Waiting for Always (Beautiful Surrender #5)(9)
Author: Ava Claire

I covered my mouth, stifling the gasp. I made a vow and I kept it—I let it go no further than my fingers.

I forced the tears back even though they were begging to spill. To lament over the fact that I’d been so sure that he was the one. That we were right for each other.

I rose from the bed, standing tall. Taller than I’d ever stood in the face of someone that made me feel insignificant. "You’re right. I don’t know you. Revenge is the easy route. It takes nothing to get back at someone who wrongs you. It takes everything to walk away."

Chapter Five

Logan

I pretended I didn’t notice that Melissa left.

It was more than the clothes that she draped at the foot of the bed were gone That her purse wasn’t propped on the counter. Her fresh, floral scent didn’t linger in the air. The lack of her things tormented me. It was a bitter reminder that I had something good, something beautiful…and I ruined it. The wilted petals gusted right out the door, along with the love of my life.

I went to the liquor cabinet, opting for the bourbon. I filled my glass to the brim and brought it to my lips. Me, lamenting about the love of my life. A month ago that would have been laughable, but here I was.

There was no point in fighting it. Now was the time for drinking and regret. To get all the shit clouding my head locked down so I could do what needed to be done when Delilah strutted in, with more lies hot on her tongue. Thoughts of her reminded me of the repercussions of her actions.

I had no delusions of pleasantness when it came to the board meeting. They’d been trying to push me out, coaxing me to enjoy the fruits of my labor. They wanted me to hand the reins over and take a long vacation.

Our last merger got bad press after one of the long time employees of the acquired company sobbed about the dissolution of hometown values and having their history wiped away with a mere signature. It just made me want to work harder. But when I was blindsided by Delilah and her bloodthirsty fans, I decided that some time off to clear my head was warranted.

At the last board meeting, polite suggestions were no longer on the table. They sat down, looked me in the eye, and said they wanted to buy me out. I’d stared each one of them down and said I wasn’t going anywhere. The bad press handed them the brass balls I didn’t think they possessed. They brought up the fine print. If they could unanimously vote that my direction and leadership of the company had a negative impact on the company’s brand and/or profits, they could have me replaced as CEO.

Before this Delilah bullshit, I could say with absolute certainty that Roman would never vote me out. But our talk before the meeting just confirmed the fact that I was under a lot of pressure. Instead of worrying about our business interests, I worried about the baby. If I was being honest, my head wasn’t in the game. But that would all change after I got Delilah on record, admitting that she lied about the baby. I’d be vindicated.

Melissa’s face flashed in my head, sadder than I’d ever seen it. Her eyes were liquid blue, lip trembling as she fought to keep it together. She told me I was better than this.

I wanted to believe I was better than this. I wished that I could just walk away. But in Delilah’s lies, I saw every bully who’d ever seen me as an easy target until I fought back. I was older, richer, but the need to prove myself was just as strong. I wouldn’t let some actress change my legacy. She didn’t deserve to be let off the hook.

I put down the empty glass, refilling it and toasting no one in particular. I should get used to being alone after all. After Melissa, no one else would do.

As if she knew I was indescribably low and wanted to kick me while I was down, my cell drummed on the counter.

Delilah: We’re downstairs!

"We’re?" I muttered, rolling my eyes as I imagined some elaborate posse spilling out of the elevator. I told her this was an important conversation. The conversation that would tip the scales. She hadn’t always traveled in a pack. I had no patience for theatrical celebrities, playing it up like they were on camera at all times, and she knew that. So why would she—

We’re. We.

My chest tightened. It was so obvious. Right in line with the perfect little family fantasy she’d concocted. She was referring to herself and the baby.

Any guilt that the alcohol had inspired evaporated.

Me: come on up.

I dropped the glass, my hand trembling. The urge to break something, to have that cathartic release, was overwhelming, but I used the time instead to camouflage the device that would capture the truth. It was the size of a penny and inconspicuous on a stack of folders on the countertop.

I shoved an angry hand through my hair as the elevator signaled the oncoming invasion. I made a point to avoid all reflective surfaces, not wanting anything to deter me from the end goal. I was so close to being free of Delilah and ending this whole charade.

But what does that freedom mean? What’s the point if you become the person you said you’d never be again? What good was any of it without Melissa?

"Honey, I’m home!"

Delilah’s high-pitched voice and poor attempt at a joke were like nails screeching across the chalkboard. It was hard to fathom a time when her mere presence didn’t make me feel violently ill. I wasn’t one to carry around regret. Regret was like a stone in your gut; a painful thing that did more harm than good. But one look at her face, watching her stroke her stomach with those bright green eyes that used to drive me wild, and I regretted ever laying my eyes upon her.

The brightness flickered as she stopped a few feet shy of the doorway. The magazine-ready smile was still glued to her face. I never gave her enough credit—she was a great actress. She did a bang up job convincing me that she was a human being.

The anger overwhelmed me when my eyes dropped to her stomach. Why was it that today was the day that I could actually make out the curve of the baby growing inside of her?

"How are you?" she chirped, her eyes trying to discern what was off. Me being cold and standoffish was nothing new for her, but she could sense there was something else.

I could play with her like she’d played with me, but I just wanted to be done with all of it. So I snatched away her leverage.

"I know, Delilah."

The smile twitched. The hand dropped to her side. I forced my eyes to stay locked on her face. I couldn’t bear to look at her stomach and remember what I had lost.

When her face fell, I sighed with relief. I thought I’d have to force the truth out of her, but maybe she’d show some sign of decency and just come clean.

She sniffed, tucking her crimson bangs behind her ears. She looked me dead in the face with nothing but innocence in her emerald green eyes. "You know what, love?"