Page 72 of Savage

When he came back on, he sounded less hostile. “So … you’re arriving late Monday night?”

I paused, hesitant. River’s mercurial manner made me distrust where this question was going. So far, all he had done was try to put me in place, baiting for a fight. So yes, I was hesitant to respond.

“I am,” I whispered.

“So,what will you be doing in the next two days if you’re done filming at noon tomorrow and your flight doesn’t leave until Monday?”

He was piecing my responses, as if to see if I was lying or not. Why bother? With the way he was treating me, one would think I lied all the damn time. No, I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. I had been truthful, even if it pained me to admit my faults. Still, I came forth, knowing he deserved the truth. And I didn’t intend to stop being forthcoming out of spite.

“I’ve been invited to a party tomorrow night. I already promised I’d go—Juana’s, Juan’s little sister. I gave her my word weeks ago. She’s expecting me, and I don’t plan on changing my mind.”

“Getting chummy with the family, I see,” he remarked bitingly.

He was purposely goading me.

“It’s not like that at all.” My insides boiled, ready to combust. “Stop twisting things just to make me look and feel more bad than I already do. You’re being unfair!”

“I’m unfair?” he mockingly reiterated.

I swiftly stood up and began to pace the room, irritated beyond comprehension. “You know you are! I’m sorry, I am, but how long do I have to be in the doghouse until you’re done punishing me?”

“Who the fuck knows!You think I like feeling shitty?Did you fucking expect that five weeks is enough to fucking get over what you’ve done? You fucking broke every-fucking-thing we have!” he screeched, making me flinch in return.

No, I didn’t expect him to get over it. What I didn’t anticipate was his indifference. We parted on such a high note. Before leaving the hotel for the airport, he had to pull me back in his arms several times because he couldn’t get enough of kissing me. What the hell happened since Sweden?

“Like I said, Cara, if you betray me again, you’re as good as dead to me,” he stated in a hair-raising manner that left me breathless.

“River—”

“You up?” Willa’s chirpy voice filtered in the background. “Oh, my gosh! How many times do I have to walk in on you naked!” she squealed, giggling with enthusiasm.

“I’m on a call. I’ll be out in a bit,” River crassly addressed her. “And for the love of God, woman, stop barging in my bedroom knowing I sleep bare!”

Really. This was just the last thing I needed to hear.

My body shook so badly I actually dropped my phone on the carpeted floor. Hot tears came next. Willa and a naked River. Was something going on? He wouldn’t hurt me by sleeping with her, surely? He couldn’t be that callous. He just couldn’t be …

“Cara?”

I faintly heard him, so I reluctantly plucked the phone off the ground. He was breaking my heart. Slowly but surely, it broke.

Drastically wiping my tears away, I sniffed before placing the phone against my ear. “Yeah?” I tried to level my voice but failed miserably. It came out unsteady with a choking sound, as if I was withholding myself from crying.

“Okay,” he said, brushing off the incident with Willa by not providing an apology or an explanation. “Is there anything else you want to talk to me about?”

Everything.

Nothing.

“No, I think I’ve said what needed to be said.” My tears were unstoppable. I silently sobbed as I shook my head, resenting him for his appalling, unapologetic demeanor.

There was a stretch of a pause before he finally spoke again. “Okay, well, have a safe trip, then.”

“I will.”

“Bye, Cara.”

I didn’t even care to respond; I just ended the call. All strength drained out of my body as my knees buckled, unceremoniously dropping to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. I broke down, heaving, wailing, shaking, and howling with the wretched ache that seized me, painfully grieving for the man that had his foot out the door, biding his time until he finally walked away from me as he locked the door behind him, never looking back.

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