21 — This Time, I Left First

Immediately I got to Trevor’s house, I rushed into my room, undressing in a hurry. I dashed into the bathroom and cried my eyes out under the hot shower.

Satisfied and spent, I turned off the shower knob and grabbed a towel from the rail as I stepped out. I left the bathroom and sauntered toward the walk-in closet.

I changed into a pair of PJs. Then I sat in front of the vanity, drying my wet hair.

Swollen eyes. Just great.

I tied it into a lazy up-do and stayed there for a couple of minutes, lost in thought while twisting my engagement ring. I had picked it the moment the red gems caught my eye.

I went back to the room and sat on the bed, replaying everything that happened. My anger resurfaced when the image of Trevor with the blonde popped into my head.

How dare he?

How could he do that to me? Twice in a row, making me look stupid.

I never signed up for any of this. I didn’t want to get married, but I got myself into this mess by wrecking his car.

In a very twisted way, he had changed my life since our first encounter. Maybe I should just let it go.

I sat there until the sun rose, peeking through the blinds.

“Alessia!”

“Trevor. Good way to ruin my mood,” I muttered under my breath.

“You in there?”

I reluctantly made my way to the door and pulled it open, only to be met with a pair of grey eyes staring straight into mine.

“Why did you walk out on me at the club? And what were you doing in a club, especially in that green dress, Alessia?”

“Whatever I do with my time is none of your business, just like yours isn’t mine,” I replied, venom in my voice.

“Did you meet a guy?” he asked, raising a brow. He was still in the same clothes, meaning he had just gotten back.

Bravo. Real gentleman indeed.

“Last time I checked, your business isn’t my business, so mine shouldn’t be yours either, right?” I sneered.

“You’re going to be my wife. Your business is my business. And never speak to me in that fucking tone again, Alessia,” he growled.

So now he was playing that card.

He had another thing coming.

“Let’s start with the way you addressed me yesterday, like I was some homeless dog you rescued in the rain, then decided you didn’t even want but couldn’t get rid of. Like I was a fucking burden to you, Reynolds. And as if that wasn’t enough, you practically threw your girlfriend in my face. I kno—”

He cut me off. Great.

“Girlfriend? What girlfriend?” he asked, feigning confusion.

“Are you fucking with me? Don’t act confused now, it’s not cute. Red thong, remember?” I said, air-quoting the last words.

His eyes lit up in recognition.

“Oh. Priscilla,” he said distastefully.

“I don’t care what her name is. Do you know how that felt? In the eyes of your housekeeper? I’ll tell you. Even if she didn’t say it, I saw it in her eyes. She thought, ‘my boss is cheating on his fiancée.’ And I don’t blame her. I blame you. How could you? You made me look like a fool in front of her. And the worst part? I almost slept in the same room you had sex in. Same fucking room!”

“If it’s about the room, I’m sorry. Clarisse messed that up. You weren’t supposed to see that. And if it’s about me sleeping with a woman, you knew damn well about that part. If you can’t remember, I told you I know how to take care of myself when it comes to sexual activities. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re jealous. Don’t worry, I’m all yours. Just ask.”

He smirked.

You weren’t supposed to see that.

I wasn’t supposed to see that?

Good words, Trevor.

“Wow. Thank goodness you know better. You know what? Hell will freeze before I sleep with you. If you think I’m jealous, you’re definitely lacking in the detecting department. Get your facts straight. You’re just borderline rude and disres—”

“Don’t. You. Fucking. Dare. Finish that sentence.”

His voice dropped.

“Show’s over. And I think you’re forgetting your place here. Just because I didn’t say anything when you demanded Clarisse speak to you differently, or when you said you wanted to leave, doesn’t mean I’m stupid. That was respect. You don’t have any damn right to call me names. No fucking right. Now you better give me the respect I deserve.”

“Respect?” I laughed, sharp. “What do you even know about respect? You and respect don’t belong in the same sentence. You’re egotistical, rude, obnoxious. Every word that’s the opposite of respect.

And if you think I must respect you, you’re wrong. Respect is earned, not forced, mister. Just because it’s your house doesn’t mean you can make all the rules. In this house, I’m your fiancée, and you’re my fiancé. Better start acting like it, or people will start thinking this engagement is fake. Even though we both know it is.”

He stared at me.

Just stared.

For seconds that felt like hours.

Then he spoke.

“When you talked about the dog shit, I realized you do have an artistic mind. Use it wisely. By the way, bother me some other day. I have better things to attend to.”

And he left.

***

I removed the engagement ring from my finger. Even though it had started to mean so much to me in such a short time, I couldn’t deal with the fact that Trevor gave it to me.

I didn’t care if it was a rash decision.

It was just too much.

Boys are trouble.

Was I too harsh on him?

No.

He had it coming. It’s not like he didn’t deserve it. He walked out on me.

He did it so easily.

That bruised my ego.

I didn’t even tell him about the pictures in the tabloids yet.

I didn’t stay to think.

I grabbed my phone, shoved it into my pocket, and walked out of the room before the anger could trap me again.

I didn’t look back. I didn’t wait for regret either.

My hand was shaking slightly as I stood by the entrance while the gate slowly opened, my chest still tight with everything I had just said and everything he had said back.

Respect.

Place.

All of it echoed in my head like noise I couldn’t switch off.

I hailed a cab.

I got in quickly, shutting the door harder than necessary.

“Where to, miss?” the driver asked.

“Anywhere away from here,” I said, then corrected myself. “Park and Seventy-First, please.”

He nodded and pulled off.

As the car moved, the mansion slowly disappeared behind me.

Streetlights blurred past the window, painting the morning in soft streaks of gold and black. My reflection stared back at me faintly in the glass.

I looked tired.

Not just sleepy.

My fingers moved without thinking, twisting the engagement ring that was no longer on my hand.

That alone made my chest tighten again.

I exhaled sharply and turned my face toward the window.

I wasn’t supposed to care this much.

That was the problem.

The more I tried not to, the worse it got.

And somewhere in the back of my mind, his voice followed me anyway.

“Don’t speak to me in that tone.

You came here anyway.”

Jealousy doesn’t look good on you, Alessia.

I pressed my forehead against the cool glass.

“Idiot,” I whispered, not sure if I meant him or myself.

The city kept moving.

And I let it take me somewhere he wasn’t.

Hailey’s.