Page 36 of Anteros' Return

“I have to go.” I cried as he protested, but that meant nothing to me as I hung up. My phone slipped from my grasp and clattered to the floor.

How could he do this to me?

How could I do this alone?

All I had were endless questions with no answers.

Over the days that followed, I did try to call him. I tried to make him see sense, but all I got was his honeyed tone on his voicemail. I had to accept it was over, and that the man didn’t have the balls to tell me himself. That’s what cut the most.

I wasn’t even worth a phone call.

My finger hovered over the block button. It was as far as I could go without deleting his number. Taking a deep breath, I pressed it, cutting him out of our lives for good.

14

Idecided to walk to collect Liam. I had time to kill and it took double the time to get there than it normally would have. And with the extra time on my hands came a lot of unwanted memories.

Almost nine years ago…

As I continued to search for my phone to try to call Em, my attention was captured by Mike as he wandered into the apartment I’d been put up in for my first season. He had a look on his face that I couldn’t quite work out. Well, at least until he opened his mouth.

“Mate, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“It’s Emily.” He sighed.

“What about Em? Is she alright?” I stood toe to toe with him, wondering what the fuck was going on.

“This is going to hurt you, mate, and I’m sorry that I’m the one that has to tell you but…”

“Just fucking spit it out,” I ordered, fisting his shirt.

“She met someone else.”

I released my grip, stumbling back slightly as if I’d just taken a blow to the chest. “What the fuck do you mean she’s met someone else?”

“She met someone else. I don’t know how else to spell it out for you.”

“She wouldn’t do that to me.” I knew my Em… Or at least I thought I did.

“I’m just telling you what she told me.”

“But why the hell would she tell you and not me directly?” I was livid. My heart damn near broke into a million pieces. “Help me find my damn phone to call her!”

“There’s no point. She said she doesn’t want you anymore, Beck. That she found someone else who doesn’t put the game before her like you did.”

Did I put the game before her? Is that how she truly felt?

“Besides, you moving away forced her to move on. She knew it wouldn’t work.” He frowned.

“It wasn’t like that with us.Sheisn’t like that!” I bellowed.

“Of course she is. She knows how fucking hot she is. You were just a toy to her. That sweetness and light is just an act, an act that you fell for.”

“Don’t… Don’t fucking speak about her like that!”

“Why not? It’s the truth, mate.” He rolled his eyes. “Look, just forget her. Look where you are. Look at who you are. You can find another woman like her in a heartbeat.”

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