CHAPTER 6
Mila’s honesty was a thorn in Maddox’s side the rest of the day. And he never cared what people thought or said about him. It was all part of the business, and you couldn’t let it get to you. The company had grown since he’d taken over as CEO and that’s what mattered to him.
But Mila telling him pointblank that he was fake replayed over and over in his head and he didn’t know why. Or how to stop it. Especially since he couldn’t deny it was true sometimes. He did what he needed to do. He knew Jalen didn’t approve, or his sister, Nikki. But nothing they’d ever said cut through him like Mila’s words.
Part of him was relieved Mila was gone. But another part regretted it. Still, he knew there was no reason to keep thinking about her. It was over and he could move on.
As he returned to the hotel lobby, Mila’s mother came tittering over in her espadrilles with a worried look on her face. “I hope you two haven’t parted on bad terms,” she said.
Maddox didn’t flinch. “Of course not.” He even half smiled. “It’s all behind us now.”
“Oh, good.” Her shoulders drooped in relief. “Mila can be rather stubborn when she wants to be. But I’m glad to know it’s all been smoothed over.” She had no idea.
“No worries,” he told her without missing a beat.
“You’ll still be at our wedding?” she asked eagerly.
“I wouldn’t miss it.” Even if it meant having another run-in with her daughter.
Her face lit up as she squeezed her straw bag. “We’ll see you there.”
He smiled and she twittered away. Maddox wanted to tell her that whatever aspirations she had for her daughter, she might as well give up. That woman would not play ball to nab a rich husband.
Strangely, the thought of marrying Mila wasn’t as repulsive as it should’ve been. But that was probably his eyes talking. He still couldn’t deny Mila was attractive.
With his job in Hawaii over, he returned home to San Francisco until Danny’s wedding.
Mila had barely settled back in at home in New York when Jackson showed up at her apartment, which had never happened before.
He was upset that he couldn’t reach her, but Mila had something else on her mind.
“Are you engaged?” she asked as they stood in the living room. She’d expected more of a ramp to this part of the conversation, but he’d launched into what he wanted immediately.
Jackson looked startled. “Why would you ask that?”
Mila met his eyes. “Someone told me you were and when I looked it up, it appears they’re right. But I want to hear it from you. Is it true?”
He stared at her as he hesitated. Finally, Jackson swallowed and said, “Yes. It’s true.”
Maddox’s words that she was nothing more than a side dish made her stomach roil. She nodded slowly. “Then we don’t have anything to talk about. You have no right to be upset that I was away. And you don’t need to come to see me again.” It was tougher to say than she expected. Did that mean she had feelings for him?
“Mila–”
“I don’t want excuses.” Mila stared straight into his pleading eyes. “You should have told me.”
Jackson inhaled slowly like taking her in for the last time. Without another word, he turned and left.
Once the door clicked shut, Mila crumpled onto the floor. She’d assumed too much and trusted him without thinking.
Even worse, she wasn’t heartbroken. She was just disappointed. In him, and herself. She should have realized something was amok from the start. He’d always kept his distance and it was odd. But maybe she never analyzed it because she didn’t care enough one way or another.
Once her mother and Danny returned, though, Mila’s concerns had to fade into the background as the wedding fast approached.
She had dress fittings for herself and her mother and an array of other wedding-related things her mother insisted she come along for.
The cherry on top was the “bachelorette” party. It wouldn’t have been so bad except that Danny’s daughter, Tiffany, was invited and she cornered Mila at her first opportunity.
“I’ve been dying to talk to you,” Tiffany said as if they were besties now. “Rumor has it you showed Maddox Cross the door. Is it true?”
Mila doubted that Tiffany only wanted some gossip. “Since I only met him briefly, I couldn’t possibly do that.”
Tiffany pouted and smacked her arm playfully like they were old friends. “There must be more to it than that, Mimi.”
Mila side-eyed her. Mimi? Did this woman seriously think she looked like a Mimi? “Afraid not.”
Tiffany edged closer and whispered, “So you didn’t smack him in public?”
Mila paused–briefly. But it was too long.