Chapter 13
COURTNEY
The last art class before my lunch break headed out with their teacher and I started to pick up the mess they left behind. Normally, part of the class was the cleanup time to teach them to be responsible, but that didn’t work out because we had so much fun, even I lost track of time.
“What put that big ass smile on your face?”
I turned to see Beckett in my doorway, and the smile immediately slipped away. The bastard had not only stolen my honeymoon out from under me, not paid me back for the money I put into it, but apparently he charged the woman he took in my place half the cost, which was more than he paid in.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in St. Lucia on the trip I paid for?” I asked, knowing there should have been three more days on the trip.
“Thanks to you, I had to come back early.”
I laughed at that. How in the hell did I cause that all the way from here?”
Beckett rolled his eyes. “You know exactly what you did. Why couldn’t you just leave it alone? You married another man, it’s not like you can be angry that I took a woman on vacation.”
“We started dating when we were teenagers. I’m 25 now. Even if you take away the time we were minors, you still had seven years to take me on a vacation or even a weekend getaway, and you never did.”
“So, this is about us.” His smug face itched to have my fist introduce itself.
“No, Beckett. It is not about us. I was blind to a lot of shit I should have never put up with, but believe me, I’m over it. People tagged me in that stupid post and I answered their question, end of story.”
“You told them that you paid three quarters of the honeymoon cost.” The way he said it sounded like an accusation.
“Because I did!” I shouted at him before I realized we were still at school. Look, you can’t be here. This is my job. You never liked when I dropped into your office, and I don’t appreciate you coming here and trying to upset me simply because…” It occurred to me that he still hadn’t answered why he was back, beyond trying to point the finger at me. “Why in the hell are you back here and not in St. Lucia?”
“Brandy got pissed off after she found out how much you paid for the trip.”
“Oh, yeah, considering you made her pay half of the total. I guess I can see why she’d be angry, since you managed to turn a profit by swindling us both into paying for it.”
“I didn’t swindle anyone!” He ground the words out through clenched teeth. “She trashed the room and we got kicked out. I managed to get my ticket changed. Not sure what Brandy did.”
“You left her there by herself without a hotel to stay at?”
“She is the reason we got kicked out.”
“Because you cheated her! God, Beckett! What happened to you?” He growled something under his breath that I didn’t catch. “You know what? Never mind. I don’t really care anymore.”
“We need to talk about some things, Courtney.”
“Like what? When are you going to pay me back for the vacation you stole?”
“I didn’t steal it, and no. We need to talk about when you’re coming back and…”
I laughed. “I am not coming back to you, Beckett. The sooner you understand that, the better off we will all be.” I glanced at the clock. “You have killed half of my lunch break. I need you to leave.”
“Please, meet me tonight for dinner. At the very least, we need to talk about swapping each other’s stuff we left behind.”
“Fine. Please leave, and text me where to meet you.”
He tipped his head in some weird, Beckett-style acknowledgment, and then left without another word. Meanwhile, I sent a text to let my husband know his cousin had been here to see me and that he wasn’t done with the conversation.
Courtney: Beckett came to my school today.
Flynn: Did he pay you back for that trip?
Courtney: I wish. I told him I couldn’t talk here, so he asked me to meet him for dinner tonight.
Flynn: Where and when?
Courtney: Don’t know he’s supposed to text me that info. Maybe if I’m lucky, he’ll have my money.
Flynn: Don’t hold your breath, sweetheart. Although, I can lend you a bat if you want to take out his kneecaps, Nemesis!”
Courtney: Don’t tempt me. Gotta go get ready for my next class. See you tonight.
For the first time in my life, I hoped that Beckett stood me up. Not that our little dinner meeting was a date, but I really didn’t want to see him twice in one day. Just my luck, he was there before I even showed up. I guess he didn’t want to take any chances on missing me.
I ignored the hostess and walked to the table. When I stood there, Beckett got out of his seat. “Do we really need to do this?” I asked. Home, a good meal with Flynn, a shower, and bed were calling my name in equal measure.
“If you’re serious about us being over then, I guess we do.”
I rolled my eyes and took my seat. “You don’t even know how to take any of the blame for what happened, do you?”
“Look, I’ll get you your half of the trip money.” He huffed.
“Half?” I chuckled as if what he said was a joke.
“Fine, I’ll get you back what you paid in.”
“That would be great. Are we done now?”
“We haven’t even ordered drinks yet, for Christ’s sake.”
It was only then that I took a look around and realized the place was dimly lit, there was a fake candle on the table, and wine glasses were ready. The waiter showed up before I had the chance to question Beckett on the atmosphere. He tried to order one of my favorite wines, but I shook my head and got the man’s attention. “I don’t want wine. What I need is a strong cup of coffee with cream.”
“And you, Sir? Do you still want the wine?”
“No. I’ll have water for now,” Beckett waved his hand as if to rudely dismiss the waiter.
“Thank you,” I called out to him as he walked away.
“What are you doing drinking coffee this late? That’s not like you.”
“I’m exhausted, Beckett. It’s been a long day. This isn’t the place I want to be and quite frankly, you’re the last person I want to spend time with. Can we please get this over with?”
“Do you really not care about all the years we were together?”
“They’re over. You saw to that.”
He huffed and I moved to stand until his hand reached out and held my arm. “Please, I’m sorry. You’re right. Let’s get this over with.” When I took my seat again, the waiter came over with Beckett’s water and my coffee. I told him we needed a minute, just to get rid of him, though I didn’t plan to stay long enough to order anything beyond my coffee.
“I already have your things in a box in the trunk of my car,” He told me. He must have known deep down that I wouldn’t agree to his last ditch effort to keep me. Then again, he probably didn’t really want that. I was a comfortable, stable part of his life. Truthfully, I wondered if I amounted to much more than furnishing in his life before. My presence was only ever tolerated when it was convenient to Beckett.
How did I not see that I was never his priority?
As the thought rolled around in my mind, Beckett reached across the table and grabbed hold of my hand. “Courtney, I know you’re mad right now. I know I fucked up, and that things seem like they’re unfixable. I need you to remember all the years we were together. All the good times we had meant something to both of us. I need you to promise me something?”
“What?”
“Promise me you won’t sleep with my cousin.”
“We’re married and you’ve slept with at least three women that I know of since we split, and I don’t think it would be a far leap to guess there were more.”
“It’s different with Flynn and you know it.”
“You told me to marry him, remember?”
“Yeah, as a convenience, not a real marriage.”
“Oh, so it’s okay if you sleep with other people, but I’m supposed to live by a different set of rules? You are something else!”
“It’s not like that. It’s just… He’s family. You have to understand how complicated that would be when… If we get back together in the future.”
I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. I couldn’t believe the audacity to try to keep me from sleeping with someone else. There was no doubt he would say the same things even if Flynn wasn’t his cousin. He would always have an excuse for why he should be able to do something and I should just sit patiently in the corner and twiddle my thumbs until he got his fill of other people.
When I didn’t agree or say anything at all, Beckett squeezed my hand to get my attention back on him. “You haven’t slept with him already have you?”
I didn’t bother to answer him. Instead, I stood up and grabbed my purse. “You can leave my box of things with my parents. I don’t want to see you again. I’ll drop anything of yours off with your parents.”
“Please, don’t do this.”
I turned to leave and could have sworn I saw Flynn walk out of the restaurant. I got ready to chase after him, but Beckett caught hold of my arm again. “You never answered the question.”
“And I don’t plan on it because what I do and who I do or don’t do it with is none of your damn business Beckett Robeson.” He flinched back as I snatched my arm out of his grip.