Page 73 of (Un)Expected

I held his hand a little tighter. “I think that’s admirable, andclearly, a lot of money is being raised tonight for…”Shit.I was so distracted on the plane that I’d zoned out when Adam told me about the charity.

“New York Metro Hospital’s Pediatric Cardio ward,” Adam answered. “Most of the funds raised tonight will be used to upgrade their essential equipment.” He ushered me toward a mock-up at the edge of the ballroom. “With these improvements, the hospital will have the cutting-edge technology they need to treat patients more effectively.” He pointed to the center of the wing. “We’re also adding in some adaptive play equipment to give the patients a chance to feel like children.”

“That’s amazing,” I said. “But couldn’t the foundation take the money from this party and put it toward the wing?” I shrugged. “Seems kind of frivolous to me.”

“Oh, it is,” Adam chuckled. “This is just how the game is played.”

My face furrowed, still trying to understand when Adam was called away. He kissed me softly on the side of my head before joining another group. Left alone, I wandered toward the bar, lifting my empty glass to the bartender at the other side. I might need to break my two-drink rule to get through this evening.

As the bartender poured me another glass, my phone chirped in my clutch, and I smiled when I saw a message from Cole waiting.

Cole: Ready to run for the hills yet?

Me: You have no idea. How’d you get out of these things?

Cole: Told a couple of execs what I thought about their movies. You should have seen Theo’s face.

Me: Ohh, you rebel…

Cole: If you don’t want criticism, don’t make a movie about biomec crocodiles battling the Loch Ness monster

I smiled as I tucked my phone away. Turning away from the bar, I slowly strolled through the crowd, taking in the photographs of past patients. I paused at each one, taking the time to read all their stories. As much as I hated the ostentatiousness of these events, I couldn’t deny how much good they brought into the world. Dealing with the upper echelons of Manhattan seemed like a small price to pay if it meant more children got the medical care they needed.

When I reached the end of the display, I walked back toward the center of the room, searching for Adam. I found him on the other side of the dance floor, locked in a conversation with the other hosts for the evening. He turned slightly, giving me a wave to join them.

Before I could move, my skin started to prickle as the weight of someone’s heavy stare trailed along my bare back, tracking every inch of my spine. A warning tone filled my mind, urging me not to turn around, but my curiosity won out.

I barely felt the champagne glass slip out of my hand, didn’t even notice the liquid spilling along the front of my gown. All I could see were the pair of steely blue eyes locked onto mine, making every fiber of my body tremble with nerves.

The space between us was silent, the packed ballroom empty to me now. There was nothing I wanted to do more than turn and run, to back home and never come back to the city again.

However, as I locked eyes with the one person I never wanted to see again, I knew it wouldn’t matter.

Nate Gibson, the man I once thought I would marry, was here, in the room with me. I escaped him once, and based on the look on his face, I wasn’t about to again.

“Fuck,”I hissed, scrubbing my dress with a paper towel. After my stare-down with Nate, someone had pulled him into a conversation, giving me a chance to dash into the bathroom. I’d be hiding out inhere for almost twenty minutes, fixated on the spot on the edge of the gown. These stains werenevergoing to come out.

God, do designers take payment plans?

Fuck it. I was probably just making it worse. A couple of other women entered the bathroom, so I tucked into a stall, not ready to face another human being.

Especially not Nate Gibson.

Fuck.What was he even doing here?

It was an easy question to answer. Nate hated charity, but he loved attention. He was always invited to major events in the city because of his family name—the Gibsons owned half the buildings on the Upper East Side, for fuck’s sake.

I should have seen this coming. This was precisely the type of event he’d attend, getting to look like the good guy without getting his hands dirty.

After the other women left, I forced myself out of the stall, staring at myself in the mirror, running my finger along my ruined make-up. Gone was the elegant woman on the red carpet earlier. All I could see was an echo of the past, staring at an entirely different mirror, trying to cover up the bruises that marred my body, trying to force a smile without opening the cut on my lip. I showed no flaws or weaknesses in public, while in private, my entire world was falling to ashes around me.

My hands clenched the marble surface, trying to push the memories away, to move past the hurt, the fear, the anger, all the things he branded on my skin, not caring what scars he left behind. In Nate’s mind, I’d belonged to him, so he had the right to do with me what he pleased. I could still feel his hands all over me, demanding pieces I wasn’t willing to share. I remembered the fear and nausea that consumed me when I woke in his bed, naked and alone, with zero memories of the previous hours.

My stomach lurched, and I ran to the toilet, emptying its limited contents into the porcelain bowl. My hands shook as I pulled away,unsure how to face him—ifI could face him again. I’d deluded myself into believing I would never see him again.

Maybe I’d get lucky, and Nate wouldn’t even talk to me.

I chuckled to myself. Of course, he would; Nate got off on exerting power over others. If he knew I was in here, shaking at the thought of him, he’d probably smile.

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