Tague fell into another lull. She didn’t push him this time, just let him sort out what he wanted to say. How much, how little.
Finally, he told her, “After almost a year together and she’d graduated, I was going to propose to her. But one day, she just disappeared. All of her clothes were gone from her apartment, the lease had been paid in full, and no forwarding address had been given. There was, however, a note for me.”
L.L.’s brow knitted. “Which said?”
“That she’d accepted a position in London, it was over between us and not to contact her. Ever.”
“Oh, my God.” L.L. swiveled in the tub so that she could see Tague’s face. It was impassive, though she caught the tinge of anger rimming his dark irises. “Why would she do that?”
“Because she sold out. To my parents.”
“I don’t—” L.L. shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“They paid her off. To get her out of my life. Two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand dollars. My mother was all-too happy to show me the cashed check.”
L.L. was stunned. It took a minute for her to collect herself. Then she said, “Your parents would actually do something that heinous? When you were in love? When you were planning to propose?”
He nodded.
“And Renee accepted the money.” L.L. simply couldn’t comprehend it. On top of that… “A quarter of a million was worth leaving you? Worth giving into your parents and severing the ties with you?”
“Apparently so.” His tone was flat, holding no inflection. Though it was quite clear in his eyes that the betrayal from all sides still cut deep.
“Tague.” She gingerly ran her fingertips along the hard angles of his face, hoping to soften them a little. If at all possible. “I’m so sorry. You were right about that being a double-whammy. I cannot imagine parents conspiring against their kid like that.”
“It’s not exactly a new world order,” he pointed out. “Though, it does take one by surprise. And makes them infinitely wiser.”
“More jaded, too,” she said.
He stared at her. Her gaze didn’t falter.
32
“You mentioned that at the club,” he said.
“I wondered what could make a man who seemed to have it all so cynical.”
“Not truly having it all.” He let out a hollow laugh. Shook his head. “This is difficult to verbalize, but—”
Her brow lifted.
Tague chuckled with humor this time. “Okay, you’re thinking, Seriously? Difficult for a lawyer to verbalize?” He gave her a pointed look.
“Exactly.”
“Fine.” His tone turned edgy again. “The truth is, I really held onto the slight. For the longest time, I thought it was Renee that I was so angry and disappointed with, and then I realized that wasn’t the real source of my fury. It was my parents. I was disgusted and irritated that they’d do something so underhanded. That they’d meddle in business that wasn’t theirs. Worse, that they had such little regard for my feelings and happiness that they’d shred them just for the sake of appearances. Because Renee wasn’t their ideal. Not the spitting image of what they believe my wife should represent.”
“That is really shitty,” she agreed.
“Anyway, I’ve clung to that and let it guide me in personal affairs going forward. It’s also fueled my professional success. Or so I thought.”
L.L.’s head tilted to the side. “Not sure what you mean.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders and shifted her so that her back was to his chest again, and she leaned against him. Then his fingers glanced over the intricate knots of her hair and he asked, “How do I undo this?”
“Work the pins and tiny bands underneath.”
He carefully set himself to the task, freeing thick strands.