Page 70 of Take the Blame (Seaside Mergers #3)

Chapter Thirty-Five

AUGUSTUS

The Fernandez building was one of the sleekest high rises in downtown Seaside. The black exterior and blacked-out windows resembled the dark features of at least one Fernandez in particular, the sleek inside exuding elegance and class.

Unfortunately, when I arrived at my destination, it wasn't just one Fernandez I was met with. No, just my luck, I was greeted with the attendance of over half of the famed clan and even the bonus addition of the Fergusons.

She was there, though. The only one that mattered, and she was expecting me. There was virtually no way I would have made it all the way up to her brother’s office on the top floor if she hadn't orchestrated it that way, which meant she knew I would be coming for her. For some kind of explanation.

That answered something I guess, like if she’d had anything to do with this. Still, it didn’t explain hardly anything else.

“Did you know?” My voice came out grave as I kept my distance by the door of the large office suite. Her brother’s door seemed closed, but I still kept my voice down, wanting some semblance of privacy.

“No,” she said. “I knew there was a deal with SHarper, but I had no clue it was yours.”

Mine.

My gut turned with the truth of her words. Because it was mine. Still mine, no matter how hard I’d tried to rid myself of it. The reality of it coiled up in my throat and choked me with anxiety.

“So, you found out it was my family's company and you what—saved it for me?”

“I only postponed the deal,” she corrected, fingers scrunching each other nervously.

“But why?” I asked. “I told you how I felt about my family. How I felt about the company. What it did to us. So what made you think it would be a good idea to do that?”

“I—I didn’t think you knew what was going on, and I wanted there to be a chance to?—”

“A chance to what?” I snapped before she finished.

I couldn’t believe this. I couldn’t believe the person I had stupidly trusted with all of my baggage had turned around and let it all spill on the floor.

Rooting around in it to find whatever was convenient and leaving the rest for the vultures to eat up.

She wanted to talk about chances, but it felt like all my chances were constantly being taken away.

My chance to know my sister, gone. My chance to do something about it, nonexistent.

Just like always they were being decided for me by others without my permission or consideration and it was seriously getting fucking old.

“Use me again to prove something to your family?”

“No,” she said firmly. She moved forward, her feet carrying her closer as she spoke. “I wouldn't do that Harper. I know you’re mad, and you should be. I seriously overstepped today, and I’m sorry about that. But I swear I was only trying to help.”

“But you didn’t,” I said to my feet. I couldn’t even look at her as this sick feeling of confusion and hurt curled behind my neck and heated me up to my scalp.

We just promised to be together normally, but she was still justusing me to get closer to her dreams? “You didn't help anyone but yourself.”

Her breath hitched, my words hitting like a blow, but she powered through. “Helping myself was never my intention, Harper. But the way you talk about your family—it just seemed like this wouldn’t be something you’d want to give up.”

My eyes snapped up studying her and trying to see if there were lies in her words. I couldn't tell.

“So you weren't in it for yourself?” I asked.

“No!” she said, appalled. Ihated that she was looking at me that way, but damn I couldn'tstop my wounded heart from turning over every possibility because if shewasn't in this forherself than who?Her voice cracked as she looked at me, confusion clouding her eyes.“Harper, I’m sorry I acted rashly, but I promise it wasn’t selfish. I was thinking about you. About Mar and how?—”

“ Don’t do that ,” I clipped. “Don’t talk like you know her because you don’t. Don’t talk like youdid me or my family any favors, because you didn’t. You just inserted yourself where you don't belong and blew everything wide open. You just saw an opportunity and you took it, like always .”

“Like always?” she asked, her voice soft and watery, a tone I hated.

Jesus, what was I saying? It was like I had no control over what was coming out of me and I wanted it to stop, but something had opened up in my chest. An old hurt that I never wanted her to be tangled up in, but here she stood.

Her rapid blinking did nothing to stop the tear that ran down her cheek. “You offered, Harper.”

I laughed, humor dead in my throat. “Yeah, I did.

I offered because I would have offered you anything to get you to look at me the way you looked at everyone else.

To smile at me like you fucking smiled at everyone else .

But I didn't offer this. This you took. And I never thought youwould be the one to blindside me,not after how far we've come. Not you, Ally.”

Alta's lip trembled, her eyes touching the ground not even able to look at me. “Harper, I don't know what you’re doing right now or why you’re saying these things. I know you’re surprised and upset and I know I could have done things differently, sure, but I didn’t.

I reacted how I could in the moment. But the fact is, I do care about you.

I’ve always cared about you. I wouldn’t have— couldn’t have done what I did if I didn’t care, Harp. Okay?”

“Sure, whatever,” I said, turning before the scoff even fell from my lips.

I was done with this. I’d come here for clarity, to understand what her agenda was. She couldn't possibly expect me to believe that her agenda was simply me. No one ever stayed for me. Everyone was okay with leaving me, I would just save her the trouble and leave before she could.

Yet every word she said and every expression on her face made this more confusing. I needed to leave.

Alta was grabbing onto my arm before I even got a step away, causing me to freeze. “Where are you going?

“Leaving,” I said, trying to push past her to escape.

“But we aren’t done talking,” she held on tighter.

“What more is there to say?” I asked, fighting not to sink into the familiar warmth of her hands.

“Anything,” she sputtered. “Say anything you need, Harper, I can tell you’re still upset. Let it out.”

I looked at her, allowing myself to wade in her eyes, gauging her expression. She wanted me to stay here and let it out? I shook my head.

“I don’t think you understand. This isn’t something I can just talk through and not be upset over. It’s—I’ve lived an entire life away from all this and now it’s all falling back into my lap, and somehow you’re at the center of it? It’s not something I’m just going to get over, Ally.”

“I’m not asking you to get over it,” she said.

“Then what?

“Then whatever you want.” Gently, she gave my arm a squeeze.

“I told you I’m sorry, and I meant it. I’m sorry that I caught you off guard and I’m sorry I intervened without knowing all the details.

But if you want me to apologize for taking up for you, I can’t do that.

I won’t do it. Not after you’ve put yourself in front of me, stood behind me, and lifted me up so many times. ”

I didn’t know what to say. Why was she so confident all of a sudden? Was this really the thing she decided to be unmovable about?

Me?

“Do whatever you want to me, Harper. If you need to yell at me, yell. If you want to say more mean things, I can take it.” Her teary eyes were glaring at me now.

Determined. As if she was setting theresolve she demonstrated every dayon me.

“Whatever you need, I’m here. I'll be here. Just don’t leave, not like this. ”

“Why would you do any of that?” I asked, confused.

Stormy brown eyes drowned me as she washed me in her gaze. Her warm palm found my face, rubbing against my stubble in a soft comforting caress.

“ Te amo tanto .”

“Alta,” I begged. There was that phrase again, familiar, yet I couldn’t place it in all the fog in my turbulent mind.

She sighed. “We promised each other something real on Thanksgiving. I told you I didn’t want to do the same things anymore. I don’t want to pretend like you don’t mean the world to me, Harper.”

“Al—”

“Know why?” she cut me off, like I wasn'teven talking.

I stared. She probably just cut me off if I tried to speak again anyway. Holding her eyes, I shook my head.

“Because you know me and I know you. Not every part, but the important parts. The parts that make up your heart.” Another step forward brought her so close under me that I shivered as herbody pressed against mine.

How could she feel so right when everything was going so wrong?

Whispering, she said, “And my heart has never felt more right than it does with you. I can sit here and tell you each reason why, or I can skip to the point and tell you that the bottom line is we’re in this together.

So this one's on me okay? Take as much time as you need.”

My chest felt like it weighed a million pounds.

The more serious her expression got, the heavier the weight mounted.

On top of my parents showing up, Mar maybe but maybe not calling me, and the resurgence of my past all stacking like cinder blocks one on top of the other, suddenly her words weighed the most.

Wrapping my fingers around her palm, I pulled her hands away from my face and stepped back. Where had all this come from? She was so hesitant, so standoffish for so damn long, and suddenly all this? Now ? When everything was changing so fast around me—too fast for me to catch up.

“Ally, I can’t,” I started, my breath coming faster, my mind racing a million differentdirections. “I'm kind of freaking out here, and I don't want you to be caught up in it. I just—I think I need some time.”

She stepped forward again and took my hands in hers. Kissed them. “That’s okay. I’ve got time.”

“No—”