All Chapters of To Hate, To Love, And To Wed: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

I rise, adjusting the cuffs of my shirt as I crush the end of my cigar into the ashtray. Without another word, I step out of the office, Caleb following behind me, and head down the hall toward the underground VIP lounge—the place where real conversations happen. Where the masks come off and the deals get bloody.The underground lounge is a little quieter than the main club, but there’s still music here, although more tame so we can hear each other speak when talking business rather than screaming at the top of our lungs. I push open the door and step inside. It’s a haze of smoke, perfume, and poor decisions.Three men—Jorge, Luis, and Santino—are lounging on the dark velvet couches like kings on thrones. Shirt buttons open. Cigars burning. Their suits wrinkled from how tenaciously the dancers are grinding on them.They’re laughing so loud and throwing cash into the air like they’ve never received a lap-dance from a naked woman before. Luis slaps a dancer’s thigh while Jorge pops ope

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”Then I walk out. And it’s not because I’m over him. But because I need to get away from him before the tears brimming my eyes start streaming down my face and he sees the effect he has on me. I run into the rest room, and lock myself inside one of the toilets, unbuttoning my shirt as I gasp, chasing my breath. I tell myself that Michael is not here. That was just a brief moment of mental relapse. But who am I kidding. He was there. He is here. Tears wet my cheeks and I wipe them off, sniffing while I gently slam my head into a wall until I’m able to calm my racing mind. And by the time that happens, my thirty minute lunch break is already over. Frustration is a little word to describe how I feel as I rush to the company cafeteria and get a coffee before rushing back to my office. I bring the cup between my lips, taking a slow sip as I open my office door and step in. My brows knit. My eyes narrow. And I stop dead in my tracks.What the…Mich

When my eyes open, the room is pitch black, but I know it’s morning already. And I don’t remember drawing my curtains close. I slide a hand underneath my pillow and take out my phone. It’s ten in the morning. Groaning, I sit up and drag a hand through my hair as I slowly, lazily climb out of bed and head into the bathroom.After minutes, I come out of the shower, a towel wrapped around my head, another around my chest. I’m walking towards my closet when I hear a soft bark. Wait… a bark…Oh shit! I own a dog.And a kitten!God help me!I run out of the room, guilt already clawing up my chest for starving my new babies barely twenty four hours of living with her. “Joy!” I shout, my voice halfway to panic, heart thumping loudly. “I’m sorry, baby! I didn’t mean to forget you!”I swear, I’ll gut Michael for putting me in this position. Her barks are awfully steady and happy for a dog that should be growling for food. I follow the sound down the hall leading into my living room. Then I

I crack my knuckles before gripping my steering wheel with one hand and turning the key in the ignition with the other. The car hums to life. I strap the phone to the holder, watching the beeping red dot on the map as I adjust my hoodie before driving out of the parking lot. I follow Adaline’s trail slowly, keeping my car a few blocks behind her as I watch her stroll the street casually, her head lolling from side to side as though she’s humming to a song. She curls the leash tighter around her wrist, and Joy surprisingly falls into step beside her, behaving well like a perfectly trained show dog.Joy is everything but a show dog. She’s a beast—fucking ruthless in all forms of ruthless. But I made sure she learned to be soft around Adaline, except of course she senses danger. The dog is doing me proud, I can’t even lie. I retrieve a burner phone from the middle console, dialing the only number stored in it. It rings once and Caleb answers immediately. “You have eyes?” I ask him.

Did I fuck it up?I think I moved too fast?I shouldn’t have asked for a kiss too soon… Fuck me.My hands are shaky as I punch the code into the electric key, scanning my thumbprint. The lock clicks and I open the door with a shaky breath. I’m greeted by quietness. It still smells like wood and stone in here, proof that this place is untouched. I’ve barely been here since the construction workers finished with it, because the intention wasn’t to use it now. This was meant for later. For our peace.I guess now is later. My fingers hover on the doorknob a second longer, then I turn and head back to the car.Adaline is sitting still in the front seat, her hand running gently through the kitten’s fur. She doesn’t look up when I approach, but she knows I’m there. She always knows. I open her door quietly, like I’m afraid even the sound will startle her.Or maybe I’m afraid she’d yell at me for trying to kiss her. I don’t know… all of this feels so confusing, too difficult for even a ma