Page 29 of Truth
“You are amazing. He doesn’t deserve your kindness. It makes me hate him more that you give it to him.”
“Stay here, behind tinted windows. I’ll kill you…”
“Fine. I have some emails to answer. Go do what you need to do and meet me back here, but make it quick. I’m impatient.”
I roll my eyes at him and reach for the door, turning back to threaten him within an inch of his life to stay in the car. Closing my door behind me, I hurry my ass through my walk of shame to my room and let out a relieved breath when I finally make it. I plug my phone into the charger, then start disrobing to take a shower when my room phone rings. This man is something else; I swear he is so impatient.
“Yes.” My voice is harsh and playfully irritated.
“Drew.” The familiar voice on the other end sounds relieved.
“Nick?”
“Yeah, are you expecting someone else? What the fuck, you haven’t answered your phone all day. Tina said she hadn’t spoken with you all day either.”
Sitting down, I rub my hands down my thighs, feeling confused by his call but shameful.
“I’m sorry, Nick. I went to the club with them, but they left without me, so I came back to the room and turned off my phone. I must have just forgotten to turn it back on.” I hate compounding my lies, but this conversation isn’t for over the phone. I don’t owe him, but I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.
“It’s after three in the afternoon. You forgot? Oh, and I heard all about the club—you couldn’t have tried and talked them out of going to a sex club? Jesus, Drew, what were you thinking? I feel like I don’t even know you. After your dramatics the other day, I was worried you’d be inappropriate, but this is a whole new level. You should have been the voice of reason.”
“Excuse me, how is that any of my business to do? She is a grown woman, remember? Only ten years younger. I’d be a huge bitch to judge her maturity level based on her decisions…remember?”
“I thought I knew you, Drew. Guess I was wrong about you all this time. I should’ve let that creep fuck you when we met.”
“You are a bastard, Nick, and you don’t fucking know me. You never took the time; you’ve been too busy trying to mold me into someone acceptable. I’m fine as I am, Nick, just fucking fine, but I was so caught up in your goddamn charm, and I believed you every time you told me I was lacking, because even though I knew deep down I wasn’t… I was afraid. Afraid I would turn out like my mom and dad. Alone with fucked priorities. Well, I’m not afraid anymore. I’m a badass VP, I’m successful, really fucking aware of your bullshit, and just so you know, I like to eat grapes off plates. So there.”
“What the fuck do grapes have to do with anything? I see you haven’t taken any of the weekend to remove the chip off your shoulder. Do you really have to speak like that? I guess you can’t take the girl from the hood…”
Enraged, I stand, clenching my hands into fists. “I’m from the goddamn Bay Area in California! It’s not the hood, you dick! You know what, Nick? I don’t need this shit…I’m done. We’re done, remember?”
“Stop being dramatic.”
“Ha, yeah, okay, see ya, Nick.” Hanging up never felt so freeing. Whether he believes me or not, I know my truth, and the truth is that Nick and I are old news.
HALF AN HOUR LATER,I’VEshowered, changed, and applied a bit of makeup, and I stand looking in the mirror, curious as to when I’m going to start to feel sad. It’s normal to feel sad, even when you’re the one that ended things, but I don’t. I just feel a huge weight lifted from my shoulders, relief…I feel relief. My relationship with Nick has been exhausting. I thought I wanted to be taken care of, but that was the problem: my entire being fought the process. I don’t want to be treated like a project; I just want someone to care for me, in all ways…not take care as if I’m a child, and I certainly don’t want the cruelty of his punishments.
Gripping the counter, I pull forward and shove off. I need to get going, or I’m going to have a whole different pain in the ass knocking at my door. I think I may have jinxed myself because I’m jolted from my thoughts as loud banging reverberates through the room.He’s like a bull in a china shop.
I open the heavy steel door with a raised eyebrow, one I hope complements my sarcasm. “I could barely hear you, you knock so gingerly…like a little girl.” His smile drops when he looks me in the eyes. “What’s with your face?”
“What the hell does that mean?” I smooth my hand up my cheekbone.
“What happened?” He puts both hands on my waist and pushes me back into the room, and that’s when the tears well up. Damn him and his spot-on intuition.
“Nick called. I’m fine.”
His face is tender as he wipes my eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“No, you aren’t,” I laugh through my tears.
“Yes, I am.” Reaching for my hand, he pulls us both to the edge of the bed and sits. “Listen, it’s no secret I’m happy you’re free, but I never saw him as competition. I’m sorry, not that you’re single, but I am sorry you endured the sadness for so long. I’m sorry he didn’t fight for you so that you could at least have had the consolation that he loved you. I’m sorry that you have to grieve a relationship that took so much from you but gave nothing back.”
I kiss his cheek. He’s powerful and demanding, but the fact that he would guard my heart while I mourn something with the potential to stand in his way makes him divine.
“King, do you mind if we skip our dinner out and order room service? I’m suddenly not feeling so celebratory anymore. I would love to just hang here, with you, if that’s all right?”
“Do you know my favorite part of that sentence? The ‘with me’ part. I fully expected to be kicked out, but you want me here…”
