Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

SIMON

I stepped inside my new house, looking around at some of the new furniture that had been delivered. I needed to hire a decorator, but for now, this would do. I got rid of the used bed after the first night and purchased some bedroom furniture. The kitchen counters had boxes stacked on them. Dishes and pots and pans and all the other stuff I would need. Something else I needed to do.

I couldn't help but think how nice it would be to have Rylee here with me. I didn't know shit about setting up a house. Not that I wanted her to do all the work, but just to have someone to hang out with me. Someone to enjoy this big, beautiful home with. I was getting soft. I didn't need anyone. I had been doing this on my own for a long time.

Rylee had been gone for a few days, and she hadn't texted me back. I took it as a sign that the door was closed for good. I was trying to learn to accept that. My obliviousness cost me a good friend. My unwillingness to look beyond my own immediate wants and needs cost me. I was so out of practice when it came to dealing with people. I was jaded and assumed everyone was out for something and I couldn't be vulnerable or honest about what I wanted. Rylee had made it clear she was not interested in having anything to do with me.

I hoped she was having a great time in Rome. As for me, I was definitely not having a good time.

The last few days had been a brutal exercise in self-reflection. I kept trying to figure out why I always seemed to ruin everything I touched and how I could stop being such an ass. It was just who I was. I wasn't trying to hurt people, but somehow, I always ended up being the bad guy. Maybe there was some merit to the idea that I was the common denominator in all these situations.

Maybe I needed to change.

That was the problem. I didn't know how to.

I grabbed my keys and headed out the door to go to yet another meeting. I felt like that was all my life had been the last few days. Everybody wanted a piece of me. When I got to the Dallas satellite office, it was the typical firestorm of journalists and protestors. I ignored the shouts and walked inside. We had extra security to keep an eye on things—just another expense.

I walked into the office and prepared myself for more bad news. I was ready for it when I was handed a stack of papers the moment I stepped inside. Dana was the young woman that had inadvertently been thrust into the role of my assistant after my other one quit. I was glad she quit because if she couldn't handle a little pressure, I didn't want her in my employ.

Oops, there was the asshole again.

"Simon, I've marked a few things you need to check out as soon as possible," she said, her tone efficient.

"Thanks," I mumbled, taking the papers from her. I pushed past her and walked into my office, slamming the door shut behind me. My office was large with a desk that was strewn with more documents. There were shelves filled with awards and accolades that seemed meaningless now.

I slumped into my chair and started reading through the stack of papers. It was always the same thing—someone trying to blackmail me or someone trying to sue me. Today, there were also reports on an ongoing investigation about some fake news that had been circulating about me in the media. I was supposed to care about these things but truthfully I couldn't find the energy. I was more focused on the oil spill.

After a long day of work, I went out to my mother's house. I walked in to find Marsha was also present.

"Come sit down," Mom said, gesturing to a chair. There was a charcuterie tray on the coffee table and a coffee setup. She poured me a cup of coffee and handed it to me.

Something felt off.

"What's going on?" I asked, looking from my sister to my mother. I knew an intervention when I saw one.

"How are you?" Mom asked.

"Fine. Getting through it."

"It's too bad you don't have a pretty young woman to help you through this mess," Marsha said.

I frowned, trying to figure out what was happening.

"What happened?" Mom blurted out. "You and Rylee looked like you got along so well."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I heard through the grapevine that you and Rylee are no longer a thing," Mom said.

I knew her grapevine was more like one very little section. The only person that knew was Lenny. Given my mom's connection to Anna, it wasn't hard to solve the mystery. I acted unbothered. So what? It was a quick fling, nothing else. But my mother saw right through me.

"I thought Rylee really clicked with you," she said, her voice full of concern. "She wasn't like some of the other women you've dated."

"Vapid?" Marsha asked, raising an eyebrow and stirring the pot as she always did.

Mom shot her a "play nice" look.

Marsha shrugged, unrepentant. "Oh, sorry, you meant dumb?"

Mom ignored the comment. "That is not what I meant at all. I was going to say she's kind and sweet and, well, normal."

"That's a high bar." Marsha scoffed.

"She is normal," I said, ignoring my sister. "She's unlike anyone I've ever met. I've never had so much fun with a woman before. We talk. It's not all about her and she's actually interested in other things beyond shopping or the latest fashion."

"It's your latest phase," Marsha said. "She's a bartender. You're just walking on the wild side. It's never going to last. Just because she can speak in complete sentences and doesn't rub elbows with the richest families, doesn't make her special."

"That's where you're wrong," Mom said. "She's special."

"Oh God, Mom, give the poor girl a break and let her go. She got lucky that Simon showed his true colors so early on. Gave her plenty of time to run before things got too bad."

"Marsha." Mom shushed her with a scowl. "Stop being such a brat. Your brother isn't evil. I've had enough of your sharp tongue over the last two decades. I mean it. He gets enough crap from the rest of the family. He doesn't need it from you."

Marsha smiled. "Sorry, I won't bully your favorite child anymore."

She got up and left. Mom called her to come back, but we heard the front door slam. I grimaced, feeling like an asshole for once again breaking up one of her little parties. I could make a living being the asshole and disrupting parties. On a bad date? Call me. I'll run the person off. In an awkward family gathering that you want to end? Call me. I'll clear it out in seconds.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Mom said. "This dynamic between you and your sister has been rotten since you were teenagers. I've tried and tried to help you heal, but ever since your father died…" She trailed off, a lost look in her eyes, then shook her head and forced a smile. "Never mind that. Your sister will come around. She always does. In the meantime, tell me more about Rylee."

"Why? I lost her."

Sandra smiled. "Mothers have a sixth sense about these kinds of things. I wouldn't write her off just yet. Give her a chance to miss you."

"Mom, there's no point?—"

She stopped me. "Tell me about her. Obviously you like her or you wouldn't have brought her to the birthday party."

"I brought her to deflect the barbs from me," I muttered.

"Not true."

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I loved how she played with me and Connor even though she was completely out of her element in this grumpy family."

Mom laughed. "She managed to win over Carmen, and you and I both know that is not an easy thing to do."

"True," I admitted. "She has this warmth about her. It's infectious. She genuinely cares about people and isn't afraid to show it. Warmth might be the wrong word. I think it's more about brutal honesty. She's confident in her own skin. She is a good person without an ulterior motive. It's been a long time since I met anyone like that."

"And?" Mom pressed, sipping her coffee.

"And nothing," I said, reclining back into the chair. "She's out of my life now. The last thing I want is to obsess over her."

"Is that what you're doing? Obsessing?" Mom asked lightly, her eyes twinkling knowingly.

"No," I denied too quickly. My mother raised an eyebrow at me but didn't push further.

We sat in silence for a moment, the ticking clock the only sound in the room. "You know, Simon, sometimes relationships don't work out because we're not ready for them."

I knew I had screwed up and lost an absolute gem of a girl. I wasn't going to make that mistake again. I should have made her feel as special as I thought she was. I didn't think there was any coming back from that. My only hope was the next time I met someone that amazing, if I was so lucky, I wouldn't run them off.

"It's not too late," Mom said, her eyes full of understanding.

"I think it is," I said sadly.

"From the story I was told, it really wasn't such a big deal." She smiled. "Nothing you can't fix with an apology and a kind gesture. You can fix this."

"She's in Europe." I sighed. "I don't know how long she's going to be there, but I do know she wants nothing to do with me. I have tried."

"Try harder."

"Try harder?" I questioned, an edge of incredulity coloring my tone. "She's thousands of miles away, Mom. She's not taking my calls or responding to my messages."

She took a sip of her coffee. "There was a time when distance didn't matter if you really wanted to get across to someone."

"Well, times have changed," I snapped back, feeling a wave of frustration wash over me.

"Have they? Or have people simply stopped trying? Stopped fighting for the things they want? Let's be honest, you're a wealthy man that is very used to getting what he wants. You don't have to do a lot of fighting. This is a new one for you, but I know you have it in you. If you like this young woman, don't let her get away without a fight."

"I'll see." I sighed. "I don't know."

"How's the house?" she asked, shifting gears.

"Big."

She chuckled. "I'll give you the name of my decorator."

"I'll need it." I nodded. "I don't know if I'll be spending much time in the house, but I do need to get some things settled."

"But first things first," Mom said, standing from her chair with determination. "You need to make amends with Rylee. I raised you to be a gentleman."

Sighing, I realized she was right. My ego and stubbornness had driven Rylee away and it was my responsibility to try and fix things. "Alright, Mom," I conceded. "I'll give it another shot, but if she tells me to leave her alone, I will."

Mom looked pleased with my decision, but her eyes held a sense of worry that she tried to hide behind her coffee cup. I knew what she was thinking, that this would end in heartbreak. She was worried I was going to be alone forever. At this rate, her fears were not unwarranted.