Page 52 of Wicked Proposal

“Are you sure it’s just that? You sound upset.”This girl knows me way too much. She knows that when I’m upset, all I want to do is hide away.

“I’m fine.” I sound way too upbeat.

“Yeah, I call bullshit. Okay, I’m here if you need me. I’ll lock up and take any messages. I got your back.”

“You know what Kell, fuck it, lock up now and go home, have the rest of the day off, we’re never busy Mondays anyway.”

“Are you sure?” She asks timidly.

“Yes.” My voice comes out as a squeak. “I’ll call you later.” I end the call as quickly as I can and get out of the car, bundling everything beneath my arm as I get out and run to the door. As I go in, I drop everything but the paperwork I have and go straight to Dad’s office.

As soon as I’m inside, I start pulling drawers open. The ones in his desk just have bits of stationery inside. Giving those a shove, they close with a slam, and I move along to the filing cabinet. The top drawer is locked. I know if I try the others they’ll be locked too. “Fuck!” There’s an old bureau in the other corner. I cross the room with determined steps going over to it and yanking on the small drawers, but they’re locked too. Getting my fingers beneath the slanting surface I try to lift it up but again I can’t.

“ARGH.” With tight fists, I punch the top, again and again. My emotions get the better of me and I let it all go. My tears spill from my eyes, my knees buckle from beneath me and I fall to the floor.

My body sinks to the floor, my arms folding beneath my head as I bury my face in them. That’s when I hear Troy. I feel his hands on me. Those hands that have touched me, soothed me, comforted me. “Em.” He says softly, but I don’t answer. I don’t want to answer. “Emily.” he says firmer, but I still don’t answer even though I can hear his pleading tone. “For fuck’s sake Em, answer me. What’s wrong.” He grapples to grip me, but I shrug him off.

“Don’t touch me.” I tell him angrily, my mouth pulling into a sneer.

“What? What do you mean?” He asks and I lift my head to look at him finally. His hands go up in defence as I drag myself up from the floor. As I get back on my feet, he stalks back towards me, cautious as he reaches out to touch me. For a moment I let him. I allow him to wipe my tears away but the feel of his gentle hands on me is almost my downfall. I need to get through this, and the best way to do that is to put some distance between us. Peeling his fingers from my face I step back.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?” My voice shakes as I ask.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” He shrugs as the muscles in his jaw tic.

“Don’t fucking lie to me, Troy. All those times you said that no matter what happens just know that I love you… was that a lie too? I bet you had a bloody good laugh at me when my back was turned.”

“Em,” he breathes deep. “I meant every word I said to you.”

“I’m not sure I can believe you.” I chew on my lip before I go on. “Where’s the key to the filing cabinet?”

“Tell me what you’re looking for?”He answers my question with his own just to gain the upper hand.

“Are you going to make me spell this out?” He doesn’t say anything, in fact his face is like a white sheet. “Fine.”

Going back to the desk I grab the paperwork I left Henry’s office with. Screw it up in my fist and slam it against his chest. “Now if you give me the key, I bet I can find the matching set to that.” He takes it from the envelope, and quickly, skims over it with his fierce green eyes. Usually I fall into those eyes, comforted like a warm blanket, but not today. Today they’re colder than the Antarctic. “Only it won’t be matching, because the copy Dad has is a little different.” I spit. “I’ve been to see Henry Chester today with the other contract and we had a great little chat.” Water leaks from my eyes again, and through my blurry vision I see him close his eyes, it’s a split-second thing but I catch it. “What the actual fuck, Troy? You played me. I really, really thought you loved me. That you’d changed and we could finally be together with nothing between us. I thought,stupid fucking Emily, that when you told me why you’d pushed me away that, that was it.” I shouted the last bit, smacking my forehead, and growling. “I’m so fucking stupid! When will I learn not to fucking trust you?!”

Scrubbing my hands over my face, the band of my ring catches my nose reminding me that he asked me to marry him. The tears then come harder, “Em, I tried everything,”

“I don’t want to fucking hear it.” My heart is breaking, only this time I don’t think it will ever recover. Bringing my hand from my face I take my ring between my fingers and twist it until it’s slipping from my finger not taking my eyes from his.

“Emily, please don’t take it off.” With thick emotion clogging his throat, I swear I see tears swimming in his eyes. “Mitch did this to both of us.”

How?” I shout, “How did he do this to both of us, Troy. He told you everything,” I took a step closer to him again, “The difference is, I was used to being pushed aside by him and I should’ve known he’d do something with my gallery, but you, you’ve tried so hard, I believed you. I believed in you. Now I have nothing.” Gritting my teeth I poke my finger into his chest, “You got your wish. You get the house,” I look around the place suddenly feeling cold, “you get the business, it is in your name after all. But one thing you don’t get. You’re not getting my fucking gallery! And if I must, I’ll take out a loan and I’ll buy you out.” With my ring gripped between my fingers, I shove him, so hard he stumbles back.

“Em, I didn’t know. He didn’t tell me about the gallery, I was as much in the dark about that as you were. I found out after when I was sat with Noah, while we were going through everything.” He shouts back and goes around the desk slumping into the desk chair and rubbing his hands over his face. “How can I defend myself if you don’t let me explain.” He sighs tiredly.

“Because I don’t want to hear it, Troy. Not right now.” He springs out of his chair and comes back to stand in front of me, his body tense and the muscle in his jaw pulsing. “I don’t want to hear any more fucking lies.” My breath shudders in my chest. “My whole fucking world has just been torn down and you’re at the centre of it, again.” I take one last look at the beautiful ring between my fingers and drop it on the floor. “I’m done.”

His eyes are rimmed red as tears roll slowly down his cheeks, “Please don’t leave me, Emily.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen Troy show so much emotion.

Stepping up to him I softly wipe a tear from his cheek. “Now you know some of the heartache that you’ve put me through.” I’ve gone past hurt and upset. Now, I need to rebuild those walls around my heart.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE

TROY

The diamond glints up at me from the floor, I bend to pick it up and hold it tight between my fingers, admiring itbefore encasing it in my palm and closing my fingers around it. Putting my fist to my mouth I press my lips to the backs of my fingers, my own tears falling onto my hand. I can’t let her go. I can’t let her leave like this.

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