“No.” The blonde develops a backbone, straightening up. “Cara and I are in this mess because of you.”
“Everything was her idea,” Cara agrees.
“You were more than happy to go along with it!” Gwyneth snaps.
“She’s always been really jealous of you, Elisa,” Susie says. “You’re pretty and super smart and always so nice. Everyone on campus loves you, and she couldn’t stand it.”
“She saw Caleb on campus with you a few times, and she wanted him,” Cara adds.
I fold my arms over my chest and step back, letting them throw their friend to the wolves. “She overheard you talking about him a couple of times to Shea, so she knew you two were close and that you loved him. She’s been plotting to go after him for years, but we could never get close enough.”
“You gave her the opening she’d been looking for,” Susie says.
“Me?” Elisa’s eyes pop wide.
“You told Shea about the fashion show. Gwyn’s auntie works for House of Fashion, and she got us in and gave us fake IDs.”
At least that explains how they got into the show. I make a mental note to find the name of her aunt and have her fired.
“That might all be true,” Gwyneth says, “but we didn’t fake our way onto his cock. Caleb was more than happy to party with us and take us home. And I don’t care what bullshit you spout, no one fucks girls all night long?—”
Elisa bitch slaps her across the face, and it’s enormously satisfying. My cock is flying at half-mast now, and I discreetly adjust myself so no one notices.
“Hot damn,” Vittus says.
“Don’t you get it? He does that all the time,” Elisa says.
Did, I whisper in my head, but I don’t verbalize it.
“You weren’t anything special. He didn’t even remember you. He never remembers because you’re all replaceable.”
Isn’t that the truth? None of those nameless, faceless women I screwed ever meant anything to me. Cruel? Yes, but it’s no lie.
I spent years trying to deny my feelings for Lili, submerging myself in booze, easy women, and the occasional recreationaldrug, because I was scared to confront what was in my heart and terrified I’d never be good enough for her. I don’t remember the women I’ve fucked because they were only placeholders. I never cared enough to even go back for seconds. Lili is the only woman, except Mom, who has ever mattered and the only one I truly love.
Deep-seated contentment settles in my bones as I absorb the truth and fully believe it.
Elisa Salerno is it for me. My destiny. My dream woman. The mother of my children. The keeper of my heart.
Now I just have to convince her of it.
“The only one I ever see is you.” I peer deep into her eyes as I say it, hoping she at least sees the truth even if she refuses to hear it. I have a lot of regrets, and I wish I could erase my past with women, but I can’t. What I’ve done may be the cross I die on. I can’t rewrite my history, but Icanensure I don’t repeat the same mistakes.
Even if she never forgives me or never gives me a shot, I am done fucking other women. They hold no appeal.
“Yeah, he was really seeing your face the whole time he was fucking me,” Gwyneth snarls, sarcasm thick in her tone as she ruins the moment.
I’m reconsidering keeping her alive.
I slam my fist into her stomach, not holding back. I toss a glance over my shoulder at Vittus. “What, no damn for me?”
“It’s not hot when you do it.”
“I pity you,” Elisa says to the bitch, cutting across our conversation. “Have you really invested all this time and expended all this energy just to one-up me?”
“She has,” Cara confirms. “She’s the pathetic one. Not you.”
“No one could ever replace Elisa in my affections,” I say.
