The Property Brokers by Sandi Lynn

Chapter 30

Bella

I opened my eyes and wiped the crust that had formed on them while I slept. Looking at the clock it was two p.m. I had slept seven more hours since this morning. Picking up my phone from the nightstand, I had several missed calls, voicemails, and text messages from clients and brokers. Opening my voicemail, I scrolled down until I found Ami’s message and put it on speaker. As I was listening, Grant stood in the doorway.

“Hey girl, you must be seriously busy making millions of dollars in commission right now. We’re just about to board the plane and head home. We had the best time, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. Hope you and baby Marcus are doing well. I’ll touch base when we land.”

Placing my hands over my face, I started to sob.

“Come here,” Grant spoke in a soft voice as he sat down on the bed and wrapped his arms around me. “You’re going to get through this. I promise.”

“I don’t know how,” I cried.

“It’s going to take time. You’re a strong woman, Bella. One of the strongest women I’ve ever known, and you will find a way. And I’ll be right here to help you.”

A couple hours later, I climbed out of bed, took a hot shower and changed into different pajamas. Walking out into the living area, I saw Grant was on the phone and Duchess was sitting in his lap. I couldn’t help but smile as I sat down, and Duchess came walking over to me.

“That was Cody,” Grant said. “You sold another three apartments at the West 21 building. Look at that, you’re not even working right now and you’re still selling.” He gave me a wink. “You must be starving because you haven’t eaten all day. That’s not going to fly as long as I’m around. I’ll make you or order anything you want. Name it.”

“I’m not really hungry.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to force feed you.” His brow arched.

“Fine. I’ll have some scrambled eggs and toast. No butter.”

“Okay.” He jumped up from the couch. “By the way, Ami and Lamar are on their way over.”

“What? Did you tell them?”

“No. But Ami called me while you were in the shower because she couldn’t get a hold of you, and she was worried. She heard me tell Duchess to get off the counter and then she started grilling me with questions. She demanded to know why I was here and why you were in the shower in the middle of the afternoon. All I said was that you weren’t feeling well. She’s not stupid, Bella. I’m sure she figured it out and she’s worried. You can’t keep this from her.”

“I don’t intend to. But they just got back, and she has her own things to do. She doesn’t need to worry about me right now.”

“She’s your best friend, and that’s what best friends do. You would be the same way.”

“I know.” I let out a sigh. “How did you get different clothes?” I asked as I noticed his outfit was different from yesterday.

“I had Tom go to my penthouse and bring me a change of clothes while you were sleeping.”

“You could have left and got them yourself.”

“Nah. That’s what assistants are for.” The corners of his mouth curved upward.

As I was picking at the food Grant made, there was a knock on the door.

“That’s probably Ami and Lamar,” he said as he got up from the couch and went to the door.

“Where is she?” I heard Ami’s voice.

“On the couch.”

When she saw me, she stopped dead in her tracks and stared at me for a moment with a sadness across her face. The tears in my eyes started to fall and she knew. She ran over and wrapped her arms around me and held me tight. We both cried and then went into the bedroom and shut the door.

* * *

Grant

“I feel so bad for her,” Lamar said.

“Me too. You want a beer?” I asked as I opened the refrigerator.

“Sure. Hey there, pretty kitty,” he spoke as he bent down and picked Duchess up. “Wow. She’s a beauty. How are you handling this? You don’t really like cats.”

“We had a talk last night. I set some boundaries.”

“And she’s listening to you?” His brow arched.

“No.” I laughed as I handed him his beer. “The cat is obsessed with me. She won’t leave me alone.”

“And how is she any different than all the other women who have been in your life?”

“Very funny.”

“How are you holding up?”

“It’s tough. Even though the baby wasn’t mine, I still feel it. You know?”

“It’s because you’re in love with Bella and you see what it’s done to her. Don’t even try denying it.”

“I’m not denying it. I never fell out of love with her and honestly, it scares the fuck out of me. Taking care of her and comforting her just came naturally. I don’t care about anything else in this world except her, and I would do anything to take her pain away and make her happy again. This isn’t me, Lamar.”

“It is you, Grant. She brings out the best in you. You need to stop letting what your mom did control your life. You are not her. Bella was the first girl you ever let your guard down with and that’s why you didn’t call her. Damn, man, you were a miserable fuck for so long after you got back. And I bet you still have that picture of the two of you in your desk drawer. Let it go, bro. You deserve a life of happiness, and you deserve someone as special as Bella. She was your one and only love. Don’t let her get away a second time. If you do, I might have to end our friendship.” He took a sip of his beer.

“You would do that? Seriously?”

“Damn right I would. And you know why? Because you’re being dumb, and I don’t hang around with dumb people.”

“Shut the fuck up.” I smiled as I lightly punched his arm.

I looked over and Bella and Ami walked into the living room. After she gave Bella a hug, I walked her and Lamar to the door.

“We talked, and she’s in a really bad place right now. It’s going to take some time for her to feel somewhat normal again. If you don’t think you can deal with it or take care of her, I will,” she spoke in a serious tone.

“I am, and I will take care of her, Ami.”

“Okay. I’m placing my trust in you, Grant.”

“You don’t have to worry. You have my word.”

I shut the door, walked over to the couch and sat down next to Bella.

“I’m not going to ask you if you’re okay, because I know you’re not. And it’s okay not to be okay. I have something for you.”

“You do?” Her sad eyes stared at me.

“Wait right here.”

I unzipped the black duffle bag I set in the corner and pulled out a long pink velvet box.

“I should have given you this fourteen years ago.”

She looked down at the box and slowly opened the lid. Placing her hand over her mouth she looked up at me in shock.

“Do you remember that?” I asked.

“This is the bracelet I fell in love with when we went to that market in Maui. Grant, how—”

“I bought it for you the day you left. I knew your birthday was two weeks later and I was going to give it to you then. But I never ended up calling you.” I looked away in shame.

“You kept it all this time?”

“I guess I had some sort of hope that I would be able to give it to you someday.”

“I don’t know what to say except thank you. I love it.” She leaned in and brushed her lips against mine. “Can you help me put it on?”

“Of course.”

I hooked the freshwater pearl bracelet with the plumeria clasp around her wrist and held it.

“I want to tell you the real reason why I never called you like I promised.”

“Okay,” she softly spoke.

“There was something I never told you about my mother,” I paused for a moment, “I haven’t seen or heard from her in twenty years.”

“What?” Her brows furrowed.

“I was ten years old. The day my mother left she had asked my dad if he could pick me up from school because she had an errand to run. He did, and when we got home, there was note on the kitchen table. She said she wasn’t happy, and she was going to find herself. She told us she was sorry, but she had to do what was best for her and for us. She said she couldn’t make us happy if she wasn’t happy. We haven’t seen her since.”

“Oh my God, Grant. I’m so sorry.”

“My mother leaving destroyed me emotionally. And she destroyed my father. He started drinking heavily after she left. I’d never seen him like that before. He was a mess. So not only was I trying to deal with my feelings, but I was also trying to take care of my dad. I saw how powerful love was and not in a good way. The destruction she left behind has always been with me. I made a vow the night I picked up my drunken father off the floor and put him to bed that I would never fall in love and subject myself to that kind of pain again. Then I saw you sitting by the pool in Hawaii in your black and pink bikini, and I just thought you were another pretty girl. But then after we talked and spent all that time together, I felt things I couldn’t comprehend. It scared me, Bella. It scared me down to my soul. The day you left, I went and bought that bracelet because I knew how much you loved it, and I was planning on giving it to you. But the more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t risk getting hurt or hurting you. I knew you’d be upset for a while, but you’d eventually get over it. It was easier that way. At least in my fucked-up head.”