Page 54 of Best Laid Plans

"Since when?" Her face contorted with anger. "Since she got here? Are you fucking her, Anson? Are you?"

"I don't cheat," I whispered. Did this woman not know me at all? And I was going to marry her? Christ! I was dumber than I thought I was.

"Yes, you do. You did with me. You think just because you didn't touch her, you didn't betray me? Every time you stared at her, watched her like she was some goddess who dropped down to earth…you cheated on me. I can't imagine what you see in that half—"

"Nova is more than her fucking skin color," I bellowed. "And so are you, and so am I. For God's sake, Bailey, what has Nova ever done to you that you hate her so much?"

"She stole you," she raged, tears rolling down her eyes.

This wasn't going anywhere. I walked to her door. "Stay until the end of next week. Tell everyone whatever you want to tell them."

I knew she wouldn’t want anyone to know she’d been fired. She’d prefer the story to be something like how she didn’t really need the job, that she was just helping me out, and now that the engagement was broken, she couldn’t continue working for me.

"I'll tell everyone you're sleeping with her," she barked.

"You mention Nova's name, even in passing, Bailey, I'll show you what an asshole I can be." My voice was controlled, but Bailey knew me well enough to hear the threat.

She paled slightly but didn't back down. "Do your worst, Anson. You always do—just like you got your ex-girlfriend sexually assaulted because she stole something for you."

As a parting shot, it was a good one because the barb lodged right into my heart and made me bleed. The hurt only grew when I saw Nova wearing her professional mask in my office, clearly only interested in talking about the Sentinel Heights project.

"I've asked Nova to dinner," Diego mentioned after we wrapped up the meeting.

Nova was packing her bag and glared at Diego. It was the first time I'd seen her irritable at work. "I have a long drive, so I'll—"

"No, it's a good idea. I'm starving, and I'm sure you are as well." Diego was giving me a way out to attempt to make it right with Nova, and I was going to take it.

"Come on, Nova. It's early. You'll be on the road by seven, and home by ten at the latest," Diego cajoled.

Nova sighed. "Fine. But I have some calls to make and emails to send out."

"Char will find you a quiet office," Diego offered.

I watched her leave with Diego and wished, not for the first time since I'd seen her again, that she was mine. My anger, my hate…all of it was gone. She'd suffered more than she deserved, and it had been my fault. I'd gone from abused to abuser, thanks to Pete.

I rubbed my hands over my face, feeling utterly exhausted. My confusion about Nova, the projects at Larue Homes, Bailey, my sister and her endless boyfriend drama, and my mother constantly nagging me about setting a wedding date was draining my energy and hurting my soul.

I wasn't the only one who was exhausted. Nova looked just as worn out. She had circles under her eyes. Her light had dimmed a little since I first saw her at Savannah Lace. I wondered if I was to blame. She'd lost weight. It was evident in the blue wrap dress she wore that hung on her instead of cupping her curves. But she still looked good, as she always did. Her shoes weren't exactly party-wear, but they were fun—blue and white Oxford shoes with a heel that made her legs look fucking awesome.

There was a quiet dignity about her that had always attracted me. Even in that hideous Maureen's Diner uniform and cheap sneakers, she looked hot. Now, she was resplendent. Every time I saw her, my dick got hard.

I remembered what she'd said to me in her apartment.

"The trauma of that night is something I still carry to this day. If a man touches me the wrong way, I freak out. Trust me, it's no fun to become a basket case in front of others."

Nova had been a sensual woman despite being a virgin. She'd been, all in all, shy and curious, excited and exciting. I wondered if she had trouble with intimacy after what had happened. Her first lover threw her in jail, where a convicted rapist assaulted her, that didn't translate into positive views about her sexuality. It hurt to think about how her life had irrevocably changed because of me, and not for the better. I had thought about how I had been hurt and betrayed, but now I was confronted with the reality that she was the one who had been hurt and betrayed to a degree I couldn't even imagine.

After helping Nova find a place to work, Diego came back into my office.

He went straight over to the cabinet across the room that hid a small bar. He looked at me, and I nodded. One drink wouldn't hurt. He poured himself a finger of bourbon and did the same for me.

He set my glass in front of me. I picked it up, and we toasted. He stood with his back to the window, looking intently at me.

"The grapevine is already buzzing," he informed me.

I nodded. "Bailey is gonna go into damage control; tell the world that she dumped me or what the fuck ever."

Diego chuckled. "That is the buzz, brother, that you got dumped. But no one believes that, so the added rumor is that you dumped her because of your ex."

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