Outrageous Proposal Part 15

Harrison looked at his father and realized there was pain on his face, and in his voice. Was it because of the lie, or because he was actually upset about the idea that Clarice might no longer be his future daughter, or bear his grandchild. "She arrived last week as a guest with her friends on holiday, and I asked her to work with me to pull this off."

"So just a stranger?" George closed his eyes and shook his head softly. "I should have known. I should have known you would never do something like this sincerely. You have always refused to take the gifts I've given you."

"Father..."

George stood, angry. "All I've ever tried to do, Harrison, is provide the best life for you, and that includes the pa.s.sing on of my experience so you don't have to make the same mistakes."

Harrison rose to meet his father, almost a good half-meter taller. "You never gave me the chance to figure out what the best life was for me. How is a young man supposed to understand? You hardly gave me the chance to work on my own and make my own mistakes. All it ever felt like was you trying to make a copy of yourself in me, and I didn't want it, father. I don't want to be you."

George huffed. "How dare you. All I ever tried to give you was love and support."

"And your methods left a lot to be desired," said Harrison. Sweet relief bloomed through his chest as he let out the words he had been holding in since boyhood. "You may think your success at business simply translates to all areas of your life, father, but it doesn't. I'm not a business partner you can talk into an investment by showing him the data spreadsheets and telling him it's the logical choice. I'm not a rival who you freeze out with power plays and pa.s.sive-aggressive f.u.c.kery to get him to do what you want. I'm your son! I was a child! What I needed was you to pick me up when I fell, not tie me to a chair to keep me from ever falling. I don't know how it's possible that you were both suffocating and distant, but you were."

George's face was beet red, but he only stared in silence at his son.

"I'm not trying to hurt you by saying these things now, but I need you to understand, father. I need you to see how we've gotten here. Don't you think it's a sign of a bad relations.h.i.+p between us when my first reaction was to stage an elaborate lie instead of telling you the truth?"

"That choice is on you, son," he said. "Do not ask me to be responsible for that. You're a grown man, your mother and I are not responsible for your choices and we have not been for a very long time."

"I made the choice, yes, but you can't stand here and pretend there aren't very understandable reasons for the choice I made. You can't stand here and pretend you don't see how broken we are, you and I." Harrison's voice cracked just a bit. "I lie to you because I know my life disappoints you, and all these years I've never found another way to make you happy. You hate who I am, why wouldn't I lie to you?"

"I have never said I hate you," insisted George in a firm voice. "Not once in your life."

"You didn't have to say the words for your meaning to come across, loud and clear," said Harrison, folding his arms.

"Wis.h.i.+ng you would choose better for yourself is not equivalent to hating you, Harrison. You're my only son. I could never hate you."

Looking at the softness on his father's face, Harrison sighed. Standing up for himself felt wonderful after all these years, but this had to mean more than just simple childish comeuppance, or their future would be bleak. "I wish we weren't broken, father, because I need your advice now. I need my father's advice to fix a problem I don't know how to fix. But I'm afraid he won't help me because he's too ashamed I have a problem in the first place."

George looked away, emotional, and put one hand on the desk. He blinked back tears as he processed Harrison's words. He was still looking down when he said, "I'm always here for you, son. I never intended for you to feel I wasn't."

Harrison waited a few moments, and then he sat down. His father followed suit, and Harrison could see wetness in his father's eyes he had never seen before, not even when his grandparents died.

"I understand how disappointed you must be, and you have every right to be. I acted shamefully and not at all like a man should, let alone a Moore. I realize that now. I realized that this week as... as I spent time with Clarice. Father, even..." He felt emotion welling up. "Even acting as though I had a loving woman and a child coming into my life has made me feel more fulfilled than I ever have before. It's made me realize how right you were, all these years."

George blinked. "Harrison..."

"Anastasia destroyed my heart, father. You were right when you said that she had made me cold. I couldn't deal with how dreadful she made the world look, so I ran and tried to party it away. But something different has happened with Clarice, and suddenly I... suddenly I feel very differently. Every other woman I've had in my life has had an expiration date, so obvious that it was as if I could see it stamped on her forehead. But Clarice, she... she feels as if she's always been here. As if she's just returned from some very long holiday to the place she always belonged: here with me."

His father took a long, deep breath, and for the first time, Harrison recognized loving emotion in his father's eyes. He put two big hands on Harrison's shoulders and shook him until Harrison was looking at him.

"You say you needed me to help you develop your instincts. Let me help you now by saying that you have just clearly stated to yourself, and to me, everything you know and needed to hear."

"Father?"

"Clarice is home. She has always belonged here with you. Is that what you feel, deep in your heart?"

"Yes," said Harrison. "Yes, absolutely."

"Follow it, son. If that is what your heart is telling you, you must trust it. Throw away the past and throw away any fears you have about what might stand in the way of your happiness, and trust."

19.

Clarice

As she had requested after their blow-up, Harrison left Clarice alone in the penthouse, and she hadn't seen him since. They had not even exchanged a text between them since. She woke up in a lonely, cold, daze that even the morning birds couldn't lift and spent over an hour just lying in bed, staring out the window at the fast-moving clouds in the bright blue sky.

She missed Harrison. And she only had another day before she had to head back to New York, back to the real world, where he didn't exist at all.

She had been a fool to think she could pull this off without breaking her own heart. She should have known it the minute she saw Harrison's smile, that nothing good could come of making a devil's bargain with a man like him. He was used to this fast-paced life where emotions didn't matter and everything was a short-term investment. Clarice hadn't lived that impulsively in a long time-not until Harrison relit her fuse, anyway.

But the idea of Harrison being a short-term investment made her heart crack in her chest. And now she had wrecked her last chance to spend time with him by getting upset about his lie. Sure, he shouldn't have added the bit about the baby, or at the very least he should have warned her, first. But did it really matter? A lie was a lie, and it was his story and scheme to begin with. What did the details really matter?

She cried herself into a short nap. When she woke up, she found missed calls from Trudy that made her feel too guilty to continue wallowing in bed, so she shuffled off for a quick shower and ordered a late room service lunch before sending a quick reply to let Trudy know she was okay and would meet the ladies for drinks before dinner. As she picked at the sandwich brought to the room, Clarice slowly packed her things for the return trip home.

By the end, the gold dress from the night before hung lonely in the big closet, and Clarice couldn't bring herself to decide whether she would take it home or not. She loved the way it made her feel, and the way it made Harrison look at her. But she wasn't sure she wanted to take any remnants of Harrison home with her. She would already be carrying the weight of memories, and she knew all too well how heavy those alone could get when the nights got dark.

Everything felt far away. She was simply spent. The ladies noticed it immediately when she arrived at the martini bar near the boutiques, and all their attempts to cheer her up with fruity drinks and s.e.xy stories didn't make a dent in the armor of depression that draped over her so completely.

Being around them was too much, so she excused herself with firm apologies and promises to call Trudy later if she needed to talk. "I just need to be alone and think," she excused, leaving them at the martini bar and, with no destination in mind, wandering out towards the sea. She only stopped when she found a cozy spot on the beach that wasn't particularly busy.

Clarice sank down into the sand and made herself content watching the tide drift in and out. The sun was on its way towards the horizon, and already its dying rays were cut in pieces by the towering jungle mountains that surrounded the crystal blue bay. Birds and insects sparkled in the light. From somewhere down the beach, a loud party was happening, the beat of reggae music pulsing just underneath the breeze.

The sea air in her hair felt good. The suns.h.i.+ne made her feel like she could melt into the light and never come back, and part of her was definitely okay with that idea.

Clarice's insides were battling, a civil war of trust and worry, pain and love. She didn't fully understand what was happening to her, but to be honest with herself, she didn't want to understand.

If she looked at what was happening, she would have to face the reality that she had fallen in love with Harrison, and was about to have her heart broken like a fool. She wasn't ready to face that. She just didn't want to think at all.

But the end was coming regardless of what she wanted, and Clarice knew she would have a much bigger regret living inside her if she left Bali without telling Harrison the truth of what she felt. Even if he laughed in her face and sauntered off into the sunset with two babes on his arms, at least she would have her closure, and she had lived enough years to know that was worth its weight in gold.

Her plan was to sit on the beach until she got the nerve to go find Harrison to speak with him, or until it got too cold to be outside, whichever came first. She was almost certain it would be the latter until she heard a familiar voice behind her that took matters out of her hands.

"Waiting for the tide to take you out, love?"

She didn't have to turn to know it was Harrison. Instead she closed her eyes as her chest clenched up tight at the sound of his soft accent.

"I wouldn't mind it," she said back. Her voice had barely been used all day, and it came out cracked and sullen.

A few moments later, his tall form approached her and then dropped down to sit next to her in the sand. He looked happier and lighter than she had seen him all week. Freshly showered and shaved, he had ditched the tailored suits for comfy board shorts and a flowing white b.u.t.ton-up that made his tanned skin pop. The brooding and darkness that had been on his face the night before was nowhere to be seen.

He was so handsome he made Clarice's heart hurt.

"I've been searching everywhere for you," said Harrison. "You weren't answering you phone."

"Oh," said Clarice with sudden realization. She looked around the sand, but her only belongings were the sandals she had removed when she arrived. "I must have left it in the room... I didn't even realize."

"That's alright. It's been a trying couple of days," said Harrison. He was s.h.i.+fting in the sand like he wanted to touch her, put his arm around her, but he wasn't sure if he should. "Are you still upset with me?"

Clarice turned to him, and the look in his eyes melted what little anger remained at the depths of her sadness. "No," she said with a sad half smile. "I'm not still mad."

"I tried to find you a gift to make up for my bulls.h.i.+t, but... nothing seemed to be quite right."

"You don't need to get me anything. You've given me a lot already," she said. "Though, I do think you owe it to me to make sure the bartenders keep serving me for the last day I'm here. I'm not actually pregnant, and this is still supposed to be my vacation, after all."

Harrison let out a surprised chuckle. "Done deal. Sorry about that... you know father."

For a moment the conversation died and the sound of the ocean and sea birds filled in between them. Everything was serene. Before she could talk herself out of it, Clarice leaned against Harrison and put her head on his shoulder as she watched the sea roll in. Harrison tensed at first, as if he was surprised, but then he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and lay his head on top of hers.

Clarice wanted this perfect moment to last forever.

"I'm sorry for what I did last night," he said. "It was foolish of me, and disrespectful. I shouldn't have done that to you."

"You didn't know you were doing anything to me," said Clarice. "I believe you when you say that."

"That doesn't matter," said Harrison. "It was foolish nonetheless. I had your trust and you certainly had mine, and then I went and f.u.c.ked it up like an idiot." He laughed softly, but it had a bitter ring to it. "I suppose that's the whole reason we're here now, isn't it? Me f.u.c.king up."

"You have a bit of a point there," said Clarice with a small, sly smile. "That is how this started."

Harrison sighed. "I don't want to be a f.u.c.k-up anymore."

"I was just kidding, Harrison. You're not a f.u.c.k-up."

"I am," he said. "I have been. I've been running from ghosts for almost ten years instead of turning around and facing them and moving on with my life. It's left me with a lot of empty s.p.a.ces where there shouldn't be, Clarice. I didn't realize that until this week."

She lifted her head up to look at him. "What do you mean? I thought you loved your life here."

"I love parts of it, of course," he said. He swept his arm towards the scenery. "Have you ever been to England? This place is one long acid trip in comparison."

Clarice giggled and put her head back on his shoulder. "But you don't love all of it?"

"No, I don't. Not anymore. Or maybe I never really did," he said. "Honestly, I can't tell anymore. Everything in my head is all mucked up."

"I know how you feel," she said softly.

An electric, silent moment pa.s.sed between them.

Harrison said, "If I ask you something, will you promise to be honest with me? I know I don't deserve it, considering. But will you?"

Harrison's eyes were deep and thoughtful as she lifted her head to look at him seriously. "Sure."

He held her gaze for a few beats, and then licked his lips. "If I asked you to stay here with me... would you stay?"

Clarice's heart jumped. The answer burst out of her mouth before she was aware of anything else. "Yes," she said. "Yes, of course I would."

Harrison's eyes filled with tears. He held her face in his hands. "You mean that, Clarice? You would really want to give me an honest chance? Because I... Clarice, I think I'm in love with you. No, I know I'm in love with you, and I don't want you to leave."

"Harrison," she said breathlessly. "I love you too. I can't believe I'm hearing those words come out of your mouth." She caressed his face with her palm, feeling the smoothness of his handsome skin and the fuzz of his incoming facial hair along his square jawline. "You really feel that way about me?"

"I do," he said. "You understand me, darling. You understand that ache for adventure and new experiences and you don't want it stamped out just because we're growing old and responsible. All my life I thought I had to choose between a real but lonely life on my own, and a false happiness with a family that would ask me to drench all my fire. I thought that was the choice my father was putting before me all those years, trying to force me to pick his way over mine. But I realize now it was never that simple. I was blinded by youth and pain... I didn't realize I could actually find a woman that wouldn't need me to compromise. I didn't realize I could build a family in my own image. And I want it, Clarice. I want a family, and I want it with you."

She took a deep, shaking breath as tears rolled down her cheek. "This feels so perfect," she said. "I've never felt like I was home before, Harrison. I can feel your love. For the first time, I can actually say I know what love feels like."

She crawled into his lap to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Harrison answered by enveloping her in his strong arms as he brought her down for a slow, sensual kiss. She could feel his tears against her skin.

"I'm not sure I've ever done that for anyone before," whispered Harrison against her lips. "I didn't think I was capable of it."

She smiled. "I probably would have said the same, but I would have been wrong, baby. You are an incredible man. I can't believe you want me."

"I can't believe you want me," he said. "After I've made such an a.s.s of myself, and you've been such a complete and utter angel..." He nuzzled softly against her face and kissed her deeply. "You really are the perfect match for me. My heart knew it when I saw you."

"Don't you try to rom-com our romance, buddy," teased Clarice with a pinch. "The first thing on your mind when you saw me was 'nice rack'."

Harrison laughed and bit playfully at her neck. She squealed in his lap, and their wrestling melted into sensual making out as the sun set behind the peaks.

"I suppose I better figure out what I'm doing from here... since all my stuff is halfway around the world and everything," she mused, when they finally drew apart. Her eyes went wide in sudden realization. "Oh, your parents, how are we going to tell them about the baby?"

Harrison quirked an eyebrow. "Well, we could make an honest woman out of you," he said, his hands roaming down under her a.s.s with a l.u.s.tful squeeze.

Clarice laughed. "I think moving to Bali to be with my super-rich boyfriend is enough life changes at once for me, thank you very much."

"That's okay," said Harrison. "I've already told them the truth, anyway."

"You sneaky motherf.u.c.ker."

He shrugged. "I had to come clean before I came to speak to you. I'm done living a lie. And I'm done living my life based on fear. I'm not scared of being hurt anymore. I just want to throw my everything into building a life with you, Clarice."

"A life with love and adventure," she added with a kiss.

"Yes," he said, pus.h.i.+ng her hair away from her face. "I don't feel scared anymore. With you, I feel whole."

20.