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. Payton? What s goingon? You went to breakfast like& this? Even he didn t sound like he believed it. Mother.Maybe you could check out the pool? Take a walk on the beach? It s a glorious dayoutside.Just be anywhere else but here. I think I ve had enough sun, her mother said, ready to argue before taking a long pause. But Iwould be happy to leave the two of you alone for just a moment.First, I need a word with you,darling.In private. I m sure that what you have to say can wait.Brad just  No.It s okay, Brad said. Look, Payton, I love you.I m not going anywhere.Take a minute withyour mother, he said and walked to the door,  and I m going to run to the front desk for a couple ofbottled waters.We can talk when I m back. He gave her a reassuring smile, before opening the door,leaving them alone. Payton Elisabeth, her mother now hissed, any pretense of goodwill and cheer gone.Paytonfinally looked at her mother.White linen pants and a short-sleeved matching top gave her mother acasual but elegant style that contradicted the fury on the woman s face, her fingers clenched into fists. Of all the ridiculous, short-sighted decisions you could make, you would choose the absolute worst.Dancing with that man like you did last night in such a vulgar display.I finally couldn t bare it andhad to retire to our room just to calm myself.Payton only smiled and shook her head, trying to be patient and understanding.But she was havinga hard time of it seeing as how she was barely controlling her glee at what she was about to impart. You can wipe that smug grin off your face, young lady.I m on to you.Onto everything.Had I notseen those photos of the two of you, I wouldn t have believed it.Making a mockery of marriage likethat in such a lewd, disgusting way.That behavior is deplorable and thank God I had the fortitude tolook through everything and get on the phone with your father. What are you talking about? What photos? Payton asked, despite having a strong suspicion. You know very well which photos I m talking about.After all, you went to great lengths to hidethem from me, stuffing them in the back of that drawer like that.But it s not the first time I had tosearch for the truth where you re concerned, since I know I d never get it from you.Honestly, Payton.I can t imagine what on earth you were thinking.Getting married to a man when you are still betrothedto another. I was thinking that for the first time, I was with someone who didn t care about my lineage, myeducation, who my parents are& I was with someone who only saw me.Who made me happy. You don t even know him, her mother said, coming dangerously close to a shout. I know everything I need to know about him.I know he s honorable and smart, and he loves hisfamily and wants only to make them proud.I know that when he looks at me, I can barely catch mybreath.I know that with him I can finally be myself. Now you re being ridiculous.You don t build a life with someone based on that.You and I bothknow that the only reason you did this was because you re angry with Brad and hurt.But once the twoof you finally talk and clear the air, get back home where you belong without the taint of this&adventure influencing you, you ll see that Brad is who you want, who you re meant to be with. Whether I married Cruz or not, I still wouldn t be getting back together with Brad, Mother.I don tlove him.I never really did.But right now, Cruz is my husband.He s the man I married, the man Iwant to be with.And when we get back home in a few days yes, that s right, I m staying here withhim a few more days we re going to give this marriage a chance.Either with or without yoursupport.Her mother smiled and shook her head as she walked over to the couch and took a seat. Beforeyou go shouting your intentions to the rooftops, perhaps there s something you should know about thismarriage of yours.Last night, after I saw that license I called your father immediately.He of coursegot on the phone with our attorney to try and figure out how to get you out of this mess.But it seemsthat my worries were all for naught.There is no marriage. Maybe not in your eyes, Mother, and if that s the way you feel about it, then I m prepared to acceptthat.But it is real.And neither of us are ready to give up on it.I I love him.She d never uttered those words about any man before, not even to Cruz, but she knew withcertainty that she did.And she d never felt freer.But whatever response she d expected from her mother to this statement, her laughter was the leastshe d expected. The only marriage you two have is symbolic.Not legal.Trust me, honey.That littlepaper you have doesn t mean anything.Payton didn t believe it.Didn t want to believe it.But there was something so definite in hermother s tone that she found herself growing uneasy. What did Daddy s attorney say? Something about filing paperwork and birth certificates, and some nasty business about blood testsbefore you d even be given a marriage certificate.And even then, marriages can only be conducted bya civil servant not some Mexican priest.The logic of what her mother was saying sank in.Cruz wasn t her husband.They were never married.But it didn t change how she felt.It didn t change what was in her heart. Be that as it may, Mother,it doesn t change the fact that I love Cruz.That we want to be together.Her mother raised her brow. You love him and you want to be together.How about Cruz? Whatdoes he want? Has he told you he loves you?Neither of them had spoken the words.It was too new, and they were still figuring this out.Not thatany of this was her mother s concern. I m not discussing the personal details of my relationship withyou.In fact, right now I only have two people I need to talk to.Neither of them is you.Her mother examined her perfect manicure, picking off something invisible in the cuticle bed. Verywell, Payton.But let me remind you, less than twenty-four hours ago you were standing in that veryspot telling me how you weren t going to be like me.You weren t going to settle on being second inanyone s life.I m warning you now.In the end, where men like Cruz are concerned, they re alwaysgoing to choose work first.Every time.And the sooner you resolve yourself to that inevitably, the lesspain you ll experience later on.Trust me, Payton.I know what I m talking about.Cruz is no differentthan your father.She had thought she was impervious to whatever comments her mother could make.But she hadn texpected this.To be likened to her mother? No.She shook her head. I m nothing like you, and Cruz is nothing like Daddy [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]