Kiki looked up from her tissue, surprised. “Really? He seemed to adore you.”
“Seemed being the operative word.” A sad knot formed in Greer’s throat. “He was just faking it.”
“I don’t know. I’ve seen guys fake being interested. Your father, for one.” She grew pensive. “Asher just always seemed . . . so into you. Even when you hated him. I caught him looking at you with this soft look on his face, and I thought, gosh, I wish someone would look at me like that.” She sighed. “I’m sorry if I’m dropping my problems into your lap.”
“It’s okay.” Greer reached out and squeezed Kiki’s hand. Oddly enough, hearing Kiki’s problems had made hers seem . . . less significant and more confusing. She’d been wallowing and moping, terrified that Asher didn’t love her. But hearing Kiki’s confessions and knowing Stijn Janssen like she did, she realized that Kiki was right. There was a difference between pretending to care for someone and genuinely trying to please them.
And Asher? Greer was naïve, but she didn’t think he’d go to such lengths for her if he didn’t care on some level. Which just made everything that much more confusing.
“I’m sorry to show up on your doorstep,” Kiki said with a sniff. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
“Of course you can stay here. I certainly don’t mind.”
“Even if it’s for a few months?” She twisted her hands in her lap. “I was thinking about going back to school, maybe. Cosmetology . . . or cooking. Or something. Just . . . something that doesn’t involve marriage to someone that still wants to sleep with both my sisters after the wedding day.” And she began to cry again.
Greer patted her awkwardly. Kiki did have a point. “What about Bunni and Tiffi? Why didn’t they leave?”
Kiki’s mouth twisted. “They didn’t care. To them, if Stijn said he loved them, it was enough. But I know it didn’t mean anything to him when he said it. They were just words, you know? Words to shut us up.” Her jaw trembled. “I need for love to be proven to me, you know? Anyone can say the words.”
“I know,” Greer whispered. Oh, did she ever.
Chapter 13
Greer settled Kiki in her guest bedroom. The normally bubbly blonde was full of tears and misery, and by the time she’d lain down for an afternoon nap, Greer was exhausted just from trying to comfort her. With Kiki’s unhappiness in the forefront, she couldn’t think about her own issues.
And she desperately needed to think.
She wrote a quick note to Kiki explaining that she’d gone for a walk and would be back soon, and then left. The park would have to wait for another day, but just getting out of the apartment and stretching her legs was a nice change. She walked down the block to her favorite corner store and picked up a few things she was out of, including more tissues. As she paid for the items, she saw a tabloid at the checkout stand.
THE DUTCHMAN WEDDING—HEAVEN . . . OR HELL?
Oh good lord. Already? She hesitated, then slapped a copy of the tabloid on top of her groceries. “I want that, too.”
Five minutes later, she was down the street and her nose was buried in the paper. She’d said she wouldn’t read the tabloids, but seeing it in front of her face had changed her mind. The bride was radiant in purple trimmed white—Tiffi, then. She looked so happy, and beautiful in the photos. There was one photo of Bunni looking sad, but in the next photo, she showed off her own “commitment” ring that Stijn had given her on the same day.
Count on her father to find a way to soothe ruffled feathers without requiring more than opening his wallet.
There was a small corner blurb about the flowers and the catering and how the wedding was beautiful and “surprisingly elegant.” Well, that was nice, she supposed, though the surprisingly thing grated on her nerves a bit. Then again, it was a wedding with a surprise bride, so maybe Greer was being too sensitive about things.
Under a picture of the happy couple eating a piece of cake together, there was another large blurb. Runaways! was the title, and went into detail of Kiki’s flight, and theorized as to why she’d left just hours before the wedding. The tabloid also mentioned that the best man was missing, and speculated that possibly the two of them had run off together.
Seeing as how Kiki was up in Greer’s apartment? Yeah, that was a big fat no.
There was no mention of Greer. No mention of the hours she’d put in to the wedding, the long, hard work she’d done for her father. He hadn’t thanked her in his speech, instead simply gushed about his new bride. Her father was good at pretending when it came to business, and to him, the wedding was nothing but business.
It didn’t even hurt. Well, okay, it hurt a little. Mostly, though, she found it sad.
It was like Kiki had said, she needed love to be proved to her. Greer was the same way. Now that she’d had time to mentally go through some of her thoughts, she knew the situation wasn’t the same as her father’s pretending. There was more to her and Asher, but what it was, she didn’t know. He’d told her he loved her. . . . but he’d also tried to get her to sign a bad contract. He’d set up a sham wedding to spend time with her . . . but most of the time was spent pleasuring her and making her happy.
After all, she realized, she’d seen Asher at his worst that night at Gretchen’s party. He didn’t have to try if he just wanted to get laid. Like her father, he could snap his fingers and pretty women would come running, just because he had money. He’d gone after Greer. Pursued her.