46. Chloe
CHAPTER 46
Chloe
I don’t know what hurts more. My heart or my head.
My heart felt like it was shattered into pieces after discovering that the person I thought was becoming my best friend wasn’t my friend at all. Leo told us that Veronica had manipulated him to get what she wanted. So what did she want from me? Why did she pretend to be my friend?
Ever since Myles brought me up to our suite, I’ve had a pounding headache. Granted, it could have been from the loud music and the lack of water, but when we got into the silence of our room, the pain grew stronger. It had its own pulse, almost matching the beat of the music playing at the reception.
My reception. My wedding.
That got ruined by the fact my Maid of Honor is a liar and the psychopath who hurt my brother.
I rub my forehead, attempting to ease the pain. With my eyes shut, I hear the faucet in the bathroom turn on, run for a bit, and then turn off again. Footsteps grow closer to me; each step on the hardwood sends a bolt of pain to my head.
“Drink this.” I open my eyes to find Myles handing me a glass of water. When I take it from him, I bring it to my lips and savor the cold liquid as it refreshes my body. He holds out a hand that has two white pills lying in his palm. “Tylenol. For the headache.”
“I didn’t tell you I had one.”
Myles grabs my free hand and dumps the pills into my palm. “You didn’t have to, Chlo. I know you.”
Although I’m angry with him, I’m grateful for him. I swallow one pill at a time and then finish the rest of the water.
“How could you not tell me?”
“Leo made me promise.” His eyes fall to the floor, ashamed that he kept this secret from me. “I told him that if she did anything to hurt you, I would take matters into my own hands.”
He would have. When Myles loves someone, it is with all his heart. He will do anything to keep them safe.
“I trusted her.”
“I know, baby.” He takes the glass from me and sets it on a nearby surface. Then, he takes my hand and pulls me against him. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you, but please believe me that I was always looking out for you. I was always making sure that Veronica wasn’t doing anything to hurt you.”
Tears begin to stream down my face as I silently cry. I don’t say anything while Myles continues to hold me. His hand rubs gentle circles on my back, making my eyes close. I focus on the sensation. The comfort this is providing me until a wave of sadness hits me.
“I don’t have any friends left,” I whisper against his button-down.
He sighs a sorrowful breath, kissing the top of my head. I told him about Sylvia and the whole party she planned. How she made it about her, and all the other girls went along with it and didn’t seem to care about me one bit.
I fawned over Camille… Veronica… I don’t even know which name to use. When I told Myles about that night, I was so happy that she had stayed by my side and actually cared about me. About my interests.
He sat there and listened to every word and kept his mouth shut. Back then, I thought it was because he was letting me gossip, but now… he probably didn’t want to accidentally say something he wasn’t supposed to.
“You have me.” His lips press against my hair. “And you have your father, Carter, and baby Mila. The people who truly care about you, Chloe.” He loosens his arms around me, pulling back to look down at me. “You have Leo. I know you are mad at him right now, as you have every right to be, but he loves you. There is a reason he didn’t tell you about Veronica.”
“Yes, because despite everything she did to him, he is still in love with her, Myles; he said so himself.” I inhale a sharp breath. “He obviously didn’t want to let her go. Why else would he possibly want to keep her around?”
“Revenge.”
My brows dip, and my head tilts to the side. “Revenge?”
He nods. “Leo may have loved her once, but that all went out the window the night she betrayed him. He wants revenge, Chloe, and he didn’t want you involved in planning that revenge. Shit, he didn’t want me involved either. He still hasn’t told me what he is going to do.”
“But he is going to do something?”
“Yes,” he reassures me. “I’m sorry you had to find out this way. On our wedding night of all nights.”
“I wish I didn’t either, but I can’t change how it happened.”
“I’ll make it up to you on our honeymoon.” He winks, leaning forward to kiss me. “You should probably rest.”
“But the guests…”
“Will understand if you skip out on the rest of the night. You’re pregnant, and with pregnancy comes exhaustion.” My hands flatten over my rounded stomach just as our baby girl kicks. “The night is almost over anyway. I’ll go down and say goodbye from the both of us.”
Before he leaves, he tells me to turn around so he can unzip my dress. He kisses me, tells me to get comfortable and into bed, then heads downstairs.
As much as I want to strip out of this gown and put on my pajamas, I don’t. Instead, I find my phone tucked away in my purse and call Leo.
“Are you okay?” It’s the first thing he asks when he picks up the phone.
“Angry, tired, not feeling well,” I tell him the truth. “Myles said you have a plan—some sort of revenge you want to get on Veronica.”
“I do.”
Rolling my lips together, I nod and say, “Whatever it is, I’m on board with it. I want her gone, Leo.”
“Me too,” he agrees, which makes me feel a little better.
“By the time we get home from our honeymoon, I want her out of our lives.”
“She’ll be gone.”