one day, and every time you have shut me down. Now this?"

"Quiet down," my dad scolded. "I've been waiting to see you do anything other than lie around the house. Then I meet Elliot, and wouldn't you know it? He has taken all the initiative to help."

"Because you have let him!" I yelled.

"And maybe you could have helped if you would have tried. But no, you break up with Elliot and he tells me you are immediately out looking for a new boyfriend. That you only seem worried about who you are dating and what Harper is doing. I paid attention, and I believe he is right."

"Excuse me?" I asked. "Are you kidding me right now? I broke up with him when he left me stranded while we were being mugged because of him!"

My dad looked at Elliot, who rolled his eyes like I was being absurd. It did sound absurd, and there was no way for me to prove it unless I brought Rook in, and I didn't think that would end up any better than this.

"So, just to be clear, I've done nothing but wait for you to let me help. I put my life on hold because you were sick. I've listened to everything you told me to do, and now I get told I didn't do anything good enough to show you I can handle taking over our family business."

"It will be our family business once our parents are married," Elliot said, beaming.

I dropped my voice lower. "If you say one more fucking word, I'm going to kill you," I said, surprised at how much I meant it.

He scowled and sat up straighter.

"He's not wrong, Regan. I'm sure there are plenty of other things we can find for you to do if you want some hobbies, but I'm not giving you an empire just to run it into the ground."

I didn't know if I had just spent too much time around Rook and his friends, who seemed to not mind violence, or if I really was just finding my backbone, but the thought of slamming my knife into Elliot's neck was sounding easier and easier. I should be horrified with myself, but I just wondered how Rook would react if I did it.

Maybe he would help me clean up the mess.

I shoved my chair back, the wooden legs scraping against the floor as I grabbed my bag. "I'll be back in a second."

"Good. Collect yourself so we can talk about the wedding," my dad said, as if he hadn't just ruined my life.

I nearly ran towards the bathroom, and I was already pulling my phone out as I locked the stall door.

"What the fuck is going on?" Rook asked when he connected the call. I could hear the sound of his bike in the background and I wondered where he was going, wanting him here with me, but I had too much going on in my head to worry about asking.

"It's not good."

"What is it?"

"Elliot," I managed to say before tears welled in my eyes. "He wants to give the business to Elliot."

Rook was quiet, and I waited. "Elliot? Why?"

"I don't know. I guess my dad is dating his mom and they have this idea that they are a family now. He wants a man to run it."

"And that's the only reason he gave?"

"Kind of. I guess this has been going on behind my back for a while now."

"While you were dating him?"

"I think so."

"And does Elliot know you have been with me?"

"He knows I'm with someone. He told my dad that I'm more worried about finding a boyfriend than anything else. As if I care. The only reason I met you was because he's a piece of shit. I never told him explicitly it was you, and I doubt anyone is expecting me to actually date the guy who tried to rob us," I said. Rook gave a soft laugh, making me smile, but more tears spilled out. "People he knows were at the party and saw us. I don't know if anyone there has talked to him, though. He's kind of disappeared from the friend group. Which now, I guess that's because he's been too busy taking over my life."

"You should find out if they know who I am."

"What? Why?"

"Because there are going to be bigger issues if they find out you are with me."

"I can ask, but I don't know how much they are going to tell me either way. I'm out. I'm kicked out of my own family. I've done nothing but be there for him. I've done everything he asked. I've been there to take care of him if he needed it."

"Take care of him?"

"I never said anything," I said, more tears coming now. "I never told you because he doesn't like people to know, but he's sick. Terminally sick."

"When did you learn this?"

"Last year, right before I graduated college."

"And you've gone with him to all his appointments, taken care of him, and now this?" he asked.

"I mean, I've done what I could, but he's been so upset about it, he hasn't really let me in on any of that either. And what do I get out of all of it? A year of my life gone? I have no career, no life. A dad who doesn't even want to spend time with me and let me take over our family's legacy before he is gone?" The panic rising in my voice was clear, but I was doing everything to stop the tears. "I don't know what to do."

"You handle one thing at a time," he said. "Go talk to them and see if they know it's specifically me. Make sure you get the fiancée's name. Then get whatever answers you can and meet me out front. I'll take you home."

"I drove."

"And I will take you home," he repeated.

"When will you be here?"

"Five minutes. Go do what you need to and wait at your car for me."

"Okay. I feel so stupid."

"Don't," Rook demanded. "He betrayed you, not the other way around."

"Is it betrayal, though? Or am I really just that bad at this?"

"I don't know if this is really any help, but there isn't a way I could date you if you weren't good at this. If it wasn't obvious that you can handle yourself and shitty situations. Elliot is a useless excuse of a human, and I can prove it to you if you need more confirmation of that. Don't for one fucking second think you aren't the better choice for running literally any business. Just go out there, ask what you need and demand answers. If you want secrets to ruin your dad, Regan, I will give them to you."

"For what?"

"In exchange? Nothing."

"You said secrets aren't free."

"For you, they are now. Do you want them?" Rook asked.

I bit at my lip, knowing that anything he told me couldn't be good, and I wasn't sure if I was ready to deal with more heartbreak today.

"Yes, but can it wait?"

"Yes," he said. "Go finish what you need to. I'll be out front in a minute."

I hung up and took a deep breath. I could face my dad and Elliot one more time today, because Rook was right. I would always be a better choice than Elliot.

I kept my shoulders back and my head up as I stepped up to the table. All eyes turned to me, Elliot's and my dad's already looking annoyed.

"Do you know who my boyfriend is?" I asked.

They looked at each other and then back at me. "No. Do you need to tell us?"

"No. And do you know that Elliot is horribly addicted to gambling?"

Elliot only shook his head, denying it immediatly.

"He is, so be careful on how he manages your finances. I would like to be left alone, so I would prefer you not call or bother me at home until I'm ready to talk," I said, the words sounding diplomatic enough, but I just wanted to scream.

"Fine, Regan. That won't be an issue, as we will be gone for two days. We can talk when we get back."

"We can talk when I am ready. You've betrayed me when I was doing nothing but be ready to help you. You're the one who asked me to stay home, you're the one who said I wasn't ready, and you're the one who told me to come back after college so I could continue the family legacy. I didn't do any of that. I stayed ready to help, and you didn't let me."

I heard Rook's bike rumble out front and I winced when it caught my dad's attention. I glanced behind us as Rook swung off the bike and walked towards the front door.

"I need to go. We will talk later."

I ran out before he could respond, reaching the door as Rook started inside. His helmet was still on, but I could already imagine the scowl that was plastered underneath.

"Come on. I'm done."

"Fine. I changed my mind. I want to talk to Elliot and your dad," he said, pushing around me. I grabbed his arm, pulling hard.

"No. You are not. Get me out of here," I said. He stopped, seemingly stuck on what he was going to do. "Now, Rook. I want to leave."

Another second passed before he wrapped an arm around me, heading back to the bike.

"Give me your keys. Mason will be here soon to pick it up."

I handed them over and grabbed my helmet strapped to the back before getting on behind him.

I didn't know what I would do next or about my dad, but I knew that right now, I wanted to go home and hide away until I figured it out. I held on tighter to Rook as he took off, finding some comfort in the fact that he came for me.