Chapter 6
Lorenzo
Fuck, my head.
I can’t remember the last time I was this hungover.
Only I don’t even remember drinking that much.
I had one Jack and Coke. Actually, two.
And then I called it a night.
Right?
I attempt to pry my eyes open, but the sunlight shining in causes my head to throb, and I quickly shut my lids, groaning in pain.
And then it hits me …
It’s daylight out.
Shit, Leo!
I open my eyes, needing to get to my son because there’s no way he’s still asleep. Sure, he’s a good sleeper, sleeping through the night, but he’s up by six every morning like a human alarm clock.
Only when I sit up and glance around, I’m not in my room in my condo, but in a hotel room, and I’m not alone.
Long brown hair.
Slender, tanned back.
Who the fuck is in my bed?
I lift the blanket and find I’m in only my boxers, and she’s …
Fuck, she’s naked.
Who the hell did I sleep with?
As if to answer my silent question, she stretches and rolls over, and my eyes go straight to her soft stomach and slide up to her perky tits. Her rose-dusted nipples hit the cool air and pebble, and as she slides the sheet up, my gaze ascends, meeting the eyes of a woman I don’t know.
Well, technically, I know her.
I met her two days ago.
Bantered with her a bit.
But there’s no way I spent the night with her.
Especially since I’d made it clear I wasn’t interested.
“Morning,” she croaks out, her violet eyes meeting mine.
“What the hell are you doing in my bed?”
She flinches at my harsh tone, but I don’t give a shit because her being in my room, in my bed, naked, makes no sense.
“Umm …” She glances around. “Do you not remember last night?” she asks slowly.
“What about last night?” I slide out of bed, needing some space. “And if you try to tell me we fucked, I’m going to call bullshit because I don’t do one-night stands ever. And I told you that.”
She wraps the sheet around her body and then stands as well. “I understand that.” She lifts her left hand. “But I don’t think it’s considered a one-night stand if we’re married.”
She smiles hesitantly, and it takes me several seconds to wrap my head around her words and then several more for me to comprehend that on her left hand is a wedding band.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I bark, wondering if someone’s playing a goddamn joke on me. And if they are, it’s not funny. “We didn’t get married.” I stalk over to the door and swing it open. “Get the hell out of my room. I don’t know what games you’re playing, but I’m not participating.”
“I think it’s a little late for that,” Vanessa says softly.
Before I can respond, a door down the hall opens, and Bri and Kane step out.
“Is everything okay?” Bri asks.
“No!” I boom, freaking out. “This crazy bitch is trying to tell me that we got married last night.” I lift my hand to point at Vanessa, and the ring on my finger hits the light.
A simple silver ring that looks suspiciously like a wedding band.
“Fuck,” I hiss. “I got married last night.”
Bri and Kane step closer, probably to see who I’m referring to, but when Kane sees that Vanessa only has a blanket wrapped around her, he retreats, closing the door behind him.
“Hey,” Bri says to Vanessa with a soft smile.
“Hey,” Vanessa says back, looking like she wants to be anywhere but here, which is great since I’d rather she be anywhere but here.
“Looks like we weren’t the only ones to get married last night,” Bri jokes, trying to ease the tension.
Neither Vanessa nor I laugh.
“I’m just going to get dressed,” Vanessa says before disappearing into the bathroom.
“This can’t be real.” I step back inside the room. “I don’t remember any of this.”
Bri winces. “Maybe don’t say that to her.”
“Fuck that!” I bark. “I don’t know what she did to me, but I didn’t willingly get married or fuck her last night. For one, I would’ve remembered, and I can’t remember shit. She must have drugged me,” I whisper-yell. “That’s the only explanation.”
Bri’s eyes widen, and she opens her mouth to say something just as Vanessa steps out of the bathroom, dressed in the same dress she wore last night, her heels dangling from the tips of her fingers.
“Did you fucking drug me?” I accuse, making her flinch.
“I—”
“Answer me!” I step into her face. “Did you drug and rape me?”
She shakes her head emphatically.
“We got married,” she whispers, handing me a piece of paper.
I snatch it from her.
It’s a marriage certificate with both of our signatures. Mine is a bit sloppy, but it’s definitely mine.
“How did you get this?”
I scan the document and find our info—driver’s license numbers, addresses, birth dates …
“Holy shit,” I whisper, glancing up at her. “You’re only twenty-one?”
At this point, I’m just thankful she’s legal since I know nothing about her, but, fuck, she’s a good fifteen years younger than me.
Before Vanessa can answer me, there’s pounding on the door.
“Vanessa! Lorenzo! Open up,” Nicole yells from the other side.
Vanessa’s gaze bounces between me and the door, but she makes no move to get it.
“We need to reverse this,” I say, trying like hell to remain calm when I feel anything but.
Vanessa’s eyes fill with tears, but I don’t allow it to get to me.
She did this, not me. And now we’re going to fix it.
Bri opens the door, and Nicole barges in with Kane following.
“What the hell is going on?” Nicole asks. “I went to your room to find you for breakfast, and Kane said you were in here with Lorenzo.”
“What’s going on is, your psycho stepsister drugged me and forced me to marry her.”
I thrust the paper at Nicole.
“What?” Nicole gasps. “Is that true?”
Vanessa doesn’t say anything.
“Vanessa, is this true?” Nicole asks again.
“I’m sorry,” Vanessa chokes out, her violet eyes pleading with me. “I … I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry?” I scoff. “You’re sorry? Well, since you’re sorry, that makes it all fucking better.”
“Vanessa …” Nicole shakes her head. “I don’t understand why you would do this.”
Tears slide down Vanessa’s cheeks, but she doesn’t say a word.
“Hey, guys,” Kane says. “We’re scheduled to leave in about thirty minutes.”
“I need to go get my stuff,” Vanessa rasps before she hightails it out of the room.
“I’m so sorry,” Nicole says to me. “I don’t know why she did this. This is so unlike her.”
“It’s not your fault,” I tell her, taking the certificate back since I’ll need it to fix this fucking disaster. “I’d better pack my shit. I’ll meet you guys in the lobby.”
Everyone files out, and after checking on Leo, I take a quick shower to wash off last night and then pack my overnight bag. I inspect the room, looking for any evidence from last night, but other than the bed being messy, it doesn’t even look like anyone was in here.
There’s no alcohol or drinks … no condom wrappers.
Fuck. There are no condom wrappers.
I check the garbage in the bathroom and then the one in the living room. And both are empty. Which means we had unprotected sex.
My thoughts go back to Hillary, swearing she was on birth control when she wasn’t. Bile rises in my throat, and I make it to the toilet just in time to throw up.
I’m already trying to deal with the fallout of one woman trapping me.
I can’t do this again.