Page 69 of Never and Always
Chapter 15
Mia watchedGlenn flicking through some files on his desk in thestudy.
She just got back in and had a hard time keeping her cool. The more she thought about all that had happened, the angrier she got withGlenn.
It went back to the same thing when she analyzedit.
Glenn and her parents were all guilty of not being able to see her capability in managing her ownlife.
When her dad tried to get her to go to college and study for the careers he thought would suit her, he never considered what she wanted to do. Since her mother usually went along with her father, Mia thought she was just as much toblame.
When they went berserk over her using her own trust fund to set up her business, that again told her that they didn’t trust her to make her owndecisions.
Those were all actions that would affect the material things she had in her life and her work, but Glenn had played with herheart.
That was worse, and what made it even more so damaging was the deceit and lie behind it. All this time he knew how Nick felt about her and he kept it away from her. He kept Nick away from her. She thought about it all on her way here and was finally able to connect everything that happened that felt unexplained. Like her not knowing that Nick had returned from the Marines years ago and was living here. The reason why she didn’t know that Glenn hadn’t told her. He’d had several opportunities to let her know andhadn’t.
Also, Nick not responding to her letters and losing contact with her when he was away was Glenn, too. Every instance that would have connected them and failed was Glenn. It was allhim.
Glenn looked up as she entered the room and stopped what he was doing to acknowledgeher.
“Hey, where were you all night? I called you a few times.” He looked genuinelyworried.
She walked right up to the desk and stopped in front of him. “I was with Nick.” She just wanted to get straight to thepoint.
He raised his brows and immediately looked annoyed. “Nick? What were you doing withNick?”
“I’m not going to tell you that part. I may tell Claire, though, and give her all the saucy details, so if you really want to know you’ll have to ask her.” She’d never spoken to him like thatbefore.
“Jesus, Mia. What the hell?” His stare bored into her, showing hisrage.
“Yes, what the hell, indeed. Glenn, I used to look up to you. I used to think that you were the one person I could rely on because you could fix everything. But really, the truth is you’re a control freak who tries to bend everyone to your will and threaten them to do what youwant.”
“What has that idiot toldyou?”
Mia let out a little sarcastic laugh. “Idiot? You guys are supposed to be friends. Nick is supposed to be your best friend, Glenn. What’s wrong withyou?”
“Mia, he’s not the kind of man you should be with.” He stood up so quickly that the folder fell off the table and all the paperwork scattered all over thefloor.
“Damn you, Glenn. Damn you, I thought you stooped low when you tried to throw me out when I had nothing, but to hear how you threatened your friend and blamed him for the death of his father made me ashamed of you. And to hear how you kept Nick away from me, made me hate you.Me! I know we’ve had our disagreements in the past, and even at the worst times I never hated you until I heardthat.”
That got him. Telling him she hated him got him and stopped whatever he had been ready to lash out ather.
“Mia—”
She held up her hand to stop him. “No Glenn, don’t talk. I’ve loved Nick my whole life and you stopped him from being with me. Please try and see what you did. You made him feel guilty for his father’s death, and like he wasn’t good enough to be with me. How could you be soevil?”
“I was trying to protect you. I didn’t want him taking advantage of you and hurting you,” he tried to explain but she stopped himagain.
“Nick was the only person who’s ever taken care of me. He’s even protected me and defended me against you. Of anyone I could be with, he was the best person. Just for the fact that he could choose me over you should have told youthat.”
He pursed his lips together and sighed. “I was just looking out foryou.”
“No, you were trying to control. That’s what you were trying to do. I’mleaving.”
“No, Mia, please. Where are you going?” He came around to her but she backedaway.
“We’re done here. I don’t want to talk to you anymore. I don’t, please just leave mealone.”
