Page 58 of Ensnared
Chapter 23
I couldn’t bear to sleep in the same bed as Colson after what happened, so I found refuge in Easton’s room. He was off on another surfing adventure and wouldn’t be back until the rehearsal dinner and wedding festivities. At least in his room, I felt a semblance of safety. When I checked my room that morning, Colson was gone, leaving only the ghost of last night’s horrors behind.
I avoided him all day, taking an Uber to the office and keeping my door locked. The man who had been so calculated and balanced was now showing a side of himself I never knew existed—a side that terrified me. His forcefulness last night was a revelation I hadn’t been prepared for, and now, the lies he was piling on only fueled my growing resentment.
He knew who pushed me down the stairs, and his deceit about the party was a knife twisted deep into my back. Vaughn had tried to tell me the truth, and I had been too blind to see it.
Just before noon, I heard Vaughn’s voice echoing down the hallway, followed by the slam of his office door. I knew I had to talk to him before the whirlwind of wedding chaos swept us bothaway. Summoning my courage, I walked to his office and slipped inside without knocking. The door clicked shut behind me, and Vaughn looked up, his expression darkening when he saw me.
“What do you want?” he growled, the hostility in his voice palpable.
I stood my ground, widening my stance and crossing my arms over my chest. “You were right.”
He frowned, rising from his chair. “About?”
“Your father. He didn’t choose me at the party. He had it planned all along.”
Vaughn’s eyes softened with a mix of frustration and pity. He stepped closer, placing his hands on my shoulders. “I wasn’t lying, Joey. I know him too well. End it.”
“I can’t do that, Vaughn. He’ll destroy my family,” I whispered, the weight of the truth hanging heavily between us.
Vaughn’s jaw tightened, and something fierce flickered in his eyes. “Then maybe this will convince you.”
Before I could react, his lips crashed down on mine, and for a moment, I was lost in the intensity of his kiss. I responded instinctively, my fingers curling into the hair at the nape of his neck. Vaughn pulled me closer, his arm wrapping around my waist as if he never wanted to let go. When he finally broke away, I was breathless, my heart pounding in my chest.
“We could be so good together,” Vaughn murmured, his voice filled with a longing that shook me to my core.
The words sent a jolt of anger through me. I slapped him hard across the face, my teeth grinding in frustration. “This is your fault! Why did you act like I was the plague all these years?”
Vaughn rubbed his cheek where my hand had left its mark, a bitter smile playing on his lips. “Because I had no power, Joey. My life’s been planned from the moment I was born. I’ve been matched with Serena Henderson. We announce our engagement a month after your wedding.”
I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth in shock. “You’re not free either. You expect me to end it with no exit strategy? You don’t understand what you’re asking.”
He gripped my chin, his gaze intense and unwavering. “How the fuck am I supposed to live under the same roof with you, knowing you’re in his bed every night?”
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay strong. “Deal with it, Vaughn… I am.”
He stared at me, and I was the first to break the standoff, tearing my gaze from his. I brushed by him, not looking back as I threw open his door and walked out.
I skipped lunch, retreating to the relative safety of my office. I needed to think, to process the storm that was building inside me as the reality of what was about to happen in a few days hit me like a freight train. I barely noticed I had forgotten to lock my door, too consumed by the whirlpool of emotions swirling within me.
The weight of it all—marrying Colson, knowing what he had done, the lies, the deceit—pressed down on my chest, making it hard to breathe. I stood by the window, staring out at the cityscape, trying to calm my racing thoughts, but the tightness in my chest only grew.
The soft click of the door behind me pulled me out of my reverie. I turned slowly, dread creeping into my veins as Colson stepped into the room. He never stopped by my office unannounced; it wasn’t his style. He preferred control, liked to keep me guessing, always on edge. But here he was, and his presence felt more suffocating than ever.
His gaze swept over me, assessing, calculating. "You weren’t at breakfast," he remarked, his voice calm, almost casual.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. "I wasn’t hungry," I replied coldly, my voice edged with the anger I’d been holding back for days. Weeks, even.
Colson’s eyes narrowed slightly, sensing the tension that hung heavy in the air. "You’re upset," he stated, taking a step closer. "What is it, Josephine? Tell me."
I laughed bitterly, the sound sharp and hollow in the small space. "What is it?" I echoed, shaking my head. "Where should I start, Colson? The lies? The deceit? The fact that you pressured me into sex before marriage when you made me a promise? Or maybe the drunken attack last night?"
His expression remained stoic, but his eyes darkened. "A momentary lapse in judgement. “Let’s move past it," he said, his tone clipped, as if he was trying to maintain management of the situation.
"Move past it?" My voice rose, and I took a step toward him, my fury finally breaking free. "You think we can just move past everything? Like it never happened?"
Colson’s jaw tightened, his hands slipping into his pockets. "We’re getting married in a few days, Josephine. You need to focus on that. We can’t afford distractions."
