DamonDamon closed the door behind him and dropped down into his chair. He reached over and pressed the speaker phone button."James. Tell me you have some good news. This fucking day is making me want to break open the oldest bottle of brandy I have and drink myself into oblivion." He closed his eyes, praying like hell that James wasn't about to deliver more bad news.Beth walking out of the firm on the pretense of quitting was not only a horrid situation for him personally, but he would be facing one fucked up shit-storm when he got to his father's that evening. Beth was family and no one treated family like it would appear that he treated Beth."Hey man. I read over the audit reports and the recommendations. We're going to rebuild the inventory system using the programs you've noted here. I hired a new general manager for the Florida plant earlier this week. He's on the ball and will give you a call later this week. Thank you for all of your hard work. You’re an invaluable member o
BethanyShe had to get over her depression. It covered everything in a dark gray tint and left her wanting to sit on the couch and stare at the wall. She could cling to a tight facade of indifference when she was out in front of other people, but when she was at home alone, there was no reason to put forth so much effort.The date with Philip the night before should have been fun. He was a great guy and so incredibly safe for her from a relationship perspective. Sadly enough, all she'd done the whole time was talk about Damon, think about him, cry over him... it was disturbing."Stop it," Bethany grumbled angrily as she sat up and tossed her pillow across the room. She'd cried her way through another long night. How long would the pain and sorrow over losing him last? "Forever."She pulled herself out of bed, using her anger as fuel to push herself through a quick shower. She got dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before pulling a sweater over the top of her head. A quick brush
Bethany"I wasn't asking you to." She paused by the door and glanced over her shoulder. "What would you do for love? Would you give up your rights and become whatever your lover wanted you to?""Is he asking that of you or are you forcing yourself to believe a lie to stay protected from possibly the greatest thing you might experience in this life." His gaze darkened. He was pushing at her, and she knew it."Would you change everything, Kendal? That was the question."He pulled his phone from his pocket and glanced down as his expression changed."Yes. I would change everything for the kind of love that promised to sustain me through loss and death, through fear and loneliness. There isn't anything I wouldn't give up for that.""Not even your rules?" Her eyebrow lifted. She had him."Perhaps that's the only thing." He smirked and shook his head. "Get out of here and go mend what you've almost let get broken. It's not worth all that, and if I stand correct, neither you nor Damon have r
Damon“Unbelievable." Damon tossed his cell phone into the seat beside him. Never in a million years had he seen Kendal Tarrington look at a woman so tenderly. The way he held Beth's hands in his teaching auditorium left no doubt in Damon's mind. They were sleeping together. If nothing else, Kendal had feelings for the girl.The agony of thinking that Beth would turn to someone else for affection was enough to cripple him, but it being his closest friend? Kendal was like a fucking brother.Sweat gathered at the edge of his brow as memories crowded into his mind, one after one, each more fucked up than the last."Stop," he whispered and closed his eyes tightly as the sound of his mother's infidelities filled up his mind. How long would he have to carry the burden of knowing what she did? She was gone, and he still carried it around. The dark circle it created on the center of his heart was only growing.Pressing his hand to his chest, he reached up angrily and pulled down the rearview
Damon"All right." Damon squeezed his father's shoulder before walking to the door. It was the perfect time to explain to his dad why love didn't work. Love was great, but without fantastic sex and loads of money to boot, most women would go looking elsewhere. Why would his mother cheat on his dad? He was a great guy. The house was beautiful; they had everything anyone could want, and yet she slept around like a whore. Why?Because the sex was bad, or maybe there wasn't enough of it.Either way, he had promised himself years before that love, wealth, and sex would be the center of his relationship with a woman. There would be an abundance of all three, and then, and only then, she wouldn't cheat on him, or leave him stranded.And yet something was missing with Beth. The money was there. The sex was in extreme abundance, but maybe James was right. Maybe he wasn't showing his love in the right way.He almost felt too tired to figure it out, as if it were worth too much effort."Son."Da
BethanyBethany got to the coffee shop a good forty minutes before she was supposed to meet Philip, but it gave her time to think through how she was going to let him down. The guy was perfect for her, but she wasn't open to thinking about truly dating anyone yet, nor would she be for a long time.Worry continued to swirl in the pit of her stomach over Kendal. Something was wrong. She'd tried calling Matt several times to see if he figured out what was going on yet, but he wasn't answering."Hey, you." Philip's voice caused her to glance up.His dark blond hair was cut short like he assumed Damon wanted it at M&B. He looked good no matter the length of his hair though. Being from Australia, he not only had his sexy accent going for him but the beautiful golden color of his skin, his great smile, hot body, and sweet personality. He was the full package, but it didn't matter. Someone else would grab him up by the time she healed enough to even consider anything more than a friendship.S
Bethany"Mom? You here?" Bethany called out as she walked through the kitchen toward the living room."In here, baby."She turned to walk toward the large master bedroom at the far end of the house. Her mom was standing by the full-length mirror near the bathroom with a pretty white dress hanging in front of her. She turned and smiled."What do you think of this? Too much?"Bethany walked toward her mom and glanced down at the dress. "What's it for?""A dinner party Kent's having with some of his clients. I'm supposed to be there, but I've been begging him to let me out of it.""What?" Bethany chuckled and reached for her mom, pulling her into a tight hug. "You're going to be great there. You always are.""I know, but you know how weird I feel around rich people." She sighed and pulled back. "It's like I'm still dirt-floor poor and scrambling to rub two nickels together.""But you're not, Mom. You have everything anyone could want." Bethany moved back and sat on the edge of the bed."
DamonA million memories assaulted him as he drove toward the hospital. He'd been friends with Kendal since his freshman year of college. Kendal's baby sister, Amanda, was always in the picture because of her MS. It was unfair and didn't make much sense at all, but somehow the girl kept her spirits up no matter what.Damon absently rubbed at his chest as he drove just above the speed limit to reach Kendal's side. How he could have contemplated Bethany cheating with Kendal was a clear sign that he had a problem. Not all women were his mother, and the sooner he realized that, the better."Maybe I've gone about this shit all wrong." He pulled into the parking lot at the hospital and turned off the car, sitting in the silence for a few minutes. The situation with him and Beth would have to be resolved and soon. The look on her beautiful face told him that it wasn't going to take some massive change to bring them back together. She was worried about him the minute she saw his face.She did