“When Axel asked me to pretend to be his girlfriend, I knew it’d be an easy assignment. The deal is done. He loves me. He’s so easy.”
Damn, that hurts.I shake my head to rid it of my baby’s voice betraying me. It’s bad enough the news article is titled:Wassergot’s CEO Caught In a Lie, it’s worse hearing Heaven spilling my secrets.
My head falls back, and I just stare at the roof.I refuse to cry. I won’t cry. I’m not going to cry. Hell, I just might cry.
No time. Paulo has parked at my house and is opening the door. I hesitate to get out then force myself to face my fucked up reality. I review my past dealings in my head trying to pinpoint exactly what I did to have such a fucked up love life, but I come up empty. I’ve never mistreated a woman even in my younger, horny days.
Why all the bad karma?
I perform some deep breathing as I unlock the door. The scent of warm bread and cooked spices fill my nostrils the moment my front door swings open.Pressby Cardi B is thumping through my surround sound, and I feel this song far more than I should. I’m tired of making headlines because of the women in my life.
There has to be an explanation.
The music stops then Heaven appears in a tight, little black dress I bought her. Her hair is down and styled with flirty waves. She flashes me a big smile before her perfectly glossed lips part to greet me. My entire body hurts from the sight of her.
“How could you?” She scrunches her face with confusion, but I need an answer. “How could you?” I yell.
Heaven flinches because I rarely yell and never at her.
“Axel?” Hearing my name from her lips increases the pain. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t you? Or did you expect the news to break later? No, when you sell a rich man’s secrets, they drop immediately.”
“What secrets? I’ve been here all day.”
I believe her. I want to trust what she says one-hundred percent, but I heard her voice. If it were hearsay, I’d side with her without a doubt. It’s not. Her voice is in my head on a loop.
“How much did they pay you?”
“Again, here all day, Axel.”
I’m tired—mentally and emotionally exhausted. The one person I’ve begun to expect to help me with the hard stuff is the one causing it.
“I would’ve given you anything you wanted. All you had to do is ask.”
If I had to guess Heaven’s expression, I’d say confused and concerned. She takes a few steps to me like she wants to comfort me, but I stop her when she reaches for me. I love and crave her too much for her to touch me right now.
“Don’t touch me,” I warn her.
Heaven pulls back like I slapped her. Tears glitter her eyes.
“Can you at least tell me what you think I did?”
The hurt in her question is so genuine I feel like hugging her. I need time to figure it out without being distracted by my feelings for her. Without a word, I press play on the sound clip. The recognition on her face aggravates my wounds.
“This isn’t your voice? You didn’t say this?”
She blinks her big eyes a few times. “Yes, but—”
“I need to be alone right now. Paulo will drop you off at a hotel.”
The tears that were on standby travel down her cheeks. I hate seeing Heaven cry and refuse to be the cause, but I can’t function right now. She looks as hurt, and I feel yet the proof is damning. I need to sift through everything to find the plausible answer. Fuck that. I need the truth.
“Did you just sentence me without a trial—guilty without question?”
Fuck.
I want to hold her. Hell, I’d love to wake up right now to find it’s a bad dream.
