Chapter 4: The Woman from That Night Said She'd Do Right by Him

Callie snorted. "What is going on? Did Micah Baron go blind? He waited all night and just left without apologizing?" Liana Carver burned with anger and embarrassment. She'd been sure he would come say sorry; she had even rehearsed what she would say. Instead, he'd acted like she was invisible. Words stuck in her throat; her face drained of color. Callie tried to comfort her. "Hang in there, Carver. This is just some guy playing hard to get. If you're the first to cave, you lose." Liana steeled herself. Right, don't back down first. From what she knew of Micah, he'd be back within three days, begging to get back together. That didn't make her any less angry. She ended up downing a few extra drinks. By the time she returned to Moon Lake Residence, she'd completely forgotten Micah had moved out. She came home, kicked off her heels, and collapsed onto the sofa. "Micah, my feet are killing me. Come rub them." No one answered. Her patience thinned; her voice rose. "Micah, are you deaf? My feet hurt!" Still no response. Fuming, Liana kicked the sofa and stomped to the bedroom. She pushed open the door and found the room dark. Micah was gone. His watch lay on her vanity. He never took it off except to shower. Rubbing her temples, she finally remembered that they had broken up, and he had moved out. Half the wardrobe was empty. He'd taken his things and left behind the watch she'd given him. Faced with the hollow quiet of the place, her eyes stung. Micah had always jumped the moment she called, always at her beck and call. Now he'd met her at a bar and acted like a stranger. The sudden comedown was hard to take. Heartless bastard. Let's see how long he can keep that up. She swiped away her tears, sure Micah was off somewhere crying his eyes out. He cared about his pride; he must have been hurting a hundred times more than she was. Forcing him to apologize at a crowded bar had been a bit much. She made excuses for him, then thought of her dream lover, Marshall Chambers. He'd been back in the country for days, and they still hadn't met. Liana picked up her phone and called him. "Marshall, when do you have time? Let's get dinner." She slipped into the cozy, familiar way she always addressed him growing up. His voice on the other end sounded tired. "I've been slammed these days. I'm only free at night. Where are you? I can pick you up and bring you to my place." Liana hesitated. She did like him, but she couldn't bring herself to drop her guard completely. She wasn't some naive college girl. Going to a single man's home late at night? Everyone knew what that meant. She'd been burned once; she wouldn't give herself away so easily. Even if it was Marshall, if he wanted to sleep with her, he needed to show he was serious. "Marshall, I'm feeling sleepy. Another day." After she hung up, Marshall sent her $52 via Messenger, along with a short video of his place. Marshall: "Good night. I'll pick you up after work tomorrow. Want to see your new home?" Liana pouted at the meager amount. Wasn't he supposed to be a rich kid with family money? How was he stingier than Micah? Then she opened the video and her eyes lit up. That gorgeous place was her new home? She weighed the subtext in his message. Was that supposed to be their future home? If that was the case, she'd definitely go tomorrow night. Packing up and moving in with him wouldn't be a problem. Dreaming of herself gliding through more than two thousand square feet in silk pajamas, she drifted off. Across town, Micah checked into a hotel. Earlier that day, he'd browsed listings on an app. He planned to rent a live-work space where he could develop his game and save on commuting. He was swamped, building his own title while still keeping up with his job at the company. His phone went off. He saw the number ending in triple eights, and he tensed up. Could it be… He pulled a crumpled slip of paper from his pocket. The digits matched the caller ID. It was just as he thought. It was the woman from last night. Micah rubbed at his brow and answered. The caller spoke first. "I'm going on a business trip tomorrow, back in about two days. Think through what you want. When I return, let's meet." She got straight to the point. Her voice was crisp and confident, carrying a commanding air. She felt different from the girls he usually met. For a moment, he spaced out. He remembered the woman in his bed last night, her breath warm and fragrant, sensual and responsive, like a rose in full bloom. Every time he moved, she tightened her legs around his waist and let out soft, needy sounds. She had all but bewitched him senseless. They went at it until the wee hours before finally crashing. He pictured her in real life: a cool, self-possessed beauty who knew her own mind. When she didn't hear him reply, she asked, "Can you hear me?" Micah snapped back to himself. "I can. No need to meet. Give me a mailing address, and I'll send your earrings back." Her tone was firm. "I said I'd do right by you. I keep my word. Think it over. My assistant will contact you in a few days." She hung up. Micah stared at the phone. Had he heard that right? It felt like he was the one who'd taken advantage, yet she was the one saying she'd do right by him. No woman had ever said that to him. Something shifted inside him. It was a feeling of being valued, of being respected. After all, it takes two to tango; both sides should own it. He thought back to his first time with Liana. She had agreed before, had even started it, and the mood had been there. Afterwards, she threw a tantrum for days. Only after he handed over his debit card, put her name on the deed, and transferred $10,000 to her younger brother did she finally smile. Back then, she'd said, "Micah, I'm not that kind of woman." Looking back, her 'I'm not that kind of woman' line just meant the money wasn't enough. Too bad he figured it out so late. Rain began to fall. Micah shut the window and slid under the comforter. With so much on his mind, sleep did not come easily. Moon Lake Residence. Thunder jolted Liana awake. She rolled over on instinct, reaching to the other side of the bed for comfort. Her hand met empty sheets, and her eyes flew open. Lightning flashed; thunder cracked. Liana curled up tight and wrapped herself in the blanket. She had feared thunder since she was a child. In the past, whenever the sky roared, even if he was out cold, Micah would wake and pull her into his arms. She suddenly missed the days when Micah was there, and realized how much she'd grown used to his presence. With Micah around, she never had to worry. He kept their life running like clockwork.