Page 109 of The Innovator

Don’t show him how shattered you are.

“Is that why you haven’t been home?”

He let out a laugh. “Did you think I was working? I was craving variety in lap dances . . . happy endings. Yours were good, but not that good.”

His words cut into my heart like sharp shears snipping it to pieces that fell to the ground. As they fell, the raw edges came apart, making my heart unsalvageable, as though it was a garment that could no longer be repaired. My body trembled like a spool of thread being yanked by its last strand. There was nothing left for me—nothing left for us.

Don’t crumble.

But he’s drunk.Could he mean those words? People usually tell the truth when they’re drunk.

I dared not collapse in front of him. That would give him too much power. I was too shocked and devastated to think clearly, but there was one thing I was good at—maintaining my integrity. If he only saw me as one of his many women, that was his loss.

I knew why he never said those words to me. He’d never loved me. Had he laughed at me every time I poured out my heart to him? He was always the player the media claimed him to be. A tiger didn’t change its stripes. I should have known better.

I was a fool for believing he was different.

“I guess this is it for us.”

He could drink himself to death. I didn’t care.

A sigh escaped me as though it were the last breath in my heart for him. My shoulders caved along with my chest as I made my way out of his house with no intention of returning.

As I drove away, tears stung and blurred my vision, forcing me to pull over to the side of the road. My heart hurt so much. I didn’t know what to do. I thought what we had was precious.

Why was I so stupid? I let myself cry until I used up the entire tissue box.

CHAPTERSIXTY

NATALIE

Grayson never called me after that night, and I never called him either. It was over. We’d broken up and left our belongings at each other’s homes. He could toss out my stuff. I didn’t need it. I could start fresh by buying new stuff.

A stupid part of me wanted him to call or text me. At least that showed the relationship had meant more to him.

I was so done with men. I texted my girls.

Natalie: You guys want to go out for drinks? I’m pissed.

Audri:Yes. Come to Krazee Tavern. I’m already here.

Kiera:Meet you there in fifteen.

Michelle:See you soon.

Vivian:Still in CA. Update me later, please.

Natalie:Okay, Viv. Don’t worry.

Twenty minutes later, we gathered around a table. The girls ordered some appetizers and drinks. I got a bottle of white wine—the most expensive bottle the restaurant had in stock.

“I’m paying for this. Don’t write it off.” I glared at Audri as I refilled my glass.

“Okay.” Her expression softened. “What’s going on? Did you have a fight with Grayson?”

I laughed. “It wasn’t a fight. We broke up.”

“What?” Kiera, Michelle, and Audri exclaimed in unison.

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