Page 45 of Lust & Lies

AIDEN

WE WERE HEADING OUT for breakfast. Despite the dangers lurking, I was taking her out for a meal. Out in public, where if the wrong person saw us, it could ruin everything. Fuck! I hoped this was a good idea and I wouldn’t end up regretting it.

But I had no choice. She’d asked, and how could I say no, especially with the way she’d been looking at me and the way she’d been acting. Since my phone call yesterday evening, Noe had been distant with me.

I didn’t notice it at first. I just thought she was tired. Plus, my mind had been on my grandfather’s watchdogs, so I’d been a little on edge. But now, I noticed it, and it had me nervous as hell.

She wasn’t saying anything strange or even complaining about anything. But I knew this woman. This silence, this subtle attitude, was usually the calm before the storm. And when she blew up, things usually literally blew up.

I wouldn’t say I was afraid of my Noe. But I had a healthy respect for her dark side and tried not to piss her off too much. There had only been one time when I’d made her angry enough to turn her dark side on me.

But she’d held back, not for me. For my grandfather. I didn’t want to get on her dark side again. However, something had triggered this change in her attitude. I was still trying to figure out what that could be.

I was certain she hadn’t overheard my phone conversation during dinner. While she’d been brushing her teeth and getting dressed this morning, I’d made calls to my security team while going through last night's saved footage of inside the house.

I’d watched the footage of her closely, trying to find out the moment things changed between us yesterday. Though she hadn’t followed behind me after I stepped out to take the call, she’d appeared upset while I was gone.

When I fast-forwarded to her time in the garden room, I learned that she hadn’t watched the movie at all. Instead, she’d turned over and faced the couch cushions. At first, I thought she’d fallen straight to sleep.

But then I zoomed in and realized her shoulders had been shaking slightly. Noe had cried herself to sleep. While I’d been on the phone, the woman I loved had been alone and crying. I took a deep breath as I drove, blinking back fucking tears.

Seeing her cry had gutted me. Even recalling it now had me ready to murder someone. But to murder the person responsible, I’d have to commit suicide. It was my fault. Though I wasn’t sure what triggered those tears, I knew it was my fault.

And I couldn’t ask her about them because then I’d reveal the fact that I had cameras set up in all the rooms. The woman I love was growing distant with me, she was hurting because of me, and I couldn’t do shit about it.

I was useless. I wanted to pull the car over and pull her into my arms, hugging her, hoping she’d tell me what was wrong. But I knew that wasn’t what she wanted right now. When we woke up this morning, she wouldn’t even let me kiss her.

And when I’d tried to kiss her hand while we’d walked out of the house, she’d recoiled from my touch. The kicker was when I opened the car door for her. She slammed it shut, then opened it for herself and climbed into the car.

She’d left me standing there, staring after her, wondering what the hell I’d done this time. I tapped the steering wheel with my thumb as I drove, glancing at Noe from the corner of my eye.

She was staring out the window, silent. But her silence was loud. It spoke volumes. She was retreating again, and I had to figure out why before it was too late. Considering this new development, now may not be the best time to reveal the truth to her.

That would only cause her to retreat further. Shit. I felt like punching something. My phone lit up in the console. I stared down. Julian Cattaneo’s name flashed on the screen. What did he want?

It was too early to go drinking. And usually, it was me calling him to drink with me. Whatever he wanted, it couldn’t be good. I glanced over at Noe. She was still looking out the window. Should I ignore the call? Yeah, I should probably ignore it.

“Are you going to answer that?” she said without turning my way.

Shit. If I ignored it now, that would only make her suspicious of me.

“Yeah, I’m getting ready to, love,” I told her.

Damn it, Julian. This better not be some bullshit. I quickly answered.

“How may I help you, Mr. Cattaneo?” I drawled.

“Meet me at the site of your future boutique hotel.”

That was an unexpected request. I raised an eyebrow. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“I’ll show you when you get there.”

That was cryptic as hell. This couldn’t be good. I glanced at Noe again, noting the slight tightening of her jaw. I couldn’t let work interfere with our plans.

“I’ll send my assistant,” I told Julian. “I’m busy with my wife right now.”

She didn’t react. At least not on the surface. But her foot tapped against the floorboard, and I could tell she was trying to hold back whatever it was she wanted to say.

After a moment of hesitation, Julian asked, “Am I on speaker?”

“No. Of course not.”

It wasn’t safe to have him on speaker phone around Noe.

“Good. The last time we spoke, you told me you were getting a divorce.”

I clenched my jaw, eyes flicking to Noe. She didn’t turn my way, but I knew she was listening to my side of the conversation.

“That is no longer the case,” I replied, choosing my words carefully.

“Is she blackmailing you to stay with her?”

I bit back a laugh. “Not at all.” I wished she were.

Julian was quiet for a moment, but of course, he didn’t let it go.

“Say ‘cranberry’ if you’re being held against your will.”

I chuckled. “You’re funny, Julian. I’m taking my wife out to breakfast. Do you really need me to stop by the site, or can it wait?”

“No. I need you there now,” he told me, tone serious.

Shit. This definitely wasn’t good. Whatever it was, I needed to take care of it before my grandfather found out and started being nosy. I chanced a glance at Noe again, who was still staring out the passenger window, pretending not to listen.

Lowering the phone to my chest so Julian wouldn’t hear me, I whispered, “Baby, is it okay if I stop by...”

“I don’t care,” she mumbled before I could complete my question.

Well, damn. Yeah, she was pissed off at me about something. I brought the phone back to my ear.

“I’ll make a U-turn at the light,” I told Julian. “Be there in about ten minutes. Twenty if traffic is crazy on the strip.”

“No problem. I’ll wait. I would say tell your wife I said hello, but she hates me. So...”

“She doesn’t hate you,” I told him. Damn it. Why did I say that?

“Who do I hate?” Noe whispered.

I stared over at her, shook my head, and whispered, “You don’t hate him.”

"The last time she saw us having a drink in the casino,” Julian continued. “She told me I was the reason you stayed gone most nights. She said I was a playboy who kept bringing you around women, which was the reason you were cheating on her."

I was so damn glad Noe couldn’t hear any of this shit Julian fucking Cattaneo was saying. I closed my eyes for half a second to calm down and keep myself from cursing his ass out.

“Let’s not mention that again, Mr. Cattaneo,” I finally said, my voice lower, tone tense.

“See you in ten,” he stated.

I ended the call and placed the phone face down in the console. Noe turned in her seat to face me for the first time since she’d gotten into the car.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

Glad that she was talking to me again, I pushed my irritation with Julian away and made sure I didn’t sound frustrated when I answered her.

“I don’t know yet. The company that’s pouring a foundation for our new resort wants me to stop by the site. I’ll stop by before we go eat. Is that okay with you?”

“It is. Do I know this friend of yours?”

I hadn’t factored Julian into my plans when I’d put this entire scheme together. I didn’t have an answer ready for her.

“Do I?” she asked when I took too long to answer.

“He’s a business associate. You’ve met him before. But, I wouldn’t call him a friend.”

Sorry, Julian. I’ve got to throw you under the bus.

“You two sure sounded friendly on the phone.”

“I mean... we’re associates. We talk business. That’s it.”

“Do you hang out outside of work?”

To lie or not to lie? I was trying to stop lying to her. Truth it was.

“Yes,” I admitted.

“Then you’re friends. Have I ever hung out with him?”

“You haven’t.”

“So, he’s your friend, not mine. Is that why he thinks I hate him?”

“He was joking, love.”

“Hmmm....” She turned around in her seat and resumed staring out the window.

Shit. Thanks for nothing, Julian.

I made the U-turn and we drove in silence for a while. But my head was anything but silent. I was trying to think of things to say to her, to ease her anger. I couldn’t think of anything.

My mind drifted back to her crying on the couch. We’d had a good day yesterday. I couldn’t think of anything that could’ve made her cry. Unless... fuck! Why hadn’t I thought of that? That should’ve been my first thought.

I glanced over at Noe, taking in how tense she was. How close she was to the car door. She was trying her best to be as far away from me as possible. She’d gone from hot to cold in no time. Only one thing could’ve caused that.

A memory must’ve returned. And if it made her cry, it had to be one of our darker moments together. Fuck. Her memory was returning. And she hadn’t told me, which meant she was plotting something.

Was she plotting to kill me or worse, leave me? Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. I couldn’t keep hiding things from her. That would only add fire to an already flammable situation. I had to tell her today.

“I’m glad we decided to go out for breakfast,” I said, hoping she wouldn’t ignore me.

“Why?” she asked, not looking back.

I inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly before speaking.

“Because, I think it’s time we discussed some things from the past.”

She jerked around in her seat. “Oh, really?”

“Really.”

“And what made you come to that conclusion?” she asked.