Page 114 of One Last Time
Catherine grips my face, forcing me to look at her. “I know this is horrible. I know that you just want him to trust you. Believe me, I wish it were that simple, honey, but we can stop this if we can find out who is behind it. Noah doesn’t want to believe it’s you. He wants it to beanyoneelse. He’s not happy that you’re gone. He loves you, he told me, but he’s at a loss because everything points to you. Now, are you ready to find a way prove it wasn’t?” Her eyes are filled withdetermination.
I hold her wrists, take three deep breaths, andnod.
Even if Noah is gone, I need to exonerate myself. I did nothing wrong and whoever is behind this needs to feel even an ounce of the pain I’m in. So, yeah, I’m more thanready.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Noah
“Hello, Mr. Frazier.”The brunette flight attendant smiles. “Is there anything I can getyou?”
Her hair is the same dark brown color as hers. She has a little more blonde in it, and I much prefer the red inKristin’s.
My throat goes dry as I see her face, hair, body, and voice in every woman I see. None of them compare to her, and none of them have destroyed me the way shehas.
“No, I’mfine.”
Her red lips turn into a seductive smile. “Okay, if you need anything, I’m happy to be of service. My name isLeighanne.”
I smile. “Thanks.” There’s no service I’ll need. All I want is to pass the fuck out and wake up in thefuture.
It didn’t take long for Tristan to get a plan together. He told me the article is down and that they are working on discrediting Kristin. I didn’t want to know the details. I can’t sit and watch them destroy her. Even though she broke my fucking heart, I hate that I’ll be the one doing the same. For all I know, they’ll paint her as a desperate ex with a vendetta or a broke single mother needing to make a name forherself.
She’s neither ofthose.
No matter what, I can’t turn off how I feel abouther.
My phone pings again, and I go to turn it off, but her nameflashes.
Opening it is stupid, but I’ve never claimed to be all thatbright.
Kristin: I don’t know if you’ll read this. I don’t know if you care, but I want you to know that I love you with my whole heart. You’ve given me more in a few months than I got in my lifetime. I would never hurt you that way. You said you were leaving, and I’ll miss you more than you can ever understand. I’ll tell Aubrey that you asked me to care for her animals, and Finn that you hope to finish the marathon soon. No matter what you think of me, I will cherish every moment we had. I would give anything to see you just one last time, but I know you don’t want to see me. I swear that I’ll find out who didthis.
I sit on the plane, rubbing my forehead as I read the text over and over. The same thoughts continue to circle, leaving me without anyanswers.
Has the campaign against herstarted?
Will she hate me and tell the kids that I’m the reason their mother is beingattacked?
Will she suffer at myhands?
I picture Aubrey’s little blue eyes and big smile falling because my people are making her mother look like a gold digger. Finn will hate me, but not more than I’ll hatemyself.
I textTristan.
Me: Do not destroy Kristin. No matter what, I love her and I don’t want this. Find anotherway.
I power off the phone without waiting for aresponse.
I hate every part of this, but there’s no other explanation I can find. I spent all day going over any possibility as to how this wasn’t her, and I came up short. Even though in my heart, I don’t see how she could be so manipulative and go to such lengths to sell me on it, my head sees the facts. There’s no way to argue withthem.
The plane takes off, and I leave behind the woman I love and the life we could’vehad.
“Noah! Let’s go!”The director bangs on my trailer door, and Igroan.
My head is pounding, and I have the worst cottonmouth known to man. I’ve spent the last two days drunk as fuck, courtesy of the minibar in my hotel. It’s the only way shit doesn’t hurt so much. I’ve avoided people, sunlight, food, pretty much anything other thanvodka.
How the hell I’m going to work today is beyond me. I can barely stand, never mind focus on my lines. I lean back in the chair and close my eyes. If I can just get the spinning to stop, I’ll begood.
