Page 15 of Charming Deception

I left my apartment, the apartment I shared with my on-and-off-again boyfriend of eleven years, in the night, while he was out. I hid at my coworker’s house until I could get a ride with my mom to the bus station. I left town without Troy knowing, so he couldn’t try to stop me.

I wasn’t scared of him. Not physically. But I was broken down by his endless manipulations, his selfish orchestration of my life, and his bottomless black hole of need and insecurity that he expected me to fill for him.

And I was scared to leave my hometown. The only home I’ve ever known.

But Crooks Creek is small, and Troy is all up in it. Everyone knows him there.

Though not everyone loves him as much as he wants them to. Far from it.

My online therapist explained it to me, many times. But now that I’ve put distance between myself and Troy, I feel like I can safely acknowledge the truth to myself: that Troy Duchamp is a pathological narcissist who almost sucked the life out of me.

The man is an energy vampire and I’m drained.

The only good part of having nothing left to give to someone because they’ve taken way more than their fair share from you is coming to the realization that your feelings for them have eroded to the point that they’re completely gone.

It’s the only reason I was able to leave.

I’ll miss living so close to Mom. I’ll miss some of my old friends.

But I just knew I had to start over, somewhere else.

I haven’t seen Cole in person in two years, but running to my brother was really my only option. I know I can count on him for at least a few days respite. My brother isn’t a narcissist. But he has issues, too, that will make living with him long-term a bad idea.

The racking sobs fade into silent tears. My eyes just don’t seem to want to stop leaking.

But finally, they do.

I wash my hair, then step out of the shower and dry off with one of the big, plush towels, hiccuping a little in the aftermath of all that crying, and letting my frayed nerves settle.

I just need a day or two to recoup, regroup, and see what Cole can do to help me get settled. That’s why I came to him.

After that, I need to take care of myself like I’ve always done, because that’s what survivors do.

I know it won’t be easy. I’ve never even visited Vancouver before.

I need a job and an apartment, maybe some fun girl roommates. I need friends. I need dishes and furniture and so many things.

Most of all, I need my own life back.

The one Troy Duchamp stole from me, piece by piece, from the time I was seventeen.

I swipe the fog from the mirror with the side of my hand and look into my pink-rimmed eyes, and I remind myself that my heart is safe now.

But there’s a terrible fear that’s accompanied me all the way here, warning me that I’ll never be free of him.

Because he’s an energy vampire, and vampires need to feed.

Chapter 4

Jameson

When I step out of the shower, I make the mistake of checking my phone again, where I find more texts from my team at the office.

Those photos and the accompanying salacious speculation are already trending as #geneson, some lame celebrity couple nickname for Geneviève + Jameson.

Obviously, this well-timed photo leak is meant to bolster Geneviève’s movie opening. Her new blockbuster opens tonight.

It’s so obvious, it’s almost boring in its predicability. She really needs new PR people.

---