23. Vince
Vince
I had never seen so many boxes in my life. If I didn’t know Madeline, I would mistake them as moving boxes.
“You’ve been shopping?”
She looked up from the middle of our bed. “It’s not like that; I’ll have a new last name. I might need a new style.”
“My love, just say you wanted new clothes. You don’t need to make excuses.”
“I wanted new clothes.” She grinned, jumping off the bed, and followed me into the bathroom. “Are you busy?”
“Bloody.” I pulled off my jacket, her face wrinkling up at my shirt. “I’ll get the rest after I shower.”
“Oh, you saw those?”
Unbuttoning my shirt. Did I see the mountain of delivery boxes next to the stairs? God. She was cute.
I nodded.
“I was getting them. I just got distracted.” She put her hand out for my shirt. “Possible evidence?”
“No, just reminding someone who they work for.”
She grinned, taking it from me. “One more question. Why does all the food here not have labels?”
“No idea. My chef manages the food.” And they now spend an extra few hours a week making sure the labels weren’t readable. So, it made counting calories near impossible.
“Did you steal a delivery truck?” Bas asked, standing in the foyer.
“No, Madeline has been shopping.”
“Now I see why you had your wardrobe extended.”
I shrugged. “Actually, if you want my car, you have to help me move this upstairs.”
“Does this suit say mover to you?” He shook his head, “Like fuck?—”
“Bastion! I thought you were another delivery driver.” Madeline ran down the stairs. Her hair was pinned up. And within seconds, my brother’s expression changed.
“Sorry to disappoint Maddy.” He grinned, slowly looking her up and down.
“Oh, you’re never a disappointment,”
“You’re too kind to me,” He winked at her. “So, Vince was just saying he needs my young muscles to help move these boxes upstairs.”
“At no point did I ask for his underdeveloped muscles.”
“Maddy, don’t lift that. I got it.” Bastion stepped in, taking the smallest box I had seen in my life off her. She smiled before moving another.
While he stared at her ass. Openly checking out his soon to be sister-in-law. The man has no self-respect.
“So, do you need to try any of these clothes on, make sure they all fit? I’m really good at zippers. Hell, I would love a fashion walk.”
Her eyes lit up. Over my god damn body, would that be happening.
“Ignore him. He is leaving.” I opened the door, shoving him back. “Important meeting.” I handed him the car keys. “You damage the car; I’ll damage your face? Understand?”
He grinned, taking the keys. "Thanks brother, have a good night.”
It wasn’t until hours later, after I had carried every box up, that I realized he had done that shit on purpose to get out of helping me.
I had somehow upset my fiancé; I just was too scared to ask what I had done. Madeline was being polite. And it scared the living hell out of me.
I even volunteered to watch her trashy television show. She turned me down. Apparently, she was far too busy cleaning.
Sadly, for me, and anything I owned of value. She had found a bleach cleaning spray and was using it on everything. Despite it said bathroom only in bold letters. I didn’t have the heart to tell her, so I sat quietly, watching her destroy the television.
“Cheating man whore.”
“I’m a what?”
Where had she even come from? I left her in the lounge room, after she started destroying the hard wood coffee table.
“I am a reasonable woman, Vince.” She put a hand on her hip. “I know I’m not your type, and I’m not stupid.”
I didn’t know where this was going, but that look in her eyes it made me sick.
Straightening her shoulders back, “It hurts more that you lied to me. You never lie to me” she looked down at the carpet before looking back up. “So, who is she? I want to meet her.”
I shouldn’t have come home.
“I drove your car today.” She added, as if that was meant to prompt me.
I nodded; unsure what else I could do.
“The words cheating man whore are sprayed painted across it. And guess what Vince, I didn’t do it.” She pointed the bleach bottle at me. “Which means another woman did!”
Bastion.
I should have known just from the degree of suffering I was experiencing; he was the cause of it.
Madeline followed me as I walked down to the garage. I should have known there would have been a reason he needed to borrow a car. For fuck sake . The man had a fleet of his own.
Walking past twenty other vehicles until I reached my limited-edition, custom-built satin black sports car.
The only reason Madeline had taken it this morning was because Bastion had left it blocking the garage. Conveniently, the passenger side was facing the other way.
Cheating man whore. Written in cheap white spray paint.
“One last time, what is her name?”
“Bastion.” Putting the phone to my ear,
Her face melted in understanding.
“Big bro, I’m telling you it was all a miscommunication?” Bas answered the first call.
I could bet he had been waiting all day for me to call him. “Look, hear me out. A woman I had seen twice thought she saw me the other night, but she saw Luca. Crazy woman followed me last night to the suburbs.”
“Really?”
“Yes, now you see it from my point of view. Honestly, I’m a victim here.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose. I had just suffered through Madeline cleaning half my house with bleach. I was the victim.
“Bastion, on that particular night, were you pretending to be Luca?”
If he thought, I didn’t know about the game they played. He had to think I was stupid. I swear, it was a matter of time before it blows up in their face.
He groaned, “Come on Vince, that’s not fair. Not everyone knows to ask that question.”
“My fiancé thought I was cheating on her.”
“Oh, shit I upset Maddy?” Actual remorse in his voice. Who knew he was capable of it? “Fine, just come over and punch me already. I’ve got a busy night.”
Grinning, “No brother, I’m going to wait. When you least expect it, you’ll get payback for this.”
“Fuck that Vince, come hit me or something already. You know I can’t stand waiting.”
I ended the call. The sheepish look on her face. “Sorry Vince, I umm” she moved back and forth on her heels. “Can we watch my show now? And order food?”
I had a feeling her mood would change when I told her the television wouldn’t be working.
Tomorrow I was contacting the cleaners to ask them to keep all cleaning products out of sight. Maybe I could get them a safe or something.