Page 19

ISABELLE

W ith my hangover this morning, this is the last thing I want to be dealing with, but I probably should have told my sisters that Pierre was staying with me.

Honestly, it slipped my mind. I also didn’t think they would pop into my house unannounced.

Now I know where my stuff goes. They have been stealing it while I’m at work.

We are going to have a conversation about boundaries and personal belongings.

Moments later, Evelina walks into my office. “What the hell is going on? Why is Vi calling an emergency meeting?”

I shrug. “You don’t go into my home and steal my clothes, do you?”

My sister stills. “No offence, but we don’t have the same style. Why?”

Offence taken. “I’m stylish,” I argue.

“In your way, yes,” my sister adds.

“What does that mean?” I question her.

“Means that we have different tastes.”

“No. You think my style is bad,” I tell her.

“That’s not what I said.”

“That’s what it sounds like,” I argue.

Evelina rolls her eyes. “You dress conservatively compared to me. There’s a lot of black.”

“This is New York, everyone wears black.” Sorry, not all of us can be Little Miss Sunshine.

“See you’re upset now.” Evelina huffs.

“Because you don’t like the way I dress.”

“You know that’s not what I said. How has this turned into an argument, and what does this have to do with Vi’s message?” my sister asks, getting angry.

“Nothing, but I just found out that Violetta has been letting herself into my home and taking my clothes,” I tell her.

“Then why are you yelling at me?”

“I wanted to know if you had been doing it, too. I thought I was going crazy when I couldn’t find things in my closet and now, I know it’s you guys.”

“It’s Vi not me,” Evelina argues.

Before I get a chance to continue this argument, the thief herself walks in. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell us Pierre was living with you.”

Evelina stares between the two of us.

“I forgot,” I tell her.

“Forgot. That man is not something you forget. And does he ever wear a shirt?” Violetta asks.

“No. It’s annoying,” I grumble.

“So annoying, especially when he looks so good without a shirt,” Vi states.

“Right?” But also, why is Vi checking him out?

“Hold on. Back it up. Did you say Pierre is living with Issy, as in Pierre St. Pierre?” Evelina asks Vi.

“Yeah, that one. Would you keep up, Eve?” she says, rolling her eyes.

Eve shakes her head. “I feel like I’m missing part of a conversation.”

Vi sighs. “I went over to Issy’s place to borrow a bag that I needed to go with a dress for this event I have tonight …”

“Which bag?” I ask her.

“Doesn’t matter.” Vi waves me off.

“Yes, it does. How many bags have you borrowed? Because I’m missing some,” I tell her.

“Oh. I thought I returned them. I’ll bring them back next time. Anyway, I go over there and am assaulted by this giant golden fluff ball of a dog who loves smelling your crotch and slobbering all over you,” Vi complains.

“A dog? In Issy’s house?” Eve asks.

“Right? She is usually so anal about things, but he was there, and then I saw none other than Pierre half naked. And boy was it a shock. I was excited there for a second, thinking Issy got lucky with some random, and she had left him there to entertain himself till she returned,” Vi explains.

“Wait. Isn’t Pierre supposed to be in Italy getting married? Why the hell is he in Issy’s home?” Eve asks.

“No, get this, apparently he and Harper busted Kitty getting her freak on with Bill Reeves in the garden the night before his wedding, and so Pierre did a Runaway Bride and hightailed it to New York,” Vi explains to Eve.

“To your home?” Eve asks.

“It was a shock,” I answer.

“And get this, he then makes Issy fly him to South Dakota to pick up his dog,” Vi adds.

“You were locked on a plane for however many hours with him? What is going on? Are you okay? Is he okay? I can’t believe Kitty is cheating on Pierre with Bill Reeves, the old guy,” Eve says.

“No one knows. You need to keep your mouth shut,” I warn Vi. She rolls her eyes. “We are trying to get him out of his Devils contract, as obviously, Pierre does not want to go back and play for them. He wants to play for The Mavericks.”

“The Mavericks?” Eve asks, sounding surprised.

“Bill is being a dick about the contract. Pierre is adamant that he won’t play for them. He would rather retire than play for that team.”

“Wow, that’s, wow,” Eve says, sounding shocked.

“Things are delicate at the moment,” I advise them.

“I was wondering why Kitty was so quiet about her wedding, not that I cared. I thought it was because they signed an exclusive agreement for the photos, but how wrong was I?” Vi adds.

“Is Pierre okay? He must be heartbroken,” Eve asks.

“He didn’t look too heartbroken when I saw him,” Vi remarks.

“They were having problems, he said. He tried to call off the wedding a couple of times.”

“And he told you that?” Eve asks.

“Was that before or after he kissed you?” Vi asks.

I still.

“Wait, he kissed you. When?” Eve asks.

I glare at my sister. I told her that in strictest confidence. “Oops,” she says.

“Issy, what is she talking about?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Um, yes it does,” Eve adds angrily.

“He kissed her at our dad’s wake, reminiscing about old times. But don’t worry, Issy told him to get lost,” Vi fills her in.

“Issy! He was engaged.” Eve gasps.

“I didn’t ask for it. He kind of just did it. I told him it was wrong.”

“And now you’re living together. Tell me this, are you healing his broken heart?” Vi teases.

“No.” I glare at her.

“The man looks good without a shirt on, I wouldn’t blame you,” she states. I don’t like the way my sister keeps bringing that up.

“Vi!” Eve gasps.

“What? The man’s single, he can do what he wants,” she argues.

“Nothing is happening between us, and nothing ever will. I’m helping an old friend during a difficult time,” I explain to them.

“The same man you have hated for fifteen years, and suddenly you’re besties,” Vi adds.

I glower at her as I lift my chin. “I’ve decided to forgive him and move on from my hate. It’s not good for me,” I tell them.

“I’ve been telling you this for years,” Eve states.

“I wasn’t ready, and it was easier to hate him.”

“I still hate him,” Vi adds.

“I can’t believe he kissed you while engaged,” Eve murmurs.

“To be fair, I was having a breakdown and we were arguing and …”

“Passion will do that.” Vi grins.

“But he was engaged to someone else,” Eve argues.

“And Kitty was screwing his boss, so I guess that makes them even,” Vi states.

My office phone rings, and it’s my assistant. She tells me Marcus wants an urgent meeting in his office. Shit. This can’t be good.

“Guys, I have to go, something urgent has come up. Can we continue this conversation later?” I tell them.

“Fine. I have to go get ready anyway,” Vi says as she gets up and walks out of the office.

“Are you really okay with Pierre?” Eve asks as she gets up.

“Yeah, it’s weird, but I’m fine.”

“Good. I don’t want to lose you again if he breaks your heart,” she says before disappearing out of my office.

I didn’t realize me disappearing during college affected Eve so much. I thought she was too young to understand, but I’m guessing it did. I don’t have time to analyze my failings as a big sister as I rush to Marcus’ office.

“Hey, thanks for coming over,” he says as I enter his office. “Bill has asked for a video meeting in an hour, does that suit you?” he asks.

“Let me shuffle some things around and meet you at my place, yeah?”

Marcus nods. “I’ll text Pierre and Jordan and let them know.”

“How do you feel?” Marcus asks Pierre.

“I feel like I’m going to be sick. This is it. My entire life hangs on this moment,” he says.

“Positive thinking,” Marcus assures him.

It takes us a couple of moments to get set up for the video call, and then we are ready to go. The screen shows Bill and his lawyer, and no one else in the meeting, while we have Pierre, Marcus, and Jordan. I’m sitting off to the side. Bill looks angry as he sits there, the audacity.

“Thanks, guys, for agreeing to meet us,” Bill’s lawyer starts off nicely.

“Cut the bullshit, Steve. We all know why we are here,” Bill interrupts angrily. “So, you want to leave my team. A team we built together, you ungrateful little shit,” Bill snaps at Pierre.

Pierre centers himself, and I can see him squeezing his hands as he tries to remain calm in the face of such adversity. Frankston trots over, noticing his owner’s discomfort, and Pierre strokes his fingers through his long, thick coat.

“If you want to paint me out to be a villain in this story, then go ahead, but we all know who the real villain is. I feel for Michelle and your family. Hope she was worth it.”

Bill’s face turns red. “Are you threatening me, boy,” he hisses through the screen.

Pierre shakes his head. “Not yet, but I’m happy to go public with the video if you aren’t prepared to talk about my future with the club.”

“You fucking snake. I made you and I can destroy you,” he continues to yell at Pierre.

“Whose threatening who now?” Jordan cuts in.

“That kid is trying to blackmail me,” he snips.

“I don’t see it as blackmail. I see it as negotiation.

As it’s quite evident that the relationship between the two of you has dissolved.

Do you think it’s in the team’s interest for you to keep Pierre there after what you did to him?

Also, why would you want someone who holds a bomb in their hand that could at any moment let slip to your family? ” Jordan adds.

“Steve, are you getting these threats his team are throwing at me?” Bill asks his lawyer, who nods but doesn’t say anything because he knows Bill doesn’t have a leg to stand on.

“Why did you do it? How could you betray me like that? I thought we were family. I looked up to you like a mentor,” Pierre asks, and you can hear the hurt in his voice.

Bill wiggles uncomfortably. “I don’t know, it just happened.”

“How?” Pierre pushes.

“Kitty is very persistent.”