Page 96 of High Stakes

“Since she took me back on the condition, I stopped telling you about Bella?”

I narrow my eyes, “Was that an actual condition?”

“You’re missing the point, Aiden. There are things Bella doesn’t want you to know.”

“Like when she was pregnant with my kid?” I snap. “Did you know about that too?”

“No of course not.”

“What is so important, Bella thinks I’d actually give a shit?”

“She’s leaving. Moving away,” he mutters. “But you didn’t hear it from me.”

It’s not the words I was expecting, and I stare for a few silent seconds. Then I take a breath and shrug. “Is that it, I thought it was something bigger.”

He eyes me, knowing full well I’m talking shit. The news is the worst I’ve heard in a long time. “Now you know,” he mutters, leaving.

I wait for him to leave before swiping my hand over the desk and sending paperwork flying.Where the fuck is she going to go?All her money is tied up in the business.Is that why she wanted me to buy her out?Then I spend the next few hours, refreshing Bella’s social media, waiting to see if she puts pictures on so I can see who she’s with. Like that will somehow explain her sudden urge to pack up and go.

It's almost midnight when I spot Bella marching towards me. A small part of me is thrilled at seeing her. But I don’t budge from between the two women that are trying their best to get my attention. Bella stops at the table. “Can we talk?”

I place my arm around one of the women casually. “If it’s to tell me you’re leaving, I already know,” I reply in a bored tone.

“It’s not, well it is, but I just wanted to explain some stuff.”

“I’m busy,” I state and the women smirk.

“This is the last time you’re ever going to see me, Aiden. If you ever felt half of what you said, you’ll talk to me.” She marches towards my office.

I go after her, secretly desperate to hear what she’s got to say. We go into the office, and I sit in my chair, crossing one leg over the other at the ankle and waiting for her words.

“The morning I caught you with those two women,” she begins, looking uncomfortable. “That was the day I wanted to tell you the truth about the baby. I felt awful knowing what Laurie had done to you, and so I came to tell you then.”

“Only you didn’t,” I say, shrugging.

“No, because I saw the women and it threw me, I was embarrassed, so I left. You came after me and said you didn’t care about Laurie, that you felt relieved because you didn’t want kids.”

“I didn’t want them with Laurie,” I snap.

“How was I to know that?” she asks. “You seemed so certain.”

“What do you want me to say, Bella? That I forgive you? Because I don’t. There were so many times after that, when you could have told me. We were working things out.”

“I thought it would be kinder if I didn’t tell you,” she whispers, “So you wouldn’t have to feel the same pain I did.”

My heart twists but I ignore it. “I felt it for you anyway,” I snap. “Don’t try and convince me you were sparing me. You lied because it suited you. I’m sick of women thinking they can lie their way in and out of anything.”

“Maybe you should look at why women lie to you, Aiden,” she snaps. “Maybe you should treat them better and they wouldn’t get hurt and do things that hurt you too.”

I roll my eyes, “Maybe you should be on your way.”

“I don’t know why I thought this would be a good idea,” she mutters.

“You wanted me to forgive you, Bella. And it hasn’t worked.”

“I thought I deserved the same forgiveness I showed you after you hurt me,” she says, nodding. “I was stupid to think you were that reasonable.” She pulls the door open, and I feel panicked, I’m not ready for her to leave.

“Where are you moving to?” I ask, hating that I care.

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