Page 40 of Dream Girl Drama

They were in love, he and Chloe. Deep, twisted, enduring love. They hadn’t said the words out loud, but their actions spoke for themselves. She showed up to every game, she lit up whenever he walked into the room, when she had a bad day, she called him. Cried into his neck. Called him with good news, too. Celebrated by popping champagne into the phone and begging him to come over and dance with her. She was everything joyful and sacred in his life.

And he wanted to marry her more than he wanted to live.

Sig took his phone out of the cupholder and texted his father.

I’m outside. Need to talk.

A light came on in the upstairs window a few seconds later, followed by Harvey’s silhouette peering down at the circular driveway.

Impatience gnawed at Sig’s gut.

Dammit, he’d been so confident that this relationship between Harvey and Sofia would fizzle out before a wedding could even take place. They were still together, though. Happy, too, according to Chloe. Had Sofia’s lawyers simply not done a thorough job of investigating Harvey’s past? If he had, wouldn’t Harvey be out on his ear by now?

If Sofia’s lawyers had come up empty, would Niko have no luck, too?

Sig didn’t know, but there was one avenue he’d yet to take—and it was a long shot. Nonetheless, he was taking that shot tonight.

His future with Chloe was at stake and he was getting desperate.

As soon as Sig saw Harvey emerge from the house in a robe, rubbing his hands together against the cold, Sig climbed out of the truck and walked in the direction of his father. They met at the side of the fountain, Harvey eyeballing him like he’d lost his mind. Maybe he had.

“It’s the middle of the night. Is something wrong? Is Chloe okay?”

Jesus, the mere suggestion that something could be wrong with Chloe made Sig’s stomach pitch sideways, upsetting the bricks he’d been carrying around all night. “She’s fine. I’m sure she’s sleeping in the glow of the Home Shopping Network right now.”

Harvey ceased blowing warm air into his hands. “How do you know how she sleeps?”

“I know because she told me,” Sig responded in a hard tone. “Don’t make implications about my relationship with her. You don’t know the first thing about it.”

“I know you’re too close to the woman who will one day be your stepsister.” Harvey paused, his expression wary. Scrutinizing. “She calls to speak with her mother and you’re all she talks about.”

Sig tried to keep his features neutral, but he could barely swallow after hearing that.

Why was he hedging the truth, though? Hadn’t he come here tonight to plead for his life? It burned to beg this man for anything. He’d do whatever it took to stop this wedding, though. Not only so he could be with Chloe, but so this man couldn’t potentially deplete another woman’s finances under the guise of being a loving husband.

“Fine.” Sig shifted right to left, crossing his arms tight to his chest. As if to mitigate the physical cost of saying the next partout loud. “There is something between me and Chloe. I won’t pretend that isn’t true.”

Harvey slowly closed his eyes. “Jesus Christ.”

“We met at the country club when my truck broke down that night. A lot happened before we... knew. I was shocked to see her playing the harp when I showed up. She didn’t expect me to be your son, either. It’s a fucked-up situation, but...” He had to stop so he could struggle through the detonations going off in his chest. They were being set off by talking about his feelings for Chloe openly. Out loud. God, it felt great. Scary, though, considering it might not make a difference to the man standing in front of him. “But there’snothingfucked-up or wrong about me and Chloe, okay?”

“Isn’t there?” Harvey snapped.

“No.” Sig shook his head. “It’s the purest thing I’ve ever felt in my life. It’s like I’ve loved her since I took my first breath.”

“Love,” Harvey said flatly. “Youloveher?”

“Iexistfor her.” Sig’s lungs shrunk to the size of straws, air scarcely passing through them in a rattle. “I’ve never asked you for anything in my life... Father. I’ll never ask you for anything again. Except for right now. I’m asking you not to marry Sofia. I know you won’t admit out loud that she’s nothing more than a mark to you, but if that’s the case, I’m asking you to please move on. Please. Pick someone else.”

When Sig had admitted to existing for Chloe, he could have sworn his father’s eyes had softened. They were hard now, however. Glittering with irritation in the moonlight. “You still really believe I’m just here to con Sofia out of her money.” Harvey took a stiff step in his son’s direction. “If the heinous shit you believe about me were true, don’t you think Sofia’s high-powered estate lawyer would have found it? Nothing about my past set off alarm bells. The report came back squeaky-clean. Sorry to disappoint you.”

There was Sig’s confirmation. Sofia’s lawyershadconcluded their investigation.

Squeaky-clean. Was this man’s depravity all in Sig’s head? No. No, he’d lived through the poverty this man had inflicted on his mother. Experienced it himself.

“Sig, I’m in love with Sofia as much as you’re apparently in love with Chloe.”

Impossible. He couldn’t feel a fraction of this. He wouldn’t even be standing.

---