Jayden Cooper has ruined me in every possible way. I let him in. Trusted him. And he was lying to me the whole time.
Yet, it didn’t feel like he was lying to me. I remember the hazy drunken confession I made in the hall about my shame.
We all have things we are ashamed of.
Those were his exact words. I should have questioned him. Perhaps I would have done if I wasn’t so wrapped up in my own self-pity.
Although having a secret fiancée stashed away in god knows where is pretty shameful. There’s no coming back from that. And where was she while I was in Vegas?
The contents of the bathroom cabinet, the skin care. It wasn’t Jayden’s at all.
God, I‘m so stupid. The urge to scream into my pillow is overwhelming.
How am I supposed to get through my sister’s wedding, paired up with him as the best man, when he’s the worst possible man I’ve ever encountered?
An image of us standing at the altar together pops into my head. He’ll obviously be bringingher.A fresh wave of nausea surges up my throat. Sasha warned me. I’ve only got myself to blame.
And now the hole in my chest has become a full-blown crater.
Naveesha draws the floor length curtains. The sweltering summer sun beams in, illuminating every inch of my misery. She opens the door to the terrace and humidity floods the room.
‘I know it’s hot, but you need some fresh air. I’ll make you some tea, then you can tell me all about it.’
When she returns carrying a tray with two cups and an enormous pot of herbal tea, I drag myself into a seated position, patting the bed next to me. She’s so much more than my housekeeper. She’s my confidant, friend, and the closest thing I’ve had to a mother since I got here. She cooks healthy meals for me, even if I don’t always eat them. Her heart’s in the right place. I know it is, but no one can help me today.
She sits, pats my hand with a sympathetic touch, then pours me a cup of tea.
‘Miss Chloe, I only saw you like this once before.’
Ethan.
I shrug. That poor excuse for a heartbreak has nothing on this.
She slurps from her cup before resting it on its saucer. ‘It’s that man, the American, no? The one with the big…’ Vacant eyes close, searching for the right word. It almost makes me smile. Almost.
‘Job.’ She nudges me. ‘He paid me to leave you alone.’
I nod, unable to deny it.
‘What happened? He’s a good man, Miss Chloe. I saw it with my own eyes. I say to myself, this man loves Miss Chloe. I worry you move to America for him.’ Dark eyes well with emotion.
‘Oh, Naveesha, I am supposed to go to America, but not for him. For me. I have business there now. But this place,’ I gesture round, ‘will always be my base.’
‘I will miss you.’
‘You’ll enjoy the peace. No one moping around crying. Unless you want to come with me?’ Maybe I could work it.
Naveesha’s the closest thing I have to family, other than my sisters, of course.
‘Me? In the United States of America. Shish… What would I even do there?’
The same as she’s doing here. Like me, she has no family. She has siblings in Sri Lanka but no children of her own. That’s probably why she mothers me.
I shrug, taking a sip of tea. Its heat is comforting, but it does absolutely nothing to help my ruptured heart.
‘I might not even go yet.’
I honestly don’t know what to do with myself.
