The CEO's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 12

　　Roman was long gone when Eve made her way to the hot tub on the deck at the back of the house. The weather was perfect for being outdoors for a change. A long soak was what she needed to relieve her aching muscles, and there was no better place to do that than the backyard. The view was so green and untouched that it was hard to believe she was on the outskirts of London.

　　She used to sit here and pretend Roman had taken her to some romantic island for a weekend getaway, but holidays weren’t part of the contract. That was something someone did with a wife or girlfriend.

　　She put the tray with her bottle of wine, snacks and phone on the side and then slowly lowered herself into the bubbling water. It was still early, not even noon yet, so it was probably too early for the wine. And crisps and cookies weren’t proper breakfast foods. But who was watching?

　　She wondered what Roman was doing right now.

　　But it was none of her business. She was not going to dwell on her unrequited feelings and make herself more miserable when she had already planned to leave. She pushed those thoughts aside and concentrated on pouring herself a glass of wine before picking up her phone. She knew she would need it after the conversation she was going to have. Her parents were the most important people in her life, and the past week had shown her that she deserved better than Roman. She deserved someone who would love her the way her dad loved her mum. Unconditionally.

　　She used to have many people to call, but now it was just her parents. When she got her new phone, she hadn’t bothered to save more than one or two numbers. It looked like friends were off her agenda for a little while, anyway.

　　Her mother picked up after a few rings.

　　“Hello, Evie.”

　　She didn’t sound like herself at all.

　　“I haven’t caught you at a bad time, have I?” she asked. “Are you going to work?”

　　Tessa Bright was a proud woman and would never sit on her ass while she was capable of working. It was a pity she had not inherited that pride, at least not when it came to Roman. A little bit of pride and self-respect would have made her turn that contract down before he had even finished making the offer.

　　“No, no. I took the day off.”

　　When had her mother ever had a day off without being forced? Her worry and anxiousness increased again. Roman must have been telling the truth.

　　“How’s dad?”

　　She desperately wanted to ask what was going on, but her mother always felt like she was burdening her if she shared her problems. Tessa suffered in silence, which was no good for anyone’s mental health.

　　“He’s had his breakfast and I settled him in the front room for his shows. It’s a good day today.”

　　The smile was evident in her mother’s voice. Her dad was her soft spot. Her mother had never complained that she’d had to take on the role of carer for both her and her dad soon after she had been born. It was pretty evident, the toll it had taken on her, but she did it all with a smile on her face. Tessa was her hero. There was nothing Roman could do to her that would stop her from buying this house for her parents so they could finally take a breather.

　　“Give him a kiss for me. I promise I’ll come and visit before the semester starts.”

　　She let her mother talk for a while, about the new neighbours upstairs, about the old lady in the block opposite who’d just had her birthday and invited them for cake. But she could tell the conversation was forced and lacking the usual warmth.

　　“Mum, what’s going on?” she asked finally. “I can help, you know I can.”

　　“I don’t want you to worry about us, Evie. We always land on our feet, no matter what,” her mother said.

　　Her mother could be stubborn sometimes. And her pride never let her accept any handouts. She was going to have to approach this a different way.

　　“I’ve saved a little money for a deposit, and I was looking at houses near you guys,” she started. “Real houses with a back garden. I know you and dad always said you wanted a private garden. I want to buy one for you guys.”

　　There was a pause on the other end.

　　“Why?” her mother asked eventually.

　　“Because you’ve taken care of me and dad forever, and I want to give you something in return. Plus when I finally finish this degree and move back to Birmingham, I’ll have somewhere to put my head down in between my hectic shifts.”

　　She heard a sniff.

　　“Did Mr. Jenkins speak to you?”

　　“No, mum. But I’ve heard you may have to move out. I don’t want you to worry, okay?”

　　There were more sniffs and it sounded as if her mother put the phone away from her. Her eyes watered as she imagined how hard it had been for her mother recently to make her shed these tears. Tessa was always the strong one.

　　“You’re supposed to be making your own life somewhere, not worrying about your parents,” her mother said.

　　“You and dad are my life,” she answered, wiping the tears that had started to fall. “I’ll be over tomorrow and you can tell me all about it before we decide what to do. Okay?”

　　“Okay, darling. I love you.”

　　“Love you too, mum.”

　　Once she hung up, she gulped down her glass of wine before pouring another. She hated it when anything upset her parents, and there had been plenty of that while she had been growing up. Hopefully, this would ease the burden on their shoulders a little.

　　Getting on the property ladder wasn’t easy, and would take some time. Depending on how quickly the landlord wanted her parents out of the house, she would probably have to use some of the deposit money to pay rent until it was sorted.

　　There was a lot she needed to do, but she would have to wait for her car to be returned first. Arranging her things for university, arranging her parent’s move, and then getting out of this contract after she had spent every penny in her bank would require her to be mobile.

　　After that, Roman and his lawyers could come after her all they wanted. As long as her parents were okay, it didn’t really matter.

　　Still, her stupid heart squeezed in protest.

　　What would Roman do once she was gone? Would he move another woman in here straight away? Would he make her sign a contract, too?

　　Would they use the playroom?

　　Roman had done that especially for her, but if it was already here, ready to use...

　　She gulped her wine again and forced her thoughts from Roman. He would never lose any sleep over her. It was time she started to be more like him, even if she was in love with the cold bastard.