Page 10 of The Merger

We drank as we dressed, on the way to the chapel, and more after we said our vows.

After the sun began to rise, I dropped her off at her hotel. We were seriously tipsy, but she needed to pack before meeting me at the airport.

Had I known her friends would still be celebrating when she arrived, or that she’d drink to the point of blacking out, I’d never have let her go.

I thought about going to her many times in those first few weeks. Caroline wasn’t wrong about me following her social media. It was how I knew she’d forgotten our night altogether, and how I reassured myself over the years she hadn’t moved on.

Now the final part of my plan was in place. I’d have her back at my side and could finally remind her of the promise she made to me. She was mine.

ChapterFour

Sabrina

When I got home after work Malcolm was waiting for me on the couch. I almost questioned how he got in until I heard Waverly making noise in her room. For a small woman, at least compared to my five-foot-seven, she moved around like a herd of elephants.

She moved with grace but made a lot of noise while doing it. I think she did it so we wouldn’t forget she was around. I understood it. Growing up in that house, the one Colt and I both were able to escape from most of the time, she had to fight to be seen.

My attention returned to Mal. “This is a surprise. How long have you been waiting?”

His eyes flicked over to Waverly’s door before they returned to me. “Not long.”

“Have dinner with me,” he said. It wasn’t a question, more like a demand.

Malcolm rose from the couch and crossed the room to me. He took my face in his hands and kissed me softly on the lips. “I should have started with that.”

I smiled despite the fact kissing him was exactly like kissing my best friend. Comforting, familiar, and platonic. “Dinner sounds nice,” I croaked.

Mal took my hand and together we made our way to his car. I searched for something to say to fill the awkward silence. For the first time in over twenty years of friendship I came up blank.

We went to a restaurant Malcolm was a partner in. It was trendy, which meant that the portions were tiny and fussily presented. I’m sure many women would have found the ambiance romantic. All of the tables were staged so they seemed to have some privacy. The linens were fine and complimented the decor perfectly.

Still, I would have preferred a casual diner with burgers and shakes. It felt like we were trying to force romance when we should have been building off of what we already had.

“How is work?” he asked.

I placed my cloth napkin in my lap. For some reason I was hesitant to share this with him. “I got a promotion.”

“Do you have another brother who needs an assistant?” he chuckled. I didn’t find the joke as funny as he seemed to.

I clenched my teeth to keep from lashing out. He’d always had a dismissive manner and a callous sense of humor. This was the first time it had been directed at me though.

Taking a deep breath in through my nose I relaxed my jaw. “I’m to become the Operations Manager of Easton Corporation to help during the merger.”

I watch his face turn stone cold. “Who is stepping in as interim CEO?”

“Stryker Lawson. I haven’t met him yet.” I shrugged. I wasn’t sure how any of this could possibly have caused his change in temper.

“No,” he said.

“What do you mean no? I’ve spoken to Jana. That is the name I was given.”

“I mean, no you can’t take the job. You can’t work with that bastard,” he said, his fists sitting rigidly on the top of the table.

I toyed with my wine glass. We hadn’t ordered, and yet I wanted to leave. “Maybe we should try this again another time before either of us says something we can’t take back.”

Malcolm leaned forward. “You don’t understand. Stryker is my brother.”

Falling back in my seat, my mouth opened and closed, but I couldn’t find words. I’d known Malcolm practically my entire life. Never once in all the years of his friendship had I heard about a brother.