Page 60 of Breaking my Billionaire Bully

Lost in my thoughts, the drone of Interstate Ten is interrupted when my phone dings that sound it makes when I have a voice message. I reach down and pick it up to look.

MESSAGE:Lara D

My heart skips a beat as I touch theinfobutton on the screen. It's from three days ago—left at four AM. One minute fifty-four seconds long. I clench my hands on the steering wheel. I don't want to hear this. I can't hear this. It's going to be bad.

The blaring horn from behind startles me. I look up and realize I’m going ten under the limit, in the left lane. I throw my phone onto the passenger seat as I step on the gas.

What is there even left to say?

Fuck.

Over the next fifty miles, I look at my phone every five minutes, like it's my GPS telling me where to go. What to do. I need to stop, gather my thoughts.

No. I need to hear what she has to say. Because it’s theconfusionpart of my emotional roller coaster that I have the hardest time letting go.

Part of me doesn't want to know. But the biggest part of me needs to know.

I touchPLAY.

“New. Message. One. Minute. Fifty. Four. Seconds. Sent. Four. Oh. Three. AM,” the voice plays.

It's one minute and forty-three seconds of Lara's subtle breathing interrupted with soft sobs. It's far from what I'd expected. But the last eleven seconds take me by surprise.

"Jamie…" Her voice is slurred. "… I fucked up… What I did makes me no better than you… I’m so sorry…"

The message ends, and I set the phone back down on the seat.

Oh great. That helped. It is now crystal clear that I am totally confused. I know whatshedid. But what the hell is thisI’m no better than youstuff? What didIeven do? And then there’s that last part. She said she’s sorry.

My emotional roller coaster from earlier goes into replay mode. Still confused, but hopeful. Maybe it wasn’t “goodbye forever” when she stormed out of Eden’s. Staggered is more like it. Shewasdrunk, and maybe she didn’t really mean it.

I continue driving and thinking about what I’m going to do when I get to Houston.

Should I go home?

Should I check in at Eden’s?

No. I’m definitely not ready for that.

Jamie

I lift my hand to Lara's door, and pause. I'm not sure what I’m doing here… or what good this will even do. Can I even apologize for something I don't remember? Not only that, but I haven't even processed whether I've forgiven her for trying to destroy my business and my reputation. Do they even balance each other out?

Maybe I'm here because I just want to see her.

Knock knock.

The silence is so long, I'm certain she's not home. As I turn away to leave, a faint voice finds its way through the door.

"Who is it?"

She has a peephole in her door; she knows it's me. But the voice… wasn’t at the door.

Lara

Oh, fuck me.

I knew it was too good to be true. The gods are punishing me for playing with this toy. I reach for the switch and turn it off as I remove it from inside myself. Catching my breath, I set the vibrator down on the coffee table. I ball my fists and press them against my eyes.

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