The flying back and forth coincidentally with Lex’s time here.
The controlling hot boss with a fucked-up love life, pining for this one woman.
My posture stiffens, frozen and unable to move from the enormity of this discovery. A heavy feeling erupts inside my stomach, making me queasy and breathless while I sit here completely silent with no words. I can’t believe this is happening. Why didn’t I see the signs? Her voice rings in my head. It’s not his fault he lost the woman he loves.
“Kate?”
“Charlie?” she gasps.
“How do you know Kate?” Lex barks, interrupting us.
My eyes dart between Kate and Lex. Undoubtedly, he looks like beautiful hell. No matter the pain he bestows upon me, I can’t deny my heart begging for him. His normally bright eyes are dull, almost lifeless. My eyes are drawn to his unkempt beard—unruly and very unlike him. Despite my reluctance to paint this picture of him inside my head that what happened didn’t affect him whatsoever, I’d be stupid to deny that the man standing beside me is suffering much like me.
Kate clasps her hand over her mouth as the realization of the situation sets in.
Lex asks why I haven’t returned any of his calls, raising his voice at me witho
ut a care in the world that everyone is watching us, including Julian. His overpowering alpha trait is rearing its ugly head like I’ve seen a dozen times before. The need to control this situation is the only thing on Lex’s mind, and jealousy is fueling his anger right now.
With a slow and disbelieving head shake, the color drains from Julian’s face. The pain etched all over him only cements my guilt, and as I go to apologize to Julian, his head jolts up, the momentary pained expression turns maddening. With his eyes burning like wildfire and nostrils flaring like a bull ready to attack, he stands, warning Lex to back off.
My hands begin to tremble, dreading the two men standing face to face in a stand-off in front of everyone.
It all happens so fast.
Lex punches Julian square in the face, Julian stumbles as he is knocked back, the blood pouring from his face splattering all over my pale blue dress.
Rage consumes Lex like burning hot lava as Kate places her hands on him, holding him back while trying to calm him down. Without even thinking, I touch Julian’s face, his nose dripping blood and the corner of his lip cut up. This is all my fault. Julian doesn’t deserve this—he’s done nothing wrong.
I grab a napkin holding it gently to his face and caressing his cheek, overcome by guilt at the pain I’m causing him. Why can’t Lex see Julian isn’t to blame? The big illuminated arrow is pointing right above my head. I’m the instigator of the tangled web here, not Julian.
“Fuck you, Edwards,” Julian spits, catching me off guard, almost pushing me over. “She doesn’t want you. If she did, she wouldn’t be sitting here with me right now. Game over! Fucking leave her alone.”
“Mr. Edwards, please don’t do this. You will regret it and lose her forever,” Kate begs.
“Lose me forever? Too fucking late, Lex,” I croak, mouthing words with no stamina left in me. “You lost me a long time ago. I was just stupid enough to think it was fixable.”
I laugh at the irony. I’m beyond defeated, physically exhausted, my head throbbing, my stomach weak. I desperately need to sit down and catch my breath or more so, I need to be alone—indefinitely. My thoughts are jumbled, this situation is too much. I’m tired, suddenly so very tired.
His demeanor changes, and his posture straightens. I wait for him to reveal his true self—he already did by violently blaming Julian, but I don’t expect him to communicate to me the way he used to, our most intimate form. Instead, he speaks in Spanish. As he says the words, my brain interprets them quickly and much to my horror, I understand what he says.
You want to hurt me for what I did to you, Charlotte? Well, you’ve won. To quote you, I’m done.
I stand there shocked to the soles of my feet by his words. Paralyzed by the words I never expected to hear from the man who promised me he’d move heaven and earth to make me his. In this sick mindfuck of a game we play with our own lives, I never stopped to realize the damage I could cause because it was always about me—my feelings, my hurt, and my pain.
And now, it’s finally over.
I follow Julian’s lead like a lost little girl, but there’s one thing I still want to say if only he didn’t react the way he did, if only he didn’t beat Julian to a pulp.
With Julian well ahead of me, I turn around to be met by Lex’s wounded expression. I can go over to him, beg of him not to give up on us, but we are beyond broken. The hurdles between us just keep coming, and despite my love for him, there’s no Band-Aid to repair the damage already caused.
Taking a few steps back, I draw in the distance between us to stare him directly in the eye, with a finality in my weighted gaze. “I was actually here to tell him it was over.”
Refusing to see his reaction, I turn around swiftly as Kate calls my name. She catches up with me, grabbing my arm forcing me to stop.
“I’m sorry, I had no idea it was Mr. Edwards. Please, you have to know it was all fake. I was there, Charlie. I was there when Victoria threatened him, and he told her to fuck off. You need to trust me.”
“Kate, I’m sorry. I just need to let him go.”