Completely unprepared for what I saw.
Twice in one day.
Un-fucking-believable.
Chapter 30
Rosalee
Violet and I spent a little more time in town than I'd planned, but I couldn't help myself when we stopped at a local toy store and found an adorable princess tiara with long, colorful, sheer fabric that hung down her little back. It was purple, pink, and blue, and she hadn't stopped swinging her head since I put it on her. "You are the prettiest little princess in the whole wide world," I cooed to her as we walked toward the front door. "Just wait until your daddy sees you."
Violet babbled happily. She might not understand a lot, but she was a happy little girl with a sparkly tiara on her head and a dump truck clutched in her arms.
I unlocked the front door and we spilled inside, still laughing and feeling good from our day in town. My gaze landed on Xavier, and I felt my smile brighten despite my determination to keep a healthy distance between us. "Hey," I said, setting Violet on her feet and smiling as she toddled over to her father. "The good news is that Violet is a very healthy little girl. She scored in the top percentile for all of her year-one milestones."
He didn't smile back, and that was my first clue that something was wrong. His lips were pulled into a tight line, his gray eyes dark and unreadable.
"Is there something on your mind, Xavier?" I wouldn't tiptoe around whatever problem he had with me. Not this time. Not ever again.
"You could say that." His words were cold and distant, like we were strangers rather than people who knew each other intimately.
"Well," I bit out, folding my arms over my chest. "Are you going to tell me what it is, or should I guess?" I used to play this game with Jason all the time, and there was no way to win it.
Xavier sighed heavily and produced a pale green envelope that he tossed on the coffee table. It landed with a soft thud that seemed to reverberate through the room. His steely gaze tracked my movements as if he thought I might take off back down the mountain.
"Right." My voice was tight with anger, but I pushed it down and picked up Violet, carrying her to her room so she wouldn't be subjected to whatever was said next. I got her set up in her playpen with a few toys, but she was enamored with her new truck, running her palms over the rugged wheels and smiling at the sounds it made. I kissed the top of her black curls and sighed heavily.
I had a pretty good idea what was in that green envelope, and my heart was as heavy as my legs when I made my way back to the living room. The weight of Xavier's angry glare added a few more pounds to my already overburdened shoulders, and I refused to sit, instead standing with the coffee table as a barrier between us.
He nodded toward the envelope. "Go on. Open it." His tone was angry yet smug, as if he'd caught me doing something nefarious.
This is how he wants to do this,I reminded myself as I picked up the envelope and turned it upside down, letting the photos scatter across the table and onto the floor. Photos of me and my ex-boyfriend from the last year of our relationship. Looking at the woman I was back then was like a punch to the gut. I smiled when I was supposed to, but it was never a real smile; it didn't quite reach my eyes. I wore the right clothes: silky blouses and skirts, stiletto heels, with my hair in the latest styles. Jason was beside me, looking smug and satisfied with the world he'd crafted with his obedient and insecure woman.
"Nothing to say, Rosalee?" He leaned forward and picked up the letter I'd missed, but I didn't miss the slanted scribble of Jason's handwriting.
"What is there to say when it's clear you've already made up your mind?" My heart pounded in my chest because he believed what he saw and what he read.
"Wow," he sighed. "I really thought you'd put up more of a fight." He picked up the letter and waved it beside his head. "No, Xavier, I'm not after your money. I love you."
I smiled in the face of his sharp words even though my heart crumbled in my chest. "I do love you, but clearly, it was one-sided."
"Like I'd ever believe a gold digger again. The letter lays out your plan perfectly, Rosalee. Get your hooks into me and get a big, fat payday. But your partner double-crossed you."
"Partner? You mean my ex-boyfriend, Jason, who has basically been stalking me since I left Florida? But hey, you've already decided who you believe." I looked up, as if that act alone would keep my tears from falling.
"You're a liar."
I barked out a bitter laugh at that. "I'm the liar? I have been nothing but honest with you, Xavier. Can you say the same?" I didn't wait for him to answer. "Of course not! I have tried toget to know you, tried to get you to open up to me so I can learn about you, and you've blocked me at every turn. Clearly, Jason looked into you while I stupidly waited for you to tell me about yourself." I shook my head and swiped at those stupid, traitorous tears. I still couldn't even believe this was happening, but another look at Xavier proved that it was.
"Stop lying to me!"
I wrapped my arms around myself and let my tears fall silently while he raged at me.
"I opened up to you, Rosalee. I let you in my house and in my bed."
"But never your heart," I accused as my voice broke. It was all so clear to me now and I couldn't believe how naïve I'd been, how thoroughly I believed him. "I believed you when you said you were just a burned-out executive, but apparently you're more, while I am exactly who I said I was."
"You saved up your virginity for nothing," he snarled, a look of disgust on his face.
