Take It All by Alexa Riley

Chapter Fourteen

Rory

Two days later, I’m sitting at The Blue Marlin on the back deck, having a glass of white wine. It’s beautiful out here, and I wanted to watch the sunset over the water. I check my watch for the third time and take another sip.

“Sir, your guest has arrived,” the maître d’ says, and I stand from the table. Behind him, I see Shy Wells approaching the area I have reserved for our meeting.

The maître d’ steps away, and I extend my hand out to Shy. To his credit, he doesn’t flinch as he takes my hand and looks me directly in the eye as he shakes it.

“Thank you for coming,” I say as we both take a seat.

“I was expecting your call after my confrontation with Apollo.” He glances out to the water and then back to me. “The best table on the island, I assume.”

“That’s what I’d like to talk to you about today, Shy.” When he looks at me quizzically, I lean back in my chair. “Your assumptions.”

He presses his lips together, and as the waiter begins to approach, I wave him off. I want to get to the point of this meeting, and I’m sure Shy does too.

“Are you going to warn me to stay away from your son?”

“No.” He’s surprised by this answer. “You told Apollo that you have information about me that isn’t public, something that could ruin my reputation. I’m guessing you think that it would embarrass me or Apollo.”

When he doesn’t confirm or deny, I try a different tactic.

“Why did you agree to meet me here today?”

He’s silent for a long moment before he answers. “Because I don’t want anyone else getting hurt because of the Crew family.”

“And you think that’s what I’ve done? I’ve hurt someone?”

“I know you have,” he snaps, his cheeks flushed.

“You live with your aunt,” I say, and it’s a statement, not a question. Again he looks surprised. “I make it a point to know people on the island because I do a lot of charity work here, and I like to include as many families as possible.”

“Yeah, you like to throw your money around.”

His words are defensive, and I ignore them. “When Apollo mentioned your name, I didn’t recognize it at first, but afterwards it dawned on me. Wells is your last name—your aunt's name.”

“So what?” He looks bored, but I try to give him some grace.

“It’s been so long that I’d forgotten that name. I’d forgotten it was Heather’s family name.” Shy’s jaw hardens. “She mentioned once that it was her mother’s name, but she didn’t use it.”

He looks surprised by my discovery but only for a second before his emotions are sealed off once again.

“I don’t need a lesson in the family tree.” Shy sits forward now, his fist clenched in front of him on the table.

“Heather was secretive about her past, and I didn’t know she had a sister.” I sigh as I look out at the water and then back to him. “She must have told you awful things about me.” When he doesn’t respond, I nod. “Did she tell you I asked her to leave?”

“She told me you kicked her out.” He’s so angry at me, and it looks like he’s been holding on to this for a long time. “She told me all about how you left her with nothing and I had to live with my aunt while she went to work in the city.”

It’s a hard truth to swallow when you find out someone isn’t as perfect as you think they are, and right now, I don’t want to hurt Shy. After my talk with Anna, I looked up Shy, and when I saw him I knew exactly who he was.

He has Heather’s eyes, and once I realized that, then the last name clicked. Knowing how Heather was, I’m sure she wasn’t above manipulating her sister or her son to her advantage. Right now, I just want Shy to know the truth and for him to heal.

“When I met your mother it was a one-night stand, but when she told me she was pregnant I didn’t send her away.” Shy tries to interrupt, and I hold my hand up gently. “Please, let me finish.” After a moment he nods and then I continue. “I made sure she had the best care while she was pregnant and then after she gave birth I had a room made for her on the estate, along with staff and access to whatever she needed.”

“That’s a lie,” he says, but I keep going.

“She was given a car, an allowance, and a free place to stay.” I shake my head. “We knew immediately that a relationship between us would never work, but I wanted to do what we could to raise a child together. It only took a few days before she came to me and asked to leave.” Shy is silent now as he listens. “She said she didn’t want to have a baby and wasn’t ready to be a mother. I thought maybe it was postpartum depression, but she refused any medical care. When I pressed her, she said that she didn’t want the baby and if I didn't take it, she would give him up for adoption.”

“Why should I believe any of this bullshit?”

“The worst thing I ever did was let her go, not because I wanted her, but because it left Apollo without a mother. I should have tried harder to get her to stay for him, but she wouldn’t bend. All she said was she wanted a check and the title to her car.” I shake my head. “I didn’t know what else to do, so I gave it to her.”

“You’re lying.” His brows furrow, and he’s fighting to hear the truth.

“What do I stand to gain by lying?” My question causes him to pause. Reaching down to the briefcase on the floor beside me, I pull out a file with the documents inside. “You don’t know me, so I can’t expect you to take my word for it. I don’t know if I’d believe me if I was in your position, but it’s the truth.”

I place the file in front of him, and he hesitates for a moment before curiosity gets the better of him. Slowly he scans the document and then looks up at me through his lashes before he goes back and turns the page. For a long time there’s only silence between us as he flips the pages. Once he reads the last page, he snaps the file shut and leans back in his chair. His eyes are red at the edges as he looks out over the water.

Part of the reason I chose this table is because it’s private and because it’s peaceful. I knew that if Shy wanted to walk out of here, he could easily get up and leave without causing a scene. But if he wanted to stay, this would give him the space to do so without forcing conversation. He’s quiet for so long, but eventually he looks at me.

“Why would she lie to me?”

“I can’t answer that, but I can make assumptions.” I nod at the file lying between us. “My legal team reached out to her every year until Apollo was eighteen. Every year she refused to see him. I didn’t have any contact with her, and I asked that I not be informed on where she was or what she was doing. Just that my attorney would offer her the ability to be in his life if she changed her mind.” I pause as I wait for his eyes to meet mine. “She never did.”

“My aunt raised me from a baby,” he admits as he looks out on the water again. “I only saw my mom a handful of times, but she always said she couldn’t stay in Craven Cove because of you.” He turns to face me and his eyes are red again. “Because of the Crews.”

“I gave her the money she asked for, and she didn’t come back.” I lean forward again and give him a sympathetic smile. “From what I learned, your birthday is ten months after Apollo.”

His jaw tightens, and I realize this isn’t news to him.

“You knew that Apollo was your half-brother all this time?”

He nods sharply but doesn’t meet my eyes.

“How alone you must have felt.”

“I don’t need your pity,” he snaps.

“It’s not pity. You seem to have done well for yourself. You’re captain of the swim team and have a full ride next year.”

“What’s your point?”

“I’m sad that all this time I never got to know you.” This sentence might surprise him the most as he looks at me with wide eyes. “No matter what your mother did, you’re part of my family.”

“I don’t need any more family.” He pushes his chair back and stands abruptly. “Listen—”

“You don’t have to say anything,” I cut him off, not ready to end this conversation, but knowing it has to stop for now. “My number is in the file, and that’s yours to keep. You can call me anytime.” I want to tell him that if he needs anything I can help, but it feels like that might be insulting him and pushing things too far.

His jaw ticks once more before he gently picks up the folder like it might burn him. “Thank you,” he says quietly, and I stand.

Holding out my hand, I wait until he eventually puts his hand in mine. “Shy,” I say softly and we’re almost eye to eye. “I won’t say a word to anyone about this, okay? Your secrets are not mine to tell.”

He lets out a breath and nods as he turns to leave the restaurant.

I watch him leave, and my heart aches to go after him, to put my arms around him and tell him it will be all right. Maybe one day I can, but that’s not today. The kind of truth he’s just received is a heavy rock to swallow.

“Did you get all that?” I ask as I turn around.

“Yes,” Anna says as she wipes the tears from her eyes.

Without speaking, I pull her into my arms and close my eyes. It’s awful seeing a child being hurt by their parent’s actions and not being able to do anything for them.

We made a plan the other night, and this was step one. I wanted to lay all the cards out on the table for Shy before we went after Heather. Even now I don’t know what she’s capable of, as if hurting her child to get back at me wasn’t low enough.

Once Anna has stopped crying, I take her by the hand and we exit The Blue Marlin.

Now it’s time for the second part of our plan.