Rekindling Love (British Billionaires Series) by Sorell Oates Page B
Authors: Sorell Oates
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stand and sway, as they took an arm over each shoulder. He staggered to his bedroom like a zombie having just risen.
Spiraling out from under his arm, Imogen gave him a huge shove, which sent Susan flopping on the bed with him. Crawling out from his limbs, she gave Imogen a scowl.
“ It's typical of my luck. It takes fifteen years to get Rupert into bed and he's comatose.”
“ The course of true love never did run smoothly.”
“ If I wanted a cliché, I'd buy a card from a gas station.”
“ Fancy an Irish coffee?” proffered Imogen.
“ I'm not sure. I've rehearsals tomorrow and my call time is in the morning.”
“ Then have one,” she insisted.
“ The caffeine will keep me awake.”
“ The whiskey will soothe your throat.”
“ Alright, I can't argue with that,” grinned Susan.
They sat in companionable silence. Neither saying a word, but there was nothing uncomfortable in the atmosphere. In fact, the environment gave solace.
“ I was just over three when mum and dad adopted me. Funny what money can buy, because it was less than a month after Lucas and Leith died that I joined the Locke-Smythes. Rupert calls me his angel because I saved the family. From what I gather, when the twins were taken, Mum had a stomach bug. Dad lashed out at her. He claimed since it wasn't life threatening she should've made the effort to go to the beach with them. If the entire family was there the tragedy would never have occurred. Mum's counter argument was as strong. She claimed because it was only a tummy ache, that dad's obsessive need to check on her was unwarranted. Had he accepted it was a twenty-four hour bug, the three boys wouldn’t have been left in the care of a stranger. He would've been there to protect them.”
“ And Rupert?”
“ Rupert never said a thing. He calls us his three little angels. Two are in heaven and I'm his guardian angel.”
“ He adores you.”
“ He does, but this angel needs to spread her wings.”
“ To fly to New Jersey or will you take a jet?” probed Susan in relation to Imogen's feelings towards NFL New York Jets player Hank.
Imogen flipped her middle digit at her new friend.
“ Rupert's never told me about Lucas and Leith. Not the full story. Neither did mum and dad. If he confided in you, and let's be honest it's complete emotional carnage here, it's a step forward. Dad offered therapy, but Rupert was insistent his energies be invested in me, mum and dad. As long as he did that he had a purpose and he'd manage his grief. But with all those billions it has been a struggle for him.”
“ I realize that now.”
“ I'm not saying you haven't struggled Susan.”
“ Not in the way that Rupert has.”
“ In fairness, how would I know to compare the trials and tribulations of your lives? We weren’t close at school. This is the second time we've met in fifteen years, but I know he chose you to talk to. That must mean something. Maybe after all these years of standing in the wings of the theater, his angel will step forward.”
“ Imogen. You're getting ahead of yourself. Seeing Rupert tonight, in that state, hearing his story was heartbreaking, but it can't change how my heart beats and it cannot turn back the hands of time.”
“ Sometimes I wondered if I was a replacement. A second-rate member of the family. A distraction to serve as a deterrent from the death of Lucas and Leith.”
“ Imogen, no—”
Imogen raised a hand to cut her off.
“ Then I realized without them I would have no parents, no home and no love. No one could replace the twins. They adopted me to raise me. To be parents to me. To love me. Unquestioningly. Without consideration for my parents' background. They just unconditionally loved me as their own daughter.”
“ You were blessed, but so was your family. You carry their love with you in your day-to-day
Spiraling out from under his arm, Imogen gave him a huge shove, which sent Susan flopping on the bed with him. Crawling out from his limbs, she gave Imogen a scowl.
“ It's typical of my luck. It takes fifteen years to get Rupert into bed and he's comatose.”
“ The course of true love never did run smoothly.”
“ If I wanted a cliché, I'd buy a card from a gas station.”
“ Fancy an Irish coffee?” proffered Imogen.
“ I'm not sure. I've rehearsals tomorrow and my call time is in the morning.”
“ Then have one,” she insisted.
“ The caffeine will keep me awake.”
“ The whiskey will soothe your throat.”
“ Alright, I can't argue with that,” grinned Susan.
They sat in companionable silence. Neither saying a word, but there was nothing uncomfortable in the atmosphere. In fact, the environment gave solace.
“ I was just over three when mum and dad adopted me. Funny what money can buy, because it was less than a month after Lucas and Leith died that I joined the Locke-Smythes. Rupert calls me his angel because I saved the family. From what I gather, when the twins were taken, Mum had a stomach bug. Dad lashed out at her. He claimed since it wasn't life threatening she should've made the effort to go to the beach with them. If the entire family was there the tragedy would never have occurred. Mum's counter argument was as strong. She claimed because it was only a tummy ache, that dad's obsessive need to check on her was unwarranted. Had he accepted it was a twenty-four hour bug, the three boys wouldn’t have been left in the care of a stranger. He would've been there to protect them.”
“ And Rupert?”
“ Rupert never said a thing. He calls us his three little angels. Two are in heaven and I'm his guardian angel.”
“ He adores you.”
“ He does, but this angel needs to spread her wings.”
“ To fly to New Jersey or will you take a jet?” probed Susan in relation to Imogen's feelings towards NFL New York Jets player Hank.
Imogen flipped her middle digit at her new friend.
“ Rupert's never told me about Lucas and Leith. Not the full story. Neither did mum and dad. If he confided in you, and let's be honest it's complete emotional carnage here, it's a step forward. Dad offered therapy, but Rupert was insistent his energies be invested in me, mum and dad. As long as he did that he had a purpose and he'd manage his grief. But with all those billions it has been a struggle for him.”
“ I realize that now.”
“ I'm not saying you haven't struggled Susan.”
“ Not in the way that Rupert has.”
“ In fairness, how would I know to compare the trials and tribulations of your lives? We weren’t close at school. This is the second time we've met in fifteen years, but I know he chose you to talk to. That must mean something. Maybe after all these years of standing in the wings of the theater, his angel will step forward.”
“ Imogen. You're getting ahead of yourself. Seeing Rupert tonight, in that state, hearing his story was heartbreaking, but it can't change how my heart beats and it cannot turn back the hands of time.”
“ Sometimes I wondered if I was a replacement. A second-rate member of the family. A distraction to serve as a deterrent from the death of Lucas and Leith.”
“ Imogen, no—”
Imogen raised a hand to cut her off.
“ Then I realized without them I would have no parents, no home and no love. No one could replace the twins. They adopted me to raise me. To be parents to me. To love me. Unquestioningly. Without consideration for my parents' background. They just unconditionally loved me as their own daughter.”
“ You were blessed, but so was your family. You carry their love with you in your day-to-day
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