31. Carina

CHAPTER 31

Carina

TWO WEEKS UNTIL RYAN'S BIRTHDAY

R yan and I had been spending every day together since we had our big talk. Each day, he told me a different story about his and Alex's childhood. The one that mattered the most was losing his mom so young.

"I'm so sorry about your mom," I say.

"We never talked about it, but I imagine losing her was worse for Alex. At least I had our father."

"He lost everything," I say, thinking back to when Alex had said that to me. "It's so sad."

"That's why I can't be too angry with him."

"But you don't think he did this thinking he could get the inheritance?"

Ryan is quiet as he thinks about it but then shakes his head.

"No. I think our father disowning him was the last straw for Alex. He didn't want anything from our father then. He was done. Plus, he was already written out of the will. My losing the inheritance doesn't mean it goes to him. I could be wrong, though."

"I can understand being done with someone," I say, thinking about my mother. "Sometimes the people we should be the closest to are the ones who hurt us the most."

I turn to the window and admire the view of Central Park as I replay his story in my head. I can't imagine being a child and going through so much sadness.

I lost my parents at a young age because they never came around, but I always had my grandmother to make up for it. I'm lucky to have her.

Ryan needs to take care of a few things, so I ask him to drop me off at the hospital so I can spend time with my grandmother, who is finishing her last round of testing. As I enter her room, she mutes the TV and opens her arms out to me.

"There's my Carina," she says. "I was beginning to get worried. You're usually here earlier."

"I know, I'm sorry. A lot of traffic."

"You still haven't told me what happened between you and Ryan and that Alex."

"There's just been so much drama I haven't wanted to talk about it."

"It's good to get it out, though," she says.

I give Grandma a quick rundown of last week, from Ryan and Alex telling me they love me to my breaking up with Ryan to him finding me at Alex's, who happens to be his estranged brother.

"And you had no idea they're brothers?" she asks.

"No, none. Should I have? They don't even have the same last name."

She shrugs. "Maybe. Maybe not. I didn't want to say anything, but I recognized Ryan a while back from the newspaper. There was a picture of the two of you together with a headline asking if you're ‘the one'."

"So you knew he's a billionaire all this time? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because sometimes you get defensive when things don't go as you want, and I didn't want to interfere with your relationship. I know the money doesn't matter to you, but it's a big part of him."

"No, it's not. I don't think he cares about the money at all."

"Have you asked him?" she asks.

"No, but if his inheritance means so much to him, then why hasn't he asked me, or anyone else, to marry him?"

"That's a fair statement. I guess we'll see."

After spending a couple of hours with Grandma, I get up, finish my bottle of water, and say good night. Before I can leave, she asks me one more question."

"Have you heard from your mother yet?"

"No, have you?"

"Not yet," she says. "I suspect you'll be hearing from her first. I don't have anything she wants."

"I hope I don't hear from her. I still don't understand why she was at Alex's. There was something scary in her eyes. When I first saw her I thought she was laughing. But then, when I got into Ryan's car, she started talking. I couldn't hear what she said, and something tells me I don't want to know. Has she always been like this?"

"Unfortunately, she has. It's almost impossible to know what you're going to get with her. Just don't let your guard down around her, and never believe a word she says."