The lines had been drawn
There was no going back
The deed was done
Her heart or mine
I keep holding on
Clinging to distant memories
It shoulda been me
Laying there
Her heart or mine
If I hadn’t listened to Barb back then, I wonder if things would have been different. But I left, I left like a coward, while Peyton was laying in the hospital bed, fighting for her life. I have a lot of shit to make up for but part of me wonders if when Peyton finds out the full story of that night, if she’ll ever forgive me at all.
Chapter 15
Nashville Gawker
Oh my god. Do I have a story for you! Who was at the city’s hottest nightclub and spotted our bad boy on the dance floor? That’s right.. I was there, and man do I have a scoop for you. I saw him out on the dance floor putting some moves and his mouth on a woman who was not a fan. Their two-tongue tango ended with a slap heard for miles. Had I been her, I’d been taking that bad boy home with me. Know what I’m saying…
Chapter 16
Peyton
I wake up with a hangover from hell and look at the clock. Shit, I’m meeting my dad in an hour and haven’t even started packing my things up yet. I left the club last night, sending the girls a group text letting them know I was okay but going home. I had to get out of there. I had to get away from Jameson. I was being stupid, and my heart and my mind were pulling me in two dif
ferent directions, playing tug of war with my emotions.
Before I leave the guest room, I listen for Wes. I don’t hear anything, which means the jerk isn’t home. Good. This will be easy then. I find the luggage to pack all my stuff up and find a few boxes and garbage bags to put the rest of my things in that won’t fit. All of the furniture is his, so after four trips to my car, it’s loaded, and the apartment is empty of all my possessions. I mainly had clothes and shoes here.
Now I only hope my dad will let me stay with him for the time being, at least until the show is set to start, since they’ll be giving me a studio apartment near the filming location. I don’t want to move back in on my grandparents. They are always coming to my rescue, and if I am at my dad’s then Wes can’t show his ass and act like he did yesterday.
I arrive at the restaurant and bypass the hostess and head straight for my dad. “Hey, Dad.” I smile as I sit down.
“Petty girl, how are you?” He places a hand on the table, waiting for me to set mine on it as well and gives me a gentle squeeze.
I yawn. I’m still tired from drinking too much last night. “I’m fine. I just have a lot going on with this show and ending things with Wes. It’s just a lot at once. You know? Enough about me though. What’s new with you?” We make small talk and he lets me know that he was able to cancel everything for me, of course making sure Barb wasn’t around when he did so. “Have you told Barb yet?” I’m surprised she hasn’t tried to kidnap me and force me to go through with the wedding early. She thinks Wes is the greatest thing to ever happen to me. She never was a fan of Jameson when we were together. After we broke up, she was all I told you so.
“She’s upset about the wedding. All the effort she put into the planning. Says you wasted everyone’s time. She took a call from Wes last night, and I don’t think she slept at all. I could hear her pacing the house and ranting to herself.” He seems annoyed but I think it mostly with her. He hates when we can’t get along and the wedding was the one thing keeping the peace.
“Don’t worry about her, I can handle her wrath.” It’s time to stand up for myself with Barb. I’m not being her puppet and going along with whatever she wishes. “You think anyone ever died from the stress of a canceled wedding,” I whisper under my breath and he doesn’t hear me.
“Hope so, because here she comes,” he mutters in defeat as he leans back in his chair.
Barb struts toward our table. The hag appears constipated. Her face is all hard and her mouth is pressed tight. The purple wrap dress she is wearing looks terrible with her over processed hair that it is pinned too tightly to her head. As soon as she gets to the table her mouth flies open starting in on me. Great. “How dare you do this? Wes is so upset. He’s just devastated and so heartbroken. He called me last night and he was crying and hoping I can talk some sense into you,” she hisses at me as she sits next to Dad. “You’re gonna go see him and fix this. I can’t stand it. You can’t just call off a wedding this close. What will everyone think? Oh, the shame.” She lets out a dramatic sigh worthy of Broadway.
I shake my head at her. “No, I’m not. I’m not marrying him. Everything has been cancelled. It’s over. Wes and I aren’t right for each other. I don’t love him and I’m not sure if he even really loves me either. He should eb with someone who makes him happy. I’m not that girl. Things are final. I gave back the ring. Dad made the calls to cancel it all.”
“Then un-cancel it damn it.” She pounds her fist on the table. “And leave that silly damn show. We all know you won’t make it anyways. Preston, you need to put a stop to all this foolishness. You’ve always spoiled and babied her and look where it has landed her.”
I grit my teeth at her and smile. “Maybe I won’t make it on this silly show, but I am going to try. And no matter what you want, when it comes to the wedding it will never happen, because not only do I not love Wes, but this contract right here.” I pull my copy of the agreement from my purse. “It forbids it.” I grin at her, and catch my father covering his mouth to hide a smile of his own.
“I’ll get lawyers on it, we’ll get you out of that mess and back with Wes. Where you belong,” she prattles on like she isn’t even listening to me at all. This woman cares nothing about me or my feelings. Everything is about appearances for her. She’s worried about what all her friends will say behind her back.