Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 113464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“You were right.” Shock. That’s what this is. I feel nothing but cold inside. Empty. Even the pain in my chest is dull. A sob catches in my throat. “He was never worth it. How could I have been so stupid? So fucking blind that I couldn’t see my boyfriend was cheating on me? I thought he was working this whole time, but he was fucking some random woman.” The words spill out of me like an overflowing riverbank.
“Come on.” She steers me down the hall, and I let her, even if I want to hide in the bathroom until closing. I don’t want anyone to see me like this. Will they be able to tell how stupid I’ve been just by looking at my shell-shocked expression?
“Where are we going?” I question, the tears in my eyes making it hard for me to see.
“To get fucking wasted, that’s where.” Once we emerge from the hall, she signals the closest server. “We’re going to need a private table and a bottle of champagne. Keep them coming.”
“What are you celebrating?” the girl asks, smiling brightly.
Tatum eyes me, her mouth set in a wry smirk. “My friend here just lost a lot of weight. Like a hundred seventy-five pounds of worthless asshole.”
Both Tatum and I jump a little, when Romero opens the car door and leans in. “It’s all clear,” he reports, his dark gaze roaming over Tatum and then me. “Some drawers are hanging open in the bedroom, but otherwise, the place is empty. He’s cleared out all of his stuff. I doubt he’ll return, but I’ll send one of the men over to replace the locks, just in case.”
“Thank you,” I whisper as he hands me back the key. “I appreciate you checking it out.”
“No problem.” He offers a hand, and I take it, letting him pull me out of the car. As soon as I’m standing, he reaches back inside to help Tatum. “Let’s go, princess. I don’t have all night.”
“You’re such a prick,” Tatum mutters, stumbling out of the car. “I don’t need you to drive me home in the morning. I’ll call someone else.”
“I’ll be here at eight. Don’t even think about wasting someone else’s time, or I’ll tell Daddy you’re refusing to follow my directions, and your safety is at risk.” He sneers at her condition, the total opposite of how kind he’s treated me. “You better be ready, princess, or else you won’t like what happens.”
“Blow me,” she whispers, walking alongside me to the front door of my apartment building. The tension between them is thick, and by that, I mean she wants to stab him with a knife, and he wants to strangle her.
He waits until we’re inside before pulling from the curb, leaving us to climb the two flights of stairs slowly. Clumsily. After a few minutes, we arrive on the second floor. Thankfully, my apartment is right around the corner. We stop outside the door, and Tatum sags against me.
“Cardio was not a part of the plans tonight.” She huffs. I couldn’t agree more.
The keys rattle in my hand as I take one between my fingers and shove it into the lock. When the lock disengages, I twist the knob and push it open. I hold my breath, my aching heart heavy in my chest.
“I hate him.” Tatum’s still fuming as she stumbles into the kitchen for water while I walk tentatively inside. Memories of our time together filter through my mind. Movie nights, arguments, sex. Feelings of despair overwhelm me. There were good memories here, yes, but more than anything, there was loneliness.
“Romero?” I murmur, only half listening.
“Well, yeah, who else? Oh. Yeah, him too. They’re both assholes.” She raises her glass.
We’ve agreed multiple times tonight that I’m better off without Lucas. He was a comfortable part of my life. If anything, discovering him cheating saved me from having to build up the courage to end things with him.
“I suppose I’d better pack my shit,” I muse while kicking off my shoes. I could barely afford this place with Lucas paying half of the bills, and without him? No way.
“I don’t want to leave for France now.” Tatum pouts and leans in for a hug, but ends up falling against me when she loses her balance in her towering heels. “Of all the times that asshole had to break your heart, he chooses a couple of days before I leave.”
“It’s okay. It was going to happen, eventually,” I remind her. “Take your shoes off before you break an ankle and end up spending your trip hobbling around on crutches.” As usual, it’s easier to take care of her than to focus on myself.
I already cried my eyes out in the town car after Romero picked us up. It wasn’t just about our relationship ending. It was deeper than that. It was about the lies and betrayal. I put in so much effort to be with him that I lost sight of who I was and what I wanted. I lowered my standards for someone who didn’t give a damn about me, and I had to find out in the worst way.