Page 31 of Secrets (The Sins Trilogy 2)
“I will. And I have TJ and Wei’s numbers if you’re busy.”
“I’m never too busy for you.” He kisses me, hard, then leaves with a mug full of coffee.
With Tony gone, the penthouse seems much bigger and emptier. Since I have nothing to do—and I’m not quite confident enough to get back into the pool by myself—I practice the piano. I sigh as my fingers move across the keys. People told me, “You’re so good, you can skip a few days and nobody’s going to know.” But I can always tell. Like right now…I’m about half as fluid as I should be.
I should’ve done at least half an hour of practice on Liszt’s “Mazeppa” étude on Saturday and Sunday, because God I’ve lost ground. If the goal is to play like György Cziffra—with minimal pedal, crisp sound and embellished trills—then I’ve got to do better.
The intercom buzzes, pulling me out of my drills. Wiping the sweat off my hairline, I look at the time. It’s about eleven. Tony? No. He’d just walk in.
Sam?
I dismiss the thought as soon as it pops into my head. Tony would’ve made sure Sam and Marty aren’t allowed past the lobby. Maybe it’s Julie stopping by again, determined to drag me out shopping or something.
I hit the speaker. “Yes?”
“Miss, there is a Mr. Byron Pearce to see you.”
Oh.Given how our last phone call went, I don’t really want to talk to him right now. He was so nasty about me being with Tony. On the other hand, he’s one of my closest friends. I can’t just cut him out of my life because of one conversation without giving him a second chance. He was probably just worried Tony was using me because of all that stupid gossip. I just have to set Byron straight, like I did with Julie.
“Sure. Send him up, please.”
Byron arrives a few minutes later. I wasn’t just giving Tony a hard time when I told him Byron is handsome. All that soft brown hair, those laser-blue eyes and perfectly chiseled facial bones make women go crazy. He totally could be a model if he wanted. He even has the body for it. But he isn’t interested in that sort of thing. Just his family empire.
“Hi,” he says when I open the door. He’s dressed in a white polo shirt and khakis, sporting a new tan from having been in Hawaii. In his hands are a bouquet of red roses and some dark chocolate.
“Hi, Byron.” He isn’t starting with the wrongness of my being with Tony, like he did last time. So that’s something.
“Would you mind if I came in?”
“That depends.” I cross my arms, mentally getting ready to set some expectations and boundaries. “If you’re going to tell me how horrible Tony is, then you can turn right around and go back now.”
“Nothing like that. I’m here to apologize for the way I spoke to you.”
Well. This is unexpected.Byron hates being wrong, and I thought he’d at least try to defend his earlier behavior. I step aside to let him in.
He walks past, then stops at the sight of the white baby grand and the music resting on top.
“Tony plays,” I say awkwardly, remembering our brief argument about him wanting to buy a grand piano for me. He said he was going to for Julie, but that was a flimsy excuse.
Byron raises an eyebrow. “I doubt he’s good enough for Liszt.”
I look away, trying to hide my chagrin. Of course Byron would know what I’m working on. He used to play the piano when he was younger, and he can read music. Based on his flat tone, he isn’t really here to apologize, not the way I was hoping. He isn’t going to admit he was wrong about Tony.
He places the flowers and chocolate on the coffee table while I stand with my arms crossed. The anxiety and unhappiness I’m feeling are unfamiliar and weird, like being in a dress that doesn’t fit right. But then, I’ve never felt them toward Byron before. Maybe things are too different now. I can’t forget how angry and patronizing he was when he learned I was with Tony. He didn’t even ask me if I was all right. Just yelled and rebuked me for dating Tony. I never expected Byron to love Tony, but I didn’t expect him to be so negative, either.
“Look, Rizzy, I’m sorry. I was…simply worried. Tony’s reputation is nothing to be proud of, and you are…”
“What?” I want him to spell out exactly what he sees in me that makes being with Tony incompatible. “What am I?”
He shrugs. “Too nice. Too sweet.”
Normally I’d be touched that he thinks so highly of me. But right now, it sounds like a backhanded compliment, a euphemism for “naïve and helpless”—reasons I’m not good enough for someone like Tony. “I’m a big girl, Byron. I can handle myself.”
Byron’s eyebrows pinch. “I heard about Sam trying to ship you off. And that he tried to force things again last week.”
Guess he spoke with Julie before coming over, but maybe she didn’t tell him everything. She always says Byron has a temper, even though he rarely loses it. “So what? I’m still here in L.A.,” I say, my voice hard.
“But are you okay?”
