Diana Scott - [Stonebridge 01]
Page 22
“Wait a minute and we'll leave right now.”
“None of that, you’re not leaving.” A tall, thin blonde with long hair clings to Reed's arm while I look at him intrigued.
“Olivia, please return with the guests.”
I look at the big table and find Dolores and Gabe's faces that look down when they see me.
“Not a chance. I'm not going to stay alone again your friend can stay or go if she wants.”
“Olivia, leave.” Reed's cold voice is a direct order but the young woman doesn’t think to shut up.
“Hi, I'm Olivia, Reed's fiancée, and you are?”
The young woman stretches her hand with the golden ring so that I can see it but I’m not able to react.
The smell of basil and olives suddenly makes me dizzy and everything stops in a disconcerting way.
“Fiancée?”
I look at the ring confused. I look for some kind of clarification that doesn’t arrive and my heart breaks into small pieces that fall scattered on the floor. I'm dizzy, my body doesn’t’ respond for me and my voice doesn’t come out. The bewilderment overwhelms me, and my heart beats nervously. I need an explanation, I need an explanation, I can’t think for myself.
“You're the director of the museum, right? I've seen you on TV. Surely this scoundrel forgot to invite you. Forgive him it's my fault because he wanted the celebration to be something intimate. You understand me.” The woman caresses her belly and the air begins to suffocate me.
“You’re pregnant...” I whisper almost without a voice.
I can’t breathe, my legs don’t support me and her words choke me.
“Olivia. Damn you, go!”
“You’re going to get married and you’re going to be a father?” The voice hardly comes out.
A dagger sticks straight into my chest. I sway so confused that I would have fallen if it hadn’t been for Suraj's arm that holds me tightly in the back.
Reed is hard, impassive and cold. His face says nothing, undaunted, but his look... always it’s his weakness. His eyes are more glacial than ever and have a shine that could even be of suffering, but because he is a master of deception he has a clear look.
He has set a trap for me and I fell like a complete lover.
“Olivia, leave now...” He orders with deadly coldness.
“No! No...” I swallow, trying to breathe and be able to talk. “I... I'm the one who is leaving.”
I turn trying to walk while maintaining my balance and not fall. I could insult him, scream like crazy and break all the dishes in the place, but for what? Hatred and shame dominate me.
Poor Anne, who believed in tales of love and clouds of sugar.
It's pouring rain outside but I don’t care. I'm so devastated that it doesn’t matter if I get wet or not. I need to get out of there before I break down and start crying.
“Anne! Wait!”
It seems that he tries to follow me because I hear his fiancée scream furiously and a argument start. I don’t care about anything that happens there. I have to leave as soon as possible. Tears begin to sprout and I’m not able to control them. My hands tremble, my heart beats frightened and I’m afraid of not having the strength to survive.
I go out the door of the restaurant and the rain soaks my hair and it sticks to my skin and my clothes weigh on me triple, or at least that’s how I feel.
“Anne... Damn it, stop! You have to listen to me.”
I feel that he is running towards me but I don’t stop. My mind is confused. Fiancée and mother of his son? He assured me, he swore, he had never done it without a condom. He said it and I believed him.
Tears sprout and anger burns me. There was Dolores, Gabe and Suraj, everyone knew that he was cheating on me and did nothing to stop him. I dry the tears that run down my face and try to find a taxi.
“Anne?”
“Marc?”
“Your secretary told me you would be here, are you okay?”
“Anne...” Reed reaches me and holds me by the arm completely agitated. “You have to listen to me.”
I look at him as if he found me in another world. I can’t breathe and the phrases don’t come out.
“Let go...”
“No!”
“Damn son of a bitch. What have you done to her!” Marc yells angrily.
“Don’t get involved, it's not your problem.” Reed answers holding my arm tightly while I struggle to get out of his grip.
“Either you let her go or I’ll smash your face.” Marc cried furiously.
Reed tries to pounce on Marc but Suraj and Gabe arrive just in time to grab him from behind and stop the fight.
I, for my part, watched the spectacle horrified. I just want to disappear from there. The pain is too strong to take on a macho fight. I go to Marc and hold him by the arm, he curses while trying to dry my tears. I look at him but I'm in shock. I can hardly speak. Tears sprout uncontrollably.
“Don’t cry please. I'm with you.”
“Get me out of here.”
“I’ll do it.” Marc holds me in his arms while raising his hand to stop a taxi a few meters away.
Reed yells angrily but Suraj and his brother hold him, preventing him from following us.
“Let me go! Suraj, I'm going to kill you. Gabe, please...”
“You have to let her go...”
“Fuck you, damn asshole! Gabe, you're my brother, let go of me.”
“Let her go.”
“I can’t. Dammit! I can’t. Gabe. Don’t let her go...”
Reed's yells echo in the street and I halt before getting in the taxi.”
“Anne. Came back! Please talk to me...”
“Get in the car.” Marc says so I can’t listen to him but it's too late.
“Let go of me! Anne, don’t go with him. You’re killing me...”
My clothes are soaked and totally stuck to my body. Tears cover my face but I don’t care. I turn around and speak to him, drawing strength from my own insides.
“You're already dead to me.”
“I'm not leaving you! You’re not going to abandon me.”
He moves in anger trying to break free but both men hold him back.
“Come on.”
I nod without even knowing what I’m answering. Confusion, pain, anger and shame are just some of the feelings that dominate me. Disillusion, betrayal and despair, are some of the many feelings that also find a place in my cracked heart.
A choked cry from Reed spins me around to see how he manages to throw Gabe and Suraj to the ground and run for our cab.
Marc climbs behind me and closes the door, ordering the taxi driver to start.
I look up and see Reed in the driver's mirror. He is drenched, his wet hair clings to his face and madness clouds his gaze.
“Get out of the car!” He cries crazed.
He runs harder but falls to his knees on the wet asphalt when he sees the car leaving. We move away and I can’t see him anymore. My body begins to tremble showing me that I’m still alive even though I’m feeling dead inside.
“Take me to Jane's house.”
“Of course. Are you going to tell me what happened?”
“Just tell him to take us with Jane.”
Marc spoke with the taxi driver and then he hugged me without asking. He didn’t insist and I appreciated it. I can’t talk to anyone. I just need to be in a quiet place with someone who loves me and to be able to cry with the pain of my injuries.
I can’t breathe and the world collapses on me. I thought I was in heaven when in reality I was living the worst of the lies. Love came without warning and I received it, delighted and with hope. I thought that experience had taught me to distinguish. I thought that maturity showed me true love, but everything was a damn deception.
I am alone and my heart is broken by someone who is no longer there I fell in love with someone who didn’t mind breaking my heart.
Tears run down my face like torrents desperately seeking a justificatio
n that doesn’t exist. I bet for love and I lost. I just landed with my wings broken in the emptiest night. I get off the car with Marc's help because my muscles are sore and totally numb. I ring the doorbell waiting for the door to open before practically falling faint and not being able to move. My body trembles and my hands don’t respond.
“Anne! What happened.” Jane screams fearfully.
“Please help me...”
I fall into her arms and she holds me tightly. I close my eyes and cry even harder. I’m alone, with new wounds that bleed, and with only the company of my sister. Suffering returns and knocks on my door, again.
###
Reed always knew that he would lose her. His love was destined to fail, but then why does he refuse to quit?
What are the secrets that do not allow him to live the life he wants?
What was the conversation between the brothers that Anne listened to?
What is his relationship with sadomasochism and why has his mother gone mad?
Why does he disappear on Saturdays?
Who is the Watchmaker and who killed John?
Reed is handsome and virile as ever however no one ever offered tenderness until he met Anne Foster. Why did he always settle for simple crumbs?
Anne has suffered too much will she be able to get out of the hole once again?
Will she forget Reed or will she look for him despite everything?
Can she return to the Temple of the Passions and live those new experiences she was looking for?
Will she be the correct and educated Miss Foster always or will she embark on a world of adventure, excitement in which Reed will no longer have a place?
Do not miss Stonebridge Volume II