Page 67 of Come to Me

Things didn’t go any better at dinner with his parents. Patrick sat uncomfortably in the ornate dining room, the heavy silence punctuated only by the clink of silverware against fine china. His parents presided over the table with their usual cool detachment.

“How did the meeting go today,” his father asked, cutting into poached chicken.

“As you’d expect.” Patrick hadn’t listened close enough to give his father details, but he was sure Dak had already sent over the reports to his father.

“You left early,” his father said.

“I went to see Julia.”

His mother’s sharp gaze bore into Patrick. “Why do you waste your time. Business time?”

Patrick bristled at her tone but forced himself to respond evenly. "Julia is still my sister, Mother."

Emilia scoffed, her lips pursing in disdain. "The girl is a criminal, Patrick. Wasting your time and energy on her is nothing short of foolish."

Patrick's grip tightened on his fork. "Julia made a terrible mistake, but she's still a human being deserving of compassion." He didn’t have the energy to confront his parents on their contribution to Julia’s psychopathy. In fact, looking at his parents, he suspected it was in her DNA.

"Compassion?" Emilia's voice dripped with contempt. "That girl forfeited any right to our compassion the moment she ruined our family. You should be focusing your efforts on more productive endeavors - like taking over the family business. Goodness, first you’re traipsing through the woods with God knows who--"

Patrick's jaw tightened. "My time in Virginia was invaluable. I've gained a new perspective on-"

His mother’s brow arched in disdain. "Honestly, Patrick, playing at country living in that backwater resort? It's time you stopped this nonsense. Get your head in the game."

The muscles in Patrick's neck tensed as he fought to control his rising temper. "This 'nonsense,' as you call it was meaningful?—”

“Meaningful?” She scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. That place is nothing more than a quaint distraction. I don’t know how the Prestons stand how Sydney has thrown her life away.”

He might have mentioned how happy Sydney was but knew it would fall on deaf ears.

“Your place is here, in New York, running the family business. Your father and I have indulged your... eccentricities for far too long."

Unable to stomach another moment of his mother's condescension, Patrick abruptly pushed back his chair, the legs scraping against the hardwood floor. "Thank you for dinner. It’s time for me to leave.”

“Well!” his mother exclaimed. He didn’t stick around to hear anything more she might say.

After a car ride home, he stepped into his apartment. It didn’t have the serenity of Kincaid Lake, but it was away from his family. He poured himself a double scotch and walked out onto the terrace of his apartment. Weary, he dropped into a chair and sipped his drink. This was it. This was his life now.

He looked up, his heart clenching that he couldn’t see the stars. The bright lights of the metropolis obscured the night sky, robbing him of the dazzling display of stars he had grown accustomed to. The absence of those twinkling lights felt like a metaphor for the darkness that was consuming his life.

Patrick's gaze drifted to the phone on the table, the screen dark and silent. How he longed to hear Michaela's voice, to feel the warmth of her presence once more. Even the mere thought of her had the power to lift his spirits, to remind him of the simple joys he had discovered in that rustic Virginia haven. And simultaneously, made him feel hallow. Alone.

Reaching for the device, Patrick's fingers hovered over the screen. She’d always been the first to reach out since he left. Tonight, he wouldn’t wait for her message.

He considered calling her, but hearing her voice might break him. Instead, he typed out a message.

Still no stars.

Would she even understand the depth of his yearning? Would she be able to see the loneliness that threatened to consume him?

I wished on a shooting star tonight.

His lips curved into a bittersweet smile. He was about to ask what she wished for, realizing that he wanted her to wish for him. A pang of frustration twisted in his gut. He couldn’t go on living like this. But trapped in the cage of his family's expectations, Patrick felt the weight of his life crushing him until he couldn’t breathe. Trapped. The word replayed in his mind.

There was nothing he could do to change that. And it was abundantly clear that staying in contact with Michaela would only serve to prolong the torment he was feeling at being away from her. Perhaps it was time to sever that connection, to fully embrace the path that had been laid out before him. It was time to say goodbye for good.

CHAPTER 20

Micki sighed as she stared down at her phone, the screen dark and silent. She had sent Patrick a few texts over the past several days, just checking in, but he hadn't responded. Was he okay? Had he purposefully stopped responding? Pain and disappointment tugged at her heart, even as she knew it was probably for the best. Their time together had been magical, but it was always destined to be temporary. Patrick had his own life back in New York, a life that didn't include her. And her life was here. As much as she wished it could be different, she had to accept that.

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