Damaged Hearts - Monica Murphy

  “Nothing. Why, what is she telling you?” His skeptical gaze lands on me.

  “What is she telling me?” I take a step back, resting a hand on my chest. “Come on, Park. We don’t talk. She doesn’t divulge her secrets to me.”

  He inhales deep, looking like he could breathe fire. “She’s not telling me much either, beyond nagging my ass and trying to get me to drop my plan.”

  “For once, I’m going to have to agree with her.” When he turns to glare at me, I continue. “Be real with yourself and admit it’s not a good idea, Park. Dad’s going to retire soon and leave you the business. Why can’t you be patient and wait him out?”

  “I want it now, that’s why. He’s holding me back. He’s always held me back.” He turns his back to me, his shoulders drooping almost in seeming defeat. “You don’t understand what it’s like, to be his namesake. To be constantly compared to him and feeling like you don’t measure up.”

  He’s right. I don’t know what that’s like. I’m sure it’s a lot of pressure. “Just—reconsider what you’re doing, okay? You’re making a mistake. I don’t want you to regret it.”

  Park actually scoffs. “What, is that some sort of threat?”

  I’m taken aback by the hostility in his voice, and what he actually said. “A threat? No, why the hell would I threaten you?”

  My brother doesn’t have an answer for me.

  Instead, he storms back into the house, slamming the door behind him.

  Jensen

  It is so awkward, hanging out in the Montgomerys’ grand kitchen, watching my very own mother buzz around the room, tasting this, checking that, bugging the catering staff with her incessant hovering, all while swigging away from her very generously sized wineglass. She barely bothered to greet me when Parker brought me and Addie into the kitchen, and the more I watch her, the more queasy I get.

  She literally makes me sick to my stomach.

  “Stuffed mushroom?” Addie practically thrusts the tray of mushrooms in my face and I’m tempted to violently shove them away.

  But I don’t. “Um, no thank you. I’m not very hungry,” I tell her with a wan smile.

  “Oh, that’s too bad. They’re delicious.” Addie pops one in her mouth and sets the tray on the counter.

  “Where’s your boyfriend?” I want to make small talk, anything to avoid Diane. I can’t help but look over at where she’s standing, near the oven, Parker in front of her and both of them talking in low murmurs. They don’t look upset with each other, but I can’t help but let my hackles rise. Their vibe isn’t positive.

  “He’s in the movie room playing video games.” Addie rolls her eyes. “He was so mad at Park earlier when they got into that argument, I figured he can do whatever he wants. I just want him calm and happy.”

  “What were they arguing about?” I ask carefully.

  “I was complaining about Diane trying to keep us from eating the appetizers. I was starving, you know? And so was Trent. So we start grumbling about it, and Park overheard Trent say something about Diane being stingy with the food, and Park lost it. Called my boyfriend an asshole, told him he was going to kick his ass—it was ridiculous. I’m so glad you weren’t there to witness it,” Addie finishes with a little shudder.

  I sort of wish I had witnessed it. “Sounds like maybe Park has other problems on his mind,” I say with a little shrug.

  “Yeah, I guess, but he shouldn’t take it out on Trent, you know? It’s not fair. He blew up over nothing.” Addie checks her phone, biting on her lower lip. “Trent’s texting me. He wants me to come to the screening room. I’ll be right back, okay?”

  Before I can reply, she’s gone.

  “Care for something to drink?”

  I whirl around at the sound of Diane’s voice, my gaze meeting hers, her eyes the same color as mine. That same shade of blue—does she see it? Does she? I do. I see the familiarity even in her overly Botoxed features, the arch of her brows, the angle of her nose. I look like her. I am her, just the younger version.

  But she’s blind to it. Too self-absorbed, too caught up in her own bullshit.

  God, I really cannot stand this woman, yet I want to know more. The conflicting emotions that war within me make me nauseous.

  “Jensen? That’s your name, isn’t it?” The pleasant smile on her face is fake. I see the strain around her eyes, the lack of emotion in their depths. I glance just beyond her shoulder to see Parker standing a few feet away, carefully observing us with a hopeful smile on his face, as if he wishes we could be friends.

  She’s doing this, talking to me, for him. For her husband. Not because she’s kind and wants to reach out. More like she just wants to please Parker.

  I swallow hard, hating how dry my mouth has suddenly become. “Yes, my name is Jensen.”

  “Glass of wine?” She raises a thin, elegantly arched brow. Her cool politeness is a complete contrast to the wickedly mean woman I encountered at Addie’s party. The one who laughed with Park and made fun of me.

  “Yes, that sounds perfect,” I respond, lifting my chin. Going for strong. Probably looking stubborn more than anything else.

  Diane moves about the kitchen, plucking a wineglass from the cabinet, uncorking the already half empty bottle of wine near the sink. She pours me a glass of rosé, then offers it to me with a slight smile. “Enjoy.”

  I take the glass from her with shaky fingers, bringing it to my mouth and gulping down almost half of it in one long swallow. The wine is cold and crisp, and I pray the buzz hits me quick. I’m not sure how much of this I’ll be able to take, pretending to get along with this woman who is really my mother.

  “So tell us, Jensen,” Diane says with a devious little smile as she moves to stand next to Parker. He wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her even closer to his side. The perfect united front. “How did you and Rhett meet?”

  I’m sure the bitch is fully expecting me to scramble while coming up with a lie. She most likely thinks we met at City Lights. She’s probably already convinced I gave Rhett a lap dance, rubbed my crotch against his junk, and poof—it was true love.

  “On campus, at the library,” I tell her.

  “Really?” The doubt in her tone is obvious.

  “Actually, Jens, that’s not true,” Rhett says from behind me as he strolls into the kitchen like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

  I catch sight of the triumphant gleam in Diane’s eyes, and I try my best to keep my expression neutral. I’m sure she thinks I’ve been caught in a horrible lie.

  And I sort of did lie just now, though it wasn’t on purpose.

  “Oh, that’s right. It was at that bar…” My voice drifts when Rhett comes to stand beside me, slinging his arm around my shoulders so we’re the perfect united front too. He’s solid and warm, firmly planted by my side and for once in my life, I don’t feel so alone.

  It’s a heady experience.

  “A bar?” Diane asks, dragging the word out as if she’s scandalized. “How…quaint.”

  “Yeah, it was at that one bar just off campus where everyone hangs out.” Rhett smiles down at me. “She was sitting all alone.”

  Spying on him.

  I send him an adoring look. Not like I’m ever going to admit that.

  “She was so beautiful and looked so damn sad, I had to approach her.” His smile grows as our gazes lock. I don’t like him mentioning the sad part, but too late now. “Turns out she got stood up by her date, meaning his loss was totally my gain.”

  My cheeks go hot. I love it when he’s so sweet, but it’s still a little weird when he’s so sweet to me in front of other people.

  “So that’s all it took?” Diane asks incredulously. “You locked eyes at a bar and you fell madly in love?”

  “Oh no,” I say with a slight shake of my head. “He started talking to me—”

  “Laying on the Montgomery charm, as usual,” he adds, making his father laugh.

  “—and when he wouldn’t stop flirting wi
th me, I bailed on him,” I finish with a sweet smile.

  “What?” Parker looks from Rhett to me, then back to Rhett again. “You left him?”

  “I ran out of the bar.” I lower my voice, like I’m sharing a secret. “I thought he was too pushy.”

  “I bumped into her again at the library a few days later.” He squeezes my shoulders, drops a kiss on my forehead. “My lucky day, right?”

  “Right.” I lean my forehead against his jaw, closing my eyes for the briefest moment, savoring the intoxicating feeling of being a part of something, of belonging somewhere, of belonging to someone.

  When I open my eyes, I catch the open hostility in Diane’s gaze and I don’t look away. I return her measured stare, secure with Rhett by my side, his arm around me, my hand on his chest.

  After all, she’s the one with the messy secret.

  I sneak off to the bathroom after dinner. Yes, I have to pee, but really I wanted to escape the tension still lingering in the dining room. It feels like a hostile environment, and for once in my life, I’m not one of the key players. Park’s shooting visual daggers at his dad, or at Diane. Trent’s shooting daggers at Park. Addie’s shooting daggers at Diane. Rhett’s shooting daggers at Park.

  Parker? He’s oblivious. I pretend to be, but I know what was going on. And I want out, at least for a little while.

  The moment I exit the bathroom, I find Park waiting there for me, that rotten smirk on his face, his arms crossed in front of his barrel chest as he leans against the wall. He eyes me up and down, making me vaguely uncomfortable and thankful I wore jeans and a sweater versus a dress.

  “Déjà vu,” he tells me, like we’re sharing a private joke. “Remember the last time we met at this bathroom?”

  “Not one of your finer moments,” I practically snarl, ready to push past him and make my way back to the dining room, but he stops me, his fingers curling loosely around my upper arm. I glance down at his fingers clinging to my sleeve. “You should let me go.”

  “Talk to me for a moment.” He releases his hold on me. “Please?”

  I doubt he tosses that word around easily.

  “Come on, Jensen. Just give me two minutes.” The pleasantness is gone, replaced by total exasperation.

  Taking a step back from him, I lean against the closed bathroom door and wait for what he has to say.

  “You told Rhett. About our interview.”

  “Of course I did. I couldn’t keep that a secret from him.” I’ve already kept enough.

  “Yet he didn’t run off and tell my father.”

  “No, he didn’t.”

  “Is that because of you? Did you tell him to keep his mouth shut?”

  I slowly shake my head. “Your brother is loyal to a fault.”

  “And I’m—thankful for that.” Park runs a hand through his thick hair, messing it up. He reminds me so much of Rhett in so many little ways, but the way he acts, the things he says, are nothing like Rhett whatsoever. They have similar features, but not exact. Similar builds, but not quite. And they definitely don’t have similar personalities. Park is a snake.

  Rhett is thankfully not.

  “I didn’t ask him to keep quiet, if that’s what you’re trying to find out,” I say. “But if you really think I could go to that interview, find out it was you, and not mention it to Rhett afterward? Then you don’t know me very well.”

  “You’re right. I definitely don’t know you very well. I took a major chance, contacting you like that, trying to get you to work for me.” He flashes me a rueful smile. “Too bad it didn’t work out.”

  “Park, it would’ve never worked out. I can’t cross your father like that. I like him too much,” I say, my voice soft.

  His face turns red and I realize he’s angry. “He’s nice to you just to get under Diane’s skin. You do realize that, right? It’s his way of flirting, of showing his wife he can be with whoever he wants and there’s nothing she can do about it.”

  I’m surprised by his words and the passionate anger behind them. Parker has been nothing but nice to me. He doesn’t flirt. He’s just friendly. He seems genuinely pleased to see Rhett and me together.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I start to walk away, but he stops me again, his fingers gripping my elbow tight.

  “I’ve seen him do this shit before. He’s done it to me and one of my ex-girlfriends. I was serious about that girl. I was in love with her.” Park’s grip goes so tight, it starts to hurt. “Until I found her naked and in bed with my father. That was the end of that relationship.”

  “Park, let go of me.” I jerk out of his hold, rubbing my elbow.

  He doesn’t even acknowledge what I say. His brown eyes have grown so dark, they appear almost black. “Just watch out, Jensen. My father can be very persuasive when he wants to be. He likes them young and pretty, so I’m sure he’s already got you in his sights.”

  His words disgust me. Why does everyone’s accusations and warnings have to do with sex? Why can’t Parker Montgomery like me for who I am to his son? Surely he can look at me as a possible future daughter versus a future conquest.

  I’m so angry at Park, I say the first thing that comes to mind. “Is that why you started the affair with Diane? So you can get back at your dad for having sex with your old girlfriend?”

  Park goes terribly still, his gaze locked on mine, his lips slightly parted. He clears his throat, tilts his head to the side. “What did you just say?”

  I retreat another step, feeling backed into a corner. I should’ve never said that. Should’ve never revealed I know his dirtiest little secret. Turning, I’m about to flee, but yet again he grabs me, this time hooking his arm around my waist and pulling me toward him, my back to his front, shifting his arm so it’s around my neck, so tight I’m afraid he’ll cut off my breathing.

  “He told you, huh? I knew Rhett couldn’t keep his fucking mouth shut.” Park’s lips are right by my ear, his breath hot, his closeness making me shake with fear. His body is rigid, his breathing coming faster and faster as he keeps his grip on me. “You rat me out, I’ll make your life fucking miserable. I’m not messing around either. I mean it. You’re nothing but a little whore my brother found at a strip club.”

  Tears automatically spring to my eyes and I blink hard, trying to get rid of them. I hate that his words hurt so much.

  Park gives me a little shake. “Are you listening? Don’t fuck with me.”

  “I-I won’t say anything.” That was a definite threat. One I don’t want to mess around with.

  “You better not.” He releases me so quickly I almost collapse on the ground. “Better hope you don’t have any major secrets either. You betray me or Diane, and I’m putting you on blast for all the world to see. Mark my fucking words.”

  He leaves me in a rush and I stumble my way back into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind me. I stare at my reflection in the mirror, my face pale, my eyes hollow, my stomach churning.

  I make it to the toilet just in time, losing my entire Thanksgiving dinner with a couple of painful gags. My hands braced on the toilet, I close my eyes against the stinging tears, swallowing with a grimace past the terrible taste in my mouth. God, if Rhett finds out my secrets from Park…

  I’m screwed.

  Rhett

  “I’m sorry Jensen got so ill,” Dad says, clapping me on the back as we stand on the front porch. “I hope she feels better soon.”

  “Maybe she drank too much wine,” Diane suggests in her simpering voice. She’s standing beside Dad, ever the dutiful wife. Maybe Jensen saw too much of that bullshit and it made her feel sick. I know I can barely stomach it. “She needs to learn how to handle her liquor, Rhett. You don’t want some foolish drunk girl in your life. They’re too—risky.”

  Leave it to her to drop insults even after Jensen puked her guts out.

  “She had two glasses, tops,” I mutter, annoyed at Diane’s suggestion. What the hell does she know? “I need t
o go. Jensen’s waiting for me in the car.”

  Trent and Addie already escorted her out there. They were the ones who discovered her stumbling out of the bathroom, her face pale, her hands clutching her stomach. I feel terrible that she got so sick so fast and I wasn’t there to help her.

  What kind of boyfriend am I?

  The moment I climb into the car, I cup Jensen’s cheek. Her skin is cool, her eyes closed, and when I touch her, the faintest smile curves her lips.

  “Thank God you’re here,” she croaks. “Take me home, Rhett.”

  “You want to go back to Savannah’s?” I fire up the car and burn rubber as I pull out of the driveway. I can already hear my father complaining that I left a mark, but right now, I don’t give a shit.

  I need to take care of Jensen.

  “No, take me back to your place.” She reaches out to touch my knee, her fingers warm even through the denim. “Please.”

  I do as she asks, secretly happy that she chose to come back with me. I’m breaking down those walls, one by one. Persistence is key.

  The moment we get back to my house, I escort her in, taking her straight to my bathroom so she can clean up. She brushes her teeth with the toothbrush she left at my place, but she seems tired, a little out of it, and I turn on the shower for her, making sure it’s nice and hot.

  “I’m not a baby,” she says, slapping my hands away when I attempt taking off her sweater. “I can undress myself.”

  I try not to stare as she strips her clothes off, considering her sick state, but damn, her body is perfection. She slides past me and enters the shower, shutting the glass door behind her. There’s not enough steam from the hot water yet, so I can see every inch of her as the water cascades all over her body, and I can’t help but watch her. Admire her. Wish like hell she didn’t feel so awful.

  “You’re a pervert, Rhett Montgomery,” she calls over the steady sound of the water hitting the tile wall.

  “I am.” Yeah, I can’t hide it.

  “I’m sorry I made you leave early.” She sounds contrite.