Page 34 of The Powerful Boss She Craves

Was it wrong to wish that the infection would take Brianna, that she’d just slip away? He’d hoped, for years and years, that she’d recover—medical miracles did happen, after all. But, as he’d aged, he’d prayed that she’d be released from the space she occupied between life and death.

It was no place for someone to live, especially someone as vibrant as Brianna.

Micah felt Ella’s hand rubbing his back, then she linked her fingers with his and led him to the veranda. He sat down on the first piece of furniture he encountered, a four-seater couch, spread his legs and dropped his head, drops of pool water dotting the non-slip tiles.

He heard Ella opening the door to the fridge behind the bar, the snap of a beer bottle cap being removed and then he felt the cold bottle against his bicep.

He took it, downed half the bottle and rested the icy glass against his forehead. Ella sat down next to him, her small shoulder pressing into his upper arm.

She sat there silently, offering him comfort, making no demands for an explanation. But he wanted to tell her, wanted to shine a spotlight on the darkest, scariest time of his life. Somehow, though he knew not how, she’d crow-barred her way into his life, opening doors that were long closed.

‘That was Liyana,’ he explained, sitting up.

‘I gathered,’ Ella quietly responded. ‘She’s stunningly beautiful.’

‘She’s also stunningly high maintenance. We don’t talk,’ Micah admitted. ‘That was the most we’ve spoken in months, maybe years.’

Ella took a sip from her water bottle and didn’t ask the obvious follow-up question: Why? She’d pulled on her tank top but her pretty feet remained bare. He could turn and face her, kiss her until he forgot about Liyana’s news, until he was lost in her. But while that appealed—and always would, he suspected—his urge to unburden himself was stronger than his desire.

Another first.

‘Liyana married my dad six weeks after my mum died. I don’t know if they fell in love quickly or whether they were having an affair before my mum passed away. It’s not something I need an answer to.’

He went on to explain that his father had had a terrible temper, that he’d been incredibly volatile and that, while Jago had tried to keep the peace, or at least tried to avoid the eruptions, he’d run head-first into the volcano. He’d argued, fought and bucked the system.

‘I was a nightmare child,’ he confessed.

‘You were angry and grieving and it doesn’t sound like you were given the time and space to mourn your mum. It sounds like your feelings were dismissed and you were forced to accept the status quo.’ Ella bumped his shoulder. ‘I don’t think you’ve accepted the status quo a day in your life, Le Roux.’

That was true. It was in his nature to question, to dissect. He rarely took anything at face value.

Ella’s hand on his thigh, a gentle squeeze, was her silent way of telling him to continue. ‘The older I got, the more out of control I became. I was the ultimate rich-boy rebel.’

He stopped, not sure if he could carry on. If he told her about The Incident, there would be no going back. He would be sharing with her, someone who was little more than a stranger the event that had defined his life. How would she react? Would she say something trite, or go into a deep psychological analysis? He didn’t want either, he just wanted her to listen, to be on his side, to look at him kindly.

He didn’t know if she would.

‘Who’s Brianna, Micah? And why is she on a feeding tube?’

Micah drained his beer, put the bottle on the table next to him and gripped her hand in his. ‘She was my,our, oldest friend. Her parents were my parents’ best friends and we grew up together. She loved me.’

‘As a sister or as a lover?’

‘Initially, as a sister, but then as we hit our late teens it was obvious that she was in love with me. I didn’t love her like that but, being the young, spoiled bastard I was, I didn’t have any problem with stringing her along. I’d make out with her, then move on to the next girl. I later learned she spent many nights crying over me. I’m not proud of that.

‘But she was the person that I could always talk to about everything. She knew about my relationship with Theo and Liyana, how lost and unloved I felt. Jago was the oldest, and perfect, you know? Bright and sporty, and he worked the system rather than bucking it. Thadie was a ray of sunshine, sweet and lovely. I was the middle child who caused grief. I wasn’t really necessary.’

Ella made a sound in her throat that sounded like disagreement. He stared out at the row of oak trees at the bottom of the garden. He told her about the argument with his dad and Liyana, that Theo’s punch had broken his nose and his need to get out of the house. He explained that he’d called Brianna, had told her that he was heading for a sketchy bar, that he was going to get wasted and stoned.

‘She knew where I was going. I’d told her about the place before. She hated me going there because it was a bad area...the bar was filled with lowlifes and known for vicious fights. At the time, I guess I felt at home there.’

Ella rested her temple on his shoulder.‘Micah.’

‘She told me not to go...begged me to come to her place instead. I cut the call but she kept calling, texting, leaving voice messages. I didn’t read or listen to them, I just wanted to be alone. She blew up my phone and I switched it off.’

‘Did she follow you?’

‘Yeah. She wasn’t an experienced driver and hated driving at night. She had a head-on collision, which resulted in severe neurological brain damage. She’s been in a permanent vegetative state since she was eighteen years old.’

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