Page 32 of Burning Your Lies

Brynn lingers at thebottom of the stairs. “She’s down for the night. See you tomorrow.” She’s trying to escape quickly, as she did last night.

I knew the reason. And the reason, plus her husband, called in sick to work today. So, she was protected from my wrath for one day.

I hold her elbow and put on the softest look I can muster up. “Is something wrong? I can’t help but feel you’re avoiding me.”

She shakes my hold off and avoids looking at me. “No. I’m just tired. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I step in front of her, blocking her exit. “Brynn?”

Panic is alive in her eyes. “Please let me go.”

Oneconversation and Savannah has ruined everything I’ve built. The fear in her eyes enrages me because I have given her no reason to be scared of me. I have not forced myself on her. I have not yelled at her. I have spent my evenings making small talk with her and learning everything there is to know about her. I have withdrawn her job applications to places that aren’t goodenough for her. I have done everything in my power to keep her here. And Savannah has ruined that.

I step away from her and play dumbfounded. “I don’t understand.”

She tries to feign confidence, but I can see the waver in her. “I think it would be best if I stuck to the hours you aren’t in the home.”

“Not until you tell me what’s changed. What’s happened?”Come on. Tell me. Trust me enough to tell me the lies she spewed.

Brynn shakes her head. “It’s not you. I just realised I’m still in love with Jaxon.”

“Bullshit.” I don’t mean for the curse to fill the foyer, but I know it’s a lie. I’ve seen all her messages and calls. Her pathetic ex hasn’t been in contact with her since the day they broke up. “I know what we both feel. You don’t love him.”

“Xavier, please. Don’t do this.”

Needing to give her an opening, I let out an exasperated sigh. “Is this about Savannah? I told you—”

“That you had an affair with her? That she was your surrogate and mistress? Thatyouwere the one that asked her to stay after giving birth? That you bought her aring?” She shakes her head in disbelief. “When did you tell me all that, Xavier?”

Denying it won’t do any good. My only option is to plead my case and make her see the truth. “I should have told you, but I didn’t because I want to forget she ever happened.”

Brynn drops her bag to the floor and laughs. “Youworkwith her. You co-parent with her! How did you think hiding this would work for you?”

Taking my chances, I step closer to her and force her to look at me. “None of that was real because she was sick. I just didn’t know it. I didn’t want to tell you because I was scared it wasgoing to make you run for the hills. But if you give me the chance, I’ll tell you everything.”

“Like what?”

I hold her hand and lead her into the living area. I sit on the coffee table and face her. “She used to work at the coffee shop near the office. She used to always flirt with me, even though I made it clear I was married. I even told her about our struggles to conceive. Emery and I had the worst luck with finding a surrogate. And when Savannah heard that, she let it be known that her ex-boyfriend left her in a lot of debt.”

“What does that—”

I hold my hands up to silence her. “I’m getting there. She was nice, and I thought there was no harm in trying. The money would have helped her, and Emery liked her. Things were going well. One day, she told me she needed a job to pay for her mum’s nursing fees.” I make sure she’s looking at me when I say, “Her mum had schizophrenia. I took sympathy on her and gave her a job to be Ray’s PA. But then she told me she needed somewhere to live. She was pregnant with my baby. How could I leave her on the street?”

Brynn recoils her hands in her lap and stares at me in disgust. “She wanted to live with you, even though you were married?”

I nod. “But I wasn’t comfortable with that, so I put her in the garden guest house. Yet, she found a reason to be in the house. She was arranging dinners with Emery. And Emery, wanting to feel close to her unborn baby, couldn’t see she was just trying to get close to me. When I wouldn’t pay any attention to her, she started sleeping with my best friend. And whenthatdidn’t arouse jealousy, she started getting into Emery’s head to leave me.”

She falls silent as she takes in the tale I’m weaving. She bites on her bottom lip, and just when I think she’s going to come back to my side, she shakes her head. “You had an affair withher, though. Regardless of what she did, you had a duty to your wife and marriage to remain faithful. I’ve already had my heart broken by a cheat. I won’t jump into the same mistake. If you couldn’t be loyal to your wife and mother of your child, how can I expect you to do that for me?”

Fucking Savannah.

“She got into Emery’s head and all of a sudden we were arguing about every little thing. Emery could be cruel when she wanted. When I would drink my sorrows away, Savannah would always be there to lend a shoulder to cry on. It was a mistake that I let go on for too long. I am ashamed of the person I became, but I truly believed I loved her. But she was a liar. She ruined my marriage, yet continued her affair with Ray. Even when Emery died, Savannah was there for me.” I take hold of her hands again. “You have to understand, she was carrying Elise; the only part of Emery I had left. It felt like I owed everything to Savannah. I couldn’t exactly kick her out.”

Brynn grips my hand. “I suppose not.”

“And then Elise was born and life completely changed. I was a single-father who was still running a multi-billion-pound company. Except I had Savannah, and she made life feel easier. I was still grieving. I needed things to feel easy. So whensheofferedto stay, it felt foolish to say no. We fell into a routine and life continued.” I turn my head and stare out the window so she can see the tear I forced out.

Her fingers hesitantly brush it away. “Why didn’t you just tell me that from the beginning? I would have understood. But you didn’t even tell me you had a surrogate. Then I meet hisbeautiful, sexywoman who you are around all day, and who Elise calls mummy. Only to find out fromhershe was more than you ever mentioned. Because you didn’t mention her, Xavier. And it’s made me wonder why. Why deny she exists?”

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