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My mind was reeling from her disclosure. “Then, why me?”
Eyeing me with a sad smile, I saw layers of bravado fall away as she contemplated what she wanted to say. Her eyes darted from my face to her hands and she toyed with the large gemstone again. “Your guess is as good as mine. Until I met you, my life had felt structured, I felt in control, and I had always been careful to protect my feelings.”
“I don’t know what to say,” I remarked dryly and rested my chin on my forearms, my eyes narrowing when I saw her shoulders hunch and her hands cross, hugging her shoulders. I’d pegged Tricia as complicated from the moment we’d met, and I’d been right.
“I didn’t know what to do about you, James.” This statement puzzled me. With her honest admission of how confused she felt, Bradley’s comments, and how genuine she appeared, most the animosity I had built up toward her drained from my body. But that didn’t prevent me from challenging how about how her actions had affected me.
“That little trick you pulled at Hammer’s that day, led to my girlfriend leaving me. Not to mention the rift it caused between Sawyer and I when he thought I had somehow encouraged you to do that.”
“As I said, Billie told me, and I told Sawyer what had happened was all on me. You couldn’t possibly have known I’d do that. Hell, I didn’t know myself I was going to do it, until I followed you in there.”
Incensed by her disclosure, my back stiffened and I sat up straight, gripping the sides of the chair with white knuckles. “You told him what? Sawyer asked you about it?” Blood roared through my veins that my brother hadn’t taken my word as my truth and had pressed her on what had happened in the bathroom.
“No, he must have spoken to Billie about it and then he heard Billie and I arguing when she confronted me that night.” She held her head in her hand. “God, I’m so sorry. Seeing you at that party with that girl made me feel bat-shit crazy.”
“Tricia, you were with a guy, for Christ’s sake.”
“I was,” she replied, glancing sheepishly toward me my until she could no longer do this comfortably. Slowly she stood, nervously threaded her fingers through her hair and walked behind where I sat.
As soon as she went from my view I automatically rose from my chair, turned it around, and sat on it, facing her again. “I didn’t intend to go to Hammer’s housewarming. I knew you would likely be there because of something Hammer said when he’d called to invite me. I lied and declined his invitation and told him I had other commitments. However, as the time grew closer, I had a change of heart. Drayton’s a guy I go to dinner and the theatre with occasionally… he’s a banking contact. I brought him with me as insurance. I just wanted to see you again, but I knew his presence would ensure nothing happened between us.”
“Fuck, Tricia,” I muttered, frustrated with her. “I was with Juliette.”
“As I found out when she cut in on us. I had no idea there was a girl or I’d never have gone. Seeing you with her crushed me. I’d gone to that party with the expectation of having a normal conversation with you, one that would give me closure, but I never accounted for how dejected I felt when I saw you with another woman. Then, as the day went on, I knew how I felt about you was never going to leave me, that’s when my thoughts turned irrational. Cornering you in that bathroom was a desperate move, and I felt ashamed of myself afterward. No one told me you were serious about her, until you did. I drank too much and know I behaved—desperate—it was ridiculous.”
My chest tightened, partly in frustration, but fortunately for her the story Bradley had told me made forgiveness toward her a little easier, and I wanted to know more about her.
“I need something to eat.” I said, needing a break to absorb what I’d learned. Standing up, I walked toward the countertop and paged the valet.
“Tricia, I should hate you… and for a while I did. That night when I left you, I felt you were toxic. The jury is still debating that right now… so now, I’m going to ask you again, what about Bradley?”
