Page 33 of There's No Us Without You
“Good for you.” Emerson ignores Kent’s outstretched hand, instead tilting my head back to gaze down on me. “Are you okay?” He caresses my cheek, his touch igniting my insides.
All I manage is a nod, my mouth now dry.
Being in Emerson’s arms is doing a number on my brain, and I shouldn’t love it as much as I do. At least not when the man I was supposed to marry only days ago is staring at us.
“Get your things,” Emerson says with a soft smile. “I’ll be right here.” His eyes darken when he glares at Kent. “That’s not going to be an issue, is it?”
Kent’s face contorts into something between shock and awe. “Yeah, shit. Sorry, man. Of course.” He shoves his hair back with one hand while gesturing for me to enter the house with the other.
What the hell is happening right now? Moments ago, Kent was ready to star in an episode ofAustralia’s Most Wanted. Now, he’s staring at Emerson like he’s about to get on his knees and show him just how much of a fan he really is.
“Go.” Emerson taps my bum, his focus remaining on Kent.
With a nod, I race inside and up the stairs to the main bedroom. While I have a moment to myself, I pull my phone out and bring up my mother’s number. I press the call button and wait for her to answer.
“Eden?”
“Why didn’t you tell me about the restaurant?” The words fly out of my mouth, and by the time I’m finished, I’m a little breathless.
She sighs down the phone. “Who told you?”
“Kent. Would have been nice to hear it from you. Or Tony, considering my arrangement was with him.”
“Well, I tried to tell you yesterday before you stormed off,” my mother says, her tone clipped.
Right. I did do that. Although, for good reason.
My mother continues. “And Tony, well, he didn’t want to upset you with everything going on. He was going to wait until you got back, but I offered to tell you instead. I thought it’d be better coming from me.”
I sink onto the bed I used to share with Kent and pull at a loose thread on my shirt. “It doesn’t matter now, does it?”
Pretty surenowI’ve hit rock bottom.
How much heartbreak can one person endure before it’s irreparably damaged?
“Kent will take you back, sweetheart, and I’ll keep my promise to give you the money. I don’t think you have time to waste, do you?” Her tone is hopeful, if not a little overenthusiastic.
If I’m being honest, I thought Kent seeing Emerson would send him into a tailspin.
I feel like the world’s biggest idiot for even thinking a man like him could think about anyone but himself for five minutes. Just like my mother, everything he did was for his own benefit, even if he tried to make it seem like he was doing things for me.
Gaslighting at its finest.
So that’s why I can’t go back to him. Or why I can’t take my mother’s money. I need to respect myself first, then I’ll work something else out—I have to, or I really will lose everything.
“I’m sorry, Mother, I can’t,” I say before hanging up on her and bringing up Tony’s number.
When he doesn’t answer, I don’t bother leaving a message, instead ending the call and throwing my phone on the bed beside me.
My eyes are burning with unshed tears. I have no idea how I’m going to get the money, but I’ll figure something out. Maybe when Tony returns my call, he’ll tell me everything is fine, and this is all just a huge misunderstanding.
A girl can dream, I guess.
My phone lights up a few seconds later, and my heart practically leaps into my throat until the wordBitchflashes on my screen. I let it go to voicemail, and instead head into the walk-in wardrobe to grab my large suitcase. Then I move around the room, snatching items of clothing from the drawers and hangers and shoving them into the suitcase. By the time I have everything I want, I have to sit on top of it to do the zipper up.
Although, when I think about it, it’s not only sad, but damn tragic that my life can be packed into just one bag.
I can’t dwell on that, so I continue collecting the smaller items, grabbing all my toiletries and skin care products from the bathroom. Then I shove them into an overnight bag with all my underwear, a hair straightener, and my favourite pillow.
