Page 81 of Dream Mates
“It was a very dark time in my life when I met him. After I graduated from university, as you know, Caroline and I broke up, and she went to travel the world. I went to business school–much to my mother’s chagrin, since it wasn’t for accounting. My undergradwasand she wanted me to handle accounts for her company. She said that she didn’t see me actually managing properties, just handling numbers.” My voice went bitter.
No, I wasn’t good enough to follow in her footsteps. My brothers, but not me.
“Oh.” The corners of her lips tugged in a frown as she ran her fingers across the panels.
I put a hand on her shoulder as we left the room and entered the hallway. “She thought my idea for a luxury hotel business was a waste. I’d acquired my first hotel in undergrad and was working on turning it around.”
“You acquired a hotel in college.” Grace nodded. “How?”
“In a card game. I figured out my niche. I acquired partners, invested, and found a corner of the market. Each of my properties are very special. Unique. Private. By the time I graduated from business school, I had three hotels and was considering a fourth. While my mother still thought I’d work for her company, perhaps fold my hotels into it, shewasproud of me. So was my father–and Katie, who was still in law school,” I explained as we walked through the formal dining room. “My older brothers were pretty indifferent.”
But they always had been. There was a decade between them and us. We were not only anoops,but surprise twins. Mother had always wanted a girl, though.
“I’m glad your parents were proud,” she said softly, looking wistful, like she’d never been told that.
“Me, too. Those moments are fleeting with my mother. Anyhow, I graduated with honors. We had a lovely party. Caroline even called me from her travels. Katie and I decided tomeet some friends for a night out. I’d gotten a new car as a gift, and Katie desperately wanted to drive it, so I let her…” I winced, hearing the glass shatter.
Grace put a hand on my arm. “Oh. The car accident.”
“It wasn’t Katie’s fault. It was a drunk driver. I was thrown through the window and onto the expressway. Katie was trapped in the car but ultimately was relatively unscathed. Again, not her fault. The model of the car was new, and the safety system on the passenger side failed.” I looked away as we went into the kitchen, which would need a lot of work to make it into a commercial kitchen.
My fingers ran across the countertop. “Jett was part of the responding team. While Katie was cut out of the car, I was brought to the hospital. I remember him holding my hand and telling me that it would be okay. I recall him being there when I woke up. Unable to move.”
“Oh?” Grace’s arms wrapped around me and for a moment I just let her hug me.
“They told me that I’d probably never walk again. I went from having one of the best days of my life to that worst. That cute beta police officer that smuggled me treats didn’t even help,” I replied as we went into the pantry and wine cellar. It had been crushing to wake up to that news.
“I… I’m so sorry that happened to you.” She squeezed my hand.
I squeezed hers back. “Jett was very persistent. After I was released, I eventually agreed to go on a date with him. We had sparks. Oh, did we ever have sparks. He also was trying to get me to go to therapy, take my meds, do my PT–even sue the car maker, which my mother didn’t want becausewe don't sue.”
Those sparks. When I was still in the hospital, we may have done a few things that could have gotten him fired.
Grace rolled her eyes. “If it was their fault they should pay. So, things with Jett were good?”
“So good. Who would have thought that a beta police officer who boxed and liked spicy food would have been a match for me?” Taking her arm, I led her upstairs.
Much better than I deserved. He gave me a reason totry.Especially since my parents pretty much neglected me after the accident, and initially I was angry with Katie.
One at a time we peeked into the bedrooms, most unfurnished, dusty, and neglected.
With a sigh, I went back to the conversation at hand. “My recovery was long and hard. Sometimes it felt impossible. Eventually, I got so frustrated with everything that I ignored my business–which would’ve failed if not for Terrance. I refused physical therapy. One day I ghosted Jett, because I felt that I had nothing to offer him. He was so amazing, I was nothing. I just… wallowed. My mother suddenly took interest and tried to convince me to move back home–and sign everything over to her so that she couldtake care of mesince I refused to take care of myself,” I confessed. “This would be mostly the assets I’d come into eventually.”
“You ghosted Jett? Poor Jett.” She frowned.
I put my arm around her as we continued the tour. “It was wrong of me. Everything was dark and I couldn’t find the light. I felt like I didn’t deserve him.”
Oh, how I regretted doing that. Everything had felt so bleak and hopeless, why drag him down with me?
Grace buried her face in my chest. “I’m so sorry. What happened?”
“I confided in Katie. For all our differences we were really good friends. I thought maybe, somehow, she could help me.” I winced. “This… this is the part where I understand you being afraid to talk to people. Now, Katie had no malicious intent, shewanted to help me. So, even though I told her not to tell our parents, she did.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “They put you somewhere.”
“Yes, and my mother tried to get me legally under her care. This wasn’t what Katie had in mind. She’d been thinking more of a fancy physical rehabilitation facility where I could learn to walk again and get some counseling. Not a psychiatric unit where they’d try to declare me unfit.” I winced. This was the root of my current issues with Katie–even though it wasn’t her fault. She’d trusted our dad, who apparently regretted bringing our mother into it.
“Oh no.” Concern crossed her face.
