Page 13 of The Perfect Lie
Reyna
God, how I hated this. The waiting was pure torture. Davian left over two days ago, and still, there was no word on what was happening or when he would return. I tried to keep my mind off what I learned on the Internet, but it kept drifting back to the fact that Gwen McCall was my adoptive sister. I couldn’t even stomach the woman I felt most threatened by.
Just as Davian left to get answers, I wanted some as well. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, it was 6:00 a.m. I could remain in bed or pull myself together and find out if Calvin heard from Davian. I wasn’t sure if he would say even if he had. If only there were a way to contact him. I made a mental note to ask Davian for a phone, so I wouldn’t worry about him if he decided to go AWOL again.
As I let the water cascade down my body, I found that my mind became clearer. There was only one reason Davian hadn’t returned to the warehouse. He was with Gwen. There might have been another explanation, but that one was the only one that stuck in my head. Turning the water off, I picked up the towel I placed on the counter and began drying off.
With a new purpose, I quickly got dressed and headed downstairs without stopping for coffee. By now, Calvin had heard from Davian, I was sure of it. If I had to pin him to the floor, I would get the answers I needed about where Davian was.
Without hesitation, I walked over to where Calvin was perched on his chair, ignoring the fact that I was coming toward him. Placing one hand on my hip while using the other to get his attention, I lightly tapped his shoulder with my index finger. “Davian hasn’t returned to the warehouse in two days. Where is he?”
“If I didn’t know better, I would think that you are demanding an answer instead of asking.” Calvin's self-righteous look pissed me off. Was he aware that no man should cross the wrath of a woman?
Toning down my anger, I asked again. “Can you please tell me where Davian is?”
“I understand your concern, Reyna, but Davian hasn’t checked in.” Calvin placed his hand on my arm, a show of understanding. “Axe, Patton, and Marcus came back a couple of hours ago. If you want to know where Davian is, maybe one of them can tell you something.”
“Where are they?” I asked as I looked around the computer room, seeing Calvin and I were the only two people inside.
“If I had to guess, they are sleeping. It was a long night for all of them. Give it a couple of hours. I guarantee either they will be awake to answer your question, or Davian will be here by then.”
“I can’t wait a couple of hours. Can you please call Davian?”
“That I can do. I can’t guarantee he will answer, though.” Calvin lifted his right hip and pulled his cell from his back pocket.
Chewing on the hangnail on my index finger, I waited in hopes that Davian would answer Calvin’s call. My heart skipped a beat when Calvin began talking to Davian. Unable to stand the torture any longer, I swiped Calvin’s phone from his ear and moved away from him. “Davian, where are you? I’ve been worried sick about you.”
“No need to worry, princess. I’m fine.” Davian's voice came across as anything but fine. Something was bothering him.
“You don’t sound fine. When are you coming back to the warehouse? I miss you.”
There was a short pause, and I felt as though the answer he would give me wouldn’t be the one I wanted. “I miss you too, and I’m not sure when I’ll return to the warehouse.”
“Are you with her?” Already I could feel the tears consume my eyes.
“If you are referring to Gwen, then no. At least not in the sense that your pretty little mind is thinking. I am at the Four Seasons, and so is she. In a separate room, princess.”
“How is she doing? Has she told you where she has been the past five years?” I wasn’t sure why I asked about her well-being. I should have been angry that Davian was with Gwen instead of me.
“She’s confused and scared. But mostly, she’s thankful that she’s safely back in Atlanta. She hasn’t told me everything. She’s hiding something, and I’m not sure how long it will take to get it out of her.”
Davian’s tone softened. I couldn’t help but think he still felt something for her even though he said what they once shared was gone for good. My heart ripped in two at the thought. I had to be strong and let whatever was going to happen, happen. If Davian truly loved me as he professed, he would come back to me.
Before we said goodbye, there was one more question I needed to have answered. “Why didn’t you tell me that Gwen was Crosby’s and Delilah’s daughter?”
The line went silent before he answered, “This is not the time to discuss this, Reyna.” There was a definite change in his tone. He was annoyed by my question.
I was not about to let this go, no matter how annoyed he was. “When would be a good time to discuss this, Davian? Was she adopted too? Because she looks nothing like Crosby or Delilah.”
“Fucking hell, Reyna. I really can’t do this now. I will call Calvin later to check up on you.” My line of questioning was shut down before it even started. I had never heard Davian so angry. As angry as he was, I didn’t deserve to be his punching bag. Before I could tell him not to bother, he said the one thing that engulfed my heart in flames. “No matter how this ends, I will always love you, princess.”
Handing Calvin his phone, there were no words that could describe the knife Davian just plunged into my heart.“No matter how this ends, I will always love you,”kept playing over and over in my head. I was so confused. I wasn’t sure which way was up anymore. I had always believed that things happen for a reason, but I was beginning to think that fate wasn’t what brought Davian and me together.
Turning to escape the thick air that was filling the computer room, I ran to the doorway. All I wanted was to leave the building to fill my lungs with fresh air, if even for a minute, but I was stopped dead in my tracks by a brick wall. “Hold on, little lady.” Axe grabbed me by the arms and held me upright, which prevented me from falling backward.
Gasping for every breath, I pointed toward the building exit while I tried to speak. “Air.”
Before I could protest, Axe lifted me into his arms and carried me to the exit door. Using his hip, he pushed the metal bar, and the door opened. I didn’t care that he refused to release me. My only thought was filling my lungs with fresh air. Other than two days ago, it had been a while since I had a panic attack. Thinking back, I remembered Davian had been the cause of that one as well, in a roundabout way.
