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  “It’s only money,” he said defensively. “It doesn’t define me as a person. I never wanted that. And up until four months ago, my name probably would have meant nothing to you. It’s only because of my supposed disappearance, and the way the media have been droning on and on about it, that the name Arthur Vallen has become so mainstream. I can assure you, I never wanted that kind of fame.”

  “When you said you weren’t like other guys our age, you really weren’t kidding, were you?”

  “No,” he answered, “and not necessarily because of the money, but because my life is in danger. Well, that and the fact that I was only pretending to be a high-school student, and most guys our age actually are, but…” he trailed off, shrugging his shoulders.

  “I know. Issy told me,” she replied. “Is everything going to be okay?”

  “I don’t really know what’s going to happen, but I can tell you this, it was never, ever my intention to get you involved in this, and you can’t begin to imagine how sorry I am. God, Layla, if I could undo this…”

  “I don’t blame you for that,” she responded, feeling pity for him suddenly. ‘This is Jay,’ she thought. Why was she feeling so awkward around him? “A lot of things actually make a little more sense now,” she added, trying to make him feel better.

  “Maybe you don’t blame me, but I blame myself,” he said bitterly. “If I had been strong enough to stay away from you…”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t want you to,” Layla replied, figuring she may as well admit the truth. She let out a deep sigh. “Listen, Jay—” She shook her head. “Do I even still call you that?” she asked.

  “Yes, Layla, that’s what my close friends call me,” he answered.

  She nodded. “Listen, Jay, what’s done is done. I don’t see any point in you beating yourself up over that now, okay?”

  “Thanks,” he said, smiling sadly.

  “But what are we going to do?” she asked.

  “We’re going to my home in Greenwich initially,” he explained. “The problem is that those men more than likely know about my place there, so we can’t stay there indefinitely, but—”

  “What?” she screeched. “I know I can’t stay there indefinitely. Unlike you, I have school to go to.”

  “Layla, understand that you cannot return home until it’s completely safe for you to do so,” he said firmly. “And if that takes weeks, then we’re just going to have to come up with an elaborate lie as to why you need to take some time off.”

  “That should be no problem for you,” she said then instantly realized how that accusation sounded. She felt terrible when she noticed how he flinched. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for,” she amended.

  “Not entirely,” he mumbled.

  “No, that’s really not what I meant,” she added. “I just meant that it seems easy for you to hide away if need be.”

  “Apparently, not well enough,” he stated. “Layla, I just feel so bad about all of this.”

  “Look, that’s pointless. Like I said, I didn’t want you to stay away from me,” she said again. “If you want to know the truth, I was heartbroken when you told me that the situation between us was a mistake. It hurt me very badly.” What the heck? She may as well confess her feelings. Seeing him sitting there looking so sad and dejected, was almost too much for her to bear. She looked around the cabin, awestruck by the serenity. “This is really beautiful,” she said in an effort to lighten the mood. “It’s like heaven.”

  “Yeah, that’s the effect we were shooting for,” he replied. “Actually, it was really Issy’s idea. She figured that since we were going to be up in the sky…”

  “It’s fabulous,” Layla gushed.

  Jay reached over and took her hand in both of his, resting all three on his lap. “Thank you,” he said.

  “For?”

  “For trying to make me feel better,” he replied. “And I just want you to know that what I said tonight, at the dance, I really meant that.”

  “Can I ask you a question about that?”

  “What?” he responded.

  “Why did I get the impression that you were trying to say good-bye to me?” she asked.

  “Because I was,” he admitted, looking up into her eyes.

  Layla nodded.

  “I didn’t know what else to do,” he explained. “I figured I’d just disappear and tell you that my father had a sudden job offer in another state, that we needed to leave right away.”

  “So you asked me to take our relationship slow so that you could disappear on me a week later?” Layla questioned, feeling her temper flare.

  “It was the only way I could keep you out of my life without you thinking I didn’t care about you, or so I thought,” he responded.

  “And you never thought about telling me the truth?” she questioned.

  “Layla…” he bit his lip, trying to think of the right words. “Would you have believed me?”

  “You didn’t really give me the option though, did you?” she pushed.

  “Ben actually suggested that I tell you last week when you were at my house, but I guess I just chickened out like the coward that I am. I guess I made a complete mess out of things. I’m sorry.”

  Layla tried to bury her anger at his attempted betrayal, remembering that she promised Issy she’d go easy on him. But she promised Issy she’d go easy on him for getting her involved in his danger. The fact that he was just going to up and disappear on her was a whole other issue and one that she was absolutely spitting mad at.

  “I can forgive you for not telling me your real identity, but do you have any idea how hurt I would have been if you had called me this weekend and told me you were leaving? Did you even consider what that would do to me?”

  “I assumed that in time you’d move on,” he answered remorsefully.

  Layla barked out one loud sarcastic chuckle and shook her head in disgust.

  “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, irrefutable shame carved on his face.

  Keeping her hand still wrapped in both of his, she turned her head in the opposite direction, trying to see things from his point of view.

  “Layla…” Jay said, trying to get her attention.

  “I’m trying…just give me a few moments,” she requested.

  Was it possible that he didn’t know how attached she’d become? Yes, she concluded it was. She had spent so much time trying to convince herself that she could walk away at any time, she never thought to consider the message she was sending out. She suddenly realized that she was pulling back as much as he was, keeping her distance to a certain degree. He probably had no idea how hurt she would have been until now, until she spelled it out for him. Truth be told, she didn’t even realize how hurt she would have been until now, until she was faced with the notion.

  And then there was the dilemma of trying to fuse together her Jay with the billionaire, of trying to incorporate them together in her mind, and at that moment, her mind was having a hard time getting on board with that.

  They spent the remaining thirty minutes of the flight in complete silence.

  Joey, Issy and Ben sat across the cabin, talking quietly, obviously giving Jay and Layla what privacy they could.

  When the plane landed, they were shuttled into another stretch limo that was waiting on the runway. It suddenly dawned on Layla that while this was luxury to her, Jay must travel this way all the time. And then the realization that she really didn’t know him caused her to feel even more anguish.

  After a twenty-minute ride, the limo turned onto a narrow avenue that led to what Layla assumed was an old European style, fieldstone and stucco, three-story hotel. Large arched windows graced the front in abundance, creating an ultra-elegant look. A three-tiered, stone water fountain sat in the middle of a rounded driveway of rustic block paving in various shades of gray.

  When the limo pulled up in front of the six-paneled Mahogany doors, the driver jumped out of the car and opened the back door for them to exit. “Welcome home,
Mr. Vallen,” he said politely.

  Layla stood in front of the house, awestruck. “This is your home?” she asked, turning to Jay.

  He nodded, looking almost guilty for the display of wealth.

  A man dressed in army fatigues opened one of the large doors. “It’s nice to see you, Jay,” he said, standing aside to let the little group walk past him. “Ben, Joseph, Isabel…” he added as each one walked through.

  “It’s nice to see you too, Rick,” Jay replied. “This is Layla.”

  “Layla,” Rick said, nodding in her direction.

  “Hi,” Layla replied shyly.

  “As soon as you’re settled, I’ll have this place locked down tight.”

  “Thanks, Rick,” Jay said.

  Layla walked into a two-story rotunda entry hall of antique cream and absolute black marble flooring, outlined with a pair of flowing staircases that led to a rounded balcony. “This is…wow…” she muttered.

  “Let me show you to one of the guest rooms,” Jay said taking hold of her elbow and gesturing toward the left staircase. “I’m sure you must be exhausted by now.”

  Layla nodded.

  She allowed Jay to lead her upstairs. She marveled at the expensive looking artwork and the thick, plush carpet covering the second floor. He stopped in front of a door halfway down the long hallway, opened the door, and motioned with his arm for her to enter before him.

  The bedroom, which was more like a suite, featured a king-sized bed with a tufted headboard covered in steel-gray linen, and many overstuffed black and white throw pillows. Contemporary paintings rendered in metallic silvers adorned the walls in abundance, warming up the coolness of the sparse walls with a wealth of color. A cadet gray, velvet couch highlighted a rounded reading nook in the left-hand corner, complete with thirty-two inch flat-screen TV and Bose sound system. An enormous bouquet of white Trilliums sat centered on a round tea table underneath the large bay window.

  “This is lovely,” Layla muttered.

  “You’ll be perfectly safe here tonight,” Jay said reassuringly. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  When he turned to leave, Layla called after him.

  “Yes?” he asked, turning to face her.

  “I’m angry, but I do understand your reasons,” she said then sighed deeply.

  “You do?” he answered, his expression turning hopeful.

  “Yes,” she said, nodding. “Just give me a little time to wrap my head around all this, okay?”

  He walked back to her and took her hand in his. “Take all the time you need,” he said smiling sadly. “And remember, I meant what I said earlier tonight. That was the truest thing I’ve ever said.”

  “I meant it too,” she admitted.

  “I’m really sorry about everything,” he said again, grimacing.

  “I know,” she replied, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. “Good night, Jay.”

  “Good night, Layla,” he replied then turned and left the room.

  Layla knew that she was too exhausted to think about anything else. She was just thankful that she had changed into sweats before that dreadful phone call because there was no sign of pajamas anywhere. All she wanted was to crawl into bed and forget this day ever happened.

  Chapter 15

  When Layla woke the following morning, it took her a while to remember where she was. Confused, she sat up and looked around the suite. Slowly, the events of the previous night came back to her. “Greenwich, Connecticut,” she said out loud, shaking her head.

  The sun was shining through wispy curtains that went all the way from the floor to the ceiling. She pulled the curtains back to reveal French doors that led to a balcony.

  She opened the doors, causing a surge of cold air to blast into the room. She grabbed the heavy duvet off the bed and wrapped it around her then walked out the doors onto the balcony.

  The view was breathtaking.

  A large infinity pool sat enclosed in white cracked marble and was flanked on both sides by small, semi-enclosed structures. One was a Moroccan style lounge pavilion with plush, gold daybeds and round cocktail tables. Gauze curtains adorned the outer rim, held back with light-yellow curtain ties. The other structure was an outdoor living area complete with kitchen and fireplace and three lemon couches arranged in a semi-circle around a tiled table.

  Behind the pool was a well-manicured lawn and beyond that, a large body of water that Layla could only assume was the Long Island Sound.

  She walked back into the room and threw the duvet on the bed then made her way to the bathroom, breathing a sigh of relief when she noticed that there was a bundle of new toothbrushes, still in their packaging, sitting by the side of the sink. She brushed her teeth quickly, threw some water on her face and looked around for a brush to run through her hair.

  When she was as ready as she could be without the rest of her toiletries, and without a change of clothing, she went in search of life.

  Walking down the left staircase to the main floor, she heard laughter coming from what she supposed must be the kitchen, given that it was on the far side of a very large dining room. She followed the laughter and light conversation until she entered the biggest kitchen she’d ever been in. Not one but two islands, crafted from ebony walnut, created an L-shaped centerpiece with dramatic hanging lights that illuminated the heavy bar stools. The cabinets and trim were painted a deep green and contrasted with the marble floor, countertops and backsplash.

  Ben, Joey and Issy were sitting at one of the islands while Jay stood in front of a six burner oven, frying something in a pan.

  “Good afternoon,” Issy called out to Layla. “I was just going to go check on you. We thought you’d never get up.”

  “What do you mean?” Layla asked, sitting on the bar stool to the left of Issy.

  “It’s almost noon,” Issy replied.

  “Wow,” Layla mumbled, shocked that she’d manage to sleep so long. “You do your own cooking here?” she called over to Jay. “I’m surprised.”

  Jay turned and narrowed his eyes in her direction. “Was that sarcasm?” he asked.

  “No, not at all,” Layla admitted. “It just seems weird that you have such a big house with an army dude, and you do your own cooking.”

  “I like to cook,” he said light-heartedly. “I’ve cooked for you before, haven’t I?”

  “Yeah, I suppose…” From the corner of her eye, Layla noticed a sparkle coming from Issy’s left hand, causing a distraction in her train of thought. She quickly turned and took the girl’s hand in hers, staring in awe at the two carat diamond that sat on Issy’s ring finger. “You got…” And then she noticed the thin gold band that rested underneath. “You’re married?” she stammered.

  Issy nodded.

  “How come you didn’t tell me this before?” Layla questioned. “Why would you keep that a secret?”

  “It wasn’t a secret, necessarily,” Issy said quickly. “It just never came up in conversation. I was wearing my wedding ring the last time we hung out.”

  Ben leaned forward in his seat and wiggled the fingers of his left hand in Layla’s direction, revealing a matching gold band. “So was I,” he piped in.

  “You guys are married?” Layla asked again. “You’ve been married this whole time?”

  Issy put up her hands defensively. “We didn’t lie to you. You just never asked.”

  “I think I would have noticed a ring this beautiful,” Layla replied.

  “Yeah, well, I wasn’t wearing my engagement ring before because I’d left it here, but I was wearing the band.”

  “How long?” Layla questioned.

  “You don’t really want to know,” Issy said. “A long time,” she added, enunciating the words while rolling her eyes.

  “Wow,” Layla said. “Why? You must have been only kids when you got married.”

  “I’ve loved her my whole life,” Ben replied, “ever since I was a little boy. I knew I’d never want anyone else, so I saw no point in waiting.�
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  “Yes, but getting her to see it that way was no easy task, was it, my friend?” Jay added, turning to smirk in Ben’s direction.

  “It took just a little persuasion,” Ben admitted.

  “That’s so romantic,” Layla said dreamily.

  “How did you sleep?” Jay asked Layla, turning to face her with an unreadable look on his face.

  “Good,” she said. “And long, apparently.”

  “Yes, I was wondering if that was your normal sleeping habit. I was having doubts about how long it takes Julie to get dressed in the morning, and the real reason why you’re always late for first class.”

  “Unlike you, I don’t lie,” Layla responded then bit on her lip to hide a smile.

  “Oh, man!” Joey blurted out. “She put you in your place, Jay.”

  “Well said, Ms. Sparks,” Ben added, nodding his approval.

  “You so had that coming,” Issy said, looking at Jay apologetically.

  Jay put up his hands in defeat. “I did,” he agreed. “I deserve that and more.” He looked over to Layla then gestured toward himself. “Go on, get it all out of your system.”

  “Is there anything else you’re keeping from me?” she asked bluntly.

  Jay narrowed his eyes slightly while Issy turned quickly toward Ben. Layla thought she heard Ben suck in a sharp breath.

  “Ask me anything?” he said, lifting up his chin defiantly.

  “Why did you bring me here?” she questioned.

  “Because there are some bad men trying to steal something from me, and now they know where you live. They would use you to get to me, to make me hand over my research.”

  “Would you?” she asked.

  “In a heartbeat,” he replied, looking at her as though he was willing her to see the truth in his statement.

  “Why?” she pushed. But suddenly she was no longer playing with him. She felt the depth of his comment and blurted out her question before really giving it any thought.

  “Like I said, I’ve never felt this way about anyone before,” he answered, his stare burning into her.

  “Then why the scheme to disappear on me?” she asked, well aware that their audience of three was looking back and forth between her and Jay as though watching a tennis match.