The Right Choice(22)
Author: Carly Phillips

And as his excuses turned to pleading, she rose from her chair, obviously too fast because the room began to spin around her and she leaned against the wall for support. Somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to believe the truth. “Are you telling me you cheated on me?” Carly needed to hear the words.

“You didn’t know?”

“No.” But Mike did. And that, Carly realized, hurt most of all.

She swallowed hard. “Well, I’m only sorry I lost so much sleep agonizing over how to tell you.” She wrapped the remains of her tattered pride around her like a warm cloak, but nothing helped ease the chill inside her heart.

“Carly, please.” He rose and stood beside her.

“Please what?” she asked. “Don’t do this?” She shook her head. “It took everything inside me to do what’s right for both of us, while you never once thought of me.”

“That’s not true.” He placed his hand on her arm.

She shook off his grasp. “Don’t touch me.”

“I’m sorry.”

A brief knock jolted Carly into sudden awareness of her surroundings. She might not agree with how her mother had lived her life, but one lesson Carly had learned well: Keep private things private and never wear your heart on your sleeve. Although she’d never agreed with her mother’s refusal to discuss the pain that rocked their lives, Carly suddenly understood that defense mechanism better than ever before. A lawyer’s office was no place for theatrics or confrontations, and her emotions were hers. Peter didn’t deserve to know how badly his betrayal had hurt her.

The door behind her swung open wide. Mike stood in the door frame. In his standard denim jeans, black T-shirt and hiking boots, he looked sexy and masculine. A man confident in his own skin.

She shook her head. Her conservative ex-fiancé had never stood a chance. With a flash of insight, she realized that Mike appealed to her wilder side. The part she’d tried unsuccessfully to suffocate. To hide.

Seeking comfort from Peter’s admission, and what she viewed as Mike’s betrayal as well as her own, she wrapped her arms around her chest. “What a great time for a family reunion,” she muttered.

“Okay, what the hell’s going on?” Mike asked, his gaze darting between Carly and his brother.

She had no intention of explaining anything to the man who hadn’t seen fit to tell her the truth. Even as he’d spouted all the reasons she shouldn’t marry Peter, he hadn’t revealed the most important one of all.

“Ask your two-timing brother.” Suddenly exhausted, she leaned against the wall once more. “I’ll handle notifying the guests and the caterers and returning gifts.”

The small office felt suffocating. She walked around Mike, ignoring his burning gaze. She’d reached the door when she paused in midstride and glanced at Peter. He looked stricken, but at this moment Carly couldn’t bring herself to care. Nor could she bring herself to reassure him about his partnership. Before finding out about his affair, she’d made sure her decision wouldn’t affect her father’s feelings about Peter.

“One more thing.”

“Yes?” he asked warily.

“Take this.” She twisted her engagement ring off her finger and smacked it into his hand before turning on her heel and storming out of the room.

* * *

Mike started to sprint after Carly, but Peter’s strong grip on his arm halted his departure. He pivoted and came face-to-face with his brother.

“What?” Mike asked. He didn’t want to waste time dealing with Pete.

“The truth. Did you tell her?” For the first time, his composed brother looked shaken.

Though Mike wished he could pity him, the one person he felt for was Carly. “I wish I’d had that honor. Not telling her is something I’ll have to live with.” He prayed it wasn’t too late. “Obviously she’s brighter than you thought.”

Peter groaned, bracing a hand on the doorknob. “No, I’m just a hell of a lot dumber.”

Mike shook his head. “When will you learn, Pete? Things have a way of coming back to haunt you.”

But he needed to speak to Carly, and unless the elevators were slow, she’d had enough of a head start for her to disappear into the crowd. By the time he’d reached the street, the clouds that had looked threatening earlier had erupted in rain showers. In this weather, finding an empty taxi would be damn difficult if not impossible.

He glanced to his right and relief kicked into him. Carly stood on a corner flagging down a cab. He ran, reaching the taxi just as she pulled the car door shut. He rapped on the glass and called her name.

She rolled down the window. “Go away.” Her face was wet with moisture, making it impossible for him to distinguish between raindrops and tears.

“No.” He reached for the handle and opened the door.

She promptly slammed it closed again.

“Have a heart, Carly. It’s wet out here.”

She glared through the half-opened window.

“Have a heart? That’s a joke coming from you.” She smacked her hand down on the inside panel.

He reached for the handle before she could lock the cab door. This time he was prepared for her resistance. His strength was no match for hers and the door flew open wide.

Ignoring her murderous look, he flung his wet body into the seat, forcing her to move over or be crushed. She slid over quickly.

“Wise move,” he said, shutting the door behind him.

Silence greeted him.

Leaning forward, he spoke to the driver. “Seventy-second and Second.”

“Wait.” She tapped the driver and the man turned to look over his shoulder.

“He’s not going with me.” Carly gestured toward Mike.

“The hell I’m not.”

A wide grin encompassed the older man’s face. “Me, I don’t care where we go or how long we sit. The meter’s running.” He patted the metal box. As if on cue, the digital numbers increased.

“I’m in no rush.” Mike shrugged and leaned back in his seat.

She groaned but remained silent. Raindrops pelted the windshield and the cabdriver began whistling.

Mike slicked back his hair with one hand. This was one battle of wills he couldn’t afford to lose. He needed the chance to explain. More important, Carly needed to be with someone who cared.

He glanced at his watch. The meter ticked off another fare increase. The driver switched tunes. Over the off-key whistling, Mike heard a clicking sound and turned. Carly huddled in the corner, arms wrapped around herself, shivering, her teeth chattering. She pushed her wet bangs out of her eyes with one hand before wrapping her arms around her wet body once more.