“Uh . . . yeah . . .” He blinked.
“Can I come in?”
He blocked the entrance, still in shock. “What are you doing here? How’d you know how to find me?”
“Neil got your message.”
“So why are you here instead of Neil?”
“Can I come in?” Tears filled her eyes. “Please.”
He swung the door open, and she walked past him into the room, looking around and taking in the sight of the mussed bed.
Garrett stood at the still-open door. He didn’t feel comfortable with her in the room, and he definitely didn’t trust her or her motives. “Did Neil send you?”
“No.”
Why was she here? When he thought about it, Layla most likely had the same goal Garrett had—prevent the wedding. He still didn’t understand why it wasn’t Neil at his door instead of his girlfriend.
“Can you shut the door?”
He heaved out a breath and looked into the hall. “I think I’ll leave it open. Why don’t you just get to the point?”
She sat down on the bed and grasped her shaking hands.
“Look, if you’re upset about Neil marrying Blair, you don’t have to worry. She’s breaking up with him as we speak.”
She shook her head, a tear sliding down her cheek. “There’s something you have to know.”
“What?” She didn’t respond, and he wondered why she was there. The only reason he could come up with was that she wanted Neil to ditch Blair so she could have him. “Neil’s free now. Or he will be in a few minutes. You can run off and be together.”
“There’s more to it. Please. I think you’re the only one who can help me.” Tears streaked down her face. Garrett’s room was at the end of the hall, giving them a complete view all the way to the end. A door opened several rooms down, and a couple emerged into the hall. They looked down at the woman crying on his bed and gave him a dirty look.
With a groan, he shut the door. “Okay, you’re here. I’m listening. What do I need to know?”
“Neil’s not who you think he is.”
He released an annoyed grunt. “I’ve known the man for nearly thirty years, and I’m not a fan, so I’m not sure there’s anything you can tell me that will surprise me right now.”
She stood and moved toward him. “You seem like a nice man.”
“Layla, spit it out already. What do you want?”
She stopped in front of him. “I’ve met Blair before, you know.”
The very thought made him livid. “You mean at the hospital?”
“No. Before that. When she and Neil first started dating.”
His fists clenched. “Were you and Neil already having sex then?”
She looked up at him, defiance in her eyes. “It’s not like that. It’s not that crass.”
“Then what’s it like? Because he was going to marry her and have sex with you. Sounds pretty crass to me.”
“No. He only realized he loved me after he proposed to her.” She shrugged. “But he has to marry her so we can be together. She’s got a huge trust fund. After they’re married for a year, he can divorce her and get half her money.”
“Is that what he told you? You really bought that bullshit?” He shook his head in disgust. Could she really be that gullible? But then again, maybe that was part of her appeal. Neil had said he couldn’t stay with one woman long. So his choices made sense. Marry the respectable woman. Sleep with the not-so-bright ones, feed them a few lines to string them along, and then find a replacement mistress once the relationship had run its course. “There is no trust fund. Blair’s father left her and her mother penniless. He’s lying to you.”
Layla’s eyes widened, and fresh tears filled her eyes. “No. He wouldn’t do that.”
“He’s a doctor, Layla. Why would he need her money to be with you? Why not ditch her and marry you?”
“Why do you even like her?” Layla asked. “She’s such a cold bitch.”
He took a step back, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. “I think you should go.”
“Why would Neil want to be with someone like that unless he wanted her money?”
“Layla, I can’t help you. You need to talk to Neil about this.”
“Do you know how they met?”
Why wasn’t she leaving? He’d given her the information she wanted, so why hadn’t she just left? But then again, she hadn’t actually told him what she wanted. “What does it matter? Layla, what do you want?”
“A guy from Blair’s office set them up. He told Neil that she was a hotshot lawyer on the rise with a multi-million-dollar trust fund. The rest is history.” She reached for the bottom of her shirt and tugged it over her head, revealing a purple bra.
“What the hell are you doing?”
She tossed her shirt onto the floor and moved toward him, unfastening her pants. “You think Neil’s stupid, but he’s actually very, very smart.”
He backed up toward the door. “I need you to leave.”
“Neil is much more calculating than most people give him credit for.” Her pants dropped to the floor next, and she backed him into the door, pressing her nearly naked body against him. All he felt was disgust and revulsion.
He moved away from her, heading into the middle of the room. “You need to go. Now.”