Semua Bab The Billionaire Married Me, Then Forgot How to Love Me: Bab 121 - Bab 130

(Serena)Thirty-five of us, give or take a toddler, are all in this huge room and the platters are going down a treat.Some for adults and some for kids. I think the kids platters are winning all around.I end up wedged between my cousin Natalia and my uncle Byron, across from Wes and my twin sisters.My mom is at the other end of the room, deep in debate with her older sister.Nana is watching it all with the look of a woman who already knows who’s right but will let them bicker for the entertainment value.Haylee, bless her heart, has outdone herself.The room glows under string lights. There’s a photo booth set up. The pictures are being pinned up on some corkboards on the wall.The estate’s catering staff have handled the food perfectly but Haylee dings on a glass and the room fall quiet.A row of servers come out with trays with huge sliver cloche’s on them.“Now, for the highlight of the evening…” Haylee says loudly.The servers lower the trays and remove the cloches, everyone g

(Serena)James is sitting on the edge of the couch warming his hands against the fire.I take that in for a moment. I’ve missed him but I need to separate those emotions from reality of what’s going on between us.He’s still backing his mother and choosing to be with Savannah when he shouldn’t be. He still isn’t getting how I need to be loved by him.When we first got together, he did do that. But I found out that it wasn’t real because he could only be that man I needed as long as I stayed unknown in his world. He even said himself his world would ruin me. Ruin us.I had no clue how it would really be. I stupidly thought it can’t be that bad. I was wrong too.I set his Irish coffee in front of him. “It’s strong.”He nods, fingers curling around the mug. “Thanks. You’re joining me in having one?”“Yes, I had two glasses of wine and a couple of cocktails earlier. It was nice to be able to relax… but I’d give anything to not be able to drink alcohol because there was still a baby grow

(James)“I know it isn’t what you meant. But it is what we need. It’s what I need if I’m ever going to find who I am.”Serena doesn’t move. I see her pain, God, I feel it. It’s my pain too. But deep down I know this is what has to be done if ever we are going to make it. And even if we never be together again… it’s what we both need to find out.“You don’t have to do that,” she says, barely above a whisper. “Not like this. Not tonight.”“I do,” I reply, steady, because if I don’t hold myself together now, I’ll beg her to change my mind. “Because you were right. About all of it. And I think I’ve known for a while now.”She stands too, her arms wrapping around herself the way I’ve seen her do a thousand times when she’s trying to stay strong. When she’s trying not to fall apart.“I just don’t understand why you’re the one walking away,” she says. “When you’re also the one who showed up tonight.”I take a step closer, then stop myself.“Because showing up is the easy part,” I admit. “Bei

(James)The second bottle’s already open.The first is sideways in the wastebasket beside my desk.Hale -fucking- Tower… Where I’m the top man. The boss. The most astute businessman to have ever totally fucked-over his life.“I’ll drink to that.” I raise my glass and swallow another mouthful.Dalmore 25. Top shelf. Aged oak, sherry cask, burns like the devil.Theo says this one’s ‘for deals worth billions or monumental fuck-ups.’I guess I’ve done both now.I’m half through the second pour when the door opens. I know it’s Theo. He doesn’t knock. Doesn’t have to. It’s well after office hours.He tosses his coat over the leather office chair, grabs a glass from the drinks cart, and sits down across from me without a word.He studies me. Then the bottle. And he sees the one in the trash.“Jesus,” he mutters. “That bad, huh?”“I nuked my marriage,” I say flatly.“That’s nothing new.” Theo pours himself two fingers and downs it like it’s water. He pours another.“Nope. But not like this. I

(Serena)The buzz of James’s text reply lights up my phone. I sent him a simple R U OK.He’s as wasted as I’ve ever heard him.I grin, he’s hopeless when he’s like that.We both are.yea. no. i jsut. u stil there? god i misser... snooze cows...I blink at the message, trying to decipher it.Either way, it tells me what I already knew from his voice message: he’s completely gone.Still, I can’t help the small smile. Drunk James. I haven’t heard from him in that state in so long.Without thinking, I tap his contact and press call.He answers like he fell onto the phone. “You picked up,” he says, slurring every syllable.“Ah, no. I called you, so you picked up.”“You called me? Awesome…”“I could not read your text. So, I thought I’d check you’re not choking on your own vomit.”“I was texting with my feelings,” he says dramatically, then giggles. “They’re bad at spelling.”His laugh is tired, messy, full of late-night sorrow.“Are you lying in a bush somewhere?” I ask.“Pretty sure I’m i