Page 5 of Mine to Love
Miles rose and followed two paces behind. He’d have a piece of cake and say his goodbyes. Time to change his attitude, and his approach.
If he crashed and burned, so be it. At least he’d tried.
2
Liberty Blue stared at her ex-husband, doing her best to keep her temper in check when she really wanted to tell him to fuck off. When she moved from Palm Beach to Lighthouse Cove, the goal was to put the past behind her and give her and her brother a fresh start. One that didn’t include her ex-husband or his family.
She should have known Charlie wouldn’t let her go that easily. And now he was using his relationship with her little brother to worm his way into her life.
Fucking asshole.
But she couldn’t break Gabriel’s heart one more time.
The move had been hard enough. He’d been confused by what felt like the suddenness of it, even though she’d been planning it for months. And then there was her request not to continue contact with Charlie. That had been difficult for Gabriel and in the end, she allowed text messages and a few phone calls, but she asked Gabriel not to give Charlie details and she was to be present.
She thought Gabriel had respected her request, but Charlie must have manipulated Gabriel into doing otherwise.
It wasn’t the first time she’d had to deal with people who didn’t honestly care about Gabriel.
Their parents’ betrayal had nearly destroyed them both.
It had taken years for Gabriel to get over that one, and there were moments when he reverted back to the days when he wanted his mom and dad.
More his father than their mother.
She couldn’t blame him for that.
“Come on, Liberty. What’s the big deal?” Charlie smiled that cocky grin that used to make her swoon and giggle like a schoolgirl. Not anymore. He no longer had that kind of hold over her and no man ever would. She’d never fall for that kind of charm again. Charlie was the kind of man who made you believe he cared when he didn’t. He only cared about himself. No one else.
He never thought she’d leave. No one left Charlie Blue. He was the catch of the county. Handsome. Rich. And every girl wanted him.
But he chose the poor girl tasked with taking care of her little brother with autism.
Something to this day she still didn’t understand.
Of course, back then, she thought Charlie had loved her and Gabriel too. He treated them both like they were royalty. And she ate it up.
“I’ve asked you a million times not to stop by unannounced. It confuses Gabriel, especially when I have to ask you to leave.”
“So, ask me to stay for dinner.” He winked. “You know how much I love spending time with Gabriel. And you. I’ve missed you.”
“We got divorced for a reason.”
Charlie narrowed his stare. “If you recall, I didn’t want that divorce and I was willing to do whatever it took, including counseling, which I’m still happy to do. That’s also in part whyI told my father I wanted to be the one to open our new offices here in Lighthouse Cove. I’m here. I’m fighting for us. You’re the one who bailed.”
She knew without a shadow of a doubt that Charlie had to be the one who came up with the idea to open an office here. But what really burned her ass was that this kind of town was not where Charlie wanted to live. He preferred to be where all the money and action was, and that was Palm Beach. Not almost an hour north, where the real estate was far less valuable and the entire vibe was small town and flip-flops, not high society and Chanel. Charlie would get bored with the clientele and what they could afford, not to mention the nightlife that ended at eleven.
If he couldn’t hobnob with the rich and famous, it wasn’t worth it to him, plain and simple.
“We’re over. You need to get that through that thick skull of yours and let me and Gabriel go. That starts by easing yourself out of our lives again so Gabriel can adjust. I’m begging here.”
“I’ve been in his life since your parents up and left you to care for him. He was ten years old.” Charlie inched closer. “I gave you both a home. I took you in and I’m not the one who gave up on us. You did that.”
“Oh, really.” She clutched the side of her sofa. The one she bought at a secondhand store because Charlie was an asshole. Him and his damn prenup. Well, she didn’t need his fucking money. She’d make it on her own. She didn’t need his breadcrumbs and she wasn’t about to take them. They always came with conditions anyway. “You’re honestly going to stand there and forget about the time I found you?—”
“Hey, Liberty, Miles is…” Gabriel came barreling through the front door of her three-bedroom home that she’d managed to purchase with her small divorce settlement. At least she’d managed to get something out of Charlie. Fucker. “Oh, hi, Charlie.” Gabriel’s eyes were wide and he didn’t smile.
Gabriel had always been able to sense the tension in the air, and it affected him deeply.
