Page 92 of Her Brother's Billionaire Best Friend

“The truth,” Laura whispered. Even if I felt betrayed, even if I was angry at her, I couldn’t fault the bravery of this woman. She had nerves of steel to stand here and talk to me. What kept her? Why didn’t she run away?

“About what?”

“You.”

“And what is the truth?”

“I don’t KNOW, Lucien!” Laura’s voice was frayed with desperation. It was like the string holding her taut had broken, and now she was blushing, tears coming to the surface of her blue eyes where they glittered. “I just don’t know. And that’s what’s so goddamn awful about it. I never know. You always just keep it a secret. You never tell anyone about yourself…”

“Laura,” I said desperately, pleading with her. “You have to understand. This is who I am now. This is where I’m supposed to be.”

“What does that mean? Who were you before!” said Laura desperately.

“I told you,” I said. “I was in the SEALS.”

“And before then? Where did you grow up? What are your parent’s names?” said Laura, as she crossed from behind the desk to stand in front of me. “Do you have anyone at all? Anyone who knows you? Really knows you?”

“No,” I muttered. “But that’s good, Laura. Look, I was…I’m me, I’m Lucien, see?” I raised my hands and gripped the open neck of my shirt. “It’s me, Lucien.”

Laura pursed her lips. She lowered her head and shook it slowly. “That’s not enough,” she said. “You know it, Lucien. You know it as well as I do. It’ll never be enough.”

“Laura,” I said, and stepped towards her, but she stepped back.

“Who are you?” she said, one last time. And I was sick of it, sick of her acting like she had a right to know who I was, as if it wasn’t her fault that I was somebody else.

I turned away.

“This is all I am, Laura,” I said. “And if you don’t like it, then get out.”

I stepped through into her office, looking at the papers and the books. Slowly, I began to clean up. But I couldn’t concentrate on what I was doing. Only listen to the sobbing and the tears which came from the other room. Until eventually, I heard Laura step out of the office and down the stairs, and the door slammed, and I turned and threw the files into the book case, watching the paper spill onto the floor, figures and numbers and spreadsheets and stocks, and none of it meaning a thing to me any more.

Chapter 31

Laura

When I got back to the house, the tears had subsided a bit, but I was distraught. Lucien had thrown me out for good this time. I knew he wouldn’t want to see me again, not now that I’d pried too deep, that I’d confessed my part in sneaking into his house.

The way he’d turned his head away from me had filled me with horror and shame. The man who’d saved my son’s life—who’d saved my life—had turned his back on me at last. The awful heartbreak of it all was too much.

But at the same time, my tears weren’t just because of what Lucien had said. I knew there was something now, something he didn’t want to tell me and something I didn’t want to know, a secret for which I hungered eagerly, and one which could explain the mess we were in.

David and Kyle were out when I got back, and as I slammed the door closed, I sunk to the bottom of the door and let the tears fall. Maybe this was for the best. Maybe now that Lucien knew we’d been working together against him he’d leave us alone. We’d leave him alone. And I could get out of this damn town, this place where I’d been sent against my will and against all common sense.

And yet, if that was the way things ended between us, how could I ever forgive myself. How could Kyle ever forgive me? He worshipped Lucien. And they’d been close. Closer than Kyle had ever been with any adult man.

It was like Lucien was Kyle’s father. Like Lucien was…

As I sat there fretting, the doorbell rang. At first, I assumed it was Lucien. But I didn’t want to talk to him now. “Go away!” I said.

“Well, my my,” said a familiar voice. “Somebody’s changed their tune, huh?”

MOM?

I stood up and opened the door. It was Tracey. As I saw her she looked concerned at the tears in my eyes. “Laura?” she said quietly. “What is it?”

“Mom?” I said in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“I said I’d come by, didn’t I?” said Tracey gruffly. “You got time to talk, Laura?”