“There is no we, Natasha. I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but Alec loves me. I know he does,” I yelled, not caring if anyone else heard me, including Alec.
“It’s complicated. We’ve been together for almost eight years. He’s the love of my life,” she explained, shrugging her shoulders. “Clearly, this is all some kind of misunderstanding. When I talked to Alec last week, he said he didn’t even want to file the divorce papers, so we held off. Our relationship is tumultuous, but passionate. We’ve been in love for a long time.” She glanced at the officer briefly. He was listening intently.
“He. Does. Not. Love. You,” I said through gritted teeth. I could feel the tears starting to stream down my face.
“I’m sorry, Charlotte. When we slept together last month, we promised each other that we would try and work it out.”
My head spun, and I felt like I was going to faint.
“You slept together?”
“I thought he told you?” she frowned. “Men can be so unkind,” she added, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, I thought he told you… it was a few weeks ago, when you were in L.A.”
“This isn’t happening,” I said slowly, closing my eyes and willing myself to wake up from this nightmare. When I opened my eyes, Natasha was still there, looking at me with pity.
“We just have a connection, Charlotte. Are we good for each other? Probably not. But he’s my husband, and I owe it to him to try and make it work.”
“We already rented a house together…” I said, desolately. “Just down the road from the Parc.”
She shrugged her shoulders and looked at me sympathetically. She reached out and stroked my arm.
“I’m sorry, Charlotte. I have to go. My husband needs me,” she said, clearly adding the husband part to sting me. “Good luck with everything.” She turned on her heels and left.
I stood there for a few seconds, digesting everything. I couldn’t do a single damn thing. The love of my life was in a room with his wife, and I was nothing to him. He’d dismissed me so easily, so quickly… and he’d slept with her? That was the part that had slammed me. He’d always told me they’d never been physical. He’d always said it was purely to help her out—that he’d never been attracted to her. Maybe he’d lied. Maybe that’s why he hadn’t proposed yet. He was still waiting to see if things would work out with Natasha.
“Miss?” the officer prompted, gesturing to the door to the waiting room—the room where the mistresses hung out, I presumed. “Do you need an escort home?”
I stared up at him, my mouth gaping open. Was I being dismissed?
“Do I need to go home?”
“Well, er, no,” he said, shifting uncomfortably. “I just thought… they’ll be in there a while,” he added. “We’d be happy to drive you home.”
“That’s OK. I’ll wait.” I wasn’t going to run away again. I had promised Alec I wouldn’t leave again. I had promised him that I wouldn’t break his heart again.
“Very well then,” he said, looking at me as if I was crazy.
I slumped into the bench and cried silently into my hands, completely overwhelmed. My first instinct had been to run. That was always my gut reaction. That was what had led me to Wales in the first place, but now was not a time to run away. I deserved an explanation from Alec, if nothing else. There had to be some kind of misunderstanding.
I tried not to think about anything too much. The longer I waited, the more I pictured Alec and Natasha kissing—their tall, lean bodies meshing together, sleeping together… the thought sent me into a fit of hysteric sobs. One of the officers brought me tissues. I didn’t even care what I looked like at that point.
I checked my phone. It was almost three in the morning now, and I could feel the heavy pull of sleep. I kicked my shoes off and pulled my knees into my chest, dozing uncomfortably and fitfully. I kept waking up, thinking this was all a nightmare, and then the station would come into focus, and the heavy dread would set in again. I felt nauseous and angry. It felt like someone was punching me in the gut repeatedly.
I was dozing, laying across the bench in the fetal position, when one of the officers nudged me awake. I shot up, wiping the drool off of my face.
“Everything checks out with your friend.”
“Huh?”
“We’re letting him go. Everything checks out. They have pictures, phone records, letters, and even an apartment lease. I’m… I’m sorry that I’m the one to have to tell you. They have quite a history.”
I doubled over, imagining the pictures of Alec and Natasha. Oh God, maybe they had wedding pictures…
Suddenly, the waiting room door swung open and in walked Alec and Natasha. I stood quickly, glaring at Natasha before looking expectantly at Alec, waiting for him to say something. He kept his gaze downcast, not making eye contact. I stepped forward, and that’s when I noticed that Alec and Natasha were holding hands.
“Alec?” I asked, my voice weak from crying. He shook his head and closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Charlotte,” he said, his voice breaking. “I can’t be with you. Natasha and I owe it to each other to work it out,” he said robotically.
“You… you’re leaving me?”
“Yes.” He looked at me now, and his eyes were blank, unsmiling. The penetrating gaze he usually held with me was gone, replaced with a vacant, empty look. There was nothing left. He was already gone.
“But… the goats. The chickens. We… we have flights booked,” I pleaded.
He shook his head.
I looked at Natasha. She was looking at him solemnly. She spoke.
“He didn’t want to hurt you,” Natasha added, and I saw her squeeze his hand. “This is for the best.”
“You bitch,” I whispered, ready to scratch her eyes out. I took a step towards her.
“Charlotte,” Alec warned. “Enough.” He held a hand out to stop me, and looked at me with pure… hatred? Loathing?
I took a step back, and I saw that all of the officers were watching us, waiting for me to leave.
“Are you going home with her?”
“Yes.”
“To the apartment you leased together?”
“Yes,” he breathed, looking down.
“Well, then I guess I better go.” I grabbed my shoes and coat. Natasha handed me my purse, and I whipped it out of her hand, glowering at her as I did it. “Goodbye, Alec. I’m leaving. And this time, I’m not coming back,” I hissed. “Have a nice life.”
He winced as I said it, and I was glad. I was glad to be the one hurting him for a change. He pulled out his wallet from his back pocket—where I’d placed it after our tryst earlier. He took out a wad of hundred pound notes and held them out to me.
“Here. To get you back to L.A.,” he said, looking at me sorrowfully.
Was this a joke?
“I don’t want your fucking money,” I spat, taking the money and throwing it back at his face. He closed his eyes. I want to hurt you, Alec. I want to hurt you like you hurt me.
I turned and walked out, trying to keep my composure, but knowing I would break down at any moment. I just had to get out of there… I could feel the tears springing from my eyes. Just a few more steps…
I got outside the building, noticing the pink sunrise briefly before I felt myself start to fall. It was as if someone had kicked me over, and a dawning realization hit me.
Alec was leaving me.
Alec was leaving me.
Alec was leaving me.
I felt myself implode, and I wretched onto the street, my stomach emptying its contents violently and quickly. I clutched the side of the building as the world twisted around me, and everything went black.
***
“What do you mean he left her here?” I heard Mary’s voice screeching at someone, presumably the officer. Warm, sturdy arms had lifted me up and were carrying me. I briefly opened my eyes to see Henry transferring me to their car as Mary kept yelling. “He wouldn’t have just left the love of his life in the middle of
the parking lot, passed out,” she argued, and I wanted to open my mouth and tell her, but I couldn’t find the words. He chose her.
“Mr. Baxter and his wife had some business to attend to. They’ll be back later today to give a statement about their marriage, to clear their records. I’d… I’d look after your friend there. It seems Mr. Baxter and Mrs. Veselovsky are working things out, if you know what I mean. I don’t think she took it very well.”
I opened my eyes then and looked over at Mary, who was staring at the officer with such vehemence, I had to stifle a laugh. At least my friends had my back.
“It’s true,” I croaked. “He left me.”
Mary spun around and watched me as Henry set me down in the passenger seat of Henry’s car.
“Oh my god, Charlotte…” she whispered, coming over to me. “What happened?”
The officer nodded and left, clearly uncomfortable. Mary and Henry got into the car, and we started off.
“I don’t know,” I answered weakly. “I called Natasha, and she met me at the station. We went to go see him and they… they kissed.”
“What?” Henry snapped his head towards me. “Are you sure?”
I frowned at him.
“Oh, I’m sure. It wasn’t a friendly peck either. It was a full-on, hands running through their hair, make out session.”
“But…” Mary spoke, and then trailed off, shaking her head in confusion.
“And then he told me to leave. He demanded that I leave. But I didn’t. I sat in the waiting room most of the night, trying to sleep, trying to make sense of everything. Natasha came out and told me that they’d slept together, that they loved each other, and that they’d promised each other that they would try to make it work this time.”
“But Alec never loved her,” Henry murmured. “He’s my best mate. I can guarantee that he never loved her, not like he loves you.”
“Yeah, well, he chose her, and then when they came out of the interrogation room, they were holding hands. He said he was sorry, and that… that he was leaving me,” I said as a single teardrop fell down my cheek.
“That doesn’t sound like Alec at all,” Henry said, looking at me. “What else happened?”
“He tried to give me money to leave. He handed me… who knows how much money, but I threw it back at him. And then I left. I guess I fainted, because the next thing I knew, you were here, and Alec was gone.”
“I see,” Henry said, looking back at Mary.
“What?” I asked. “What was that look?”
“Well… I don’t understand why he left. That’s why I was yelling at the policeman. He… he never would’ve left you,” Mary said, trying to convince me, trying to convince herself.
“How did you guys get here?”
“The police called us. They said Alec gave them our number to… to come pick you up.”
“So, Alec left me passed out on the ground? He just left?”
I saw Mary glance at Henry, and I knew I was right. I stayed silent the rest of the way to the Parc, wondering where I was going to stay. I didn’t want to be anywhere near Alec or his possessions.
“Can I stay with you guys?” I pleaded.
“Of course, honey,” Mary soothed, stroking my arm gently from the seat behind me.
We pulled up to the Parc, and I hoped I wouldn’t run into anyone. I was not in the mood for conversation. I walked past the desk, which, luckily, was empty, and headed straight to Alec’s room, unlocking it with the key he’d given me last night, after we…
As I opened the door, everything hit me, and I collapsed onto his bed, sobbing endlessly. The most frustrating part was that I didn’t have answers. Why? That’s all I needed to know. Why did he choose her?
Had he always loved her? I thought back to the one time I saw them interact, and Mary and Henry were right… there had been no love there. He’d been annoyed, exasperated… exactly how he’d been with me at the station. Maybe when I went back to L.A., he’d found solace in her. Maybe I was the reason they were together. I couldn’t blame him either. She was gorgeous, tall, blonde… she looked like a model, and so did he. They were a perfect match. And they’d known each other for so long, and they were married…
“Charlotte?” Henry nudged the door open and closed it behind him, coming over to where I was curled up on the bed. “Mary sent me in here to help carry your luggage.”
“OK,” I choked, my body heaving from crying. I felt Henry sit down next to me.
“I’m sorry, Charlotte. I don’t know why Alec acted the way he did. He’s never once mentioned to me… he never said anything.”
“Well, then, clearly we’re both fools,” I croaked, covering my face with Alec’s pillow.
“I know he would never hurt you on purpose. Whatever is going on, we’re going to figure it out. I tried calling him just now, but he didn’t pick up. Maybe Natasha is blackmailing him…”
“No. I thought about that. I thought of every possibility. He kissed her before they even spoke. When we walked into the interrogation room, it wasn’t me he was excited to see—it was her. He went to her. He kissed her. There was no time for blackmail.”
“Well, Mary and I both think something else is going on. I knew him when he met Natasha. Even before they got married, he wasn’t interested in her. I swear to you, Charlotte, I would’ve never expected this. It’s coming out of left field here,” he offered, and I knew he was trying to make me feel better.
“I’m not sure if that’s comforting or… if it makes it worse. I think—I think it makes it worse,” I cried, my voice breaking as I wailed.
Henry started gathering my things as I hugged Alec’s pillow, trying to make sense of it all. Henry was a good man. I knew he believed it when he said that Alec never had feelings for Natasha.
“I mean, maybe he always had feelings for her… I don’t know,” Henry mumbled. “It’s weird. It’s like I don’t even know my best friend.”
“That’s not making me feel any better, Henry!” I shrieked from beneath Alec’s bedding. I knew I was leaving mascara stains on his white sheets. Ha! I thought, feeling the tiny little victory. At least your sheets will be dirty! I continued to cry, getting whiffs of Alec’s scent—his lovely, clean scent—a scent I was sure Natasha loved, too. I heard Mary come in, and she whispered something to Henry. I saw him shuffle out of the room from the corner of my eye as Mary got into bed with me, cradling me as I sobbed.
“Shhh…” she cooed, petting my hair. “Let’s get you dressed.”
I felt her move me, and it was as if someone was trying to carry a sleeping person. I did not have the energy to move myself. Mary lifted my dress up over my head as I sniffled, and she exchanged it for one of my t-shirts. Next, she took my shoes and tights off, and handed me a pair of leggings that I’d forgotten that I’d packed. The next thing I knew, she was outfitting my feet with socks and boots, and pulling my coat over me as I hunched over, my face in my hands.
“We should go, sweetie,” she said softly. “We’re taking you back to our place.”
I stood up and wobbled a bit, reaching out for Mary’s hand. I felt like a fucking invalid. I was humiliated, angry, sad as hell… and I just needed sleep.
We got into the car as Henry loaded the trunk of their mid-sized sedan with my suitcase.
“My car,” I said, pointing to the Mini Cooper in the driveway.
“We’ll take care of it,” Mary said, getting me settled in the passenger seat.
The drive was short. I realized, as we pulled up to a small house, that I hadn’t been to Mary’s house since I left Wales in August. I loved their house. It reminded me of the house Alec wanted to rent… the house that would never be, now that…
I couldn’t even think it. Henry was right. There had to be an explanation. I was sure of it. I was not easily led astray by men. I was not naïve. What Alec and I had was real. I knew it was. He was hurting me on purpose. Handing me the money… it was a slap in the face, and he knew it. Like our relation
ship was only worth that—like what we had wasn’t real.
I walked into their house, the scent of a wood-burning fire instantly comforting me. Mary got me all set up on the couch. They were renovating the guest room, they explained, so they turned the TV on and tucked me into a large, feather comforter.
“I think it’s safe to say that Alec was not going to propose,” I mumbled as I got myself settled.
I saw Henry shoot Mary a death stare, and Mary shrugged her shoulders innocently.
“Charlotte,” Henry said with a hint of sympathy. “Don’t think about that right now. Just sleep.”
I sat up and looked at him. Henry had become one of my best friends, and I felt some sort of brotherly connection to him. Mary and I were close, but Henry and I were close in a different way. I could read him very well, and vice versa. He was a good guy. I was glad that he had married one of my best friends. I wished I could be as close to Sam, Amara’s husband, but with Henry, it came so much easier. So when I saw some sort of look pass over his face as he said don’t think about that right now, something inside of me, my gut instinct maybe, woke up.
“Oh my god…” I said slowly. “He was going to propose to me.”
Henry sighed and put his face in his hands.
“Mary…” he growled.
“What? I thought it was common knowledge!” she retorted.
“Am I right?” I demanded, staring at Henry. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Charlotte, it’s complicated,” he started, coming towards me.
“Answer me!” I yelled, standing up. “Henry fucking Maddox,” I said, using his surname, “answer me right now.”
“Yes,” he conceded, looking at me pitifully.
“Dammit,” I whispered, falling back onto the couch. “Fuck everything,” I added, for dramatics.
“That’s why this,” he said, waving his hand, “is so hard to believe. I even helped him pick out a ring.”
I gasped. There was a ring?
“Henry, we should let Charlotte sleep. I think she’s had enough for one day, don’t you?” She motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen.
The Redemption (Charlotte Bloom Book 2) Page 16