Page 71 of Don't Break My Heart
“Treasure,” comes his deep voice down the line, and my heart flutters. It actually fucking flutters at the sound of his nickname for me.
I swallow the lump in my throat. Wait a minute, how did he know it was me answering his brother’s phone? I raise my eyes to the surveillance camera on the far wall. Is he watching me right now? Fuck. “Romeo is in the shower,” I mutter, not sure what else to say.
“It’s you I wanted.” His voice is deep and holds an edge of possession to it. One that makes me feel homesick even though I’m at home.
My bottom lip trembles. “Why, Orlando, did me fucking your brother arouse something in you, so you thought you better call me and make sure I’m still just as messed up as you left me?” My voice is bitchy as all hell, but on the inside, I’m dying.
“Treasure, it’s not like that. I just needed to hear your voice.”
My chest heaves, pain radiating through me. He can’t say shit like that to me when he’s the one who sent me away. Rejected me.
“Did you enjoy my game?” he asks when the silence becomes deafening.
“Your game?” I sit up straighter. I fucking knew it.
“Romeo couldn’t plan it alone; it wouldn’t have been fair to you.”
I stare directly into the camera. “Are you watching me right now?”
“What do you think?”
Sickness fills me. He can help his brother win me back, and watch me through his creepy surveillance, but he’s spent the past weekmaking me think he couldn’t care less about me. I haven’t been able to talk to him or even know if he was still alive. But he was getting his fill of me.
“You’re fucked in the head, Orlando.” I disconnect the call and quickly grab up my clothes from where Romeo placed them on the back of a chair to dry. They’re still fucking wet, but right now, I don’t care. I need to get out of here before I fall apart completely.
Romeo’s phone rings again. I snatch it back up and hang up so Romeo doesn’t hear it. Then throw the phone back on the bed. He can call all he fucking wants, but I won’t be answering his call again.
I hear the shower shut off, and I try with all my might to wiggle back into my dress. I just need to get the hell out of here. I don’t want to face Romeo again. Not now. The damn wet fabric sticks to my thighs and gets caught as I try to pull it up. The fucking thing has shrunk. Fuck my life.
Romeo comes back into the room with a towel around his waist, raking a hand through his wet hair like it’s a comb. “Are you rushing off, doll face?”
“He helped you with the game?” my voice wobbles out.
He freezes, staring back at me like I’m a wild animal about to pounce. “I couldn’t plan it myself, it wouldn’t be fair.” He moves toward me with caution, his hands coming to my shoulders softly.
I stare up at him, adrenaline surging through me in a way that makes me feel crazy. Why do I let them do this to me? “You let him watch,” I seethe bitterly.
His eyes meet with mine, and he looks scared. “I didn’t let him watch. He has access to the security footage.”
“It’s the same fucking thing and you know it. You knew he wouldn’t be able to help himself and he would have to watch us together. Can’t you see how fucked up that is?”
“He’s going crazy without you.”
My whole body shakes, I’m so upset. “What the fuck does he think it’s like for me? He was the one who sent me away, who signed the divorce papers. He did this to us. He doesn’t get to go crazy without me.” This time I hope he’s watching. I hope he can hear every word I say, because he needs to know how badly he hurt me. How messed up I am now because of what he did to me.
Romeo tries to pull me into his chest, but I won’t let him. My body is so stiff with rage. I don’t want to be touched by him or anyone right now. “He’s suffering just as much, Sloane, he still loves you.”
I shake my head. Nope, he doesn’t get to love me. I kick away my dress. “I’m going to take a shower. Find me something else to wear, I need to get out of here.” I hold my middle finger up to the camera on my way past, just for Orlando, then stride into the bathroom and slam the door shut.
When I get out of the shower, Romeo is sitting on the end of the bed, dressed and looking just as perfect as ever in his dark suit. A white sheath dress is lying on the bed beside him, along with some lace underwear. At least he can follow my instructions. He pins me with his stare as I walk across the room and collect up the underwear.
“Sloane, I don’t want to fight with you anymore. All games aside, tell me how I fix things.”
I cross my arms over my towel and glare at him. “No more lying, no more secrets or keeping shit from me. I want—no, Ideserveto be treated like your equal in every fucking way, Romeo.” I purse my lips, not even sure where we go from here.
He stands and wraps his arms around me, pulling me into him. “Done.” He kisses my hair and hugs me tight to him like he’s scared to lose me. He should be, I’m so damn close to walking away. Even if this wasn’t really his fault this time. “You just tell me what you need,and I will give it to you, sweetheart.” He cups my face in his hands and stares into my eyes.
Why do I give in to him when he looks at me like this? Like I’m his whole world and he would literally burn anything that stands in our way. “I don’t know what I want, Romeo, all I know is I can’t feel like this anymore. It’s not healthy for any of us.”
