Unbreak Me (6 page)

“How can you sit there and say that?”

“Connor, you know that Marissa won’t wait forever, but she is the one you need to focus on. She’s the kind of woman you need, not some girl who happened to walk into your life. It was a chance meeting, but it’s not real.” Mark stood, walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink. “By all means, fuck her as much as you want if it helps get whatever this is out of your system, then do what you have to do. But you need to get some perspective. Besides, your family would never allow an outsider to come along and destroy all their plans—you know that.”

Connor looked at his friend, completely dumbfounded. “We both know that’s not how I function.”

“Then you need to re-evaluate your choices. Is this
Molly
Ellison material? Would she cut it in the world we live in?”

“I told you, I’m done with it all,” Connor shouted. “Why can’t you just listen to me, Mark, instead of judging her, writing her off before she’s even had a chance?”

“Because if this girl means anything to you, you will spare her any pain. You and I both know Eleanor would eat her up and spit her out. Could you live with that?”

Connor knew Mark was right. His mother would never allow any kind of relationship to flourish, especially if it had not been orchestrated by her. She had chosen exactly whom her children would marry and would stop at nothing to make sure the family’s bloodline was strong and not tainted with the likes of Molly.

“I’m willing to risk anything to be with her,” Connor muttered as he stood looking out of his bay window. “If you’re my friend, Mark, you will help me. Don’t judge me, okay?”

“Man, I’ve never judged you in my life. How long have we been friends? In all that time, have I ever treated you like your opinion didn’t matter?” Mark sounded hurt. “You were there for me through some pretty shitty times—I don’t forget—but you need to be sure that you know what you’re doing.”

“I need to know if there is something worth fighting for with her. If she doesn’t want me, then I’ll walk away, but I can’t not try.”

“Then you’ve got my support. But you need to fix this thing with your folks soon, because the press isn’t going to leave you alone.” Mark walked over beside Connor and looked at his friend. “Connor, as your friend and attorney, you need to prepare a statement, take some control of the situation before it blows up.”

Connor sighed and ran a hand down over his face. “I guess I’d better do a little damage control of my own.”

Chapter Eight

Molly cried as she sat on the bathroom floor. She felt weak, stupid and dirty. She couldn’t get over the fact that she had allowed herself to fall for him so quickly. It wasn’t meant to be this way. Not for her. Things had moved too fast and it didn’t bode well with her insecurities.

She rubbed her eyes and sat in silence for a moment before deciding on facing the day ahead. It was at times like this when she craved a drink the most. She wanted to kill the pain, numb the feelings and eradicate the sense of filth running through her. Everything she’d thought she had control of was lost in a single moment with Connor.

Who am I kidding?
she tormented herself.

She had nothing to offer a relationship. Everything she touched died or was destroyed. She couldn’t face the prospect of letting down her guard, only to have her heart broken. She’d been hurt and humiliated too many times in her life, and she wasn’t about to let someone like Connor come along and turn everything she had built for herself upside down.

She composed herself and tied up her hair, avoiding having to look at herself in the mirror. There were days that she hated her reflection and today was one of them.

Molly closed the door behind her, walked into the kitchen and scrolled through her phone until she found Connor’s number, blocking and deleting him. As much as it hurt doing that, she knew it was for the best.

Just as she put the phone back on the counter, she saw the two cups of unfinished hot chocolate and her heart sank.

“Stupid moron,” she scolded herself as she lifted the cups, pouring the contents down the drain and aching inside as the memory of their intimate encounter flashed through her mind.

A knock on the door startled her and she jolted, dropping one of the cups in the sink, smashing it. “For crying out loud.”

The knock came again.

Molly ran to the door and opened it. In front of her was a delivery man with a huge bouquet of flowers.

“Delivery for Molly Rice.” He handed the flowers to her and left the foyer.

Molly closed the door and smelled the fresh arrangement as she saw a small gold envelope sealed on to the side of the organza bow. Setting the flowers down on the counter, she opened the envelope, taking out the small card inside.

I’m sorry.

Connor XO

Molly’s heart sank as she read the words. Was he purposely trying to destroy her? Angry and vexed, she lifted the flowers, grabbed her keys and left her home.

The scent alone was beautiful. There was no denying that Connor had taste. But how many times would she have to reject him before he got the message? She wasn’t ready for what he wanted and she needed to make sure he understood.

Molly drove for the best part of an hour, but didn’t know where she was going or what she was doing. Not until she realized she was sitting at a bar, looking into the full glass of wine, contemplating that first sip.

She sat there, frozen, just watching the red claret teasing her, willing her to drink it.

“It’s not gonna bite,” a voice said from behind the bar.

Looking up, Molly felt drained. She wasn’t in the mood for idle conversation. “I don’t know what I’m doing here.” She trembled, holding on to the stool to stop from losing her balance.

“It’s the perfect place to drown your sorrows,” the blonde bartender said as she filled a shot glass with vodka and downed it straight. “And I’m guessing you have some serious shit to drown.”

“No, not really,” Molly muttered as the thirst burned in the back of her throat. “This was a mistake.” She panicked as she grabbed her bag and fled the bar. Outside, she leaned against the wall of a nearby pawn shop and cried. “You stupid fool,” she whispered to herself as she caught the glares of a few passersby, looking at her as though she were insane.

With shaking hands, she lifted out her phone from her purse and called the only one who knew how much she was struggling. “Jenna…” she cried. “I think I need that pep talk.” She crouched down on the ground, resting her head on her hand as she tried to control her breathing.

“Where are you?” Jenna asked.

“It’s okay. I didn’t touch the liquor…but I think I’m gonna break.”

“Are you able to stop by my place?”

Molly wiped her eyes and gazed up at the blue sky, squinting from the radiant light of the sun, and the familiar pang of guilt swept through her. “Yeah, I’ll be there soon.”

The short drive to Jenna and Barry’s comfortable home was one mixed with apprehension and growing anxiety. Not once had she thought about the implications of taking that drink. How she’d have set herself back months, and not to mention the disappointment she’d cause Jenna and everyone else in her AA group.

Molly parked outside the two-story home. She sat in silence, gathering her thoughts before walking up to the front door, leaving herself open for scrutiny and indignation.

Barry answered, welcoming her with a hug. “It’s okay, sweetie.” He held on to her tightly as she cried. So much relief from a single embrace. The caring nature was enough to calm the mental strain that had overtaken her.

“Come on in, I’ve fixed you two something to devour in the den,” he said as he ushered her in through the front door.

“I’m so sorry about this.”

“What have I told you before? If ever in doubt, you call us, otherwise Jenna would be failing in her role as sponsor and friend.”

“I know,” Molly whispered. “I just… I don’t know. I allowed him to get under my skin.”

“Hey,” Jenna called as she walked up to Molly. Gazing at Molly, Jenna placed her hands on either side of her shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze. “You did the right thing calling me.”

Jenna closed the door to the den and sat on her favorite chair while Molly threw herself on the couch, lifting a cushion and holding it under her chin.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. I just flipped. The poor guy never stood a chance with me.”

Jenna poured the coffee into the cups then lifted hers and gestured for Molly to help herself.

“I take it that things progressed?” Jenna inquired, trying not to pry too much.

Shrugging, Molly shook her head. “I was such a fool.”

“How?”

“I don’t know… I let my guard down.”

“Molly, look at me,” Jenna said. “You deserve to be happy. You don’t need to keep punishing yourself for what has happened in the past. You have paid the ultimate price for what your father did to you. Don’t you think it’s time to allow nature to take its course and allow someone into your heart?”

“But that would mean revealing all the dirty, sordid details about my past and I’m not sure he’d want me after that.”

“You are a silly girl, but I understand completely,” Jenna sympathized. “Listen, do you like this guy?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Then why not give him a chance?”

“Because he’s the guy everyone is talking about… The guy from the bridge the other night. That’s why I missed the meeting. I was the one who called it in and stayed with him until the cops came.”

Jenna’s eyebrows raised as her mouth opened, unsure of what to say. Then a smile spread across her face. “And you’ve been beating yourself up over this?”

“No,” Molly replied. “I’m afraid that if we fall too deep, we’re heading straight for disaster.”

“But you won’t know unless you try.”

“It’s pretty obvious that we’re both fucked up. I mean, he’s got issues, and let’s not even begin to scratch at my problems. It couldn’t possibly work out.”

“What would Aggie say if she were here?”

That made Molly sit up straight and she knew she was right. There would be no way Aggie would sit back and allow her to wallow in so much self-doubt and deprecation. Aggie would have encouraged the thought of a blossoming relationship.

“We both know what she’d say,” Molly responded as she looked down into the coffee swirling around in the cup. “But she’s not here.”

“Don’t be such a defeatist. Look at it from this angle—if you had never stepped in, stopped him taking his own life, you’d have never faced the opportunity of finding that someone who could complete you.” Jenna made a fair point.

“So, you suggest I give him a chance?”

“I do. Otherwise you are going to beat yourself up over this in many months or years to come. Don’t let the chance pass you by, honey.”

“And ignore the fact that I nearly had a drink today?”

Getting up from her seat, Jenna walked around the small coffee table and sat down beside Molly. “No, we don’t ignore that, we address that.”

“I was so close to taking that drink,” Molly cried.

“But you didn’t. You left, and you called me, which tells me you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for,” Jenna said as she touched her shoulder. “I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but sobriety is a lifelong commitment. To allow your addiction to stop you from moving on, and living your life, would be unfair to you.”

“So you’re saying to take a chance?”

“Absolutely. I am living proof there is life after addiction. You just have to work at it,” Jenna said, her smile warm and genuine.

“Then I guess I should apologize to him.”

“That, my dear, would be a start.”

Chapter Nine

The gym was quiet, which meant less chance of having to make idle conversation with any of the patrons eager to poke their noses in his business. Not that he had much chance of avoiding it. The local press coverage meant that it was slightly impossible to hide, so he began to slip back into his old routine, only altering the times he went to the gym, or out for his morning paper. Simple things that eased the burden of facing the same questions time after time.

Mark had made sure that his statement went out simultaneously as the news broke about the fall of the Lanscorp merger. He watched the stock fluctuate on the markets and knew that his father would have been spitting fire. Avoiding the ridicule of his parents was one thing, but to hear the hushed conversations between his siblings was harder to stomach.

Running fast on the treadmill, Connor didn’t hear the door to the gym open. He was too focused on ridding his body from the tension and mind from all the clutter.

Connor’s heart pounded hard. His breathing was fast and sharp as he concentrated on the last few miles, only to have a hand touch the handrail, making him stop.

“So this is where you’ve been skulking?”

“Marissa!”

Lifting the towel, he rubbed the sweat from his brow as he took a swig of water from his bottle, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

“You’ve been ignoring my calls, Connor, why’s that?” Running her long red fingernails along the bar of the treadmill, she tilted her head to the side, waiting for an answer.

“I’ve been keeping a low profile.”

“Is there something you need to get off your chest, darling?” Marissa was far from concerned. She was more worried about saving face and not being associated with someone who had a delicate constitution.

“Nope,” Connor replied as he stepped down from the treadmill, walked over to the water fountain and refilled his sports bottle. “Besides, shouldn’t you be sunning yourself in the Bahamas?”

“Well, yes, I was, but once Daddy called, filling me in on the events, I had to come home,” she remarked as she followed him. “And what kind of girlfriend would I be if I weren’t here for you in your hour of need?”

“Marissa, we’ve discussed this before—we’re not in a relationship.” Connor rolled his eyes before looking at her, watching the scowl appear on her perfectly made-up face.

“You are such a pig, Connor Ellison.”