With another curt nod, she turned, heading toward the door. Irritation clawed in my gut. Something deep down was telling me I should stop her. Fortunately, my anger was stronger, and as the door shut behind her, I poured another glass of whiskey.
I wokeup the next morning fully dressed on the couch, with an empty bottle of whiskey tucked in between my body and the couch cushion. I’d drunk too much, but I didn't need the empty bottle to tell me that. The detonation of bombs in my brain and the feeling like I'd swallowed a tanker of sand were all the evidence I needed to know I'd overdone it.
I glanced at my watch, which wasn't easy to do because the sunlight burned my eyes. I was going to be late to the office, and I was never late, except for those few mornings I took my time exploring Reyna's body.
The thought of Reyna brought back the torment of the day before. The reason I had drunk so much in the first place. I scraped my hands over my face, thinking about how I’d finally decided to accept my feelings for Reyna, but when I did, I arrived home to discover her ex in my kitchen wanting her back and saying he was the father of her child.
When I first heard him make his claim on the baby, I doubted him. I'd had unprotected sex with Reyna from the start. But then he was right, she looked too pregnant to be only a couple of months. Not that I was an expert, but I did remember Amelia not showing for a long time. Long enough that I wondered whether she was really pregnant. Plus, there were several women at the office who’d had babies.
Reyna’s betrayal was a reminder why I had been resistant to my feelings for her in the first place. I should've known better. My heartache and this hangover were my own damn fault.
I rose, getting a glass of water and using it to wash down pain reliever. Then I managed to get myself in the shower and my head under the spray, washing out the cobwebs in my brain.
I got dressed and went to the kitchen to make myself coffee, telling myself how much I enjoyed having my home back. I didn't have to share anything. If I wanted to watch sports, I could. If I wanted to watch a violent movie instead of a baking show, I could.
But new freedom aside, I needed to come up with an excuse about Reyna’s leaving. The fact that she was having another man's baby seemed like a pretty good reason. Not that I was going to go into the office and announce it because that wasn't the sort of thing I would do. If I were in a real marriage and it was falling apart, I would keep it to myself for as long as I could, so that's what I was going to do.
If anybody noticed that I had arrived to work late, nobody said anything. Like I always did, I got my messages and went to my desk. I took off my coat, turned on my computer, and got to work. My life was back to normal.
All I'd wanted in life was to focus on building a business that was honorable and profitable. I wanted to change the reputation of the company away from my father’s corruption. I wanted to prove to my father and the board that I was better. As I worked, I convinced myself that everything was as it should be.
When I arrived home that evening, I had to make my own dinner, but that was okay. I knew how to cook. Plus, Reyna was always making healthy things. I decided to make macaroni and cheese out of a box and add cream and cheese to make it even better. I ate it from the pot and didn’t include a single green veggie. The bachelor life was so much better.
I pulled out a new bottle of whiskey, pouring myself a hefty amount. I was well through a second glass and watching a baking show when I wondered where Reyna had gone when she left yesterday. Was she back at that crap efficiency? Shit. I might be angry at her, but I didn't want her to be living in a hellhole.
Nearly finishing my third glass, my mind wandered, replaying what I'd heard in the kitchen between her and her ex. He was clearly asking her to leave me and return to him. She told him no. Why?
After learning about her ex's name, I did a little research and found out he came from an affluent family. Apparently, his father and her father were partnering on a business deal. If she wanted to have money and security, he could provide it for her. So why had she said no? Was it because she wanted to stay with me?
I love you, James.
I shook my head, my booze-infused brain sloshing around in it.
"Stop thinking about her," I demanded of myself.
I didn't need her. I didn't need anyone. The life I wanted was here, doing what I wanted, when I wanted. My life was building a business.
Liar.
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
Reyna
I kept it together until I got into my car. I sat in the driver seat, my entire body shaking. Did he really think I was the type of person who would lie to him about the baby? The idea of that cut me deeply.
I was grateful for the anger that followed the pain because I'd rather be mad than hurt. But then the anger was followed by self-recrimination. James was the man he'd always purported to be. He only cared about one thing. Business. It was something he had told me from the start. So it was my own fault that I was in pain and angry.
I started the car, leaving his house and the community for the last time. As I drove, I realized I didn't know where I was going. Was there a room at the efficiency? I thought of Vivie, and while I didn't want to intrude on her, maybe she would give me a place to stay just for tonight until I got myself sorted. One thing was for sure, I wasn't going to find Dean. To think that for a moment, I had doubted my decision to not forgive Dean. For a nanosecond, I considered that maybe he was the man I should choose. James, for all his faults, was at least exactly who he reported to be. Dean didn't have a genuine bone in his body.
I pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store and took out my phone to call Vivie.
"So, you ready to start writing, partner?" she said when she answered.
"Not exactly."
"Oh, God. What's going on?"
It was only then that I realized I was crying. "Can I come stay with you? Just for tonight. I just need—"