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I take the black velvet box from my pocket and place it on a planter box. Without another word, I walk away, listening to Olivia crying my name. JC stops me before I reach the elevator.
“Lucian, don’t leave. Hear her out.”
I shake my head. “It’s not going to happen. She made her choice, and it’s quite apparent why she wouldn’t move in with me. Do you know how long she’s been messing around with him behind my back?”
JC pins me with a look. “Not at all.”
“But you don’t know that for sure.”
I step into the waiting elevator, and the door closes as I see Lexi wrap Olivia into her arms. Having learned before, I’m not going to take the path I went down previously. In fourteen minutes, it’s a new year, and I’m going to start fresh. Manhattan is my city now, and I plan on enjoying all it has to offer.
Yeah, you can tell yourself that, but you know your heart is broken.
I take some time off from Eltech to visit my parents. My father has steadily been expanding Wilton Development over the years, and to date, he recently made his biggest acquisition just before the New Year. He purchased a large parcel of land in the heart of Boston with some crumbling office buildings. He plans to knock them down and rebuild with a mix of commercial and residential spaces.
At their office, he shows me the projected cost of the project and asks my opinion. Because I need something to keep myself occupied, I take a few days to sit down and go over the figures. The numbers bounce around my head like a ping pong ball, making me feel alive while I work.
“I have a proposition for you,” my father says as I work.
“Richard, I don’t want to come back to Boston.”
I’ve told him the purpose of my visit is purely familial, not because I’m having issues with my relationship.
“I’m not saying permanently,” he counters. “How about you travel a few days a month to oversee things? You could still live in Manhattan. With your gorgeous girlfriend, I would think that you wouldn’t want to be away from her for long.”
I exhale loudly. “I don’t know. I need some time to think about this.”
“I’m not asking for an answer right now, but I would like one soon, even if it’s a no. Your mother and I are getting older, and I would like to spend less time in the office and more time enjoying partial retirement.”
“What would my commitment be?”
“Ten days a month.”
“Consecutively?”
“You could commute, maybe two days at a time. Are you working full time at Eltech?”
“No, my schedule is flexible. Zane likes me there for the same reason you want me here. I’m a figures guy.”
“You are a figures guy, and you should have told me that a long time ago. I would never have faulted you if you didn’t want to helm the company. But you could have been CFO.”
I don’t want to mention that I did try to discuss it with him long ago. He wanted me to learn the business inside and out. In doing so, he pulled me away from my true calling. The only good that came out of this place during my time here was Cassie.
“I’ll think about it. You know why I couldn’t stay here.”
“I understand, Lucian. Losing someone is never easy.”
“It’s not, and it hasn’t been.”
In my head, I wonder if I’m talking about the past or the present. Olivia has tried to contact me, but I don’t want to hear what she has to say. I saw it play out this time. She can’t lie her way out.
“As much as I want you to be with me in the office each day, I know I can’t force you. I always dreamed of one of you boys taking over the business. I drove Noah away, and I pushed you where you didn’t want to be. I’m sorry.”
My father’s admission shocks me. The Richard Wilton I know wouldn’t have admitted his mistake. He would have just run roughshod around me until I gave in.
“Dad, I know. I appreciate you saying that.”
We hug, and I feel better, at least for this part of my life.
