It was all a lie.
God, I’m so stupid.
“Hey, do you have—” I glance up, meeting his eyes, and in that moment, he knows I know. It’s like the mask he’s been wearing has finally fallen. In only a towel, he snarls at me. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Tears blur my vision. “You’re married?”
“Why the fuck are you going through my things?” he snaps, snatching the phone out of my hand.
I get up and move over to my drawers, grabbing the first T-shirt and joggers I find. My skin crawls at being naked in front of him.
My thighs ache, almost bruised, and that isn’t anything compared to the throbbing of my wrists, or the stinging sensation down below.
“Answer me!” he barks.
I whimper and face him. “I-I didn’t want you to miss something,” I numbly reply. Why I’m answering after everything that’s happened, I don’t know. I still don’t feel present. This is a dream. It has to be. “You’re married.”
“No, I’m not.”
I point to his phone, my lip trembling. “I saw the message.”
He switches his phone off before throwing it on the bed. “It’s not what you think it is.”
Yes, it is.
It all makes sense: why he only took me out when it was dark and always away from town. Why he only ever came to mine. Why I never met his family, or his friends. Why I don’t even know where he works or lives.
Because he lied to me.
He told me things I wanted to hear and I fell for it.
“You liar,” I cry out, clutching my chest.
His eyes harden and his lip curls. “You go through my belongings and then try to turn it around on me?”
I flinch. “What? No. I was—”
“Being dramatic, as always.”
I shake my head, wondering why I’m arguing with him. This isn’t about that. It’s about him. He always does this; he always turns it around and makes me feel like I’m the one who has the problem, or I’m the one in the wrong.
“You have kids together.”
“I have kids. And?”
“You… We—We’ve been together months. You never said anything.” He laughs and I inhale sharply. “We—” I pause, catching my breath. “You cheated on your wife. You made me believe we were a couple.”
“Charlotte, you’re hot but you aren’t that bright. Did I ever say we were a couple?”
I pause, thinking back on it. He hadn’t said those words but he implied them. He said I was his. “But—”
“No. You were lucky you gave okay head, otherwise you wouldn’t have lasted this long.”
“Why are you doing this?” I cry out.
He looks to the bed, his jaw clenching. “Charlotte, nothing has to change.”
My eyes widen. “Not change? Not change?” I screech. “You let my first time be with someone who is already spoken for.”
“Don’t act like you didn’t want to be fucked,” he snarls, stepping forward. “You wanted me. You always want me.”
“I asked you to stop,” I whisper, feeling my chest tear open. He knew what my virginity meant to me. “I begged you to stop. And you are married. You have kids.”
“What are you saying?” he grits out, stepping toward me.
I’m unaware of him, of my surroundings, too busy trying to compartmentalise my thoughts. “I trusted you. I loved you. And you lied to me. You have a wife and kids. I have just broken up a marriage. Your children’s parents’ marriage. You—”
I cry out when a sharp sting vibrates across my face. I knock into the drawers, banging my head. I press my hand to my cheek, staring at him through tears.
“Shit! I didn’t mean that but you kept talking.”
“Don’t touch me,” I cry out when he takes a step forward.
“Don’t,” he demands. “Don’t romanticise this. Whatever you are thinking, you made up in that head of yours. Like everything. I’m still willing to be here, to be with you, but you have to keep your mouth shut, Charlotte. That’s the only way this can work.”
Chest heaving, I clutch at the drawers. He hit me.
“Don’t touch me,” I hiss out, trying to step around him.
I need to get out of here.
I need Landon.
My mum and dad.
“It was barely a slap,” he snarls. “Grow up.”
My back goes ramrod straight. “Get out,” I demand.
“All because of a message that doesn’t mean anything?”
“Not only because of that,” I yell. “I asked you to stop. I told you it was hurting and you didn’t listen. No one who cares about someone would do that. You knew I wanted to make it special and you…y-you did that.” He takes a step forward and I hold my hand up. “Don’t touch me.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to touch you again, so you can stop making shit up in your head.”
“No. I didn’t. You said—”
“I didn’t say anything,” he yells. “I expect this bullshit from her, but not from you. I don’t need this crap.”
“Does your wife know? You stayed here so many times,” I whisper, hating that I’ve done this to another woman. I back up toward the door, ready to make an exit.
Scott can be rude at times, but he’s never been like this.
His eyes widen and fear flashes in them before he rushes at me. He grips my chin, pushing me until my back hits the door. I cry out, gripping his wrists.
“Don’t bring her into it. And now that you know about her, this is done. She doesn’t need to know. If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will end you,” he snaps. “Not that anyone will believe someone like you. You hang out in strip clubs. You’ll be lucky if they continue letting children into your library after I’m done with you.”
I push him back, using the last of my strength, but he doesn’t budge. “Leave and don’t come back.”
In utter disgust, he runs his gaze over my face. “You wanted it. Don’t lie.”
“Leave,” I scream, my breath heaving with exhaustion. “If you don’t go, I’ll phone the police and ask them to come and remove you.”
“You little—”
A squeak passes through my lips and I weakly try to push him away, needing to escape. “Stop!”
“I’m not letting you call the police,” he snarls, reaching for me. I cry out when he spins me around, rearing his fist back. Knowing I have nowhere to go, I clench my eyes shut, just in time to feel the punch across my jaw. “I’m sick of little bitches like you thinking they can run their mouths and tell me what to do. You need to learn your fucking place.”
Disorientated, I reach for the closest thing. I lift the book, the Kama Sutra, and swing my arm out. Aiming it toward him, I whack him around the head.
“I’m sorry,” I cry out, rushing for the door.
He roars out in pain and I hear him following behind. He catches me at the door, shoving me until I face plant on the wood.
“You aren’t going anywhere until we get a few things straight,” he yells.