“Zachy, baby. It’s me you’re talking to. I made a mistake, so what. Let’s talk our shit out of our lives, baby. You wouldn’t have left the operating room and come to me if you dudn’t want to hear what I have to say.”
An unwelcomed warmth settles in my gut, and if I could, I would slap the shit out of me. I’m grossed out from the fact she has any effect on me. Anger, comfort, sickness, fervor, every emotion she provokes makes me pitiful.
When she left, when I found out why she fled our engagement, I swore the next time Isabella Castellani and I would be in the same room, I’d pay more attention to the cracks in the walls, but here we are and I can’t take my eyes off of her. She is studying me, waiting for my reaction, knowing that I’m close to giving in. When did I ever refuse her anything? From vacations to furniture, the princess always got everything she wanted from me.
And look at me now.
“Let’s go upstairs in the private locker room. Five fucking minutes and I want you walking your fancy stiletto shoes out of my life. For good.”
“Five minutes and you’ll beg me to stay. Lead the way, Doctor.”
I dismiss everything she says, thinking about her as white noise because it’s the only way I can get through this without doing something that might put shame on my record. It takes us 191 steps to get from reception to the locker, and I bet that’s exactly how many footprints I left behind. My body is tight, like a violin cord, and I know that I’m dangerously close to snapping.
I open the door and the second wave of nausea strikes, making me feel like I’m defiling this place. Something London has touched with her passion and filled with her orgasmic sobs is something a woman like Isabella should never have the privilege of seeing. But I’m the asshole that invites her in.
Her hips roll by me until she gets to the center of the room. The same thing as in reception happens, it’s like someone just put a light on her and my eyes are moths following the light. Except this time something shifts, and I can’t stay focus on Isabella’s sparkle. All my senses focus on the reminiscence of the night I had London on the couch, capturing all my attention. I can smell her, hear her in the back of my mind, feel the grip of her fingers on my neck, and for the first time since I heard Isabella’s voice on the phone, I feel like I can fill my lungs with air.
“You wanted to talk, so talk, you have five minutes.”
“You really want to play that card with me? I know about you fucking Annabella, I know how you go to her once in a while craving and taking what we once had.”
Of course, Annabelle told her. The Castellani twins hate each other’s guts and they will throw any kind of dirt at each other. These women thrive on each other’s misery, and it has been like that since the first time I met Isabella. For the first couple of months nothing special happened, but then, at one family dinner, Isabella said I make her happy. That’s the day Ana started sniffing for my dick.
She throws it in my face and my skin is crawling. I don’t want her to have ammunition on hand.
Pissed as shit and wretched, I walk my ass to the couch, sit and put my elbows on my knees. She’s been here for eight minutes, and she has already sucked three years out of me. This needs to stop.
“Stop reading into it.”
“You fucked my twin sister thinking it was me, pretending that you could ever find me in another woman.”
“I used her as my punching bag. You weren’t here to take my wrath, so I went for the next best thing. Did she also tell you that I never cared how she felt, or if it hurt, or if she came? For God’s sake, I didn’t stop fucking her when she cried. Isabella, I put more hate into sleeping with your sister than most people give to their enemies.”
I can read the surprise and annoyance on her face, which is an excellent sign for me. Isabella hates to not get her way and does not put any work into hiding it, so I look down waiting for her to stomp her feet on the floor and leave me the fuck alone. The fact that I’m still affected by her doesn’t mean there is the slightest chance to go back. This snake is not welcomed in my bed anymore.
Her high heels are silent on the carpet, so I don’t know how close sheis until the bronzed skin on her legs comes into my view. Looking up, I find Isabella gawking at me, showing me something I never believed she was capable of, anguish.
“Zach, you are all I have. We’ve been together for six years.” Not exactly, our six-year anniversary was supposed to be our wedding day. She squats in front of me and the movement makes the rim of her short pencil skirt go up another inch. Her hands grab my forearms to get my attention.
“What the hell are you talking about? I know all of your one billion friends; you have six cousins that you talk to every week, and your mom visits at least once a month. You don’t seem that lonely to me.”
“Oh, come on, you know all those friendships are shallow and fake. My cousins are moving on with their lives, we didn’t talk that much when I was in Europe, I hate my sister, and my mom has a new husband and a new boy toy, she’s busy.”
Yeah, all her friends are dumb bimbos, both the women and the men. I don’t care for her family that much.
“And why are you here?”
“You knew I was coming back to you, right?”
“No, I didn’t, and even if I did, it’s been two fucking years. At this point, I just don’t care.”
“Damn it, Zach, you can’t say that. What happened to the dream team?”
“It’s dead.”
“No. Zachary, you and I are like oil and water, different as fuck but together, and with some seasoning, we make a delicious Italian dressing.”
I almost laugh. I swear to God I almost burst out laughing in her face.
“Funny how you chose Italian. Where’s yours, by the way?”
From the look on her face, you’d believe I’d just slapped her. Good, I’m fine with that.
“That was never meant to last. I got cold feet, I was in need of a reminder or something like that. He meant nothing.”
“Really? The man who you run away with, and who banged you for two years before returning you , all broken and pathetic, he didn’t mean anything?”
“There is no reason to be cruel. I fucked up, alright? I know, but this is our dynamic, I screw you up then you screw me in my ass and we move on.”
She pushes my shoulders and I run back to the couch, giving her enough space to crawl and sit on my leg. I know I should push her off immediately, but my man instincts kick in and my hands refuse to shove a hot woman’s body off of me. My mind wishes for another woman’s figure, though. One that is rounder, warmer, and way blonder.
“I can’t lose you too, Zach.”
“This was over a long time ago, Bella. Too long ago to be fixed. Today is the day we say goodbye for good.”
I put my hand on her hip, but it’s not a sexy move, and she knows it. I make it with pity because the way she feels right now sucks balls. I know because I’ve been there.
“Bella, you fucked up, but you didn’t fuck me up. The only one who’s lost here is you. You wanted to have it all, and you failed. The bitterness, the frustration? I felt just like you feel right now two years ago.”
She let out a defeated breath. It’s over and this time I got closure. ” I hurt you, didn’t I?”