Page 112 of Best Year Ever
CHAPTER 41
Rori
Grace ushers me off stage after they’ve closed out the auction portion of the night. The live band is starting to play, but it sounds more muted once we are backstage.
“That went exactly as I hoped,” Grace says with a pleased tone. “Mission accomplished.”
“You think?” I ask, still extremely nervous underneath my hope that Landon will really want to talk to me.
“Oh definitely. Just a gentle nudge, and he wasn’t going to lose that bid,” Grace says. “I know my brother. He’s been hurting the last three weeks, but he’s also still so gone for you. If you’re serious about making this work, I think you will find him wanting the same thing.”
“I want that, I really do,” I reply quickly to her. “I can’t believe you’re being so nice to me. I really appreciate it.”
“Not a problem.” Grace pauses and gives me a small smile. “I believe in second chances, though I didn’t always. My brother deserves the world, and you’re the person he wants, more than anyone I’ve ever seen before. He’s one of the good ones, Rori.”
Recognizing the generosity in everything she’s doing, I nod. “I understand. I’m going to do everything in my power to fix this.”
“Well, let’s get you situated,” she says as she starts to guide me back to the waiting room.
Once we reach the door, she opens it and flips the light switch on. “Hang here for a few minutes, and then I’ll bring him back for the meet and greet.”
I take a seat on a white hardwood chair, the music still emanating in muted tones. My anxiousness starts to increase minute by minute. Will Landon really give me a chance? What if this was all a terrible idea? Will he be angry that I’m here?
I hear a light knock finally, and Grace’s voice comes through as the door to the waiting room opens. “It’s us.”
As the door swings wide and Grace steps into the room, my eyes stay glued to the entrance. Standing there, a shadow memory of the first time I saw him, is Landon.
“Gloria Reilly,” he says in a hard to read tone. “Of all the places you could turn up.”
His face looks stoic, and I can’t tell if he’s upset, pissed, or indifferent. His body is slightly stiff as he stands straight-backed with his hands clasped together in front of him. He’s wearing a perfectly cut suit, muscles filling out the clothing to make a striking silhouette, ensuring that the picture is all the more intimidating.
This Landon, I don’t know how to handle.
“Hi, Landon,” I reply, trying to push as much contriteness into my voice as I can. I don’t know what else to say afterwards, which I can tell Grace notes too.
“Guys, take it slow,” Grace advises. “Landon, I suggest you hear what she has to say. Take as much time as you need. There isn’t a set time for the ‘meet and greet.’”
Within a blink, she’s gone, shutting the door behind her.
I stay locked in on Landon. There are several feet between us, his body language rigid. I peer up at his face, and he has his eyes on a spot towards the back of the room. Likely so he doesn’t have to look at me.
“Landon, I know you’re probably wondering why I’m here.Why Grace is helping me,” I say, still looking up at him even though he’s avoiding eye contact. “I reached out to her because I wanted a chance to talk. And obviously you didn’t text me back yesterday.”
He looks at me then, eyes steeled against showing any emotion. “And so you thought you would just show up tonight? At the gala of all places, and try to get me to bid on you?”
“I didn’t know what to do. I wanted your attention,” I confess, feeling my desperation seep into my words.
“Well, you have it, Rori,” he says, sitting down on the edge of a table near the entrance of the room.
Okay, here I go. It’sall or nothingtime.
This is scary, but it’s time to be completely transparent with him.
I push out the breath I’ve been holding in and tumble full speed ahead.
“The fact is that I messed up so badly three weeks ago. I messedusup. There were so many things going wrong at once, and I took it out on us. On you.”
I pause for a beat, willing him to react in some way, but his face doesn’t budge. “It was immature, unfair, and stupid. So stupid. I can’t tell you enough how sorry I am. What I did was wrong.”
