The Arrangement Book 2

My eyelids felt like they were made of cement. There was no goddamn way I wanted to open them, the darkness was so soothing right now. After all that harsh light, that unforgiving sun, that time Angela and I had shared on the island…

Angela.

My wife had taken care of me, fed me, and dressed my wounds. I’d constantly insulted her, and called her a gold-digging bitch. But she’d saved my life. Hell, she’d even caught a fish with a spear wearing only her underpants. It was hot.

I blinked open one eye. Then the other. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust to the light, but I was in a cold, sterile hospital room. For a second, I wanted to shut my eyes and go back to sleep—I was so damn tired—but then I thought of Angela.

I needed to see her. I needed to make sure she was okay. “Nurse…” I croaked. “NURSE!!!”

My throat felt parched, like I’d swallowed sand. A heavy-set, frowning nurse stepped inside with a tablet and began to check my vitals.

“Where is she?” I demanded.

“Hello,” the nurse said. “It’s good to see you awake, Mr. Knight.”

“My wife,” I said through gritted teeth. “Where is Angela?”

I didn’t like the feeling of my heart being squeezed by a strong fist. Was this how it felt to care about someone? I needed to know that Angela was okay after getting the wound on her leg stitched up. I thought about the way she had looked at me with those bright blue eyes. That blonde tumbling hair. That perfect body descending into the water…

What the hell?

Was I fantasizing about her?

“Mr. Knight, you’ve suffered a concussion,” the nurse said, as I sat up. “Please lie down.”

“The fuck I will!” I said angrily, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. To be honest, I felt pretty dizzy when I placed my feet on the floor. My body was sore, like I’d lost a prizefight. But I figured that was the consequence of being thrown from a fucking plane. I stood up on shaky legs and prepared to storm down the hallway when Angela appeared in the doorway.

She smiled at me. “Xavier! You’re awake.”

And there she was.

My wife.

Angela Knight.

The girl I thought was a gold-digging devil, but who was, in fact, an angel in disguise. Seeing her standing before me, I felt a strange sensation wash over me. What we had shared on the island was so primal, so special, so raw, and so real, there was no going back now to how we used to be. For a second, the craziest thought in the world crossed my mind. That I should run to her and kiss her, lift her off her feet and spin her around.

Yup. Definitely concussed.

Angela walked over to me and gently squeezed her hand. She looked so delicate. Vulnerable. My heart leapt in my chest. Her eyes were bright-blue orbs staring right into mine.

“Are you okay?” I asked, my voice gentle.

“I am,” Angela said, smiling at me. “I got twenty stitches in my leg. But, after some IV fluids, I’m feeling much better. You?”

I’d never seen him appear so…unkempt. His hair was sticking out in different directions and his Italian suit looked like it’d been up, wrinkled, off the floor. His eyes were puffy and red, not hard and clear like the eyes I’d respected and feared growing up.

“Dad?” I asked, surprised. “You look like shit.”

Brad Knight grabbed my shoulders, and there were tears in his eyes.

“I thought I lost you, Xavier. I thought…”

“Hey, it’s all right, old man,” I said, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

I didn’t like seeing someone so powerful brought to his knees. The only other time in my life I’d seen my father act like this was when Mom died.

He turned to Angela and hugged her. “Oh my dear. I’m so glad you’re all right.”

Angela patted him on the back, like she was also surprised to see him so emotional. “It’s okay, Brad. We’re okay. The helicopter rescued us.”

Dad shook his head. “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t forced you to go on that honeymoon…”

Angela gave him another pat. “It was a wonderful gift. Really, Brad.”

Dad pulled away from her. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he opened his eyes again, they were watery.

“Jack, your pilot, didn’t make it.”

“What?” Angela gasped, covering her mouth. “But I thought…they were alive. They were—”

“Jack died at the hospital,” Dad said. “After he was rescued, he succumbed to his injuries.”

“Wow,” I said, gutted by the news. “Has anyone spoken with his family?”

My father nodded solemnly. “We reached out and offered generous compensation, not that it could ever replace him.”

“That’s good,” I said, but it didn’t feel good. It didn’t feel right at all.

“I’m just so grateful, son,” my father said. “After your mother, the idea of losing you too…I couldn’t bear it.”

He looked like he was going to cry. The enormity of what he’d experienced, the terror and heartbreak, finally hit me. Every second that passed without knowing what had happened to me and Angela must have been goddamn agony.

I took his hand, though it was uncomfortable for me to show affection.

“I’m okay, Dad. We’re okay.”

Angela took Dad’s other hand, and for a strange moment, it felt like we were a real family. Like this wasn’t an arranged marriage. Like Angela wasn’t a woman I hated, but a woman I could give my heart to. Could this feeling last?

I was concussed, but I wasn’t a changed man.

After the hospital discharged us, Xavier and I returned to New York. Marco picked us up from the airport, and was driving through the usual city traffic. Sitting next to Xavier in the back, our hands were so close, they were nearly touching. I could feel his warmth next to me and I wanted to reach out and hold his hand, to talk about everything we’d been through.

But Xavier was staring at the window, lost in thought. Would he continue to hate me now that we were back in New York? I hadn’t forgotten how he’d looked at me on the island, like I was the most important person in the world. I had to admit, Xavier being moody and quiet was certainly preferable to him screaming at me.

“Marco,” Xavier said. “Drop me off at work, will you? I have a lot to catch up on.”

“Of course, sir,” Marco said, always obedient.

“Work?” I said. “Really? Xavier, you just survived a plane crash.”

Xavier looked at me like he wanted to say something rude. But then his face softened and he cracked a smile. “Pressure makes diamonds, right? See you at home. Take care, Angela.”

Then he slammed the car door shut and headed inside his building. My shoulders slumped. I’d hoped Xavier would come with me back to the penthouse, so we could hold onto the closeness we’d shared. That he’d be less of a workaholic.

But who was I to make Xavier Knight change?

A plane crash, a near-death experience, bonding on a faraway island—none of it mattered now that Xavier was back where he belonged. He wasn’t comfortable being vulnerable. But he hadn’t been cruel to me either. He’d actually been…kind of nice. If I was patient, maybe Xavier would open up and reveal his true feelings.

Marco turned around in the driver seat. “All right, Ms. Knight. Back home?”

The huge penthouse apartment I shared with Xavier still didn’t feel like home.

“You know what, Marco,” I said. “I’d like to stop somewhere else first.”

“You did WHAT?!”

“I caught a fish! Is that so hard to believe?”

Danny was staring at me in disbelief. Dad, Lucas and Em were looking at me as if I were a completely different person.

“Guys, it’s not that big of a deal,” I said, blushing. “Dad used to take us camping. You don’t think I picked up a few tricks along the way?”

“I didn’t think you were capable of killing anything,” Danny said. “I’ll admit it. I’m scared of you now.”

We all laughed. Lucas and Em were holding hands under the table. It was still weird for me to see them as a couple, but I wanted them both to be happy.

I looked at my dad, who’d improved so much since I’d last seen him. The trial treatment was finally working, which was a huge relief. “So, how are you feeling?”

“Better, sweet pea,” he said, taking a big bite of lasagna. “So much better. My appetite’s back, and I’m no longer having an adverse reaction to the treatment.”

“I’m so glad to hear that,” I said, giving Danny a hopeful look. My brother smiled in a reassuring way. I’d been so worried the last time I’d visited Dad in the hospital, but he’d clearly turned a corner. There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but they could wait.

Everything seemed to be looking up. I was eating a home-cooked meal. Laughing at Danny’s jokes, and spending quality time with my family. I thought again about what Xavier said to me. Pressure makes diamonds. We had faced our fair share of challenges. And in spite of everything, I had feelings for Xavier. Deep, strong feelings.

But which version of Xavier was I going to get? The grateful husband I nursed back to health on the island? Or the cruel husband who made my life a living hell?