Page 132 of The Bad Wedding Date

“You think I’m the only one who lied to you, Charlotte?” Sniffing up the blood, he tilted his head back a fraction and let his mouth grow into a sardonic smile. “Ask the man holding your hand what he did to Jonah to get to you. Maybe then you’ll lose that smug look on your face.”

The world around began to spin again, and Penn left the room, leaving me to stare up at Fraser, whose face had set to thunder, his jaw twitching.

That’s when I knew…

He’d lied to me, too.

43

Charlotte

We drove away from my parents’ home in silence. Me not speaking because I could feel that bubble surrounding us about to pop, and it terrified me to think of what existed in the outside world. After just twelve days of Fraser, I’d forgotten what normality was supposed to look like.

Fraser’s silence, however, reeked of guilt, and once we were a few streets away from my childhood home, I turned to face him in my seat, needing to see every reaction on his face when he answered any questions I threw his way.

His swollen knuckles clenched around the steering wheel, his body rigid as he stared straight ahead.

He knew what was about to happen.

My stomach turned over at the thought of it.

“You lied to me.”

He glanced out of the driver’s window before he looked my way, issuing a thousand apologies without him having to say a word.

My face crumbled under the realisation.

“What did you do?” I whispered, my voice breaking as my eyes welled with tears that I knew I’d eventually shed. The air in the car had turned claustrophobic and foreboding. There was so much tension, I could almost reach out and touch it.

Blowing out all the air in his cheeks, Fraser pulled over to the kerb, switched off the engine, and fell back in his seat.

“Promise me you won’t run,” he said, staring straight ahead.

“No.”

Fraser closed his eyes. “Charlotte, I didn’t know you then.”

“When?” I snapped. “Just tell me, Fraser. Tell me without the dramatic build up. Without you trying to cushion your own fall. Without asking me for promises you know I can’t keep. Without pretending to be something you’re not.”

He turned to me, clearly pained at the sight of me falling apart in front of him.

I couldn’t help it. I’d tried so damn hard to stay strong throughout everything with him. I’d let him throw me over his shoulder, toss me into his world, and I’d barely blinked at any of it. I’d let him take me to new places, steer me across the city, and boss me around in the name of my protection, all while he’d been keeping more secrets from me.

I’d had enough. I’d had enough of everyone using me for their own gain.

“Jonah didn’t cancel on you on the day of the wedding,” he said.

“What?” I frowned.

“Ray cancelled on his behalf.”

I huffed out a sarcastic laugh. “That’s impossible. Jonah texted me. I was texting him.”

Fraser held my gaze, not saying anything, waiting for the penny to drop.

When it did, I felt a whole new level of betrayal.

“Ray was texting me from Jonah’s phone,” I whispered.

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