PART 3: The Hermit
***
Everything was calm in my home when I came through the door. Edward greeted me and Dorothy asked if I would like anything. I waved them both off with curt nods. They took the hint and melted into the background. Setting my jaw, I strode directly for my private quarters.
Taylor was still awake and curled up in my bed, sort of half gazing at the ceiling contemplatively. Her face brightened when she saw me and she began to get up to welcome me.
But then she caught the serious expression on my face, maybe even the anger in my eyes and she stopped, sitting upright on the bed with her legs tucked beneath her. "Johnny, what's wrong?" Her face was compassionate and concerned.
"Taylor, I know you were the leak to the press." She gasped immediately. I pressed on, "I don't know if you did it yourself or if George was their contact. But I know you were responsible." My voice was steel and serious.
She was instantly defensive and properly shocked. "Oh, Johnny... no! I mean, how could you think that I-" she began.
"Stop it," I cut her off. "I found out. I KNOW."
The tall, statuesque fashion model seemed to shrink three inches in a matter of seconds. I simply waited for her response as her gaze drifted downwards, her lips sagging into a pained frown. In the end, she sat down on the bed and hung her head. "How did you find out?" she asked the floor.
"That's not really the point. The question is, why?"
Taylor didn't answer. She kept her gaze on the floor, her bangs falling down and hiding her eyes as she sat still as a statue.
"Taylor, why?"
Still no answer. But a shudder went through her body.
"How could you do that to me?" I stepped forward until I was standing right next to her.
Still, she didn't answer. But after I waited another minute, silent and seething, she finally looked up at me.
Her hair was still in her face and tears were running freely down her cheeks, smearing her mascara. Her eyes had dimmed until it seemed like there was no light left in them, a navy blue so deep they almost seemed black. And in a breathy voice I could barely hear her, she whispered, "I'm sorry...."
She looked so pitiful, I didn't want to make her feel any worse than she already did. And yet the pain in my own heart wouldn't allow me to let her off that easily. So one more time I barked, "WHY?"
"I'm sorry!" she wailed, squeezing her eyes shut. And then bawling, she curled over into a fetal position on the bed, sobbing uncontrollably.
Ten minutes earlier, Kaitlyn crying while I reamed out her asshole was a turn on. Now, I felt my resolve crumbling watching Taylor like this. As angry as I was with her, I couldn't stand to see her this miserable. But I couldn't cave. And so faced with an inability to stop and comfort her and the same inability to keep pressing, I made the only decision left.
I walked away.
I'd gotten as far as the bedroom door when Taylor called out, "Johnny!"
I stopped, but did not turn around.
"I love you..." she said softly, her voice cracking.
Without answering, I gritted my teeth and opened the door. I slammed it behind me, closing it with finality.
I stalked down the hallway and went to my office. At least, it was supposed to be my office. That was where all the financial records and computer equipment were stored. But Cassandra used it far more than I ever did.
Cassandra was actually in there when I walked in, plugged into the network and catching up on a week's worth of documents. She looked up and immediately took note of the flames shooting out of my eyeballs. And immediately she asked, "Jonathan, are you alright?"
Despite what had happened between us, her first instinct was for my welfare. But this realization passed and irritably I waved her out of the office. "I need the privacy."
Unconvinced that she couldn't serve me better by staying and lending her support, she hesitated. After all, she'd always been there for me in the past. But when I waved her away again she obeyed and quickly packed her things.
Once Cassandra had left, I settled into the luxurious deskchair she'd just vacated, feeling the warm leather surrounding my body. And staring into the far wall, I began to recall everything that had happened to me, starting with Nicole, continuing on to Paris and Cassandra, and finally to my long time friend Taylor.
It had all started with Jonathan Kendall's will and this inheritance. It had already killed my father and now I truly began to wonder if I'd also inherited a curse.
***
The knock at the door shook me from my reverie... mostly. I'd been such a fool, running around like a chicken with my head cut off ever since I'd left my old apartment to go to lunch at Geno's Café with Taylor. In fact, since the news broke about my inheritance, the only time I'd stopped to think had been those first few days holed up inside my own home.
Staying inside and ignoring the rest of the world was starting to sound like a very good idea. Hell, staying inside this office so I could ignore Cassandra too didn't sound too bad.
The knock sounded again, louder this time. This time I completely returned to the present and called out, "Come in!"
Edward popped in. "Sorry to bother you sir. But Miss Brynn's car has arrived to return her home, and she wanted to speak with you before she left."
I sighed and sank deeper into my desk chair. "Tell her I'll call her later." And with that I swiveled around, looking away and effectively ending the conversation. Behind me, I heard the door close.
