Myphonevibratesonthe table.Again. I’ve ignored Dylan’s calls for two days, my mind flipping over and dissecting the last two years of our relationship. The cracks have always been there, jagged and chipped.
How could I not have known any of this?
Was I so caught up in the idea of love that I couldn’t see what was right in front of my eyes?
What does that breathy brunette have that I don’t?
I’ve been torturing myself—spending countless hours running through every minor detail, stuffing my face with ice cream, and crying. I’ve also been ignoring my bridal party’s group chat, which has been popping off because of my missing rehearsals and tastings.
My eyes flicker to the address Kaden left for the hundredth time. I snatch it up before flying into my room and shoving some sweatpants and a t-shirt on.
I have to know the whole truth.
Even if it kills me.
Afternoon traffic is horrible, and my evening is made even worse when the address brings me to a strip club. I park before taking in the line of people waiting to get in. It stretches around the building, and I skip it entirely as I stalk towards the bouncer.
He’s a burly man with a shaved head and tattoos. His face is etched from stone as he regards me like a bug under his shoe. “Dancers get in from the back—”
“I’m not a dancer,” I clear my throat. “I’m here to seeSmerti.”
Did I say that right?
I must have because the bouncer’s eyes widen before he removes the red velvet rope for me. “Upstairs. Office at the end.”
“Thanks,” I mutter as I push into the club. Neon lights slant across the ceiling as people pack tightly together. Music blasts over the speakers, rattling the establishment as women dance on stage. There’s money being tossed, bottles being lifted, and an atmosphere so thick I feel like I can’t breathe as I shove towards the back of the room.
I take the steps, the metal making a small sound as my shoes hit, and I ascend. It brings me to a long corridor lined with rooms. There’s the distinct sound of moans coming from a few as I speed walk towards the end.
Two men stand outside the office doors, their hands crossed in front of them as they lift a brow at me.
“Um,” I squint my eyes, feeling uncomfortable. “I’m here to see—”
“Melody, right?” The man to my left asks.
I nod.
They open the doors for me, revealing a dimly lit office. Kaden sits behind an oak desk, his bulky form overtaking the space as he shuffles through some papers. He’s out of place in such a manner, and I never imagined I would see the day he sat behind a desk…
His eyes shift up. “You made it.”
I take a deep breath before padding forward and taking a seat on one of the uncomfortable leather chairs across from him. “I…I want to know. Ideserveto know.”
He fishes his phone out of his pocket, flicking across the screen before he slides the device to me. I look down at it, the family photo making my blood boil.
Dylan is posing with his secretary, a small, chubby newborn on his lap, both smiling for the camera. The backdrop is something spring-related with bright green grass and flowers, but it’s all lost on me. My eyes refuse to stray from the child who holds a resemblance to the man I once thought loved me more than life itself.
“She was born three weeks ago,” Kaden says.
When Dylan left during our vacation…
His call…
I fall back in the chair, the rest cutting into my spine as I try to process this new bullet.
Kaden tilts his head, his eyes glossing over me as they soften. “Are you eating?”
“I can’t think about food right now…” I trail, shaking my head.
