Corporate Secrets

CHAPTER 14

ANNE

The light rays stream through the curtains and rouse me from my sleep. I smile, luxuriating in the bed because I don't even have to open my eyes to know that I'm in heaven.

And when Cole's lips touch mine, I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him for all I'm worth. "Are you ever going to open your eyes?" he asks, moving away from me after a heady kiss that makes me long for a repeat of last night.

"Maybe. I think I want to hold on to this feeling for a little while longer."

"What feeling?"

"This dreamy feeling. I feel like I'm dreaming, you know. And the moment I open my eyes, everything is just going to disappear and I'll go back to being Plain Jane Anne."

"You'll never go back to that. You know now that you're a beautiful woman, and any man would be lucky to have you. I am lucky to have you. You didn't realize it before, and that's why you hid yourself. But you won't anymore."

I love how he says the words with such conviction. He doesn't deny that I was a Plain Jane, he tells me it was a persona I created to hide what I thought was ugliness, but what I now know is beauty.

"You're good for my ego, Cole Reagan." I let my eyes flutter open, and at the same time, there is a rush of feet up the stairs.

I sit up, holding the blanket in place with my hand so it covers me from chest to toe. "Cole! I'm back, and I went to see mom and she told me the craziest thing. I know it can't be true, because-"

The door opens just as I look at Cole, panic written all over my face. In a split second, I consider hiding behind the billowing curtains, darting into the closet, and rolling under the bed. But it's too late.

Celine opens the door and rushes into the room, shaking her head and smiling. Her look changes from happy to stupefied to boiling mad within seconds.

"Anne?" I wince at the sound of betrayal in her voice, as tears swiftly climb into her eyes.

"Celine." My own voice is soft, pleading. I always knew she would take this badly. I hoped I would have more time to prepare, more time to plan how to string my words together in a way that wouldn't lead to her wanting to kill me.

That chance is gone now, but I hope I would be able to salvage the situation.

"How could you?"

"Celine. It wasn't-"

"It wasn't planned? It just happened? Your glands got the better of you, huh?" She says something in French that I do not understand.

"Celine, calm down." I glance at Cole, grateful for the reprieve. "I was going to tell you soon. We were going to tell you soon. Anne didn't want to hurt you. And I don't think you should be hurt. She's your best friend. I'm your brother. It's not your problem-"

"Not my problem, right?" She flings back at Cole, her hands balling into fists. "Not my problem? Well, there you go. Now it's going to be the both of you taking sides against me, huh? This is why I told you I didn't want this."

"Grow up, Celine. I love Anne. You should be happy for the both of us, happy that we have both found something good, instead of twisting things just because you always want to be the center of attention. It's not fair to Anne, and it's not fair to me."

"Cole," I say, shocked at his words. Not that they are untrue, but at his lack of finesse.

"No," he tells me sternly. "Perhaps I should have said this years ago, but I didn't. There is no time like the present though. The world does not revolve around you, Celine. You are my little sister and I love you, but I think you should know that."