Page 101 of The Bourbon Bet
Every muscle in my body tenses. Whatever game my brother is playing, I’m not in the mood. Technically, everyone forfeited—I was going to give her the portfolio, but she wasn’t going to take the files. And Thorne went against his rule and showed her the bet. But knowing him, he’ll still try to claim victory.
“What now?” I lean back in my chair, steeling myself.
Daniel holds my gaze for a long moment, then his face breaks into an unexpected smile. “He renewed her lease. Indefinitely.” He hands me a sheet of paper.
I stare at him, certain I’ve misheard. “He did what?”
“Fixed rate, automatic renewal, no termination clause except with her explicit consent. It’s ironclad. I reviewed it myself.” He taps the paperwork. “Seems Thorne might have a soul hidden in that shriveled heart.”
My brother renewed her lease indefinitely. The man I thought I knew wouldn’t have done something so... decent.
“Anyway, even without that unexpected turn, Rosalia would have been okay. Yes, this saves her from having to find a new place, but she now has the money to do so. Like I said, her fundraising efforts are going really well.”
“Why are you keeping tabs on her?” I snap.
Daniel snorts. “Settle down, Jealousy Jones. The woman I’m dating, Anna, works in marketing. You met her at the gala. She’s been helping. Along with a specialist in online services. Oh, and Rosalia’s friend, Paige…” My asshole friend and lawyer smirks, “and her brother Noah.”
A pang of jealousy shoots through me at the mention of the brother, but I force it down. I have no right, not after what I’ve done. “Fine, then give the money to one of her programs. Do the one for adult literacy. That was next on her list.”
“How much?” he asks.
“Enough to cover the whole thing. And do it anonymously.” I instruct.
“Why?”
“I want to take stress off her shoulders, but I don't want her to think I’m trying to buy her forgiveness,” I explain. “This isn’t about getting her back. It’s about supporting something important regardless of whether she ever speaks to me again.”
Daniel studies me. “You’re not going to try to win her back?”
I rub the ache in my chest, that constant reminder of her absence. The pain is physical, like something vital has been torn out. I haven’t eaten a proper meal since that night, and coffee and bourbon are poor substitutes. “I miss her, but given everything we had was built on lies, we won’t work.”
“And you’re going to make sure of that, are you?” he asks sarcastically.
“What the fuck does that mean?” I shout, startling us both. The burst of emotion is unlike me. Running a hand down my tie, I take a deep breath. “I’msorry. That was uncalled for. I shouldn’t have let Thorne talk me into that damn bet, but I did, and once it started, there was no way to stop it.”
“Bullshit. You’re a smart man. You could have found a way out of it. But you didn’t want to.”
I flatten my hands on the desk so they don’t curl into fists. “You know I tried.”
“Barely. And like I said, you’re smart, you could have found a way.” Daniel settles back, his expression softening. “But you couldn’t resist testing her, could you?”
“What are you talking about?” Although a small part of me whispers, I know what he’s going to say.
“You create arbitrary tests for people, expecting them to pass without even knowing they’re being tested. It’s unfair. And it’s holding you back.”
I want to argue, but can’t seem to find a defense.
“Take our friendship,” Daniel continues. “Ever since your divorce, I feel like I’m constantly on trial, having to prove my loyalty to you. It’s exhausting.” He rests his elbows on the table. “I’ve known you for more than a decade. I know what this is about. You want to see if we just want to use you. And that’s understandable, but you’re pushing people who care about you away. The bet was your excuse, your test, this time. You wanted a guarantee she wouldn’t hurt you.”
“Is it so wrong that I want proof she saw me and not the Blackstone name?” I ask, my voice softer, defeated.
“Well, you got it.” Daniel holds my gaze, unflinching. “And because of it, you lost her.”
I look away. Maybe he’s right. Maybe I’ve been setting up scenarios where I test people, but everyone has failed. Even Rosalia.
With the little bit of fight left in me, I say, “Why did she have to accept his deal? We weren’t strangers. She and I were friends. I’d visited her store often.”
“We’ve been over this,” Daniel sighs. “Thorne was offering to save her livelihood. Are you honestly telling me you wouldn’t screw over an acquaintance to save Blackstone Bourbon?”
