Page 3 of Craving Paradise

Fuck her.

I turn on my heel and start packing my bags. When she gets back, I don't want to be here. I’m done. She can go fucking home to ‘daddy’. Ugh, simply thinking over her calling him that while fucking him makes my stomach want to heave. I stuff all my shit into my suitcase. I don’t even care if I leave anything. The sooner I’m out of this hotel, the better. I grab the engagement ring off the bedside table and throw it back into my bag. Fingers crossed I can get some money back for it. I look around the hotel room, slam the door shut behind me, and head back to London to a completely different life than I thought I’d have on my way back from Paris.

As I rush out of the hotel, I anxiously look around to see if I can see Hazel. When I don’t, I hail a taxi and jump right in. I direct the driver to the airport, then pull my phone out of my pocket and dial the one person I know I can talk to.

“Why the hell are you calling me?” Alex asks, answering my call.

“I’m coming home. I’m on my way to the airport.”

Silence greets me on the other end.

“Are you okay? What’s happened?” Alex asks hesitantly.

“She said no.”

Silence again greets me.

“Fuck, man, I’m so sorry. Did she say why?”

“She didn’t say why. She just ran out of the hotel in tears.”

“Maybe she’s not ready yet,” Alex offers, trying to make me feel better.

“You’re probably right. Could be the fact she’s fucking William too,” I state bluntly.

Alex splutters down the phone at my dry comment. “What the hell? No way … Will wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Sure fucking did. I saw their text messages. Hazel left her phone in the bedroom. I saw everything I needed to see.”

“Maybe you read it wrong,” Alex suggests, trying to reassure me my girlfriend and best friend aren’t fucking around behind my back.

“I read she likes to call him ‘Daddy’, and he likes it when she dresses in her red lace lingerie. I don’t think I read that the wrong way,” I explain through gritted teeth.

“What did she say when you confronted her?”

“Nothing, because she ran out of the hotel and vanished into thin air. Now it’s my turn to vanish. I walked straight out of the hotel and into a taxi. I’m on my way to the airport. I’ll be back in London tonight.”

“You haven’t spoken to her?” Alex’s voice rises with surprise.

“Fuck no. Why the hell do I need to put myself through that torture? Fuck her and fuck him. They can have each other. I never want to see either of them ever again.”

Alex falls silent again.

“What about closure?”

“The door is closed.”

“Don’t you have questions?”

“What do I need to know? They betrayed me, Alex. That’s it. It’s done. I’m done. They no longer exist to me,” I explain to him as my voice rises in anger with every moment, thinking about what they have done to me.

My anger hasn’t subsided once I’ve landed in England. It’s increased with every waking moment I’ve mulled over our relationship. What’s made it even worse is Hazel hasn’t even contacted me since I left Paris. No message to see where I am or how I’m coping with her rejection. I think that speaks volumes. I step out of the airport, and I’m surprised to see my boys, Alex and Alistair, waiting for me. They both give me a nod and walk in silence back to the car.

“You know what I need to do, don’t you?” I say to them both as I get in the car.

“It’s the reason Alex called me and why we picked you up from the airport,” Alistair answers.

“You know I need to confront him.”

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