Chapter 25 #2
“Brett, escort my mother off the premises and make sure that all the guards know that she is not welcome anywhere near us, our equipment, our hotel rooms, nothing. She is officially unwelcome. Have her arrested if you must.”
Mom’s mouth falls open.
“But…Cyrus…please.”
Brett takes a step toward her as I turn my back on them and head for the door.
“Auguste, do something.”
“Sorry, Anita, this is between you and Cyrus,” he says, and it is the first time I’m completely in agreement with the man.
Mom grabs my arm before I can walk into the penthouse.
“Cyrus, don’t you dare do this to me.”
I glare at her hand, and she immediately lets go.
“You did this to yourself.”
She is still trying to negotiate with me as I step through the door. Turning, I slam it in her face.
No one, not even my mother, is fucking hurting Haven again.
HAVEN
It’s quiet when I finally sneak into the suite. I park myself at the edge of the penthouse pool, feet dangling in the water. The lights shimmer around me, and my thoughts twist like a knife.
Tears sting my eyes as the accumulation of the last few days collides in my brain.
“Hey.”
I jerk and quickly wipe away the tears before I turn and look over my shoulder.
Cy is every bit the rock star. Bare feet, ripped jeans, and a white t-shirt. But he also looks concerned, and that expression guts me.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Cy sits beside me and puts his feet in the water.
“Haven…”
“I’m fine.”
He nudges my shoulder like we’re best buds.
“You don’t have to lie to me,” he says, voice soft and soothing.
But I’ve been tricked by him one too many times.
“Cy, I mean it.”
A stupid tear makes a liar out of me as it falls on my lap.
Without a word, he reaches out and brushes the moisture left by my traitorous tear away. His touch lingers, trying to reel me in.
“I’ve said a lot of stupid things. Done worse. But I promise that whatever is going on, you can trust me with it.”
Daring to look at him, my stomach tightens into a tidy knot, and I regret the decision immediately.
His eyes search my face, and I hate that look.
It’s almost like he gives a shit. The hospital was one thing.
He almost died. Near-death stuff can make you vulnerable, but that word is not part of Cy’s normal personality.
I’m not a fool. Letting Cyrus Vale in…is dangerous.
I open my mouth to say as much, then close it again.
My breath catches when his fingers brush my jaw, and his thumb runs over my bottom lip. I want to lean into his touch, but instead move my head back, and his hand drops away.
“I love what you did with your hair. Red suits you.”
His compliments are like drinking lemon and honey. Sweet with a bite of sour as it goes down.
“I didn’t do it for you.”
He shrugs.
“Doesn’t matter, it still looks great.”
He is so frustrating.
Cy glances around.
“You always find water when you’re overwhelmed.”
I shake my head and cross my arms.
“You always show up when I want to be alone,” I say, but there is no bite behind the comment.
“Why did you do that? Why did you always follow me and ruin the few places I found comfort? I loved going to the beach and watching the waves until you made it the most humiliating place for me. I can’t even look at a beach without memories taunting me. ”
“Because I was an immature asshole in pain and you were an easy target.”
It’s the most honest thing I’ve ever heard him say.
He looks away from me and stares at the tranquil water. Silence stretches between us, but for once it’s not all tension, and my shoulders finally relax.
“I’ve been thinking...”
“That’s dangerous,” I mumble.
He smirks.
“If you’re so in love with your fiancé, then why don’t you wear an engagement ring? I haven’t seen it on you once.”
Of course, he asks that.
There is no way in hell I’m telling him that Charles proposed without one because he wants to give me his grandmother’s ring. But his mother doesn’t approve of me and won’t give it to him. Charles has been too busy to buy a different one.
“That’s none of your business.”
“It is when I tell you that I want you, and you blow me off using the engagement as an excuse.”
I turn and stare him down, anger filling me. It’s building like pressure in a kettle, and steam is already coming out of my ears. Standing, I begin to pace back and forth along the edge of the pool.
“Why are you doing this? For fuck’s sake, Cy, you’ve always hated me.
You even made a point of telling everyone.
Hell, you practically put it in the school’s morning announcements.
I was forced to go the long way to every class just to avoid you in the halls.
I hid out at lunch, so I could eat my food rather than wear it.
It became second nature to stay in my bedroom just to get some peace.
Oh, I can’t forget your stunt on the Jack Malone show.
Everyone who watches late-night TV saw that.
I’m trying to live my life, can you just let me? For once, can you try to…not be you?”
He slowly stands and walks toward me. My immediate reaction is to move far away from the water before he pushes me in and laughs. I lift my chin and straighten my spine. My determination not to look weak is the only thing holding me in place.
Instead of agreeing or leaving, he suddenly cups my cheeks.
“I do hate you. I hate how you make me feel, how you call me out on my bullshit, and how you never back down from a fight.”
My pulse hammers, goosebumps racing along my arms, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand.
“I hate how you always stand up for what’s right, even when it’s the unpopular choice. I hate how you look out for everyone and make me feel like I’m the most inconsiderate asshole in the world just by being you.”
“Well, you are an inconsiderate asshole, that’s not up for debate,” I grumble, and he smiles.
“I’m not that guy anymore, Butterfly.”
I look away. Whenever he calls me that, I feel like I can soar. But it always leads to him ripping out my heart while he tears the wings from my back.
“You don’t get to be my safe place now, Cy. Not after everything you’ve done.”
“I never wanted to be safe, Haven,” he murmurs.
“I can’t do this again with you. Do you even remember how many times you let me believe we’d moved past the insults, teasing, and bullying, only for you to yank the rug out from under me?
I always gave you the benefit of the doubt because I saw that you were hurting and had a good heart. But I can’t do it anymore.”
I step out of his reach.
“You’re mine, Haven. I meant it the first time, and I’ll keep saying it until you get it through your head,” he says, and I shake my head in disbelief. “I let you go once. But I’ll never do it again,” he says like a threat.
My heart pounds out of control, and my mind goes blank as to what to say.
“I can’t do this right now,” I say, turning to leave.
“Haven…stay. I have something I need to tell you.”
I stop even though everything in me is screaming to run. Run as fast as I can and don’t look back.
“Charles is cheating on you, and I have proof.”
Fuck, I slowly turn and glare at Cy.
“Really?” I throw my hands in the air and let them fall. “I knew you’d do this. You throw me a life preserver only to shove me into the pool and hold my head under the water. You’re good at that,” I say, using an actual moment we shared to accentuate my point.
It works. He crosses his arms and looks away.
“What do you get from doing this? You can have any girl. Hell, you could probably have multiple at the same time. Why?” My voice rises with the turmoil he’s creating and the fear that he’s also right. “Why do you want to hurt me so badly?”
“I don’t want to hurt you. At least not anymore.” He runs his hand through his hair and then walks past me.
“Are you serious? You drop that bomb and then walk away?”
He heads to one of the small tables by the pool and picks up a thick brown envelope. He holds it up like a prize, but his face remains emotionless.
“This is all the proof you need to know that I’m not lying or just saying it to get under your skin.”
The package feels like a ticking bomb waiting to go off. I can practically hear the tick, tick, tick.
He steps toward me, and I hold up my hand, warding him off.
“Don’t. Stop. I need a minute to think.”
My eyes dart from the envelope to his face.
“How did you get this?”
“I hired a PI.”
“You what? Have you ever heard of privacy?”
“I told you that he’s a player, Haven. But I knew you wouldn’t listen to me because—”
“You’re an asshole?”
“Was an asshole,” he corrects.
“I beg to differ. Who the fuck hires a PI to destroy a person’s relationship and then claims to be their friend? Oh, that’s right, Cyrus Vale, that’s who.”
Cy sighs.
“Yeah, you’re right. I am just the asshole to do this,” he says.
My lower lip trembles, body shaking as I stare into his icy eyes.
“Read it, Haven. I’m telling you this guy is a fucking piece of shit.”
Cy’s expression darkens, and there is definitely something wrong with me, because it sends exhilarating shivers throughout my body.
“You’re lucky I’m giving you this, rather than showing up at his door and rearranging his face. You can’t bury your head in the sand, and I never took you for a coward,” he says, voice deep and full of rage that I can feel from where I’m standing.
Cyrus drops the heavy envelope on the table and then walks out. He may be physically gone, but his shadow stays behind with me.
My eyes dart to the seemingly innocent-looking package. It takes a herculean effort to put one foot in front of the other, but I step forward.