Chapter 142

As Esther leaves the room with Hugo, Hugo’s arm wrapped around Esther’s waist, a deep simmering anger sparks inside of Miles. He tries to push it back into moderate annoyance, but the honest truth of it is, he’s furious as hell.

The wall Hugo stepped in just now… The way he has his arm around Esther’s waist…

They almost looked like a couple.

Miles does his best to ignore the unpleasant feelings that rise from that thought. At the very least, he can’t deal with right now, around so many people – so many reporters. Everyone in this room, other than Selena, would love to make a story of his feelings for Esther.

He cannot give them that chance.

He was careless in the past with Amber, and now he doesn’t have Esther at his side anymore. She suffered far too much fallout, with the news vans parked outside of her house, undoubtedly scaring her children.

All of this was Miles’s fault. He allowed his hubris to dictate his sense. He thought he could handle any hardship that might come their way, and still be able to protect Esther.

He’s succeeded in protecting Esther – mostly – but at what cost?

He’s lost her, likely for good, and he’s engaged to Selena instead.

Even with the engagement, his ego convinced him that he would still be allowed to have both the engagement publically and Esther privately.

He should have known better. He should have known, given Esther’s past, that she would take offense to being relegated as the other woman. Even if that wasn’t his intention.

To him, she’s the only woman.

Selena and Miles say their thank you’s and good bye’s. Even as they are being ushered from the building, Miles keeps his head on a swivel, his eyes ever watchful for the shape of Esther’s body. The tilt of her head. The curious look in her eye.

He missed her terribly. Seeing her today and brought a flash of old happiness alive inside of him once more.

Only for it to be so quickly snuffed out.

He’s still in transition, learning to accept his new lot in life. Before, he had everything he wanted. Now, he realized how easy it was to lose everything.

When they are safely in the backseat of their town car, with the driver accelerating and the partition up between the front seat and the back, Selena turns to Miles, gives him an expectant look, and says, “Well?”

Her brow is lifted. She’s waiting for an answer.

“She wouldn’t see me,” Miles says.

This interview wasn’t entirely a ruse. Miles’s performance has been a bit off lately. His speeches haven’t been as impassioned. This interview was intended to boost him back up in the eye of public opinion.

But that wasn’t the only thing it was supposed to do. There’s a reason that Selena was insistent we have Esther as our interviewer.

Selena has always been a meddler. She’s worried about Miles. That much has been obvious since the start of this whole ordeal.

As Miles’s longtime friend, she even knows the reason why. Miles has never hidden his feelings for Esther from Selena. In fact, he’s made it quite clear from the start that the nature of their relationship would never exceed what it could be on the surface.

That was fine with Selene, who didn’t want to date Miles anyway. All she ever cared about were her causes and charities, and how Miles’s position as president could help elevate those things.

She doesn’t even want to marry him.

Which, again. Fine. She just wants the limelight for a time.

It was the perfect solution to Esther’s reputation issues.

Miles’s engagement, as suspected, took the pressure off of her so her life could return to normal.

The only real casualty here is Miles’s heart.

“Hugo led her away,” Miles says. Remembering that hand curled around Esther’s waist makes his blood boil. He was so possessive. “He was acting like her boyfriend.”

“Oh,” Selena says, just a simple little sound. But it’s enough to claim Miles’s full attention.

“You know something,” Miles says. He’s sure of it. He’s been friends with Selena for years. She’s a pretty good liar, but he knows most of her tells.

“I wouldn’t say I know it…”

“Deflection,” Miles says. “Tell me what it is.”

Selena tilts her head back and forth. Whatever she has to tell him must be really bad for her to delay like this.

“Out with it, Selena,” Miles says.

“When I ran into Esther and Hugo the other day at the restaurant, it was just the two of them,” Selena says. “It almost seemed like they were… on a date.”

“A date?” Miles scoffs. “Hugo and Esther?”

He almost doesn’t want to believe it, but… yes… now that Selena has put the thought into his head, he can see the obvious.

The possessive way Hugo’s arm slid around Esther’s waist. The way Esther didn’t turn away. She almost seemed to expect it…

Like it hasn’t been the first time.

Holy shit.

Hugo and Esther are dating.

I sit in the passenger side as Hugo drives me back to my house. I could have driven myself, but I’m still shaken from having seen Miles. I’m not helpless, but… it’s nice to have company.

I’m not ready to be alone yet.

Which is why when we pull in front of my house, with all of the lights off, my heart sinks down low.

The girls are at Garnar’s for the next few days. No one is waiting for me inside. And because I didn’t realize that I was going to work late this morning, I hadn’t bothered leaving the light on for myself when I left this morning.

The thought of going in there, wandering around in the dark just to find myself alone. It fills me with a sense of trepidation.

Hugo pulls into the driveway, puts the car into park, and looks at me. Whatever he sees in my face has him asking, “You alright?”

“Yes,” I’m quick to reply.

“It’s been a long day,” Hugo says. “Relax and sleep well. The world will look brighter in the morning.”

I want to believe that. I know he’s probably right. How many other terrible days have I suffered just to walk up and keep going again?

As a mother, I can’t break down and cry at the slightest hardship. I’d be crying every day.

Still… If I could push off the inevitable loneliness for just a little while longer.

Looking at Hugo, I find comfort in his kind smile and warm eyes.

“I’m not ready to be alone yet,” I tell him the truth. “Perhaps you’d like to come inside…?”

His eyes go wide as his cheeks flush.

Too slowly, I realize my mistake, but it’s all flashing through me now, coupled with embarrassment.

The way I phrased that, it sounded as if I was asking Hugo to come in for sex.

I open and close my mouth several times in quick succession, floundering like a fish. I need to correct this mistake, but I don’t want to bring too much attention to it. Maybe Hugo isn’t thinking like that at all.

Although his blush…

Hugo looks out the window. He seems utterly determined to avoid looking me in the eye.

“Hugo…”

“Listen, Esther. I know we kissed, but… I thought we agreed to take things slowly.”