Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 135652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
I say this out loud, my tone pleading, almost begging. Hell, it is begging. I’ll beg if I have to.
“I’m not leaving,” he says calmly and looks at me, his inner businessman shining through. “You are.”
Thud… my heart just hit my stomach. “What?”
“It’s time for you to go back to your mum’s.”
I… I’m leaving? “What?”
“You heard me,” he looks down at the papers again and spreads them out along the desk. “You may leave now.”
I stare at him, my body frozen in place, my heart beat non-existent.
“I said you can go.”
“I heard you, I just… I can’t move,” I mutter, my body still with shock. “You’re throwing me out.” This is a statement, not a question.
“We knew this time would come eventually.”
“But… you promised you wouldn’t, so no, in fact I didn’t know it would come,” I argue. “What about Dillan?”
His calm and uncaring expression doesn’t change, “I’ll see him when I can.” And the promise? I get no apology for his breaking that?
“You’re kidding,” I breathe, grabbing at my stomach like I’ve just been punched. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”
“Do I look like I’m joking to you?” He hisses and holds his hand out, motioning for me to leave.
“Is this because of what happened?” It suddenly dawns on me. “You’re doing this on purpose. Pushing me away to stop me from finding out whatever it is you’re keeping buried.”
“No,” he sighs and rubs his face with his hands. “This is because I’m bored of playing daddy and loving husband to a woman who…” His jaw clenches and his words stop.
“Look,” I lean onto the desk. “If this is because I… it’s just… gah. I mean…” I won’t ask again. You’re more important to me than whatever the hell it is that’s ruining our bubble right now. “I won’t bring up the envelope again, I swear. Just let me be here for you.”
“It’s not about that,” he says almost sounding bored. “I’m over that, I made a serious misjudgement and I won’t be making it again. The envelope has been dealt with.”
“I don’t believe you,” I state defiantly. This is rubbish, utter rubbish. I’m not falling for it and I’m not letting him push me away.
“Guinevere…”
“No,” I walk around the desk and kneel on the ground before him. My body is aching with a pain I don’t recognise, it hurts, a lot and I need it to stop. I grip his knees and peer up at him through my lashes. “I promise I won’t ask and if I do happen to find out, you have my word that…”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” he snarls, his gloved hands pulling at my wrists in an attempt to get me to release his legs. Why’s he wearing his gloves again?
I stand immediately and take a large step backwards, he needs space. “Okay.” My hand goes to my throbbing chest in an attempt to stop my heart from smashing through my ribcage and throwing itself out of the closest window. I try a new tactic. “I know what you’re doing, and you know that I know what you’re doing. It won’t work. Do your worst. If you think I’m leaving you when you’re clearly going through something that’s dragging you down, you’re wrong.” I give him the bravest face I can muster. “You’re my best friend. Besides, what happened to never stopping until you had me? Does that no longer count?”
“No,” he clears his throat and waves me away. “This was a misjudgement made by me. I thought we should have been more, in reality I’d just deprived myself of sex for too long.”
Why does this hurt? Why do I want to smash something? “Oh.”
“I’m seeing somebody.”
Eye roll. “Oh yeah? Who?”
He continues like I haven’t even spoken, “So I’ll need you to leave, it was awkward enough when I had Lorna visiting whilst you remained here and she didn’t mean anything to me.” His eyes darken and his lips curve with a sneer as he looks me up and down like I’m a chip in comparison to a steak. “Aisha is a woman of… class.” Ouch. I’m guessing she’s the steak then. “It wouldn’t suit us to have another woman around. Especially my brother’s fiancée and his...” He hesitates for a moment, his eyes straying from mine. “Bastard child.” I heave at his words, a fierce pain tears through me.
He’s doing it on purpose. That doesn’t make it sting any less.
But what if he’s being serious? What if I’m wrong?
No. I’m not wrong. I can see it in his eyes, he’s playing me. He’s forcing me out.
Why though?
“It’s not going to work,” I whisper angrily, my fists clenching by my sides. “I get what you’re doing and I’m telling you now. It’s not going to work.”
“I’m not playing a game, Guinevere!” Nathan shouts and carefully puts the papers in a folder. I see that they’re just pictures of his jewellery, nothing important. I’m guessing he’s using them as a diversion to limit eye contact with me, another reason I know he’s lying. “Accept it and be on your way. Be grateful I’m not charging you for the amount of money you’ve spent since arriving.”