Page 10 of Bargaining

“I said I’m fine.” My voice came out sharper than I’d intended.

He folded his arms. The picture of nonchalance, if it wasn’t for the tension in his jaw. My head pounded. My hangover was kicking in. I’d never felt more wretched. The lump in my throat was as sharp as an arrow.

“Thank you for coming all this way. Dad would have appreciated it. I’ll see you around.”

A small smirk pulled at his lips.

“Something funny?”

He shook his head. He’d probably never been dismissed before. It looked like it had amused him. This Cole Thorner probably had his employees sniveling and quaking in his wake. Maybe I should have apologized, but I just wanted this conversation to be done. He cleared his throat. The weight of some unspoken words flickered in his eyes before he gave me a curt nod and disappeared. It shouldn’t have surprised me. Disappearing was Cole Thorner’s specialty.

Chapter 5

Cole

Twelve years previous

“You didn’t have to do all this.”

Charlotte dug into the hamper and laid out more and more food on the picnic blanket. “It’s nothing.”

I grabbed a chunk of crumbly homemade shortbread and sat back to admire the view of the stone houses in the valley below. The moor stretched around us, stark and beautiful. The gentle bleats of sheep drifted on air crisp with the tang of cut grass.

I’d miss nothing about school, but I’d miss all of this. Ecclesdale was so far removed from everything, it was another planet. I’d been distraught when Dad had sent me up here, but it was a different life. A kind of peace that was impossible to find anywhere else.

Charlotte passed me a soft drink from the cooler. “Your parents are going to take you to The Ritz or somewhere fancy to celebrate tomorrow and I’m here feeding you Scotch eggs and pickled onions.”

The shortbread got caught in my throat and made me cough. Yes, my dad would take me somewhere expensive, but it wouldn’tbe celebration on his mind. Ever since his assistant had rung to tell me Dad was flying in from New York to discuss “something important”, I hadn’t slept. My heart wouldn’t stop pounding at the thought of whatever he was about to drop on me. God only knew what punishment he’d concocted for whatever perceived slight. With Sir Philip Thorner, it could be anything.

The many colorful bracelets on Charlotte’s wrist jangled as she held up her can of lemonade. “A toast. To you and your big clever brain for acing all of your exams. This is it for you now. You’re going to be a history professor, dressed in tweed, in some oak-paneled office.”

“Sounds perfect. Although I’m never going to be able to pull off tweed the way Roy does.” I clinked my can against hers. “And here’s to you on your way to the big city. I can’t wait for my invite to your first big exhibition.”

She gave me a weak smile and sipped her drink.

“What’s the matter? You’re supposed to look happy.”

She pulled her knees up to her chest and retied the lace on her sparkly purple Doc Marten. “Nothing. I’m just freaking out. It’s a lot to process. I feel ...” She chewed her lip and shrugged one shoulder.

I turned to give her my full attention. Surely she wasn’t having second thoughts about art school? “What?”

She blew out a long sigh. “Honestly? Guilty. Tiff hardly ever comes home. I don’t want to leave him on his own. It feels selfish.”

“Roy? He’ll be fine. I’ve never met anyone happier in their own company. He’ll spend his time reading and pottering around and when he finally looks up from his books, you’ll be home for Christmas.”

She picked a daisy and began plucking off the petals. “I know, he’s just been ... off lately. He doesn’t seem himself. I don’t know what it is. Have you noticed him acting ... weird?”

Roy had always been an eccentric. He could give a blow-by-blow account of the Battle of Trafalgar, but he couldn’t make toast without burning it if left unsupervised in the kitchen. “Not really. He’s just Roy.”

“It’s not just Dad.” She swallowed and darted a glance at me. “We won’t see each other much anymore.”

“Oxford is an hour away from London. I told you, you’ll never be able to get rid of me.”

She kept her gaze fixed on the village in the valley below. “It won’t be the same.”

“No, it’s going to be even better. I can’t wait to show you London. You’re going to adore it, and Roy’s already said I can come back and spend Christmas here. It’s not that long.” I poked her in the ribs. “You’re getting out of here. It’s what you’ve always wanted. Life is about to start. You’re allowed to be excited about it, you know.”

She flicked her thick dark-chestnut hair over her shoulder and peered at me. Her voice was soft. “The truth is, I’m going to miss you, that’s all.”