Page 61 of Risk Assessment
“Yes. Thanks, Josh.” Dylan hung up. He did a circuit of the lobby, so he had the lay of the place fresh in his mind. Then he sat in a chair facing the door so there was no way he would miss Clark. Part of him was worried that Clark would take this opportunity to hurt Raleigh, but he was counting on the man’scuriosity and ambition to keep her safe. Clark wouldn’t give up an opportunity to get ahead.
Dylan was getting antsy sitting there when Jenn hurried across the lobby.
“Jenn,” he called. He’d a question or two to ask her—it was now or never.
She reluctantly moved in his direction.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. “I thought you’d be getting your dress on and stuff.”
She came to a halt directly in front of him. “I had to get a nail fixed,” she said, flashing her blood-red nails at him. They looked like talons. “I’m on my way to my room to finish getting ready now.”
It dawned on him as she stood there that she was his past, and he was done looking back.
Being with Raleigh had shown him that there were better choices out there. A woman of courage who would be a true partner. Even if he’d screwed it up with Raleigh, he knew now that the future was a bright place, not the darkness he’d been imagining. Profound relief flowed through him.
“I hope you’re happy, Jenn. I truly do. You deserve to be happy.”
“Um, thanks.”
“You seem to blame me for something, and you were really upset yesterday. I wanted to apologize for whatever it is. I certainly didn’t mean to do anything to hurt you.” He watched her face very carefully.
“Well, that’s unexpected.” She looked into his eyes. “I appreciate that. Of course, the damage is done, and nothing can change it. No matter how much I might want it to.” She frowned. Then she took a step back and started to turn away.
He caught her arm. “Jenn, I know you don’t really want to marry Andrew and blame me for introducing him to your father.”
The blood left her face. Her mouth opened, but then she closed it again.
“Why did you throw me away, Dylan?” she asked.
The question surprised him. He’d left her because he was a mess and didn’t want to drag her down with him.
“You didn’t even try to talk to me again. Nothing, not even a text after you dumped me. How could you do that to me? I was alone. You should have been there for me.”
Guilt washed over him. She must have seen it on his face because she took a step back.
Suddenly, he saw the whole picture. Andrew had sold his soul to get the girl and the big-time tech career. He was but a pawn in the king’s game. And the queen—he looked down at Jenn—was about to be sacrificed. “Jenn”—he reached out and took her hands—“you don’t have to do this. You don’t have to marry Andrew, not if you don’t want to.”
She laughed bitterly. “Yes, I do. Do you think Daddy will let me get away with not marrying Andrew?”
“Jenn, it’s your life.”
She rolled her eyes. “You never understood, did you? I have to do what Daddy wants. I can’t stand up to him.”
“Yes—”
“No, Dylan—I can’t. If I did, he would cut me off, and I can’t live like that.”
That hit himhard. Here it was in black and white the difference between Jenn and Raleigh. Jenn lacked the courage and the backbone to be her own woman. He understood her so much better now.
He wasn’t willing to give up just yet. “I…I’m so sorry I wasn’t a better boyfriend to you. I cared a lot about you, Jenn. I stilldo. You don’t have to do this. You’re stronger than you think you are.”
She shook her head.
“Postpone the wedding then. Give yourself a chance to figure out whatyouwant.”
“No, Dylan. I can’t stand up to my father…and I’m not sure I want to. Andrew and I will have a bright future together. I’ll be the wife of a tech guru. Daddy is planning on a possible political career for him. So maybe he’ll be a congressman or senator or even the future president. It’s what I was born to do. I won’t throw it all away because I don’t love my husband. That would be stupid.” She shook her head at him, something like pity on her face. “I hope you enjoyed the wedding weekend, Dylan. I doubt our paths will cross again.” With that, she turned on her heel and disappeared across the lobby.
All he could think about was how lucky he was he hadn’t ended up with her. It occurred to him again how different Jenn and Raleigh were. Raleigh had been put in the same position by her parents, but she’d bucked their attempt to control her. She was a fighter. Her spirit was one of the things that had drawn him to her.
