Page 38 of Second Chances (Passion and Perseverance #2)
“I see,” was Darcy’s gruff response. Oh, he believed her – it wasn’t that. It’s just that now, knowing there was nothing special going on, he felt like an idiot for wondering.
Placing her hand on his cheek, she leaned up again, whispering, “I’m glad that you asked me, but there is nothing to worry about” just before kissing him again.
“Thank you,” he said hoarsely, as Beth broke the kiss and turned to open the door .
There really was nothing for him to worry about, although, she had an inkling that Pat had only contacted this year - after all of the years of saying that he was going to - because of what had happened the other weekend between her and Darcy.
Even though she had responded to his several texts over the past week reassuring him that everything was fine, Pat was an incredibly caring person and she had a feeling that he was using this as a legitimate way to make sure that she was really ok.
There was no proof of that though, so she kept her suspicions to herself for now, relishing in the small victory she had just won.
As they walked outside her office to the black car waiting to take them to the restaurant, Beth shivered as she remembered how just a few hours ago, she was walking into this building unknowingly being stalked by the CB.
She glanced quickly around them, a wave of nausea rolling over her at the hunch that someone was watching them.
No, Beth, don’t be ridiculous. It’s probably just your nerves, she tried to reassure herself as they got into the car.
It didn’t stop her, though, from peering out the darkly tinted windows to try to spot someone hiding in the shadows.
For a second she thought she saw something move by the corner of the building, but it was all in shadow as they pulled away from the curb; it was probably just her imagination.
Beth stared in awe out of the restaurant windows. Even higher than Darcy’s apartment, the View, the rotating restaurant in the Marriott, gave her an unencumbered panorama of the city at dusk.
She’d heard about the restaurant before but had never been, assuming it would be too touristy to enjoy, but boy, was she wrong. Tourists or not, nothing detracted from such a beautiful view of the city.
“This view is incredible, Darcy,” her voice a little breathless, unable to take her eyes away from the window.
“It certainly is,” he agreed, except he wasn’t looking out the window; he was looking at her .
Beth felt his gaze, a blush stealing to her cheeks before she finally turned away from the window to pick up the glass of white wine he had ordered for her and take a sip.
“Have you been here before?” she asked.
“Not recently, no.”
She wondered immediately if he had come here with her, the CB. Why do you have to go there, Beth?
“I brought Georgie here once for her birthday,” he clarified, his eyes catching hers reassuringly.
Good job, Beth. You clearly don’t have a good poker face.
She returned him a smile as the waiter came to take their orders. They both ordered the filet special that had come highly recommended.
“Can I ask you something?” Beth asked, biting her lip nervously. She didn’t want to bring up a sore subject, but the CB was becoming a bigger problem than Darcy knew about and Beth needed some answers.
“Of course,” he replied.
“I know that it’s not my business, and I understand and respect your privacy, but are you ever going to tell me who this woman is?”
It was a long shot, but maybe if she knew who the woman was, she could figure a way to deal with this email situation on her own.
Her question earned a hard stare back from Darcy, one that she had a feeling was meant to be the answer.
“Ok, I’ll take that as a no. I can understand wanting to keep her name from me because what good would it do to share it; I’d probably want to go try to strangle her if I knew who she was.
But, if you won’t tell me that, can you at least tell me what are you going to do?
About your ex, about getting her to leave you alone?
” she asked, bracing herself for his reaction.
She saw his face darken like she expected it would. This was not something he wanted to talk to her about because he didn’t want her to worry; it was his problem to handle and it was evident how much it angered him that it was affecting her life .
“I know you said you were going to increase security, but how are you going to get her to leave you, leave us, alone?” Beth pressed on.
“I need to know what she wants,” he began, his voice clipped. “I’m looking into the legal options, but she hasn’t threatened me, or you; so, I’m told that as of right now, a restraining order isn’t an option, even if I was going to consider that route.”
“But if she did threaten you, or me, you would get the restraining order?” Beth asked, clarifying his answer.
“I, fuck, I don’t know but, it would at least be a viable option if she did.”
He stopped to take a sip of his wine, taking the moment to calm himself, annoyed that his irritation had escaped him in such a public place.
Meanwhile, Beth considered the fact that she had the physical proof Darcy needed to keep this woman away from them, but what if she told him, gave him the email, and he still didn’t use it?
Deep down, the only thought that latched on and tormented her was, what if he won’t get the restraining order because a part of him still loves her, in spite of everything?
She didn’t want to believe it, but her mind wouldn’t let it go.
This was the moment, her window to bring up the email and be open with Darcy, and she choked.
Suddenly the thought, the fear that Darcy might still have feelings for this woman was too much and she knew she wouldn’t be able to bear his refusal to act if that was his response.
So, she let him continue on and kept the email to herself for now.
“In the meantime, I’ve hired some people to find her, follow her, try and figure out what it is she is after. God, I just fucking hope that this was just one of her little amusing mind games and she’ll be distracted with something — someone else soon; that’s usually how she operates,” he continued.
“You said that you were pretty sure that she is back for you, though?” Beth asked, remembering how he had portrayed their encounter the other night.
He held his response as the waiter served their dinners, and asked them each to cut into their steaks to make sure they were cooked to the right temperature .
“Who knows, Beth,” he said with a harsh laugh, once their server was outside of hearing distance.
“Even if that’s what she alluded to, who actually fucking knows.
She told me she wanted me six years ago, and then left the following day with some other guy that she had been fucking.
I highly doubt she wants me, she just wants me to be preoccupied with her.
This is all a game to her; all she really wants is power, control, and to make me feel like I have none. ”
I’m not so sure about that, Beth thought as she took another bite of her delicious steak.
“But if she doesn’t let go, if she continues to pursue you, if she threatens you, or me, you ‘don’t know’ if you would get a restraining order?” She couldn’t let it go.
“No,” he responded shortly, his tone indicating that that was all he was going to say on the matter.
Too bad.
“I don’t understand, why wouldn’t you pursue legal recourse? You would just let her threaten you or me, or our families, with no consequence? Why?” Beth persisted.
“Because.. . It’s complicated, Beth. I can’t…I can’t explain it to you right now, just trust me, please; the repercussions would not be to her alone.”
Oh, no? Would something happen to him, too? Because he still loves her?
No, shut up, Beth.
She set her fork down and took another sip of wine. The thought wouldn’t leave her alone, causing her doubts and uncertainties about their relationship to take hold of her emotions, and left her feeling nauseous.
“I’m sorry, I can’t understand. So, you’re saying that you’re basically just going to watch and wait and hope she gets bored and leaves you alone.
Oh, and if she does do something, you’re just going to let her get away with it because it’s too complicated to put a stop to?
” she asked, heatedly, recoiling slightly from the surprising vehemence in her tone.
His gaze would have broken a weaker man; the anger burning in his eyes at her accusations and questions was palpable. Beth swallowed hard, but she couldn’t have stopped the words from tumbling out even if she had wanted to .
“What about protecting yourself and someone you love is complicated? Unless it’s only complicated because you still love her.
” Her voice broke on her last words, unable to control the torrent of emotions inside of her.
She barely saw his eyes widen in shock at what she had said before it was too much to handle.
“Excuse me, I need to go to the ladies’ room,” she said thickly, willing ever fiber in her being to hold in her emotions for just a few seconds longer as she tried to rush inconspicuously from the table.
The tears of hurt and anger broke through her defenses just as she pushed open the door to the ladies’ room, locking it behind her. Even though she let the tears fall, she was unwilling to let herself fall apart.
It was everything that had happened today coming to a head, she knew that. The stalking, the threats, Darcy’s apparent willingness to let things go unchecked, but mostly the seeds of doubt that all of these things had sown had overpowered her and she had lashed out.