Yes, Miss
A cold blanket encompasses me as I silently break into tiny pieces.
I promised myself I’d never let another man do this to me, and here I am.
Fucked over once again.
“We promised no lies and total honesty, James. If you can’t do this, then neither can I,” I say, my voice trembling, my heart breaking at the thought of James still wanting Laura. My whole body feels numb as I realise it’s all over between us.
“No, don’t go. I’m sorry. I was trying to protect you. I got so angry.” His face is a picture of agony, his eyes filled with tears as he grips the back of the dining chair, his knuckles white with tension.
“Protect me from what, James? The fact you still love her?” I spit. “At what point were you going to tell me that? You got so jealous of the guy she was with that you hit him? Is that it? Why, James?” I cry, my walls crumbling to dust, my heart cleaving open in front of me, every ounce of trust I gave him pouring out. The coldness I used as a cloak melts in an instant with my white-hot rage, leaving me totally exposed.
Tears streak down my cheeks as I let everything out that was bubbling inside of me.
Alexandra Ravensbrook
What he says next has me frozen, flashbacks coming thick and fast at the mention of his name.
“The guy she was with was Matt.”
His head hangs low, his face ashen as his eyes travel up to mine, a mix of fear and total devastation marring his beautiful face. His pained eyes lock on mine as I forget to breathe and slump onto the floor.
Yes, Miss
Chapter 44
James
I drop to my knees next to her and scoop her into my arms. She fights against me, trying desperately to scramble away, but I wrap my arms around her and hold tight as her sobs begin against my chest. We sit like that for several minutes, and as her sobs subside and turn to sniffles, she asks, “Did you at least break his face? Make it worth it?”
I let out a soft laugh. “Yeah, baby, I did.” Only, I wish I’d done a whole lot more to him. I want to make him scream and suffer like he made Isabelle.
She goes silent for a few more minutes until she sits up and pulls away, my arms opening to let her move. What I don’t expect is for her to wipe her hands over her face, stand up, and walk to the dining table, downing her wine. The woman I see before me is different now. A cold, emotionless mask on her face, devoid of any outward sign of her thoughts. She fills her glass up and turns to face me, perched on the table, her ankles crossed in front of her, one
Alexandra Ravensbrook
arm across her chest, the other holding her wine as she looks down at me.
“How long were you going to lie to me, James?” Her voice is deadly calm, and I’ll admit, it terrifies me. I’ve not seen her like this before. Like the stillness and tension just before the thunder and lightning start. I kneel there, sitting back on my heels, looking up at my queen, wondering how I messed this up so badly.
My heart thuds as anxiety claws up my chest, and I can’t speak, because honestly, I don’t think I would ever have told her the truth if it stopped her from getting hurt.
My hesitation in answering her seems to make the situation worse.
“You promised me I could trust you, that you would give me everything. Is lying to me and withholding the truth giving me everything, James?” Her voice fills with sadness and resignation, and it kills me to hear it. I feel like I’ve broken her all over again. I’m no better than her shithead ex. I may not have hurt her physically, but emotionally. I’ve trampled on the most precious things she gave me—her trust.
“Baby, I will. I’m sorry. I was trying to protect you. I didn’t want you to get upset.”
“No, James, you just decided to beat the shit out of him and then lie to me about it.” Her voice is quiet and small
Yes, Miss
as she shakes her head. “What happened to us working together? Getting through it together?” she hisses.
“Please, Iz, I’m sorry.” I reel out the full story of what happened as she leans against the table and finishes her wine. “I promise you, Iz, you’re everything to me, and I just lost it seeing his smug smile. Please don’t leave me.”
My own eyes fill with unspent tears, my very core trembling with fear that I’ve already lost her.
