The Rejected Wife: Chapter 21

She looks incredible. When I saw her, I couldn’t believe my eyes. But there was no doubt, it was her. The sunlight slanting through the windows of the coffee shop lit up her auburn hair, throwing a glow around her. I recognized the slope of her shoulders, saw her face in profile, felt that familiar pull, and knew, without a doubt, I had to go over and speak with her.

“Tyler.” Her voice is calm, steady. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Ah… I live close by.”

She blinks. “You moved?”

“Wanted to be close to my brothers and friends who already lived in Primrose Hill. And this way, Serene has more space both in and out of the house.”

A soft expression crosses her face. “How is Serene? You didn’t have her at the lunch, either.” She firms her lips.

That lunch. That bloody lunch which is seared into my brain, when I found out she was getting engaged to my brother. I swallow down the questions I have around that fiasco.

The old Tyler, the one I was before Serene came into my life, would have confronted Priscilla, demanding to know why she’d gone through that charade with Knox. But the new me, the one who’s a father, the one who’s more measured in his decision-making, disciplines his reaction. “She’s with Summer.”

“Summer?” A flicker of something crosses her eyes.

“My friend, Sinclair’s wife? They have a son, Matty, who Serene has taken to. I often drop Serene with them when I have to head out for a meeting.”

“A meeting?” She looks me up and down. “You mean, a date?”

Zoey—who I recognize as Skylar’s friend—clears her throat. “Uh, I guess I should be leaving.”

“Zoey. I’m sorry, that was impolite of me. Lovely to see you here. Hope you’re well.”

Zoey rises to her feet and pats my arm. “I’m good. Lovely to see you, too. But I need to be on my way. I’m…late for a meeting with one of my authors.” She smiles at both of us, then indicates to Priscilla that she should call her. “Bye, Cilla. Bye, Tyler.” She grabs her bag and leaves.

For a few seconds, I stay standing, while Priscilla stares down at the half-eaten cake in front of her.

“The pastries here are good,” I venture, then curse myself. That the best you can come up with, asshole?

She stays quiet.

“Innovative names, too. Though I don’t understand half of them.” I nod my head like a fucking twerp. Jesus, why am I so nervous? Because you like this woman. And you told her to leave, like a coward, without explaining yourself completely. And you haven’t called her since to tell her you were thinking of her. You’re a dumbass!

“If you don’t understand the names, how do you know they’re innovative?” she asks in a wooden voice.

At least she’s speaking to me. That’s a start. “They’re not names I’ve seen before. And the shop seems to be doing well, so⁠—”

“Booktok.” She finally raises those gorgeous brown eyes to mine. “The names of the desserts are inspired by spicy books.”

“Spicy books?”

“Romance novels. With steamy scenes.” She blows out a breath. “What do you want, Tyler?”

“To talk.”

“You didn’t do much talking at your penthouse that day.” She lifts her chin in dignified sneer. “In fact, if I remember correctly, you asked me to leave and haven’t contacted me since.”

I nod slowly. “May I have a seat?”

She looks like she’s about to say no, then waves a hand in the air, “Suit yourself.”

Well, I deserve that. I deserve everything she throws my way. But I can take it. By some quirk of fate, I’m here with her, and I’m going to make the most of this occasion.

I slide into the seat opposite her, moving the plates and cups on the table in front of me aside, so the space between us is not cluttered.

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh?” she blinks. “What did you say?”

“I’m sorry. I was an arse for asking you to leave my place the way I did that day. I’m a twat for not coming out and sharing what was on my mind. I’m an ignominious wanker for not telling you what I was feeling. Truth is, I was thrown by what happened. First you, then Serene, entering my life in less than twenty-four hours. It was like an emotional dynamite exploded my life. And I’m still picking up the pieces.”

She stares, not speaking. Simply stares, like she can’t believe her ears, or that I’m sitting here apologizing to her.

“Priscilla,” I murmur her name. I relish the sensation of forming her name on my lips. It feels like forever since I spoke her name aloud. “Cilla?” I coax her. “Say something.’

She firms her lips. “You saw me with Knox, but you didn’t say anything. You turned and left.”

I lean back in the seat, then cross my arms over my chest. Yes, I’m feeling defensive. Yes, I’m showing it with my actions. But one thing I’ve learned in the past few months of being a dad? Life is an emotional minefield. And you can’t keep everything locked inside. Indeed, it’s okay to sometimes to share your vulnerabilities. And I’ll admit, I’m hoping that by doing so, I’ll get through to her, so I jerk my chin. “I did. I didn’t want to do something that could come back to haunt my daughter. I didn’t want my actions to make her be ashamed of me.”

“Oh.” She swallows. Some of the fight seems to go out of her. “You’re right, of course.” She looks away and swallows again. “I’m being selfish, aren’t I? Thinking only of myself and my feelings, and how much you hurt me. And of course, all this time, you’ve been coping with being a father. You have Serene to think of now.”

“Cilla…” I lean forward. “Please don’t beat yourself up. It’s me who’s at fault. I was cruel, telling you to leave, and then cutting you out of my life like that, when you and I had a connection. I knew you were moved by seeing Serene on my doorstep that day. If you hadn’t been there to help me through those first few hours with her, I wouldn’t have been able to cope.”

“You’re stretching the truth. I didn’t do anything.” She tosses her head.

“You showed me how to change a nappy. Believe me, that was valuable.”

She looks at me closely, then shakes her head. “I can’t believe you’re here. And that you live near The Fearless Kitten. When did you move?”

“About a month ago. I needed help with Serene. And when my friends’ wives offered to help with babysitting, I knew it made sense to move here. Besides, it’s not like I’d trust just anyone with Serene. Especially not after the experiences I’ve had with nannies.” I wince. “Sorry, didn’t mean it that way.”

She half-smiles. “You’re good. I know how difficult it is to find good childcare. I also know, I’m good at what I do. Although, considering the funding problems the daycare I work at is having, you wouldn’t know it.” She pops a shoulder. “But enough about me. How are you and Serene doing?”

She pastes on a smile on her face.

Which doesn’t fool me at all. There’s worry lurking in her eyes, which makes my chest tight. I scan her beautiful features, take in the shadows under her eyes. At the lunch, I was too overcome with emotion to notice, but I can see she looks tired. And she seems to have lost weight, too. Concern stabs at my chest.

“We’re doing okay. As well as a single dad who holds down a full-time job and tries to take care of his kid can do.” I chuckle. “Which is to say, I barely manage. My respect for single moms is sky high. Their jobs are far more difficult than being the CEO of a company. I should know; I am one, after all.”

Her gaze gentles. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Everyone does. Eventually.” There’s a quiet confidence in her voice.

I lean in as close as I dare, given the table between us, and without it looking too creepy, so I can draw in the subtle scent of her. I managed to sniff her when I passed her earlier, and it was enough to make my heart sigh in relief and drain the blood to my groin. That attraction between us has only intensified over the past few months. And the fact that I almost lost her to Knox? Damn, it was a wake-up call which gave me many sleepless nights.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you or make an attempt to reach out to you after that lunch.”

She stiffens. The thaw I sensed in her demeanor vanishes and is replaced by a flash of anger. I almost regret broaching the issue, but I have to. I need to clear the air, to the best of my ability. I need to figure out a solution to bring her back into my life. Because I need her. I miss her. More than I can admit, even to myself.

“Seeing you with Knox and realizing I might lose you for good was my worst nightmare come true.”

She frowns but doesn’t comment.

“You had your reasons for agreeing to go through with that potential arrangement. And that’s your prerogative. You had every reason to move on after I asked you to leave that day. I left it open. It’s not like I made you any promises, either, I’m aware. But… You have to know, that connection we had when we met was… Is real. I still feel it, Cilla.”

She folds her hands in her lap, her expression both confused and tormented. “It’s true, we had a connection. But after all these months… After your silence—” She shakes her head. “I’ve had to try a lot of things to move on, Tyler. It wasn’t easy, but I have tried.”

“Did you succeed?”

She looks torn, then looks down and slowly shakes her head—it’s barely perceptible—but not before I catch a glimpse of her watery eyes.

And I hate myself for it, but at the same time, a load rolls off my shoulders. I draw in a breath and my lungs burn. I feel so relieved, my head spins. That’s when I know, I need to find a way to keep this woman in my life. I have to. I can’t lose her again. I was a dickhead to let her go. Then… Not reaching out to her? Sure, my life has been taken over by Serene and coming to grips with being a new father, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that I didn’t bother reaching out to Cilla, when I knew she felt the same connection that I did.

Maybe a part of me assumed she’d wait for me. That when the time was right, I’d reach out to her and apologize, and everything would be fine. But seeing her almost marry someone else was a shock, a warning that I could lose her at any moment.

I still didn’t reach out to her after because—I wasn’t sure what to say to her. I’ve been putting off making the call. But here she is. I ran into her and I’m going to use this opportunity to bring her back into my life. But how?

“Your daycare is in financial trouble, you said?” I ask slowly.

“Yeah. The funding from the local council got cut off. And the donors we had are not sure if they’ll renew their grants. It happens. I’m sure they’ll figure something out.” She doesn’t look that hopeful, though.

And given the cost-of-living crisis, my sense is, it would take a miracle for any kind of funding to be renewed.

“I might be able to help you,” I say slowly.

She tilts her head. “What do you mean?”

“You’re likely going to be out of a job. And I… I need a nanny.”

She blinks slowly.

“And you’ve already met Serene. I’ve seen you with her. You’re good with her. Hell, after seeing the nannies I engaged and how much they were lacking in their childcare experience, you’d be a godsend.”

“I’m not sure I follow…”

I hold her gaze, school my expression into one of earnestness. “Would you consider becoming Serene’s nanny?”

Her jaw drops. “You want me to take the position of Serene’s nanny?”

I nod. “I can no longer trust a stranger to look after her, regardless of their references. And I can’t keep using up the goodwill of my friends’ wives. But I’d trust you with her. I can’t think of anyone else who’d be a better nanny for my daughter.” I try to rein my excitement in. Easy does it. Don’t scare her off. “That is, if you’d consider it?”

A flurry of emotions flashes across her face—first elation, then amazement. It shifts to confusion, and finally, sharpens into anger.

“You know what, Tyler? I can’t make up my mind if you’re being serious. No, I know you’re being serious. I’m sure you think you’re doing me a favor by offering me a job because you think I need it—conveniently for you. And you don’t even realize how insulting it is for me that you offered me this role.”

“Insulting?” I frown. “How can you say that? We can help each other this way, can’t we?”

She throws up her hands. “I thought you weren’t the asshole billionaire that most men in your position are. But honestly, if the fact that you told me fuck off⁠—”

“I didn’t tell you to fuck off,” I protest.

“It was certainly implied.” She lowers her hands to her sides. “You asked me to leave because your tiny brain couldn’t cope with all the emotional upheaval you’d gone through.”

“You’re right.” I take in the flush rising in her cheeks, half entranced, half falling all over again for this woman. I’m reminded why I was drawn to her in the first place. Her spirit is a siren call I never stood a chance against. And now… I know I can’t let her slip out of my life.

“You’ll accept the role of Serene’s nanny?” I ask carefully, almost holding my breath.

She leans forward, closing the distance between us so I can make out the individual eyelashes that line her eyes.

Then she tips up her chin. “Absolutely not.”