Forbidden Kiss: Carson Cove Scandals Read online

  If I had to sit in a room and pretend like she was some sort of beloved figure after her ex-husband ruined my family, I would probably lose it…

  I did my best to focus on my next class. The internal struggle over my relationship with Bryant didn’t like being put in the back of my mind, but I needed to pay attention to my professor. He often went on tangents about stuff that wasn’t in the textbook, but the information sometimes made a special appearance on the quiz, or in some sort of assignment we had to do. I normally liked that about his class, but my head just wasn’t in it. I ended up starting the recorder on my phone just so I wouldn’t miss anything.

  One quiz isn’t going to ruin my GPA, but I still don’t want to risk getting a bad grade.

  I was ready to scream for joy when the class ended. My eyes were starting to glaze over, and I just needed a break—and another cup of coffee. I had enough time to make a quick trip to the coffee machine, so I started that way. I made it through my entire first year without paying premium price for whatever watered down mess they called coffee, but it wasn’t the day to worry about that. I took a sip as I walked towards my class, turned the corner—and nearly ran headfirst into someone that was coming from the opposite direction—except it wasn’t just someone—it was Alexis Devereaux. I barely came to an abrupt stop—one more step would have left both of us covered in hot coffee.

  “I’m sorry, I…” I was mid-apology before I realized who I almost spilled coffee on—unfortunately, none of it actually landed on her.

  “Watch where you are going!” She snapped at me, but then her eyes got wide as she realized who had almost run her over. “Taylor…you’re a student—here…”

  “A student that needs to get to class.” I didn’t know what to do but I wanted to get away from her as soon as possible.

  “Not so fast.” Alexis caught my arm before I could scramble and caused some of my coffee to spill on my hand.

  “Let me go.” I shifted my coffee to the other hand and tried to yank my arm free.

  “I’ve been trying to figure out who you were—I was just looking in the wrong place.” A shocked—but rather sinister laugh filled the air. “A student? Bryant is dating a student at Carson Cove University—oh this is so fucking rich.”

  “It doesn’t matter who I am.” My words seethed across my lips.

  “Oh, it matters, darling. It matters a lot.” She continued laughing but leaned towards me. “Do you even know what I can do to a little nothing like you?”

  “Not a damn thing.” My head snapped back.

  “I thought you were some socialite—a spoiled little rich girl with a daddy complex. Now I know what’s really going on and why nobody could tell me who you were.” Alexis shook her head, and the smile immediately turned into a look of pure evil. “You’re out of your fucking league.”

  “Do you really think that? I left on Bryant’s arm—you left with your tail tucked between your legs.” I tried not to show any signs of weakness, but her words were getting to me, even if I didn’t want to admit it.

  “Little girls that play with wolves always get eaten.” Her eyes reflected disdain for my very existence. “Why don’t you just end things with Bryant so that we can put all of this behind us—I’ll consider it a lapse of judgment on your part. Otherwise, I’ll have to put you in your place, and that won’t be pretty—especially now that I know who you really are.”

  “You don’t control my life.” My jaw tensed up, and I tried to keep my composure.

  “Maybe I should pay a visit to my old friend, Dean Richart. I will know everything there is to know about you in less than an hour—and then you’ll regret that day you stumbled into my world. I’m giving you a chance here—end it.”

  “Do you think I’m scared of you?” I leaned forward, but I could feel my knees trying to tremble. “I’m not—I might not come from money, but at least I’m not a stuck up bitch.”

  “Fine. The next time you see me?” Alexis gave me a shove that caused a few people to turn and stare. “You’ll be on your knees begging for mercy—and I’ll be the one on Bryant’s arm. Things are already in motion—but I’m going to enjoy watching you sob when you see just how fucked you really are.”

  Alexis started walking in the opposite direction of the way she was headed when I almost ran into her—she was walking towards Dean Richart’s office. My heart sank into my stomach, and I realized that everyone in the hall had witnessed what happened between us—they were staring at me. I couldn’t find the strength to go to my next class. I walked to the nearest exit, tossed my coffee in the garbage, and didn’t stop walking until I made it to my car.

  “Oh my god…” I stared at the steering wheel and tried to process what had just happened.

  I had no idea what to do. I didn’t want to believe that Alexis Devereaux could ruin my life by talking to Dean Richart—but I had no idea what she was going to tell him. I had worked too hard to have it all come crashing down—and for what? She was mad because Bryant wasn’t interested in her? I stepped on her toes when she was trying to hit on him? It wasn’t like he would have magically fallen in love with her if I hadn’t walked up to them at the art show. Yes, I enjoyed watching someone as privileged as her get shut down while I had a front row seat. I knew I was playing with fire, but I didn’t expect her to be the one that burned me.

  I should have ended things with Bryant when I had the chance. Now it may cost me everything I’ve worked for—losing my friendship with Victoria may be the least of my worries…

  Chapter Sixteen

  Bryant

  I had to cancel a few meetings in the morning so I could talk to my lawyer. He advised me not to buy Alcott Inc. The company was in good shape, but it wasn’t a great investment—it would be a long time before I recouped the money I spent. It wasn’t about that, so I ignored the advice I paid him for, and told him to work with Jon’s lawyer to put together a purchase agreement. Mary’s lawyer would have to agree to the price—it had to be enough to provide her with a fair compensation. She obviously deserved her share of their accumulated wealth—and it was within her right to ask that assets be liquidated if they couldn’t be fairly split—I just hated that their relationship had come down to that.

  “Mr. Benson?” Cassie pushed my door open. “Don’t forget you have that investor call in ten minutes—Danny Fontenot is already waiting on hold.”

  “Thanks,” I sighed and nodded.

  Danny was my newest client, and he seemed to have a very hands-on approach with his investments. There were times when I had my regularly scheduled investor calls and ended up being the only person on the line—most of my clients trusted me or preferred to discuss things in person. Danny had decided to invest in the general fund at Benson Enterprises, which meant the overall health of the company was what turned a profit for him. I still didn’t know how he had gained all of his newfound wealth, but that didn’t matter—the background check said it was legit, so the rest of it wasn’t my business.

  The call didn’t last long, but two other investors joined Danny for the discussion, and there were a few questions about the fund that I had to answer for them. As soon as the call ended, I saw my phone light up with a message from Victoria.

  Victoria: Are you busy?

  Bryant: Yes. Shouldn’t you be in class right now?

  Victoria: One of them got canceled.

  Bryant: Ah, okay. Is there a problem, or can this wait until tonight?

  Victoria: I just wanted to know if you’ve talked to Mom recently.

  Bryant: No. We don’t really talk… Not anymore.

  Victoria: You should call her.

  Bryant: Why? What’s going on?

  Victoria: I don’t think she’s doing well…

  Bryant: Dylan said he talked to her recently. Apparently, she has a new job… I think she’s fine. You can call her if you think there’s a problem.

  Victoria: Will you do it? Please? For me?

  Bryant: It isn’t my place to check in o
n her anymore. I doubt she wants to hear from me anyway.

  Victoria: I still think you should.

  I went round-and-round with Victoria, but neither of one of us were saying anything new. It used to be like that when she was a kid—she would just keep making the same request until we gave in or lost our temper and forced her to back off. I had another meeting scheduled, and I couldn’t keep playing her game, so I finally just caved. One conversation with my ex-wife wasn’t going to kill me, and there was obviously some reason that Victoria thought it was important. I waited until the end of the day to finally pick up my phone, but I didn’t dial Sarah’s number—there was someone else on my mind, and it sure as hell wasn’t my ex-wife.

  Bryant: Any chance I can see you tonight?

  Taylor: No.

  Bryant: Why?

  Taylor: Busy with school.

  Bryant: Tomorrow?

  Taylor: Busy then too.

  Taylor’s answers were short—and quick. She didn’t even think about my request before she declined it. If she was busy with school, I could accept that. I just expected a little more from her response. I thought about addressing my concerns but decided against it. The last thing I wanted was to get into an argument with her, when we could just try to clear the air when we were finally together again. I should have let her say what she had to say when she visited me—I was afraid she was having doubts and tried to erase them. There was a chance it could be something else, and I hoped we could work through whatever it was. I was falling too hard to just let go of her—no matter how complicated our relationship would eventually become.

  If I don’t have Taylor as an excuse to avoid the phone call, I guess I should call Sarah before Victoria decides to grill me about it.

  “Hello?” Sarah’s voice echoed on the other end of the line after less than two rings.

  “Hey Sarah.” I leaned back in my chair. “I—Victoria asked me to call and see if you were okay.”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” Her tone was rigid, but that was kind of expected—we weren’t married anymore.

  “I don’t know,” I sighed. “She must think something is going on.”

  “I have been meaning to call…” Her tone relaxed.

  “Oh?” My eyebrows shot up in surprise.

  Maybe Victoria was right…

  “It’s nothing.” The rigidness returned immediately.

  “If there’s something you want to say to me, just say it. I know we were never very good at this communication thing…” I covered the bottom of my phone and exhaled sharply.

  “There’s something we should discuss, but it’s better if we do it in person,” she sighed into the phone.

  “Is it about the kids? I know Shaina was off the grid for a little while, but I talked to her—she’s fine.” I tilted my head slightly and held the phone against my shoulder.

  “It’s about our family,” her voice cracked. “Do you think you could come see me this weekend? I’d come to Carson Cove, but I have to work…”

  “Uh…” I stammered over my words as I tried to figure out how to respond.

  If I go to the city this weekend, I won’t be able to see Taylor—damn it.

  “Forget it,” she sighed again. “It’s not that important.”

  “If it’s about our family, it’s important.” I leaned forward. “Yeah, I’ll come see you this weekend.”

  “Okay—how about Saturday? Maybe we could meet for lunch?” A hint of hope echoed in her voice—something was definitely off in her responses.

  “That’ll be fine.” I waited for her to say something, but she just ended the call.

  What the fuck? I don’t think she would be so weird about it if she needed to talk to me about the kids…

  I wasn’t going to get anywhere if I tried to make sense of the conversation, so I just tried to put it in the back of my mind as I drove home. One thought did hit me—there was a chance that she was involved with someone—and wanted to tell me that in person. There was no reason for her to discuss it with me. I certainly had no intentions of telling her about Taylor—even if our relationship wasn’t a secret. If that wasn’t it, and it wasn’t an issue with the kids, then I had no idea what the hell she could want to talk to me about. I wished she would have just told me over the phone, so I didn’t have to waste my weekend—and an opportunity to see the woman I was falling for. Our time together was limited enough without an unnecessary trip to the city.

  At this rate, I may not get to see her until next weekend—that’s far too long.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Taylor

  The next day

  I was terrified to go back to school after my encounter with Alexis—I was on pins and needles the entire day. I felt like some of my classmates were staring at me, and I heard a few whispers that suggested people were talking about what happened. I was used to being invisible—and I never wanted to be the center of attention. I made it through two classes, before Melinda cornered me in the hall—I already knew what she was going to ask me.

  “Hey, Taylor…” She grabbed my arm. “Why are people talking about you? Did you—get in some kind of argument with Alexis Devereaux?”

  “It was nothing.” I shook my head back and forth. “I almost spilled coffee on her, and she overreacted.”

  None of that is a lie, but it’s not actually connected in any way.

  “Ah, okay.” She nodded. “Someone said they thought you were arguing about a guy—I told them they were crazy.”

  “A guy?” I feigned a confused shrug. “Yeah, that would be crazy…”

  Melinda believed it was just a weird rumor that was blown out of proportion by people who misunderstood what they heard. She didn’t bring up Bryant’s name—which meant that part of the conversation didn’t register with anyone who saw the exchange. If they had realized I was fighting with Alexis over one of the hottest, richest guys in Carson Cove, then his name would have definitely been part of the rumor. I felt a little better when the day ended without incident. I still wasn’t taking Alexis’ threat lightly, but if there was a problem at school, then Dean Richart would have addressed it immediately.

  Maybe Alexis doesn’t have the kind of power she thinks—her image is certainly tarnished in Carson Cove after everything that Sawyer King did…

  I felt bad about blowing Bryant off when he wanted to see me, and truthfully, I could have gone to see him—but I was terrified of it. I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to end things like I wanted—scared that I would wind up in his bed again when it was a mistake. I couldn’t shake the feelings that were developing for him, and I hated the thought of ending this after Alexis’ threat. I didn’t want to give her the perceived satisfaction of being responsible for the end of our relationship. It had to end, no matter what—but she wasn’t the reason. I certainly didn’t think Bryant was going to fall for her just because our relationship fell apart.

  I drove to my house and was surprised to see my mother’s car in the driveway. It was unusual for her to make it home before I did. I was normally the first one there, followed shortly by Anna if she didn’t have anything going on after school.

  “Mom?” I walked into the house and found my mom in the kitchen—with a glass of wine in front of her.

  “Hey…” She looked up, and I immediately realized she had been crying.

  “What’s wrong!?” I dashed to the table and grabbed her hand as I sat down. “Did something happen!?”

  “I…” Her voice was shaky, and I saw more tears begin to stream down her face. “I got fired today.”

  “Are you serious?” I blinked in surprise. “Why?”

  “My boss wouldn’t tell me…” She reached for her glass of wine and took a sip. “I was walked out by security with no explanation—he said I would be getting a letter from HR.”

  “He can’t do that! They have to tell you what you did…” I shook my head back and forth. “You’ve been working there your whole life!”

  “I felt like som
e kind of criminal. They wouldn’t even let me get my pictures…” She started breaking down, and her words trailed off. “I have no idea what we’re going to do.”

  “We’ll be okay.” I leaned forward and hugged her. “You’ll find something else. I’ll get a job to help if I have to—I’m sure Anna can find something after school, even if it’s part time.”

  “No.” She shook her head back and forth. “Please don’t tell Anna—not yet. I don’t want her to worry.”

  “She’s going to be walking in the door any second…” I looked over my shoulder nervously.

  “I got a message from her earlier. She’s hanging out with friends and won’t be home for dinner,” my mother sighed.

  “Oh…” I nodded. “Mom, we really are going to be okay. I know you loved that job, but you’ve always said you could make more at a bigger company…”

  “If they’ll hire me… I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out what I could have possibly done wrong, and I have no idea what it could be. The only time I’ve seen someone walked out like that was when they were stealing money from the company—I definitely didn’t do that!” She shook her head, and I could tell she was on the verge of totally losing it.

  “I love you.” I leaned over and hugged her. “No matter what…”

  I did my best to comfort my mother. All of my problems stopped being important in an instant. It took almost two hours for her to finally calm down and stop crying. She came up with several theories about why she could have been fired, but none of them made sense—and most of them would have been grounds for a lawsuit if it was the real reason her company let her go. Not knowing was the worst part—there was no way that she could figure it out, and I thought the entire situation was bullshit. Being forced to wait on a letter from HR with no real explanation when she was walked out of the building might as well have been torture.